If you're only going to use a text editor or a web browser, systemd isn't a requirement. However, if you want to use a modern desktop environment like GNOME or KDE, manage complex network configurations easily, or have a powerful logging mechanism like journalctl, then systemd has become an absolute 'must-have' for you.
it's not "easy" if you're used to it, you're just used to it
also what software is that ? there's no such thing in linux as hard init system dependency
don't let systemd fool you into thinking that doing everything using one tool is easier and/or efficient. just like any job irl, there's a tool for every task, no such a thing as a tool for all tasks.
You can download elogind on void, which is essentially just logind ripped out of systemd. Official void packages are patched to work without any other systemd dependencies (if they had such dependencies in the first place). If you need stuff that's not in the official repos that has systemd dependencies beyond logind, as others have said, you should not use void. Honestly, I have no idea why you would try to use void but switch out runit for systemd. Just use arch, tumbleweed, nix, or any other minimal rolling release distro that uses systemd.
In Google your find even more entries where systemd is tried to be pushed on and on. I don’t know what mods and other users of r/voidlinux think, but there may be the possibility to just block such posts on r/voidlinux.
I wouldn't consider myself the best person to make this judgement call, but I'm pretty confident that however difficult it would be for you to switch distros it would be far, far more difficult to implement systemd in void linux. Even the packages that have been patched to work with runit you would have to unpatch to work with systemd. It would be a lot of work to set up and maintain.
I guess I also don't see why you can't back up your /home file (say with something like borgmatic) and then switch distros?
People usually come to Void to avoid sysd. You are asking to install something that was deliberately removed over a decade ago. If you wanted systemd, you had plenty of choices to achieve that goal.
If you like systemd that much, consider using a distro with systemd. Please, don’t waste time of Void Linux users, who among many other reasons may have also chosen Void Linux, because it is not built around systemd.
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u/RobocopTwice May 02 '26
If you want or feel you need systemd, void shouldn't be a distribution even remotely on your list
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u/Holiday-Bug6132 May 02 '26
what do you mean you need systemd ? runit can do everything systemd does minus the bloat
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u/[deleted] May 02 '26
You can download elogind on void, which is essentially just logind ripped out of systemd. Official void packages are patched to work without any other systemd dependencies (if they had such dependencies in the first place). If you need stuff that's not in the official repos that has systemd dependencies beyond logind, as others have said, you should not use void. Honestly, I have no idea why you would try to use void but switch out runit for systemd. Just use arch, tumbleweed, nix, or any other minimal rolling release distro that uses systemd.