Daniel Cordova - Blog

Replacing Systemd with OpenRC in Debian

2026-06-24T00:00:00+00:00

TL;DR</h2>

I'm not a fan of systemd but I'm not against its use either. AKA if it works for you then it's ok.

My case though is more of a mix between curiosity and discomfort. Curiosity of how init systems works and discomfort of how systemd integrates things or new features.I'm aware that it works well for most of its use cases (I've been using it since its early days) and also I agree that systemd breaks all KISS philosphy principles, but other projects do it as well, right?

So why the discomfort?

Well it began a while ago, when I was reading some news of how the project started to grab more and more responsibilities that belongs to other projects and how some prod deployments failed so bad because of a breaking change that could've been prevented if that responsibility wasn't part of systemd. Nothing too worrying for me though, in any case the first real kick of discomfort came when age verification law</a> was cooking and my innocent thought was Ok, Windows and Mac will integrate it, but Linux and other OpenSource OSs and projects will "fight" against this ridiculous law!!</code>.

Then my next thought was Wait what?, the law is not even approved on some states/countries and systemd already integrated it, why?, what happened with the usual "fight" against non-sense laws?</code>.

I got pretty mad about it, I know, I'm not a contributor of that project and it's only an optional field but it didn't feel right at all. All the hate that the dev got wasn't right either. </blockquote>Then the second kick of discomfort came while I was reading tech news and I found this one systemd integrates sys-install</a> systemd integrates it's own "system installer" called 'systemd-sysinstall' among other things</code>. All right, one thing is to have tons of responsibilities for an init system. But another one is going from being PID 1 to being the sys installer too, and no matter how you want to sell that idea there's an ocean of difference on what you can call "Init system responsibilities" and "Systemd's weird responsibilities and wishes". So the curiosity entered the game and decided to try to install OpenRC</a> on my Thinkpad X13s Snapdragon</a> which I use for home hacking, testing stuff, etc. Laptop is running Debian BTW. Installation</h2> Installing OpenRC in Debian Testing is not hard but isn't a trivial operation either. I faced a few challenges and issues regarding to how apt-get and apt works with essential packages Challenges</h3> I faced two major challenges while trying to install OpenRC at the same time as uninstalling Systemd. apt-get can't uninstall systemd at all and only errors out that is not possible</li> apt shows a better error of why it can't uninstall systemd</li> </ul> After digging a bit about it and reading a few pages on the internet, I learned that i need to pass an argument to apt thus it can uninstall an essential package. So for uninstalling it'll be something like this: sudo apt purge --allow-remove-essential systemd</code></pre> Don't copy and paste it yet. </blockquote> Before deleting systemd, need to be sure that OpenRC will be installed, to so the command will be sudo apt purge --allow-remove-essential systemd && sudo apt install openrc sysvinit-core</code></pre> That command will uninstall systemd and install some dependencies that might not be needed in the future. </blockquote> Issues</h3> After installing OpenRC and uninstalling systemd, system didn't boot properly, so I had to go to recovery mode and hit Ctrl-D to allow me to fix the error. Issue itself was that while uninstalling systemd somehow OpenRC was removed too or not installed at all. So I went to recovery mode, then I connected to my wifi network and installed OpenRC again with apt install openrc sysvinit-core</code>. So far so good. But neither Battery Status nor Audio worked. I knew that battery status was due to the kernel's regression</a> I faced while installing Debian Testing on the laptop. So I converted my systemd service to a script and put it in /etc/init.d/</code>, thus OpenRC can start it or enable it. It worked. I think audio needs a different service related to pipewire and wireplumber, or to launch them on login. I'll test them later on. Systemd Service: [Unit] Description=Start Qualcomm remoteprocs (SLPI/ADSP/CDSP) DefaultDependencies=no After=initrd-root-fs.target local-fs.target Before=sysinit.target [Service] Type=oneshot RemainAfterExit=yes ExecStart=/bin/sh -c 'echo start > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc0/state; echo start > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc1/state; echo start > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc2/state' [Install] WantedBy=sysinit.target</code></pre> OpenRC Script #!/bin/sh echo start > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc0/state; echo start > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc1/state; echo start > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc2/state;</code></pre> I need to convert it into a proper OpenRC script </blockquote> Future</h2> Currently OpenRC does the work. I'm not sure if it'll be my default Init system for the comming ages, but I feel that my experiment was successful. I'll continue testing OpenRC on my "Home Hacking Laptop" for the next days, maybe weeks, and if I feel comfortable enough I'll migrate my work laptop (which runs Debian Testing too and has the same dotfiles in it) to OpenRC as well. Even though changing Init System on a working Linux installation has its quirks and challenges and might not be the best idea, I'm happy with my current results. If this works for you too, then I'll be happier to know that you're ditching systemd in favor of OpenRC as well, aside from jokes, in the end that's part of the unix freedom to use whatever you want and whatever works for you. Happy Hacking!! Links</h2> Some links if you're interested in OpenRC too Debian: Switching Init System Easily (OpenRC, Sysvinit, Runit)</a></li> Beyond systemd: A Technical Deep Dive into OpenRC for Modern Linux Systems</a></li> Introduction to OpenRC: Managing Services with Ease</a></li> OpenRC on debian</a></li> </ul>



