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author | David Oberhollenzer <david.oberhollenzer@tele2.at> | 2018-04-14 19:14:08 +0200 |
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committer | David Oberhollenzer <david.oberhollenzer@tele2.at> | 2018-04-14 21:39:40 +0200 |
commit | cd946f0b9c51d4dcc1ab174daf853bdf5c828855 (patch) | |
tree | 42166c9718a3eb316418d0996b0df742636fb758 /README.md | |
parent | 0b3f53cd9ff469aff0e1d3578573ced767dcc974 (diff) |
Add basic documentation stub
Signed-off-by: David Oberhollenzer <david.oberhollenzer@tele2.at>
Diffstat (limited to 'README.md')
-rw-r--r-- | README.md | 90 |
1 files changed, 90 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a944831 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,90 @@ +# About + +This directory contains the source code for a tiny init devised for +the Pygos system. + +The main goal of this project is to create a simple framework for: + +- system boot up and initialization +- service supervision + +With the additional aims of having something that: + +- simply works +- is easy to understand +- is easy to configure and maintain + + +The init process is intended to run on top of Linux and makes use of some +Linux specific features (e.g. signalfd), but if sufficient interest exists, +it should still be possible to make it run on some BSDs or whatever else. + +The init system tries to mimic the concept of unit files from systemd as those +were considered to be a good design choice. + +Those parameterizeable service description files are stored in `/usr/share/init` +by default. Services are enabled by creating a symlink in `/etc/init.d`. This +can be done using the `service` command line tool. + +See [docs/services.md](docs/services.md) for more information on service +description files. + +See [docs/bootup.md](docs/bootup.md) for more information on what the init +daemon does during system boot. + + +Right now, the system is in a "basically works" proof of concept stage and +needs some more work to become usable. + +There are plans for *maybe* *eventually* adding support for Linux name +spaces, seccomp filters and cgroups as needed in the medium future. + + +## Why + +There are already a bunch of similar projects out there that have been +considered for use in the Pygos system. The reason for starting a new +one was mainly dissatisfaction with the existing ones. Other Projects +that have been considered include: + +- systemd + + Contains a lot of good ideas, but it is HUGE. It has tons of + dependencies. It implements tons of things that it simply shouldn't. + It has a horrid, "modern", python based, hipster build system. + It's simply too damn large and complex. + +- SystemV init + + A bad combination of unnecessary complexity where it isn't needed and a + complete lack of abstraction where it would be needed. Shell script + copy and paste madness. There are reasons people started developing + alternatives (other than "hurr-durr-parallel-boots"). + +- upstart + + Seems nice overall, but needlessly big and complex for the intended + use case in Pygos. Would have needlessly added D-Bus to the system. + +- OpenRC + + Was already integrated into Pygos. Things turned out to be broken. + Upstream developers did not accept fixes (after ignoring them for weeks + and preferring typo fixes instead). Complaints from other people who + tried to contribute fixes were observed on GitHub. Complaints from + package maintainers about deteriorating code quality were observed + on the official IRC channel. Documentation is non-existent. + +- daemon tools and similar (runnit, s6, minit, ...) + + The sixties are over. And even code from that era is more readable. The + source code for those projects should better be tossed out the window and + rewritten from scratch. If you are a first semester CS student and you + hand something like this in as a homework, the best you might get is a + well deserved slap on the back of your head. + +- busybox init + + Nice and simple. Probably the best fit if the rest of your user space is + busybox as well. + |