What the consensus here regard void linux? reddit / BSD ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CommercialChance0 · 2020-04-16 17:00 First of full disclosure I'm currently running void, however as a person who finds distro/OS allegiance rather sillly, I find myself rather interested in BSD(and what it has to offer). Seeing as void linux markets themself as an BSD esk linux distro. I'm interested to learn any opinions on void (if any) bsd users have. - - - # *This is a post from "the grass is always greener on the other side" victim.* ---------------------------------------------------------------------- qci · 2020-04-16 18:05 FreeBSD user here, since 4.3. I haven't tried Void Linux, yet. I know it's one of the distributions that doesn't ruin your environment like the other systemd-based ones. I have many angry stories to tell about this crappy piece of software called systemd. One thing I am worried about is the number of packages maintained. Void is a small distro, so it probably does not support many packages. And all I am interested in is to run huge amounts of applications (preferably in a stable environment). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Xerxero · 2020-04-16 18:49 One thing I found really too bad about void is that they didnt go for the /usr/local way of installing packages. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- rehcla · 2020-04-16 19:01 Void cant be that bad as a prominent BSD project took it as it future core OS. I will check it out someday, but doubt it will convince me over Slackware:) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- bsdlinuxnerd · 2020-04-16 21:40 > probably does not support many packages This is false, Void has more packages available in it's regular repo than Ubuntu. The are close to Arch Linux in package availability and they have something similar to a ports system where you can build from source. edit: Void is very stable too. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- qci · 2020-04-16 22:05 I checked my list of essential applications. I cannot find: - gorilla password manager From my nice to have list, my favorite web browser is missing: - iridium web browser But otherwise I found most tools I need. How does ZFS work on Void? I'd like to have a native experience like on FreeBSD. On Debian it was really a terrible update nightmare with an inaccessible/unbootable filesystem. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- can-of-bees · 2020-04-16 22:29 I use it on a Thinkpad (had a project that called for docker and couldn't make FreeBSD jump through the right hoops). It's stable, the package management is fine, and the system is relatively well-documented. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- E39M5S62 · 2020-04-16 22:38 I'm an ex-FreeBSD user, now full-time Void user. I wrote some software to more tightly integrate root-on-ZFS for Linux, developed on Void. https://github.com/zdykstra/zfsbootmenu/ In my opinion (heh), Void has the best ZFS experience for a Linux distribution. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- qci · 2020-04-16 22:43 Thanks. This is really nice. I'll definitely try Void, if I find some time. Maybe I can figure out how to build gorilla by myself. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- E39M5S62 · 2020-04-16 23:40 The void packaging process is very straight-forward and user accessible. Check out https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages . You can likely 'port' the build requirements from FreeBSD over to Void without too much of a fight, open a PR for a new package and get it merged. The CI/CD process builds for x86 and ARM - both glibc and musl, so you'll know shortly after you open the PR if it's good-to-go. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- teksimian · 2020-04-17 01:26 I've been looking for a hierarchy definition for void and couldn't find one. I've been looking for a Linux distro that keeps the base os separate from the packages. So packages are installed to /use/local ? Why do you think this is a bad thing? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- teksimian · 2020-04-17 01:29 I've been looking for essentially a Linux kernel with bsd user land, how close is this? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dagit · 2020-04-17 01:42 I use void on laptops. It works pretty well. I use the arch wiki a lot when I need to understand how to do things. The void wiki is okay but not nearly as in depth as the arch wiki on most topics. I use freebsd on a router. I guess I would say I like them in different ways. For work where I need to integrate with particular software ecosystems and support thinkpad hardware, I think void is better. For a project like a router where the hardware is relatively common I think freebsd is nicer. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2020-04-17 02:17 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Trilkk · 2020-04-17 05:24 > a prominent BSD project took it as it future core OS What is this project btw? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- eb507e057609db05 · 2020-04-17 05:24 I've used FreeBSD for a while and now, I've switched to void linux, because I got a new laptop and setting up proprietary gpgpu toolkit (inside a bhyve with passthrough I imagine) would be too much hurdles. 1. Documentation in Void is non-existent compared to BSDs. 2. init system (runit) is small and nice enough. I need to edit scripts themselves (and maybe that's wrong). I liked rc.conf way more. 3. Package installation and updates are fast and simple. 4. I haven't dealt with compilation from xbps-src yet, but they say it's possible. That's a plus that could fix (personalize mostly) other things. 5. The kernel tree is huge and loaded broken nouveau by default, but that's fixed. Initramfs is fat and grub decrypts the disk too long. So, the pre-init boot time is terrible. 6. Btrfs seems to be as nice as zfs. 7. I was excited about a distro based on lightweight c library, musl, but it doesn't work with nvidia. Not the fault of maintainers tho, nothing works with nvidia. 8. GNU bc prints the evil FSF warranty message taking one third of a terminal window. Nobody will blame the calculator program anyway. What's the point of this harassment? (Oh well, fixable.) 9. They've linked every executable to /bin, for some reason. 