From: Farley Flud <ff@linux.rocks>
Subject: Re: GNOME/Freedesktop/redhat incompetent or malicious influence
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Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2024 10:51:35 +0000
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On Tue, 8 Oct 2024 18:54:41 -0500, tom wrote:

>
> I've been switching to FreeBSD for most of my computers (laptop and
> servers) because of the systemd assumption debacle and updates bring
> frivolous changes for the sake of change that break things.
> 

I have been considering that move as well, but I have so much invested
in GNU/Linux already (I have essentially created my own distro) that
it may not be the best option at the moment.

But if the dominance of GNU/Linux by a few parties continues to
grow then I will certainly adopt FreeBSD.

The best that could happen would be for GNU to complete its own
HURD OS, but that dream is a long way off.

>
> If these sorts of things upset you that much (which is reasonable);
> perhaps consider stop using software that has too much redhat
> influence.
>

I don't use GNOME but rather only a simple window manager, FVWM3.

The problem here is that libinput, a product of GNOME/Freedesktop/
RedHat, has become the default input driver for X.  There is no
way for anyone to avoid it.

It all can be traced back to static device nodes, which are indisputably
the most efficient way to configure a personal workstation.

RedHat wanted to eliminate static nodes because they are a big headache
for distro builders who needed to include thousands of nodes even though
only a handful were actually used on a particular system.  They decided
to implement dynamic nodes that are created during boot.  Eventually
this "evolved" over time into systemd and now libinput.



> 
> Part of the problem (and feature) of the Linux ecosystem is that every
> system component is made by a completely different person/team/company
> with different, often conflicting design goals.
> 

Yes, it is a feature, and a good one at that.

But RedHat, and its lackey Poettering, see it as a serious problem
for them because such fragmentation will deter developers and thus
reduce potential profits.  They are pushing to make GNU/Linux more
centralized and to eliminate choice.  This is the entire raison d'etre
for systemd and libinput.


>
> You can get away from the FreeDesktop stuff by stop using desktop
> environments and learn how to configure a compact window manager that
> doesn't rely on FreeDesktop stuff. 
>

As I indicated above, it is now quite impossible to avoid GNOME/Freedesktop
stuff.

The problem will even get worse in the future.  Many alternative window
managers, such as FVWM3, will only operate with X.  But RedHat, and all
their distro lackeys, are strongly pushing Wayland, and furthermore,
the major graphical toolkits, like GTK+, are strongly considering ending
their support for X.  This means that dozens of very useful and attractive
window managers will suddenly become totally obsolete.

When I first began using GNU/Linux I was tremendously elated over what
I believed was a truly free (as in freedom) OS that would persist forever.
But now I can only hope to convey my distress over what is clearly a
degeneration of this freedom.



-- 
Systemd: solving all the problems that you never knew you had.