The future of elogind/libelogind0

[Lorenzo]

On Wed, 18 Oct 2023 14:22:26 +0100
Mark Hindley <mark at hindley.org.uk> wrote:

> On Wed, Oct 18, 2023 at 01:29:38AM +0200, Adam Borowski wrote:
> > Package: procps
> > Version: 2:4.0.4-2
> > Architecture: amd64
> > Depends: libc6 (>= 2.34), libncursesw6 (>= 6), libproc2-0 (>=
> > 2:4.0.4), »»» libsystemd0 (>= 254~rc1),
> >     libtinfo6 (>= 6), init-system-helpers (>= 1.29~)
> > 
> > And this dependency is not satisfiable by current version of
> > libelogind0;
> 
> I think we have to grasp this issue and consider the future of
> elogind.

Can seatd replace elogind or some features (for example for desktop
users) are missing?

> 
> [...]
> 
> I think we need to consider other options. I have some theoretical
> avenues to explore (in no particular order):-
> 
>  - Patch elogind to use libsystemd0 directly. This was considered
> previously[2] but rejected because elogind lacks, for example, scopes
> and slices. I don't even know if it is practical to fake, emulate or
> ignore these features.

I'd like to add another one here:
Make possible to have libelogind and libsystemd installed at the same
time, and build an elogind version of some packages.
When elogind was not in Debian I used to build my own version for
personal use and I remember I did it that way..
I had to rebuild my own version of dbus and polkit (with two tiny
patches) and desktoppy stuff was working..
Maybe also a rebuild of Xorg is needed to run it with a non root user
but that would be 3 sources rebuild and we can forget about
libsystemd0..

Lorenzo

>  - Change to consolekit2. Whilst it is not a direct replacement,
> recently consolekit2 has been gaining a libsystemd compatibility
> layer[3] (AIUI still incomplete). I have packaged consolekit2 and it
> is waiting in NEW[4].
> 
>    2 possibilities occur to me here:-
> 
>      1) Use it directly: polkit can still be built to utilise
> consolekit and desktops based on that are still viable. The mechanism
> for building a polkit consolekit flavour would need to be resolved.
> 
>      2) Complete and use the nascent systemd compatibility layer 
> 
>  - Write a new logind implementation from scratch. Obviously a large
>    undertaking, but traditional utilities and existing software
> (seatd[5], consolekit2...) may prove useful.
> 
>  - Other options I haven't considered...?
> 
> Mark
> 
> 
> [1]  https://github.com/elogind/elogind/commits/main
> 
> [2]  https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=940034#101
> 
> [3]
> https://github.com/ConsoleKit2/ConsoleKit2/blob/master/libconsolekit/sd-compat.c
> 
> [4]  https://ftp-master.debian.org/new/consolekit2_1.2.6-1.html
> 
> [5]  I already have a patch for xorg to use seatd to allow rootless
> startx without systemd, see
>       https://git.devuan.org/devuan/xorg-server/src/branch/suites/unstable/debian/patches/0001-Support-libseat.patch
>