10. Non-GTK+ Emacs package is there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- dudukin · 2020-04-17 05:40 Project Trident ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Xerxero · 2020-04-17 06:11 Was a typo. Meant to say: didn’t ---------------------------------------------------------------------- deux3xmachina · 2020-04-17 11:16 It's not at all the same as using a BSD, but it's a fine option. I really like that they use musl libc and LibreSSL, similar to Alpine. The `xbps` package management tools are nicer than most distros, but I still miss `pkg(8)` as well as Pkgsrc and `pkg_add(1)` when using it. All in all, I'd say it's a good midway point between actually using a BSD and the GNU/Systemd/Linuxes. If you have some spare CPU power, I'd encourage you to try running some BSDs in VMs, as well as OpenIndiana, MINIX3, and 9front, just to explore what's available. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- deux3xmachina · 2020-04-17 11:18 A bit moreso than Ubuntu, but iirc, it's still the GNU userland by default, so not a major step in that direction without spenditg some time tinkering ---------------------------------------------------------------------- flexibeast · 2020-04-17 12:07 > void linux markets themself as an BSD esk linux distro Void user here. Where do the Void site or docs say that? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CommercialChance0 · 2020-04-17 14:42 You are correct they don't explicitly say that. But its very easy to draw similarities between void and bsd. As the inspiration drawn from bsd is clear. * BSD loicense * uses libreSSL There are better qualified people in this thread to draw similarities between the two. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- daemonpenguin · 2020-04-17 17:17 Void really isn't like any of the BSDs in terms of day to day usage. The package management, organization, support, etc are all very Linux- esque on Void. What makes Void a BSD-ish Linux distro is the minimalism more than anything else. Void uses musl C and LibreSSL and leaves most packages in a vanilla state. This focus on being minimal and correct over being practical and/or feature-rich is more in line with the BSDs than most Linux distros. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- flexibeast · 2020-04-17 22:17 Okay, well, a few points, not only as a Void user, but an OpenBSD user as well: * Members of the current Void team regularly challenge the idea that Void is "BSD-like", on the Void subreddit and on IRC. Part of the reason i asked the question is that i've been contributing to the Void docs, and i think if there was an 'official' claim somewhere that Void is "BSD-like", the Void team would want that removed. * Void isn't "BSD licensed". It's a Linux distro - it consists of packages with a variety of licenses. * The project has recently decided to start moving from LibreSSL back to OpenSSL: https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/issues/20935 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CommercialChance0 · 2020-04-17 23:16 I'm not exactly knowledgeable on the void linux mythos, however just going off only what their splashpage on the website says. * xbps is the native system package manager, written from scratch with a **2-clause BSD license**. * xbps-src is the xbps package builder, written from scratch with a **2-clause BSD license**. It wasn't implied that the entirety of void is conjoined under the one BSD loicense. * And as for: >The project has recently decided to start moving from LibreSSL back to OpenSSL: https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/issues/20935 Theres no mention of them "recently deciding" as far as I can see its still a open ticket, which until its closed and thus ratified, its still open to changes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- flexibeast · 2020-04-18 01:53 > It wasn't implied that the entirety of void is conjoined under the one BSD loicense. Indeed. But you didn't mention `xbps-*` specifically in your previous comment; you just wrote "BSD loicense", which in the context, read as you implying that /Void/ is BSD-licensed. Void =/= `xbps-*`. > Theres no mention of them "recently deciding" as far as I can see its still a open ticket, which until its closed and thus ratified, its still open to changes. In theory, sure. In practice: * Although xtraeme, the founder of Void, expressed some reservations, they subsequently [clarified](https://github.com/void-linux/void- packages/issues/20935#issuecomment-614658237): "+1 to switch to openssl again". No members of [the Void team](https://github.com/orgs/void-linux/people) has expressed opposition; neither of the two people who mentioned BearSSL are team members,and at least one of them gave a thumbs-up to the OP. * [this PR](https://github.com/void-linux/void-packages/pull/21056) from a member of the Void team shows work on the switch is already underway. It sounds like you're assuming that the Void project functions similarly to something like Debian when you talk of something being 'ratified'. My own feeling, based on experience, is that the opened issue is regarded as representing a 'WIP' (i.e. Work In Progress), and will only get closed once the switch is complete. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- q5sys · 2020-04-22 02:37 ZFS runs on Void perfectly fine. Trident is using ZFS on Root and is based on Void. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- q5sys · 2020-04-22 02:38 Trident thanks you. ;) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- yourhelpfulfriend · 2020-04-25 22:05 IMO, Project Trident was hardly prominent. It was an obscure descendent of a FreeBSD derivative that never gained much traction. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- rehcla · 2020-04-26 01:09 PCBSD got a lot of traction and the people using that went to TrueOS and then to Project Trident... Sad story in the end :( I am wondering what part of the community followed then to Void Linux... But I lost interst then! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [deleted] · 2020-06-03 12:12 [deleted] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- normanu82 · 2020-06-03 12:13 Gobolinux has them together and separate but not in /use/local [https://gobolinux.org/at\_a\_glance.html](https://gobolinux.org/at_a _glance.html)