Systemd daddy quits Microsoft to prove Linux can be trusted
- Reference: 1769702891
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/01/29/lennart_poettering_quits_microsoft/
- Source link:
Poettering is best known for systemd. After a lengthy stint at Red Hat, he [1]joined Microsoft in 2022 . Kühl was a Microsoft employee until last year, and Brauner, who also joined Microsoft in 2022, left this month.
The trio are leading lights in the Linux and open source world. Brauner [2]posted on Mastodon: "My role in upstream maintenance for the Linux kernel will continue as it always has."
[3]
Poettering will similarly remain deeply involved in the systemd ecosystem.
[4]
[5]
According to the company's [6]website , Amutable focuses on "determinism and verifiable integrity" in Linux systems.
In its announcement, the company wrote: "Amutable's mission is to deliver verifiable integrity to Linux workloads everywhere. We look forward to working towards this goal with the broader Linux community."
[7]
Systemd and Poettering have attracted their fair share of controversy over the years among parts of the Linux community. Like it or loathe it, systemd can be found in most mainstream Linux distributions. At the risk of triggering a slew of angry comments, it can best be described as software that runs first, then starts other required services and applications.
[8]Systemd 259 release candidate flexes musl support – with long list of caveats
[9]Linux's love-to-hate projects drop fresh versions: systemd 258 and GNOME 49
[10]First release candidate of systemd 258 is here
[11]Agent P waxes lyrical about 14 years of systemd
Poettering's role as chief engineer in Amutable, therefore, makes sense. The Berlin-based company's goal is to build "cryptographically verifiable integrity into Linux systems. Every system starts in a verified state and stays trusted over time."
It is unclear why Poettering decided to leave Microsoft. We asked the company to comment but have not received a response. Other than the announcement of [12]systemd 259 in December, [13]Poettering's blog has been silent on the matter, aside from the announcement of Amutable this week.
In its first post, the Amutable team wrote: "Over the coming months, we'll be pouring foundations for verification and building robust capabilities on top."
It will be interesting to see what form this takes. In addition to Poettering, the lead developer of systemd, Amutable's team includes contributors and maintainers for projects such as Linux, Kubernetes, and containerd. Its members are also very familiar with the likes of Debian, Fedora, SUSE, and Ubuntu. ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2022/07/07/lennart_poettering_red_hat_microsoft/
[2] https://mastodon.social/@brauner/115968807569462508
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aXuSelhzYlAHtEM-pbQC2QAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aXuSelhzYlAHtEM-pbQC2QAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aXuSelhzYlAHtEM-pbQC2QAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://amutable.com/blog/introducing-amutable
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aXuSelhzYlAHtEM-pbQC2QAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/20/rc_systemd_259/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/23/systemd_258_gnome_49/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/25/systemd_258_first_rc_here/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/06/14_years_of_systemd/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/11/20/rc_systemd_259/
[13] https://0pointer.de/blog/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Im surprised he wasn't forcibly parachuted into the Devuan camp
[quote]At the risk of triggering a slew of angry comments, it can best be described as software that runs first, then starts other required services and applications.[/quote]
Common misconception. That is one component of systemd, the init system. There are lots of other components. To quote the systemd website "systemd is a suite of basic building blocks for a Linux system. " and these include "Other parts include a logging daemon, utilities to control basic system configuration like the hostname, date, locale, maintain a list of logged-in users and running containers and virtual machines, system accounts, runtime directories and settings, and daemons to manage simple network configuration, network time synchronization, log forwarding, and name resolution. "
The entire objection to systemd is that it is not just an init system. https://systemd.io/
Succession?
Just thinking out aloud...
By jumping ship now, would it improve the chances for Agent P in the event of vacancy for grand fromage of the Linux Kernel?
The work on making Linux trustworthy sort of making amends/pennance for the divisiveness of systemd?
Re: Succession?
Remains to be seen how divisive he can make crypto/verification. Cut his teeth on PulseAudio, grew of age with SystemD, will this be his disruption pièce de résistance ?
the systemd ecosystem
And that's the problem.
Now it's going to grow crypto/verification management on top of everything else.
Whatever happened to "do one thing and do it well"?
"Linux celeb Lennart Poettering has left Microsoft and co-founded a new company, Amutable, with Chris Kühl and Christian Brauner"
^ Personally, I would be minded to replace 'celeb' with 'controversialist'.