Artix Linux Forum

Switch init system in installed system

12 August 2020, 15:02:34

I mentioned that some users switch from one init system to another, so I wanted to switch from s6 which is currently installed to runit. Can you guide on how to do this, so to not destroy my installation?
Thanks in advance.

Re: Switch init system in installed system

Reply #1 – 12 August 2020, 15:29:15

Without knowing any details about s6, this should be the same process as migrating from arch, exept that you can skip a few unnecessary steps like adding repositories, since you are already using the Artix infrastructure.
Migration Guide on the Artix Wiki

You should make a list of running services in advance though, to know which runit-scripts to enable later on.
Sadly I don't know how to do that with s6.

Re: Switch init system in installed system

Reply #2 – 12 August 2020, 15:57:41

So, based to your suggestion, I'm thinking something like this:
1. Install Your Choosen Init
install the runit-system, runit, and elogind-runit packages from this step
2. Install Init scripts
as wiki suggest I'll replace -init with -runit on those 
3. Enable services
I'll use ther runit part there
4. Configure networking
I'm not sure if I need to do this step
5. LVM setups
Again the part about runit
6. Remove more systemd cruft
Remove the s6 packages instead
7. The next 3 steps is about update, recreate initramfs and reinstall grub. 
Again here I don't know if I need to do those 3 steps 

Re: Switch init system in installed system

Reply #3 – 12 August 2020, 17:22:35

That's a starting point.
When installing the init, first download runit (pacman -Sw), then remove s6, then install runit.
The enable command listed on the wiki is just an example. Replace the packages with yours.
I didn't need to do networking. You can always run dhcpcd if you have it installed and are using ethernet (Be a bit more careful when working over ssh).
The steps at the end I didn't need either but they don't hurt.

Re: Switch init system in installed system

Reply #4 – 13 August 2020, 15:39:24

I started to do it but after I downloaded runit and tried to remove s6 I get some dependencies error for s6-linux-init, s6-rc and base. I stoped there because I think if I remove base I will break the system.