Editing Main Page (section)

==== differences ====

Yes, I’m familiar with both '''SmartOS LX zones''' and '''FreeBSD’s Linuxulator'''. These are two different approaches to providing Linux binary compatibility on non-Linux systems, and their differing abilities to run '''systemd''' highlight some key technical distinctions. Let’s break this down and address what’s missing in FreeBSD’s Linuxulator to support systemd, as well as how you might approach enabling it by leveraging SmartOS/Illumos source code.
===== SmartOS LX Zones and FreeBSD Linuxulator =====

* '''SmartOS LX Zones''': LX zones are a feature of Illumos-based systems (like SmartOS) that allow running Linux binaries in a lightweight containerized environment called a "branded zone." These zones provide a near-native Linux kernel ABI (Application Binary Interface) by translating Linux system calls into Illumos equivalents. LX zones were originally developed by Joyent to support running Linux applications, including Docker, on SmartOS. Over time, they’ve been extended to support more complex Linux-specific features, including systemd, which is the default init system for many modern Linux distributions.

* '''FreeBSD Linuxulator''': The Linuxulator is FreeBSD’s Linux binary compatibility layer. It allows FreeBSD to run unmodified Linux ELF binaries by translating Linux system calls to FreeBSD equivalents. Unlike LX zones, it’s not a containerization technology but a kernel-level compatibility layer that operates alongside native FreeBSD processes. It currently supports a subset of Linux kernel functionality, with compatibility levels pegged at Linux 3.2.0 in FreeBSD 12-STABLE and Linux 5.15.0 in FreeBSD 14-STABLE (as of recent documentation). However, it lacks support for several Linux-specific features required by systemd.