apt-pinning (something that I have always thought is a bad practice) and using a shim. Honest question: isn't this just a giant hairy hack? Am I missing something?
Pinning? That's only a hack if you don't care to learn how apt works. And not actually necessary to avoid systemd unless you're running with `--assume-yes` or hammering 'y'.
systemd-shim? Well, yeah, but that's the entire point of it's existence.
apt pinning, like most systems administration software, is a bad thing if applied without forethought. while I withhold judgment on this particular application, apt pinning is a very useful feature when dealing with e.g. proprietary binary software with specific library version requirements, for instance.
