Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

systemd VS sysvinit

Compare systemd VS sysvinit and see what are their differences

systemd logo systemd

systemd is a replacement for the init daemon for Linux (either System V or BSD-style).

sysvinit logo sysvinit

Savannah is a central point for development, distribution and maintenance of free software, both GNU and non-GNU.
  • systemd Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-24
  • sysvinit Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-05

systemd features and specs

  • Fast Boot Times
    systemd can significantly reduce boot times compared to traditional init systems due to its parallelization capabilities, dependency-based booting, and services starting only when needed.
  • Unified Management
    It provides a unified framework for service management across various Linux distributions, simplifying the administration tasks as most commands and configurations remain consistent.
  • Socket Activation
    Services can be started on-demand using socket activation, which can save resources by only starting services when actually needed.
  • Logging and Monitoring
    systemd integrates with journald for logging, providing a centralized and structured logging mechanism that makes it easier to track system events and diagnose problems.
  • Service Dependency Management
    By managing service dependencies, systemd ensures that services start in the correct order and can restart services that fail or get stopped unexpectedly.

Possible disadvantages of systemd

  • Complexity
    systemd is more complex than traditional init systems, which can make it more challenging to learn and troubleshoot, especially for newcomers or those accustomed to simpler systems.
  • Monolithic Design
    Critics argue that systemd attempts to do too much, integrating multiple components and functionalities under one umbrella, which goes against the UNIX philosophy of 'doing one thing and doing it well.'
  • Compatibility Issues
    Older scripts and software that rely on traditional init systems might face compatibility issues or require modifications to work with systemd.
  • Performance Overhead
    Although generally optimized for performance, the additional features and logging can lead to performance overhead compared to simpler init systems.
  • Community Division
    The adoption of systemd has been controversial, leading to divisions in some open-source communities, with some users and developers preferring alternatives like OpenRC or runit.

sysvinit features and specs

  • Simplicity
    SysVinit is known for its straightforward and simple design, making it easier to understand and manage for system administrators who are familiar with its traditional approach.
  • Mature and Stable
    SysVinit has been around for a long time, which means it is well-tested and stable. Many of its behaviors are well-documented, and there is a wealth of community knowledge available.
  • Compatibility
    Due to its long history, SysVinit is compatible with a wide range of Unix-like operating systems, making it a reliable choice for legacy systems.
  • Flexibility
    SysVinit allows users to write custom scripts for managing services, offering flexibility for specialized needs or environments.

Possible disadvantages of sysvinit

  • Lack of Parallelization
    SysVinit does not natively support starting services in parallel, which can lead to longer boot times as it starts services sequentially.
  • Complexity in Large Setups
    Even though SysVinit is simple, managing a large number of startup scripts can become complex and unwieldy as configurations grow.
  • Limited Dependency Handling
    SysVinit has a limited ability to handle dependencies between services, potentially resulting in issues during system startup if services are started in the wrong order.
  • Manual Configuration
    SysVinit requires more manual intervention to manage services, which can be time-consuming compared to more automated solutions like systemd.

systemd videos

Demystifying systemd

More videos:

  • Review - Archbang (systemd) Install & Review
  • Review - Review Devuan Linux - Un Debian Sin Systemd

sysvinit videos

openrc vs sysvinit reboot time on Slackware Virtual Machines

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to systemd and sysvinit)
Log Management
61 61%
39% 39
Monitoring Tools
59 59%
41% 41
Fintech
54 54%
46% 46
Performance Monitoring
74 74%
26% 26

User comments

Share your experience with using systemd and sysvinit. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, sysvinit seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

systemd mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of systemd yet. Tracking of systemd recommendations started around Mar 2021.

sysvinit mentions (1)

  • Distro balls
    It's a plus because Gentoo fully supports the choice of Systemd or OpenRC. It also has minit, dumb-init, sysvinit, cinit in tree for the more adventurous. No one was calling the AUR bloat, the parent comment just mentions that Gentoo has an equivalent project, GURU. Source: almost 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing systemd and sysvinit, you can also consider the following products

runit - runit is a cross-platform Unix init scheme with service supervision, a replacement for sysvinit...

s6 - s6 is a small suite of programs for UNIX, designed for process supervision. It can be used as an init system, or as separate supervision components.

Supervisor - Supervisor is a client/server system that allows its users to monitor and control a number of...

M/Monit - Monit is a free open source utility for managing and monitoring, processes, files, directories and filesystems on a UNIX system. Monit conducts automatic maintenance and repair and can execute meaningful causal actions in error situations.

Upstart - Upstart is an event-based replacement for the /sbin/init daemon which handles starting of tasks and...

Dinit - Dinit is a service supervisor with dependency support which can also act as the system "init" program.