What Would You Differently, If You Could Redesign Linux Userland From Scratch?
Posted3 months agoActive2 months ago
Techstory
calmmixed
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LinuxSystem DesignProgramming Languages
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Linux
System Design
Programming Languages
Prompted from a similar discussion at lobsters (and i am copying the text verbatim)
If we kept Linux the kernel exactly as it is today, but redesigned
everything in userland from scratch (the init system, the filesystem
hierarchy, the shell, libc, packaging, configuration, dbus, polkit, PAM,
etc.), what would you do differently, and why?
The discussion revolves around redesigning Linux userland from scratch, with various commenters sharing their ideas on how to improve it, ranging from replacing existing components to adopting new programming languages.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
Discussion Activity
Light discussionFirst comment
48m
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2
60-66h
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1.3
Key moments
- 01Story posted
Oct 19, 2025 at 10:29 PM EDT
3 months ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Oct 19, 2025 at 11:16 PM EDT
48m after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
2 comments in 60-66h
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Oct 22, 2025 at 4:16 PM EDT
2 months ago
Step 04
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Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns
ID: 45639723Type: storyLast synced: 11/20/2025, 3:29:00 PM
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- Nitro instead of systemd
- musl instead of glibc
- LLVM/clang instead of gcc
- uutils instead of GNU coreutils
- apk as a package manager
- r/o filesystem in a virtual A/B configuration for immutability and instant-reboots (no post-update reboot delays unlike rpm-ostree).
- A minimal Rust-based WM/DE similar to XFCE/LabWC but with user-friendly GUI config and sane defaults, with zero GTK and Qt components.
- Ideally all GUIs will be coded in something fast and minimal, like e-GUI. Ideally the entire system will be free of bloat like GTK/Qt/Electron/Javascript crap, and anything that uses it will be containerised.