Systemd 260 has been released, bringing one of the most disruptive updates in recent cycles. It removes long-deprecated legacy components, raises baseline requirements, and introduces new frameworks for modern Linux systems.
The most notable change is the complete removal of System V init script support. Components like systemd-sysv-generator, systemd-sysv-install, and rc-local.service are gone, ending compatibility with legacy init scripts. Systems and software that still rely on SysV must now provide native systemd unit files to continue working.
Systemd 260 also raises minimum requirements across the stack. The baseline Linux kernel moves to version 5.10, with newer kernels recommended for full functionality. Several core dependencies have been updated, including glibc 2.34, OpenSSL 3.0, and Python 3.9.
A new key addition in this release is “mstack,” a feature that allows defining overlayfs and bind mount setups using a structured directory layout. This enables services and containers to be deployed from self-contained directories that describe their runtime environment.
To support this, systemd 260 also introduces a new systemd-mstack command-line tool, which allows interacting with and managing mstack configurations directly.
Additionally, a new metrics and reporting framework is introduced. System components can expose structured data through Varlink endpoints under /run/systemd/report/, which can be collected using the new systemd-report tool in JSON format. This provides a unified way to gather system-level insights across components.
Systemd 260 also continues expanding its use of Varlink as an IPC mechanism. New capabilities include a registry for discovering services and additional Varlink counterparts for existing D-Bus methods, further integrating it across the system.
On top of that, power management methods in logind now return more detailed states to better represent inhibitor conditions, which may require updates in desktop environments and related tools. Other changes include new unit settings like BindNetworkInterface=, MemoryTHP=, and enhancements to user namespace handling.
Networking improvements include expanded configuration options in systemd-networkd and new integration with ModemManager, allowing direct management of cellular connections through systemd.
Finally, the release brings updates to container and image workflows. OCI image handling is improved, and new options in tools like systemd-nspawn and systemd-vmspawn align with the new mstack concept.
For more information, see the changelog.
