MX-23.6 init system? [Solved]

[xtac]

Hello, I was researching this but couldn't find a conclusive answer. Can anyone please tell me what is the init system for MX-23.6? Thank you.

[CharlesV]

Welcome in!

MX has two modes of operation. systemd and SysVInit.

Some people in the forum also have used Runit as well.

[timkb4cq]

The LiveUSB boots with sysvinit.
On an installed system, both systemd and sysvinit are included and you can boot with either - there are grub entries for both. If you want to always boot systemd you can use MX Boot Options to select that systemd entry.

[xtac]

Thanks so much for the answers! I appreciate the clarification. Right now I'm deciding between MX-Linux and Fedora for my 2015 Acer laptop and I really don't want the systemd. Happy to hear I can select from the MX Boot Options.

[asqwerth]

Thanks so much for the answers! I appreciate the clarification. Right now I'm deciding between MX-Linux and Fedora for my 2015 Acer laptop and I really don't want the systemd. Happy to hear I can select from the MX Boot Options.

Note though that MX23 only has official releases and official support for XFCE, KDE Plasma and fluxbox.

If you want to run Gnome, you will have to install one of the above releases, and then install the Gnome packages yourself, or find a community respin with Gnome, assuming there is one.

Just be aware that we can't give assurances that Gnome desktop will work properly in all aspects using sysvinit.

[MikeR]

Data point: (in case you are thinking of running GNOME)
Running GNOME quite successfully since MX 23.1 (IIRC)
The only nit I have found so far is that mx-tweak does not show all the options.

Using:

1) Download latest MX linux
https://mxlinux.org/download-links

Before installing over an existing system
Run user-installed-packages (MUI on MXLinux)
or dpkg --get-selections > ~/Package.list
(see https://askubuntu.com/questions/9135/ho ... d-packages)

2) After install, update to latest packages
sudo apt-get update

3) Remove XFCE and related packages (possibly dangerous!! I did NOT do this)
Note: This command syntax may remove unwanted packages.
First try it without "--auto-remove -yy"
sudo dpkg -l | grep .xfce. | awk '{print $2}' | xargs sudo apt-get purge -V --auto-remove -yy
then
sudo apt install desktop-defaults-mx-common
sudo apt-get autoremove

Install Thunar or file manager of your choice.
sudo apt-get install thunar thunar-archive-plugin thunar-gtkhash thunar-volman

4) Install minimum Gnome packages
sudo apt-get install gnome-shell gnome-control-center gnome-session

5) Install essential packages
sudo apt-get install gnome-disk-utility gnome-power-manager gnome-shell-extensions gnome-software
sudo apt-get install gnome-themes-extra network-manager-gnome chrome-gnome-shell gnome-tweaks

Personal adjustments:

sudo apt-get install gnome-terminal gnome-session-flashback
sudo apt-get install wavemon bleachbit
(N.B. Do NOT RUN gnome-terminal before setting locale):
Run dpkg-reconfigure locales and select the locale(s) you want to generate (probably English )

For reference, my QSI:

