The first candidate version of systemd 261 is now available, and it brings a novelty that promises to change how Linux systems are installed. This is systemd-sysinstall, a minimalist installer that leverages systemd's native tools for partitioning and credential management, copying the system from a temporary boot medium. A bet on the self-sufficiency of the systemd ecosystem.
systemd-sysinstall: installation from the system's own core 🛠️
systemd-sysinstall uses systemd's capabilities to handle disks with systemd-repart, manage credentials with systemd-creds, and deploy boot images. The process is simple: you boot from a temporary medium, and the installer copies the base system to the disk, configuring partitions, credentials, and the bootloader. It does not rely on external tools like debootstrap or pacstrap, making it lightweight and consistent with the rest of the systemd ecosystem.
systemd now also wants to be your trusted installer 😏
Because, of course, if systemd already manages your services, your logs, your networks, and even your wet dreams, why shouldn't it also take care of installing the system? Now you can have a single binary that does everything, from booting the kernel to asking you if you want to format the swap partition. The next logical step is for systemd to make you coffee while compiling the kernel, but we'll leave that for version 262.