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Guix Further Reduces Bootstrap Seed to 25%

guix.gnu.org

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Re: Guix Further Reduces Bootstrap Seed to 25%

#31

Post by rekado »

dilandau wrote: post #24

Is anybody using this? What do you like about it versus a more typical linux or unix? Is hardware support good enough to run on a relatively recent laptop?

I'm using Guix System on new Dell servers, old Sun servers, a Dell laptop, a Purism Librem laptop, an old Thinkpad --- it works just fine.

I think the fear of missing drivers when using Linux without blobs is extremely overstated. Yes, certain WiFi cards won't work without blobs, and yes, the 3D graphics situation is not great thanks to NVIDIA and AMD.

> What do you like about it versus a more typical linux or unix?

Oh, so many things... But most important for me is stateless configuration, reproducible builds, no-nonsense application bundles without all that Dockeresk cruft via "guix pack", ad-hoc environments, etc.

Re: Guix Further Reduces Bootstrap Seed to 25%

#32

Post by paroneayea »

artistsvoid wrote: post #19
qqii wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In GNU fashion they're using savannah mailing lists and email patches so to those who are comfortable with git{hub,lab} it's slightly less familiar. Here is their git repository: https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/guix Here is the web interface to their issues and patches mailing list: https://issues.guix.gnu.org/ As you can see although the project is less popular, it is no less actively developed and you can easily…

I fear it being 'GNU' they will shoot themselves in the foot somehow. Bad marketing, unnecessarily geeky and childish nomenclature, GPLv3 and make it all free software, no proprietary drivers, hard to get proprietary third party software to install et cetera... 'GNU Guix is a transactional package manager and an advanced distribution of the GNU system that respects user freedom.'[0] NixOS is developed using the MIT l…

The choice of GPL doesn't seem to be hurting the Linux Kernel. I doubt it'll hurt a package manager either. Plenty of Debian infrastructure software is also GPLv3.

At any rate, the choice to go "have a pure base" is the right one IMO: it's nice to have a system where I know I have the right to use/modify/distribute changes to the entire thing. It's easier to start with that pure base and add impurities if you need them (eg if your hardware requires blobs to operate it) than the reverse.

That said I think it would be helpful if there was a place to direct users who need to figure out how to install such blobs, even though I agree that the official mailing lists and project repository should not be it. (I am running a blobbed kernel on my current machine because I have to, but I previously was able to run with the linux-libre kernel Guix ships with. It's definitely possible to do if you need to, just not well documented.)

Re: Guix Further Reduces Bootstrap Seed to 25%

#33

Post by ryukafalz »

artistsvoid wrote: post #19
qqii wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In GNU fashion they're using savannah mailing lists and email patches so to those who are comfortable with git{hub,lab} it's slightly less familiar. Here is their git repository: https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/guix Here is the web interface to their issues and patches mailing list: https://issues.guix.gnu.org/ As you can see although the project is less popular, it is no less actively developed and you can easily…

I fear it being 'GNU' they will shoot themselves in the foot somehow. Bad marketing, unnecessarily geeky and childish nomenclature, GPLv3 and make it all free software, no proprietary drivers, hard to get proprietary third party software to install et cetera... 'GNU Guix is a transactional package manager and an advanced distribution of the GNU system that respects user freedom.'[0] NixOS is developed using the MIT l…

Yes it's GPLv3, and yes it doesn't package proprietary software. (Would you expect anything else from GNU? :)

There are a few unofficial channels that do package proprietary software for Guix, though they're of course not advertised on the official Guix site, etc.

Re: Guix Further Reduces Bootstrap Seed to 25%

#34

Post by microtonal »

not2b wrote: post #26
dilandau wrote: post #24

Is anybody using this? What do you like about it versus a more typical linux or unix? Is hardware support good enough to run on a relatively recent laptop?

That isn't the purpose. It isn't for end users to run. It's to be able to have confidence that the object code in a software distribution depends only on the source code, and not on something that a clever attacker has managed to sneak in, using a variant of the Thompson "trusting trust" attack.

I think dilandau is asking if anyone is using Guix.