Lessons learned from a SQLite to MariaDB migration
2026-05-21T00:00:00+00:00
I started a while ago a small app called Anicap</strong> for saving which animes and series I was watching at that time. Sadly I forgot to work on it for quite long time. Last year I resumed the work on it, added a frontend built on VueJS, improved REST API, etc. Until I found myself in a crossroad by using SQLite.</p>
Problem</h2>
Idea</h3>
I wanted to add types and categories to a serie to help me search by them, aka types (anime, ova, movie, etc), categories (sci-fi, horror, comedy, etc). Something Like:</p>
Name: The wheel of time</span></span>
Type: Serie</span></span>
Categories: Fantasy, Drama, Action</span></span></code></pre>Tracing cause</h3>
After adding a section for types and categories, I found myself fighting with my own lazyness to not doing third tables to add those types and categories to a serie/anime, meaning doing a many to many relation. Thus I wanted to add only a column on serie</em> table to add an array of categoriesIds</em>.</p>
The problem is that SQLite doesn't support arrays as data type for columns. So I decided to migrate the entire app to MariaDB.</p>
Solution</h2>
Anicap</strong> uses diesel</em> as ORM for mapping objects to SQL queries which allows to change between SQLite, MariaDB/MySQL, PostgreSQL with relative ease.</p>
Update depencendy to use MariaBD</h3>
Inside Cargo.toml</code> diesel dependency must be updated from this diesel = { version = "2.3.9", features = ["sqlite", "r2d2", "chrono"] }</code> to this diesel = { version = "2.3.9", features = ["mysql", "r2d2", "chrono"] }</code> thus all code references to SQLite will be unavailable and MySQL ones becomes available.</p>
Update Pool</h3>
After update depndency I needed to change database_utils.rs</code> to update pub type SqlConnection</code> to MariaDB, thisSqlPool</code> can use the new database</p>
use</span> diesel</span>::</span>mysql</span>::</span>{</span>Mysql</span>,</span> MysqlConnection</span>};</span></span>
</span>
pub type</span> SqlConnection</span> =</span> MysqlConnection</span>;</span></span></code></pre>

Basically that was the necessary changes to make the app usable with a diff DB.</p>
</blockquote>
Issues found</h3>
In a utopian world that should be it. But in our world shit happens.</strong> So here's a list of the problems I faced while updating the Database</p>

Didn't want to force users to run schema init from SQL scripts

I improved my migrator.rs</code> to add a function called initialize_database</code></li>
</ul>
</li>
Previous versions ran migrations all the time by checking them if exist or not on DB.

That wasn't the best approach and after adding initialize_database</code> I had to add a way of handling those operations. Now app receive arguments to init or migrate</li>
</ul>
</li>
No good way of having a working instance of MariaDB</em>

Added a docker-compose.yml</code> to initialize MariaDB</em></li>
</ul>
</li>
My schema.sql</code> script had a quite horrible problem that SQLite just allow it

app_user</code> table had id as INT AUTO_INCREMENT</strong> and serie</code> table had user_id</em> releation as SMALLINT</strong>. Somehow SQLite allow this relation. But MariaDB didn't, I spent like 3 crazy hours looking at a couple of tables not knowing what was it until I found some message on stackoverflow related to issues with diff types on relations.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
Note</h3>
On a side note no app can be executed with arguments</p>
anicap</span> -</span>></span> just runs backend</span></span>
anicap</span> init</span> -</span>></span> initialize DB schema on a Database</span></span>
anicap</span> migrate</span> -</span>></span> look for all migrations and run them if DB is outdated.</span></span>
anicap</span> -h</span> -</span>></span> print help menu</span></span>
anicap</span> --help</span> -</span>></span> print help menu</span></span></code></pre>Conclusion</h2>
Even when that SMALLINT -> INT</strong> SQL problem gave me a 3 hours headache it was a fun exercise to do the migration from SQLite to MariaDB on a working app, and now it feels like the app starts to be more like a good portfolio app rather than a forgotten toy.</p>