Code: Select all

Snapshot created on: 20250610_0757
System:
  Kernel: 6.1.0-37-amd64 [6.1.140-1] arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-37-amd64 root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet splash
  Desktop: GNOME v: 43.9 info: gnome-panel wm: Metacity v: 3.46.1 dm: LightDM v: 1.32.0
    Distro: MX-23.6_x64 Libretto June 26 2024 base: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: HP product: HP ProDesk 400 G4 DM (TAA) v: SBKPF
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 6 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: HP model: 83F3 v: KBC Version 07.D2.00 serial: <superuser required> UEFI: HP
    v: Q23 Ver. 02.25.00 date: 09/28/2023
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i5-8500T bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Coffee Lake gen: core 8 level: v3
    note: check built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6 model-id: 0x9E (158) stepping: 0xA (10)
    microcode: 0xFA
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 6 smt: <unsupported> cache: L1: 384 KiB desc: d-6x32 KiB; i-6x32 KiB
    L2: 1.5 MiB desc: 6x256 KiB L3: 9 MiB desc: 1x9 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 800 min/max: 800/3500 scaling: driver: intel_pstate governor: powersave
    cores: 1: 800 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 bogomips: 25199
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling mitigation: Microcode
  Type: indirect_target_selection status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT disabled
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT disabled
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT disabled
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed mitigation: IBRS
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: IBRS; IBPB: conditional; STIBP: disabled; RSB filling;
    PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected; BHI: Not affected
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsx_async_abort mitigation: TSX disabled
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel CoffeeLake-S GT2 [UHD Graphics 630] vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: i915
    v: kernel arch: Gen-9.5 process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports: active: DP-1 empty: DP-2,
    DP-3, HDMI-A-1, HDMI-A-2 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:3e92 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Jieli USB PHY 2.0 type: USB driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-4.3:10
    chip-ID: 1224:2a25 class-ID: 0102
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.9 driver: X: loaded: intel
    dri: i965 gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.00x11.22") s-diag: 582mm (22.93")
  Monitor-1: DP-1 mapped: DP1 model: Lenovo C24-20 serial: <filter> built: 2021 res: 1920x1080
    hz: 60 dpi: 92 gamma: 1.2 size: 530x300mm (20.87x11.81") diag: 604mm (23.8") ratio: 16:9 modes:
    max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  API: OpenGL v: N/A renderer: N/A direct-render: N/A
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Cannon Lake PCH cAVS vendor: Hewlett-Packard driver: snd_hda_intel
    bus-ID: 1-4.3:10 v: kernel alternate: snd_soc_skl,snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl chip-ID: 1224:2a25
    bus-ID: 00:1f.3 class-ID: 0102 chip-ID: 8086:a348 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: Jieli USB PHY 2.0 type: USB driver: snd-usb-audio,uvcvideo
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-37-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Hewlett-Packard
    driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: 3000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
    chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
  IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8192EU 802.11b/g/n WLAN Adapter type: USB driver: rtl8xxxu bus-ID: 1-8:3
    chip-ID: 0bda:818b class-ID: 0000 serial: <filter>
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 238.47 GiB used: 30.04 GiB (12.6%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Samsung model: MZVLB256HAHQ-000H7 size: 238.47 GiB
    block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 type: SSD serial: <filter>
    rev: EXD70H2Q temp: 39.9 C scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 40 GiB size: 39.08 GiB (97.69%) used: 9.32 GiB (23.8%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5 maj-min: 259:2
  ID-2: /home raw-size: 40 GiB size: 39.08 GiB (97.69%) used: 20.72 GiB (53.0%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p6 maj-min: 259:3
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 50 (default 100)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 10 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p7
    maj-min: 259:4
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 41.0 C pch: 49.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos:
  Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 2514 libs: 1203 tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,gnome-software,nala,synaptic
    pm: rpm pkgs: 0
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb http://nl.mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/protonvpn-stable.sources
    1: deb https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian stable main
Info:
  Processes: 257 Uptime: 29m wakeups: 1 Memory: 7.6 GiB used: 2.14 GiB (28.2%) Init: SysVinit
  v: 3.06 runlevel: 5 default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 12
  Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.15-release inxi: 3.3.26
Boot Mode: UEFI

[jeffreyC]

Thanks so much for the answers! I appreciate the clarification. Right now I'm deciding between MX-Linux and Fedora for my 2015 Acer laptop and I really don't want the systemd. Happy to hear I can select from the MX Boot Options.

Note though that MX23 only has official releases and official support for XFCE, KDE Plasma and fluxbox.

If you want to run Gnome, you will have to install one of the above releases, and then install the Gnome packages yourself, or find a community respin with Gnome, assuming there is one.

Just be aware that we can't give assurances that Gnome desktop will work properly in all aspects using sysvinit.

GNOME is intentionally increasing the dependency on systemd in newer releases, so expect that to only get worse in the future.

[xtac]

Thanks everyone! This truly is the best online community. Everyone is very helpful, friendly and welcoming! Thanks to everyone who responded!

Last question. Is theSysVinit the default init system on the Xfce DE? I just installed MX Linux now with default settings. MX was the only distro that supported all my hardware right from the live ISO. Even my bluetooth keyboard is working! Not perfect and it still disconnects randomly and then I have to remove the device and search for it again to add it back, but atleast I can kind of use it. I tried Devuan as well but it couldn't even activate the bluetooth of my laptop. Great job to the entire team involved with this great project! More people should be using this distro.

[asqwerth]

yes.