InitWare, a portable systemd fork running on BSDs and Linux

Project concept & appeal

• InitWare is seen by several as a “middle ground” between classic inits and full systemd: a mostly systemd-compatible service manager that’s more modular, can run as PID 1 or under another init, and is portable to BSD.
• Some Debian, Alpine, and Nix/NixBSD users like the idea of swapping it in to gain systemd-style units and tooling without adopting the full systemd stack.
• Others praise the project’s explicit design scope and documentation (e.g., “Myths and Truths”).

Portability, cgroups, and Linuxisms

• Discussion challenges the idea that systemd is inseparable from Linux features: basic supervision of simple/oneshot services can work without cgroups, and BSD has alternative primitives (kqueue, login classes).
• Still, systemd’s robust tracking of complex forking patterns relies heavily on cgroups v2; that advantage doesn’t carry over cleanly to a portable fork.
• Some argue BSD never really “rejected” systemd; it simply wasn’t designed for BSD and depends on Linux-centric infrastructure like D-Bus and cgroups.

BSD attitudes and ecosystem fit

• Many BSD users in the thread actively don’t want a systemd derivative; third‑party init systems and GPL/LGPL code are culturally and legally unwelcome in core.
• Others care mainly about Linux-targeted apps that assume systemd; they see InitWare as a way to ease such ports while still keeping BSD distinct.
• There’s a strong “BSD is not Linux; if we wanted Linuxisms, we’d run Linux” sentiment.

Dropped components, scope, and security

• The long list of dropped components (DNS, crypto, boot tooling, etc.) is widely praised as prudent: better to defer to existing, well-audited tools than reimplement risky subsystems.
• Critics counter that systemd’s integrated cryptsetup/cryptenroll/unified kernels/systemd‑boot provide tested, end‑to‑end boot and disk‑security flows that are hard to replicate by hand.
• Broader debate breaks out around MAC vs DAC, SELinux complexity, and whether secure boot and “boot security” are valuable or overcomplicated compared to just full‑disk encryption.

Alternatives, licensing, and maintenance

• Alternatives like dinit and supervisord are mentioned as simpler, already-portable service managers.
• Fork being (L)GPL is considered a non-starter for some BSD folks, but others note that’s inevitable given its systemd origins.
• Several worry about the project’s low commit activity and high complexity for a small volunteer team; some argue one should reimplement ideas instead of forking PID 1 code.
• One commenter explicitly asks what concrete advantages InitWare offers over systemd or existing portable inits; the thread provides no clear consensus answer.