Linux-fueled Thoughts Unhinged

One day, I web searched Firefox ESR (Extended Support Release) for Arch Linux. I regretted this.

Why? The first and most interesting result to me on DuckDuckGo came from a blog about anti-systemd Linux distributions.

Ok, so I don't like systemd, but also I feel like I need to draw some sort of definitive line in the sand for myself.

This type of point of view is based on FUD and absolute nonsense, from a conceptual and a utilitarian level.

systemd Isn't the True Enemy — Or the Worst Enemy Out There

In my opinion, systemd isn't the worst enemy with respect to the technology landscape. You could improve your Linux distro by making it systemd-free.

However, I view the inability to completely neuter and remove Intel ME (Management Engine) as a bigger threat.

(Also, if you think you're a cool hipster for having an AMD processor, then you basically have the AMD equivalent for all processors post-2013: Secure Technology, formally called Platform Security Processor (PSP).

At least the solution is clear for this fundamental technology issue: purchase older/used hardware that is capable of using coreboot and buy new hardware that has coreboot for the BIOS.

I would recommend System76 as a quick suggestion. Purism's laptops are also acceptable hardware, but are rather expensive... even if they do ship with a Qubes OS flash drive as an option. (Anyways, can't someone who knows what s/he is doing create his/her own verified flash drive for Qubes OS?)

There has to be a few other options out there, but they are bound to be even more lowkey than System76 or Purism.

Tangential Rant: Luke Smith and Actual Security

By the way, don't listen to people like Luke Smith talking about how Libreboot is life or whatever — I don't want to claim that my knowledge is superior, but these sorts of 4channers clearly don't know what actual security is — I don't like smartphones as a cultural phenomenon, but the “no tech” reason why you use a TOTP app on a de-Googled Android smartphone is that the premise of maliciously cracking both any arbitrary Linux distro and a de-Googled Android device is much lower than only a Linux distro.

At the very least, as KeePassXC suggests, the TOTP database should be kept separate from your conventional password database in scenarios in which both the TOTP and password database reside on the same device.

This is why I simply use Aegis from F-Droid on my current de-Googled Android device.

I suppose that having 2 seperate KeePassXC databases in their own respective Qubes OS vault machines would be isomorphically sufficient for some folks out there, but Qubes OS is its own entire universe as a topic to get lost in.

Actually, Qubes OS is actually the next rant topic...

Tangential Rant: Qubes OS (and Whonix, I Guess)

Not to pretend that Edward Snowden is the end all and be all with respect to usable technology you can try out right now, but both Qubes OS and Whonix don't do anything in regards towards systemd.

Qubes OS isn't really a Linux distro, if we are writing perfect answers on paper. Instead, it's an operating system based on the Xen Hypervisor, which virtualizes Linux distros. Due to hypervisor virtualization, I suppose the reasonably paranoid audience of Qubes OS doesn't have to worry about systemd.

(If anything, that audience should be more worried about Intel ME/AMD ST... but that is what the improved hardware is for. I'll probably end up writing about this separately anyways, but Qubes OS works hard to lock down the software/OS, but doesn't inherently defend your hardware itself. That sort of fundamental issue can be only addressed with Certified Hardware for Qubes OS. If you're trying to get around or solve Intel ME with only Qubes OS, then you're barking up the wrong tree. In fact, to point out that Intel ME-free hardware is indeed an orothogonal issue, flashing Heads with coreboot or Libreboot as the payload with any Linux distro would solve Intel ME.)

(Of course, we live in the year 2021, not any year before 2013, so we have to work hard to first stop Intel from getting away with Intel ME for all new processors... that is, if Apple doesn't destroy everyone's ability to have full flexibility of even booting live Linux distros from a USB flash drive with its decrepit M1/ARM based processors first, causing every other company to copy the worst traits from Apple.)

Whonix worries about many threats, but (I'm pretty sure) systemd isn't one of them.

TL;DR: This Article Ruined My Mood

So, the short version is that this article ruined my mood.

Also, if you're acting like every TLA has a backdoor into any Linux distro with systemd, then you need to chill out.

I get the impression that some of these people proudly run old non-Intel ME/AMD ST hardware.

I'm not trying to be an SJW, but you certainly not making others understand your case by acting this way and/or having these attitudes. You'll turn off people who would have maybe agreed with you if you weren't so standoffish.

And, get in touch with reality — it's already hard enough to convince others to use Linux full time as a desktop OS, with or without systemd.

Final Burn

By the way, you complain about systemd, but your WordPress site requires cookies.

That's not stylistically consistent.