I could’ve just zapped the comment and acted like I got it! ~lol

*Maybe in the future we shouldn't let other people tell us what to do.* The year? It's 1993 of course, silly.

optimism

The latest release of the most widely used Linux init system is here, and between dropping init script support and AI-assisted coding, we feel sure that this release will win it yet more admirers.

 delivers one of the changes that the developers have been promising for at least a few years – we reported that init script support was going back in 2023.

It also needs a newer Linux kernel (minimum 5.10, 5.14 recommended, and 6.6 required for full functionality), plus a selection of other libraries and supporting files. Notably, it drops support for version 1 of libidn – now you'll need libidn2. None of this is likely to be hugely disruptive for new versions of distros using systemd 260.

There's also a new Markdown file in the systemd GitHub repository, which may set alarm bells ringing for some developers. The new file is called AGENTS.md, and replaces one that was called CLAUDE.md. The new AGENTS.md file provides instructions to help guide AI agents. (We are restraining ourselves from scattering quotation marks around this paragraph like confetti.)

devs

> **Good luck with that**
>
> The latest release of the most widely used Linux init system is here, and between dropping init script support and AI-assisted coding, we feel sure that this release will win it yet more admirers.
>
> [Systemd 260](https://github.com/systemd/systemd/releases/tag/v260) delivers one of the changes that the developers have been promising for at least a few years – we reported that init script support was going back in 2023.
>
> According to the release notes:
>
> * Support for System V service scripts has been removed. Please make sure to update your software now to include a native systemd unit file instead of a legacy System V script.
>
>   The following components have been removed:
>
>   * systemd-rc-local-generator and rc-local.service,
>   * systemd-sysv-generator,
>   * systemd-sysv-install (hook for systemctl enable/disable/is-enabled).
>
> #
>
> It also needs a newer Linux kernel (minimum 5.10, 5.14 recommended, and 6.6 required for full functionality), plus a selection of other libraries and supporting files. Notably, it drops support for version 1 of libidn – now you'll need libidn2. None of this is likely to be hugely disruptive for new versions of distros using systemd 260.
>
> There's also a new Markdown file in the systemd GitHub repository, which may set alarm bells ringing for some developers. The new file is called AGENTS.md, and replaces one that was called CLAUDE.md. The new AGENTS.md file provides instructions to help guide AI agents. (We are restraining ourselves from scattering quotation marks around this paragraph like confetti.)
>
> [**...read more at theregister.com**](https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/18/systemd_260/)