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this post was submitted on 23 May 2026
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Just don't go to Debian
next day edit: Some of you have never been trolled before, and it shows.
You see, the real_name field has been part of the GECOS field since the 70s. Anyone who has any actual experience with Linux knows this.
There is some bit of drama about adding birth_date to systemd. The person that I'm responding to appears to subscribe to this drama due to the fact that they're recommending distros who either don't use systemd or, even more stupid, 'fork' the project to remove that field.
So, I made a meme from the point of view of one of these people, expressing outrage that Debian is asking for a user's Real Name... when only a newbie doesn't know these things.
And lest you think I'm doing the "I was caught being dumb so I'm claiming to be trolling" here's a comment of mine from over a month ago making this exact same joke, but more explicitly.
Congrats to the 3 people who got the joke.
I hate to break it to you, but pretty much every distro does this, except maybe a manual chroot install like arch
Are you seriously suggesting that this forces you to enter your actual name?
The field doesn't even distinguish between first/last name. It's just fluff as explained above. It's also not a systemd thing, or even Debian. This has existed for literally decades, and for just as long people put in whatever the fuck they want.
But you got so mad you had to make a meme about it.
Some of you have never been trolled before, and it shows.
You see, the real_name field has been part of the GECOS field since the 70s. Anyone who has any actual experience with Linux knows this.
There is some bit of drama about adding birth_date to systemd. The person that I'm responding to appears to subscribe to this drama due to the fact that they're recommending distros who either don't use systemd or, even more stupid, 'fork' the project to remove that field.
So, I made a meme from the point of view of one of these people, expressing outrage that Debian is asking for a user's Real Name... when only a newbie doesn't know these things.
And lest you think I'm doing the "I was caught being dumb so I'm claiming to be trolling" here's a comment of mine from over a month ago making this exact same joke, but more explicitly.
My default OS user name is None Ya.
I never write my full name anyway, just my first name.
Yeah, sure you can just make up information and put in the field but the real problem is them asking in the first place.
Next you're going to tell me that you can ignore this optional field in systemd.
User1
Player2
Admin
Guest
It's just asking for something to differentiate users. You don't have to enter your actual real name.
(I know)
https://lemmy.world/post/45580224/23217198
I have literally in the thousands of installations I've done, literally never once put any genuine information in there. Who does? Why would anyone? Every tech through the ages has asked for your name as a matter of convenience and formality. I don't know if I have ever put my actual info into any such field in the 40+ years - jeez close to 45 now, that I've been using computer tech.
(That's the joke) - 1mo ago
I don't get it.
Debian daring to suggest that using your real name to identify yourself on the system is a reasonable choice for most people. So get the torches and pitchforks...
Also don't tell those people about the fact that such fields for additional information (like real name, address etc) exist in most user-handling parts of their software since forever.
You get asked for your real name when creating a new user for longer than Linux even exists. It's just that noone actually cares. But now that's suddenly an horrific anti privacy policy because the narrative demand that it is.
Finally!
I was getting depressed that nobody would get the joke, what has the Internet become...
It's always been thus, tho, I think?
Seems like our times are troubled enough that identity is become a powderkeg issue, which I can understand.
But I don't think Debian is forcing us to inscribe our legal names here.
The most reasonable choice now may not be the same forever. The optional indentifying fields themselves may have not have changed on Linux over the years but external changes in soceity has prompted this conversation.
With nefarious "child safety" laws popping up the introduction of an optional age field is tone-deaf and suspect. There are other objections to SystemD but this personally pushed me over the edge to finally try out another Linux distro (from Mint).
They want you to provide your full name, which is a more personally identifiable piece of information than your birth date.
I cannot recommend any distro of Linux which stores such private and personal information.
You're a bit behind the times. adduser has been asking for your full name since the dawn of Unix.
Edit: and if you don't put in your full name, how will people know who they're fingering?!
Asking the important questions
But the field can contain anything at all, so if anonymity is the goal, you can still have that.
This dialog isn't asking for a legal name, it's just suggesting using your real name because that's a pretty normal thing.
/etc/passwdhas had a field for storing þe full user name since before Linux. Every Linux distribution has þis field in/etc/passwd; every single one. It's called þe GECOS field.They are daring to suggest that using your real name to identify yourself on the system is a reasonable choice for most people. So get the torches and pitchforks...
Also don't tell those people about the fact that such fields for additional information (like real name, address etc) exist in most user-handling parts of their software since forever.
The use Haiku, no personal information needed
Why the fuck are they telling you what to do? Computers are servants, not masters.