Install Linux on a Thinkpad X13s Snapdragon
2026-05-10T00:00:00+00:00
Quick Intro</h2>
My previous laptop got damaged after a couple of years of normal usage, to be exact after 4 years. I had an ASUS ROG G14 AMD in 2020 and GPU got fried, then I bought an ASUS ROG Zephyrus M15 in 2021 and last summer its display started to fail, replacement was kinda expensive for that model, becuase it's a 240hz display. So I was looking to buy either a Slimbook or a Tuxedo because they are Linux compatible and they support FOSS projects. But in the end I decided to go with the brand I always wanted a Thinkpad</strong>. So I bought a Lenovo Thinkpad P14s Gen 6 AMD</em>, it's a small monster, way too powerfull and nice, I use it as my main machine though.</p>
But having a Thinkpad</em> is like an addiction you want more. I was looking on eBay</em> and other stores for a Home Hacking Laptop</strong> specifically for one of the Thinkpads I ever wanted X230</strong> or X61/X61s</strong>, sadly didn't found a X61/X61s</em>, I found a X230</em> with Libreboot 512 GB of SSD and 16Gb of ram for about $180. But during my small adeventure inside eBay</em> pages I found this lovely piece of technology an ARM</strong> Thinkpad for $280 it wasn't cheap but it clicked really fast, an ARM</em> laptop, it's a Thinkpad</em> and it's not expensive as T14s Gen 6 ARM Snapdragon X Elite</em></a>. So I decided to go with it becuase my other ARM</em> option was the Argon One Up Laptop</em></a>, but it's quite expensive for a Home Hacking Laptop</em>.</p>
I dig a bit on the internet to check if it's possible to install linux in it, I didn't care if it's easy or not, just if it's possible, and I found some guides for Ubuntu, openSUSE, Debian, Gentoo, NixOS and ArchLinux, didn't found for FreeBSD though.</p>
Specs</h2>
The Thinkpad X13s Snapdargon</strong></a> has the following specs</p>

Display: 13"</li>
Touchscreen: Yes</li>
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 (8) @ 3.00 GHz</li>
GPU: Qualcomm Turnip Adreno (TM) 690</li>
RAM: 16 GB</li>
SSD: 512 GB</li>
</ul>
Installation</h2>
Most of the guides if not all of them mention that you need to keep windows in the smallest partition possible because of a DTB</strong> file that it's necessary to make it possible to boot Linux.</p>
Installation Steps</h3>

Download sc8280xp-lenovo-thinkpad-x13s.dtb</code></li>
Boot Ubuntu live or openSuSe live for ARM</li>
Probably you need this kernel params at boot, so edit on grub and continue booting arm64.nopauth clk_ignore_unused pd_ignore_unused</code></li>
Remove all partitions</li>
Create a new partition table</li>
Add a bootable partition any size</li>
Copy sc8280xp-lenovo-thinkpad-x13s.dtb</code> to bootable partition</li>
Boot Debian for ARM, use same params at boot time arm64.nopauth clk_ignore_unused pd_ignore_unused</code></li>
Install debian as you wish, you can remove bootable partition with dtb</code> file</li>
Don't finish installation (otherwise it won't boot becuase there's no dtb</code> file)</li>
Press Ctrl-Alt-F2 and follow debian instructions to add some software</li>
Copy sc8280xp-lenovo-thinkpad-x13s.dtb</code> to your boot partition</li>
Press Ctrl-Alt-F1 to go back to installation screen</li>
Press Continue to Reboot</li>
Enjoy!</li>
</ul>
Notes related to installation</h3>
Somehow Ubuntu and openSuSe boot and audio and battery works properly during live session, but after installation there's no audio nor battery information, this applies to Debian as well.
It seems like it's a kernel regression</strong></a> that makes /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc0/state</code> not updatable at boot time, thus no audio and no battery information.
Luckily the solution is quite easy, run the following as root:</p>
echo</span> start</span> ></span> /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc0/state</span>;</span> echo</span> start</span> ></span> /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc1/state</span>;</span> echo</span> start</span> ></span> /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc2/state</span></span></code></pre>
It's necessary to run this all the time after boot, so it can be a systemd</del> service. Here's the sample for that service</p>
[</span>Unit</span>]</span></span>
Description</span>=</span>Start</span> Qualcomm</span> remoteprocs</span> (SLPI/ADSP/CDSP)</span></span>
DefaultDependencies</span>=</span>no</span></span>
After</span>=</span>initrd-root-fs.target</span> local-fs.target</span></span>
Before</span>=</span>sysinit.target</span></span>
</span>
[</span>Service</span>]</span></span>
Type</span>=</span>oneshot</span></span>
RemainAfterExit</span>=</span>yes</span></span>
ExecStart</span>=</span>/bin/sh</span> -c</span> '</span>echo start > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc0/state; echo start > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc1/state; echo start > /sys/class/remoteproc/remoteproc2/state</span>'</span></span>
</span>
[</span>Install</span>]</span></span>
WantedBy</span>=</span>sysinit.target</span></span></code></pre>

