Installing Sophos Protection for Linux in a distribution without systemd

Question

Hello, 
 I've been using Sophos Anti-Virus for Linux in Slackware (a distribution without systemd) for a long time and I'm delighted with this product, which is the only antivirus I can install in this case with the exception of Clamav. 
 I read in the Sophos Central console that this product will no longer be supported after July 20, 2023, and the new Sophos Protection for Linux product requires systemd. 
 Can Sophos Protection for Linux be installed without systemd? 
 What happens to old users of Sophos products for Linux in this case, have we been totally abandoned? 
 I don't understand the reasons why compatibility was removed in the case of operating systems that do not use systemd for this new product that also works great and we would like to pay for it?

Qoosh · Accepted Answer

I've not yet received a definitive answer on this, though from the initial discussions, it seems a very small portion of our customer base is looking for this. 
 To stay up to date on any future developments, I'd suggest reaching out to your Sophos Account Manager to raise a feature request regarding this. This will allow our team to better track the need for this. Asking to be put in touch with your regional Sales Engineer will also help in this case, as they're able to get a better understanding of the requirements on your network and environment so this can be better communicated to our product teams.

Qoosh · Answer

Currently, there are no immediate plans to remove systemd as a requirement. As it appears you have a valid business use case for this, I suggest reaching out to your Sophos Account Manager to raise this as a feature request. This way, we can better track if there&rsquo;s a significant need for this in the product. 
 If you'd like assistance with this process, please feel free to send me a PM and I'd be happy to help.

Installing Sophos Protection for Linux in a distribution without systemd

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