Re: possible s6-rc redesign

From: mobinmob <mobinmob_at_disroot.org>
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 2020 22:24:27 +0300

Thank you for taking the time to present the options and the technical
arguments for each of them. I cannot offer a comment on the best way
to proceed on technical grounds, but I can offer my two cents as someone
who tries to bring an s6-rc based solution (66) to a distribution.

1. There is one **huge** disadvantage for the second option. It is not a
technical one, so it may carry little weight on your final decision.
There already different implementations of init systems based on s6/s6-rc,
some of them successfully used on distributions. They will almost certainly
have to be abandoned or rewritten to function with the redesigned suite.
The first option will allow these implementations to augment what they
offer
with minimal or no disruption for their users and developers.

2. Which distributions or groups of distributions will find the redesign
appealing,
so that they will adopt it ?
IMHO distributions that use systemd are not likely to change in the
foreseeable
future, so that leaves the distributions that use something else. Some
of them
already have s6-based solutions (official or not), so adopting the
redesigned
will be akin to adding another init for them. Distributions that use
neither
s6/s6-rc nor systemd will be a likely target but they have to be
persuaded to
use a -almost certainly- more complex solution than what they have and that
is an uphill battle.

3. Yes, the compiled db of services or the many files in the servicedir can
discourage people to use s6-rc. But ANY new format will face similar
criticism and some of the problems can be alleviated with the proper
frontend. I use 66. Ι never touch servicedirs - it uses ini-based "frontend
service files"- and I have dabbled with the compiled once, indirectly.

4.  On the issue of mechanisms vs policy I fully agree that people want
a turnkey solution. However I do not think that is something that should
be done in a cetralised manner. There already at least 3 different working
sets of services created for s6-rc (artix, slew, 66) and someone can
inspect,
use and modify them to fit their needs or policies.
Received on Tue Sep 01 2020 - 19:24:27 UTC