Save the new service as x13s-remoteprocs.service</code> and copy it to /etc/systemd/system/</code>, then do a sudo systemctl enable x13s-remoteprocs.service</code>.
Now audio and battery should work properly</p>
</blockquote>

Don't forget to copy dtb</code> file otherwise debian won't boot and it'll be necessary to boot from Ubuntu to copy it again</strong></p>

My installation wasn't with Swap partition but with Swap file, you can do it with the following steps</p>
Create a file with your desired size</p>
sudo</span> fallocate -l 16G /swapfile</span></span></code></pre>
Give proper permissions to it</p>
sudo</span> chmod</span> 600</span> /swapfile</span></span></code></pre>
Format to make it usable for Swap</p>
sudo</span> mkswap /swapfile</span></span></code></pre>
Enable it as Swap for current session</p>
sudo</span> swapon /swapfile</span></span></code></pre>
To make swapfile permanent it should be placed on /etc/fstab</code>, it'll be like:</p>
# <file system>                                 <mount point>   <type>          <options>                     <dump>  <pass></span></span>
UUID</span>=</span>705b4fc2-ec70-4318-858f-64b81865aa00</span>       /</span>               ext4    noatime,nodiratime,errors=remount-ro</span>    0       1</span></span>
UUID</span>=</span>34e933cc-7b2d-48cd-95fd-93c7b6f0a9a9</span>       /boot/efi</span>       vfat    umask=</span>0077                              0       1</span></span>
UUID</span>=</span>8b983b7f-88e9-4dab-b2cd-55f0e1b0b838</span>       /home</span>           ext4    noatime,nodiratime</span>                      0       2</span></span>
# Add Swapfile to your fstab</span></span>
/swapfile</span>                                       none            swap    sw</span>                                      0       0</span></span></code></pre>

Check this guide for better explanation Swapfile on Debian</a></p>
</blockquote>
What works</h3>


Display</li>

Touchscreen</li>

Keyboard</li>

Trackpad and Trackpoint</li>

Bluetooth</li>

Wifi</li>

Audio speakers</li>

Audio via jack 3.5mm</li>

Audio via bluetooth</li>

Audio via USB-C - HDMI (aka you can see a video on tv but audio come out from laptop)</li>

Battery information</li>

Camera (seems like it needs a patch, don't need it for home hacking though)</li>

HUB USB-C with HDMI and Power</li>

HDMI Monitor</li>

Sensors Read (SSD Temp, CPU Temp, etc)</li>
</ul>
Screenshots</h2>
Debian with XFCE showing desktop

Daniel Cordova - Blog

Replacing Systemd with OpenRC in Debian

Lessons learned from a SQLite to MariaDB migration

Conclusion</h2> Even when that SMALLINT -> INT</strong> SQL problem gave me a 3 hours headache it was a fun exercise to do the migration from SQLite to MariaDB on a working app, and now it feels like the app starts to be more like a good portfolio app rather than a forgotten toy.</p>

Install Linux on a Thinkpad X13s Snapdragon

Installation</h2> Most of the guides if not all of them mention that you need to keep windows in the smallest partition possible because of a DTB</strong> file that it's necessary to make it possible to boot Linux.</p>

Conclusion</h2>
Even when that SMALLINT -> INT</strong> SQL problem gave me a 3 hours headache it was a fun exercise to do the migration from SQLite to MariaDB on a working app, and now it feels like the app starts to be more like a good portfolio app rather than a forgotten toy.</p>

Installation</h2>
Most of the guides if not all of them mention that you need to keep windows in the smallest partition possible because of a DTB</strong> file that it's necessary to make it possible to boot Linux.</p>