Robin
I totally agree with @grindstone about the multi-init being too ambitious.
»too ambitious» implies it fails technically for you. So please be more specific about what issue you face. Otherwise your wording is simply wrong.
this whole multi-init thing just seems…unnecessary.
Even when you personally don’t need any alternative init systems possibly: There are other people who need them. Hence your statement is pretty selfish.
I liked antiX for its relative simplicity
This simplicity is still present. ProwlerGr has implemented this diversity in a way the init systems do work independently of each other; so it’s you who decides which one to use. If you don’t want alternatives, simply don’t use them and stick to the one you’ve originally chosen. There is an easy to use tool in antiX Control Centre, section Services, called Init Diversity Manager. Therein you can set the primary init and the visibility of other inits in your bootscreen. Once done, you’ll not notice the presence of other inits on your system at all. So, what are you complaining about?
I’d like to add that as a relative newbie to Linux
Then it really shouldn’t matter for you whether there is some more stuff you don’t use on your system. Be assured, there are already tons of stuff present on your antiX you won’t even guess they are there, which are way more complex; but you have never complained. So why now and why here? May possible the word diversity has triggered you? If I’m not mistaken, this is a censored word in the US under their current president, not to be used in official documents and public research ? Well, I’m glad antiX won’t care.
Windows is like a submarine. Open a window and serious problems will start.