February 15, 2026
Hot Pies, Cold Takes
GNU Pies – Program Invocation and Execution Supervisor
GNU 'Pies' babysits your apps — now the internet fights over its name and systemd vibes
TLDR: GNU Pies is a tool that starts and restarts programs and can run at boot as the system’s first process. Commenters argue if it’s a lighter systemd, roast the “p-yes” name, and joke about yet another supervisor—signaling fatigue, curiosity, and classic GNU quirks.
Meet GNU PIES, the Program Invocation and Execution Supervisor—aka a polite robot butler that starts your programs, keeps them running, and restarts them if they faint. It can even be the very first thing your computer runs at boot (the "init" boss). Built by Sergey Poznyakoff, it’s old-school GNU with a twist: it’s pronounced “p-yes.” And that’s where the drama starts.
The crowd immediately split into tribes. One camp rolled their eyes with meme energy: “Everyone has made a supervisor,” groaned one commenter, lumping Pies into the endless parade of app babysitters. Another camp asked the real question: is this GNU’s version of systemd (the controversial Linux manager people love to debate)? Some said it’s lighter and not a giant "monolith," others noted it still has configuration files that feel very systemd-ish. Translation for non-nerds: people are arguing whether this is a friendly house sitter or a strict landlord.
The name ignited chaos. One user declared, “pronounced ‘p-yes’—Absolutely not,” insisting there’s already a tool with that sound. Spanish speakers chimed in with giggles: “Pies means foot.” And a classic GNU fan highlighted the perennial quirk: a perfectly pronounceable name… pronounced differently. Toss in a comment about releases every four years, and you’ve got vintage GNU vibes—steady, stubborn, and extremely online.
Key Points
- •GNU Pies is a supervisor that starts and manages external programs called components.
- •It reads a configuration file on startup, launches components, and stays in the background controlling them.
- •By default, if a component terminates, Pies restarts it; it can also send email notifications or invoke other programs.
- •Pies can operate as an init daemon, using either /etc/inittab or a native, more flexible configuration format.
- •It provides a control interface for extensive monitoring and management; content is © 2009–2022 Sergey Poznyakoff with verbatim copying allowed if notice is preserved.