No Linux distro has shipped yet — but a BSD has.

No Linux distribution has shipped an age reporting implementation as of March 2026. MidnightBSD (a BSD, not Linux) has merged and shipped the aged(8) daemon — the first native implementation from any operating system. The MidnightBSD removal guide below is the first non-speculative guide on this site. The Linux distro guides remain pending.

Principles of Removal

1. Remove, don't just disable

Systemd masking is a start — it prevents a service from running. Package removal is better — it removes the code from the system entirely. Preventing installation via preseed, kickstart, or pacman hooks is best — the code never touches your disk.

2. Don't break dependent software

Applications may begin querying the age bracket API. Ripping out the service without providing a replacement will cause D-Bus errors, which can crash apps or prevent them from launching. Use the short-circuit approach: install a stub daemon that returns "unknown" (bracket 0) for all queries. Apps get a valid response. No age data is collected.

3. Test thoroughly

A removal that breaks login, first-boot, or package management is worse than the thing being removed. Every removal guide we publish will include a test procedure and a rollback path.

4. Document the attack surface

For each implementation, we will document every file, service, D-Bus interface, and configuration path it touches. You can't remove what you can't find.

Distro-Specific Guides

LIVE

MidnightBSD

The first non-speculative removal guide. Disable the aged(8) daemon, delete the SQLite database, remove age group memberships. Manual steps — become-ageless.sh does not support BSD.

PENDING

Ubuntu / GNOME

Canonical's likely approach via AccountsService or a standalone D-Bus service. Removal via apt, systemctl, and preseed.

PENDING

Debian

Debian's tradition of optionality and the debian-devel discussion. Removal via d-i preseed, apt purge, and dpkg holds.

PENDING

Fedora

Fedora's possible approach via Anaconda or a systemd service. Removal via kickstart, dnf, and rpm.

PENDING

Arch Linux

Arch's minimal philosophy and the unlikely path to mandatory age reporting. Removal via pacman hooks and IgnorePkg.

PENDING

Generic (Any Distro)

Distribution-agnostic removal: D-Bus service files, systemd units, data directories, and AccountsService fields.