Devuan is a Linux distribution that forked from Debian, aiming to provide a Debian-compatible system without systemd. It offers a reliable and stable base for users who prefer alternative init systems. Devuan is designed to maintain compatibility with Debian while providing freedom of choice in init systems. With the release of Debian 8, some developers and users felt alienated due to the project's adoption of systemd and subsequent removal of support for other existing init systems. This decision prompted some Debian community members to start a fork of Debian without systemd.