Re: Guix Further Reduces Bootstrap Seed to 25%

#35

Post by kazinator »

paroneayea wrote: post #29
blahbhthrow3748 wrote: post #6

This is extremely neat but the name "gash" is... a poor choice. Gory in standard English, worse as a slang term

I don't think it's intended as that slang... I think it's probably in the scheme tradition of self-deprecating conspiratorial names... I suspect it's meant to invoke that theme. Not to mention that "bash" sounds like a concussive injury; "gash" sounds like a slicing injury. So follows that theme also. I would be very surprised if genitalia slang came up in the author's mind as a choice of names but I guess I don't kn…

I'm amazed how it can be possible not understand that what came up in the author's mind is not the issue at all, and irrelevant.

According to your reasoning, I can name an alarm program "cock", just as long as what was going through my mind at the time was a rooster crowing in the morning. ("Get woken up by cock!") What anyone else chooses to read into it is their problem?

Re: Guix Further Reduces Bootstrap Seed to 25%

#36

Post by paroneayea »

artistsvoid wrote: post #5
nvahalik wrote: post #2

Who funds Guix development? This this one of those experimental/hobby/academic projects? I never hear anything about Guix outside of HN or F/OSS boards (and even then, very little). How does it continue?

It's part of GNU [0] (which in itself is a community), but GNU as a whole is additionally funded in part by the FSF [1] ; And then as always: volunteers. I suspect since Guix heavily utilizes Lisp quite a few Emacs lovers might watch Guix closely and even contribute ; students might pick GNU projects as part of a thesis et cetera. And I am unsure how 'active' development is, I have no insight, but it has been in exis…

Development is very, very active. See for yourself: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/log/

The FSF is GNU's sponsor, and provides some infrastructure, but generally hasn't done too much in terms of funding the project. However other funding has happened in terms of NLNet, Outreachy, GSoC, and some stuff with the Guix HPC project. But far and away the majority of contributions are from unpaid contributors.

Re: Guix Further Reduces Bootstrap Seed to 25%

#37

Post by benbristow »

burkaman wrote: post #14
enriquto wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you pronounce it like that, though? I pronounce it like "geesh" or "guish" or "guiche" (not sure how to write it phonetically). It is just the Catalan word for "chalk".

Not Guix, Gash: https://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/gash

Gash is a slang term for the female sexual organ.

Not a good name for a project.

Re: Guix Further Reduces Bootstrap Seed to 25%

#38

Post by janneke »

artistsvoid wrote: post #19
qqii wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In GNU fashion they're using savannah mailing lists and email patches so to those who are comfortable with git{hub,lab} it's slightly less familiar. Here is their git repository: https://savannah.gnu.org/projects/guix Here is the web interface to their issues and patches mailing list: https://issues.guix.gnu.org/ As you can see although the project is less popular, it is no less actively developed and you can easily…

I fear it being 'GNU' they will shoot themselves in the foot somehow. Bad marketing, unnecessarily geeky and childish nomenclature, GPLv3 and make it all free software, no proprietary drivers, hard to get proprietary third party software to install et cetera... 'GNU Guix is a transactional package manager and an advanced distribution of the GNU system that respects user freedom.'[0] NixOS is developed using the MIT l…

For those who are not into free software, or do not believe in user freedom, I believe there's already an excellent choice of software options, many of which will also sell your privacy. You will not find GNU to compete, good luck!

Re: Guix Further Reduces Bootstrap Seed to 25%

#39

Post by artistsvoid »

paroneayea wrote: post #32
artistsvoid wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I fear it being 'GNU' they will shoot themselves in the foot somehow. Bad marketing, unnecessarily geeky and childish nomenclature, GPLv3 and make it all free software, no proprietary drivers, hard to get proprietary third party software to install et cetera... 'GNU Guix is a transactional package manager and an advanced distribution of the GNU system that respects user freedom.'[0] NixOS is developed using the MIT l…

The choice of GPL doesn't seem to be hurting the Linux Kernel. I doubt it'll hurt a package manager either. Plenty of Debian infrastructure software is also GPLv3. At any rate, the choice to go "have a pure base" is the right one IMO: it's nice to have a system where I know I have the right to use/modify/distribute changes to the entire thing. It's easier to start with that pure base and add impurities if you need th…

It's open source, so of course it's 'possible', but if it's difficult to do and another project actually fully supports my use case, documents it, allows questions on IRC and mailing lists with regards to it... the choice for many is obvious then. Last I checked the Linux Kernel was GPLv2 only, and we all (I guess) know the reasons why.

Re: Guix Further Reduces Bootstrap Seed to 25%

#40

Post by gmanley »

benbristow wrote: post #37
burkaman wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not Guix, Gash: https://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/gash

Gash is a slang term for the female sexual organ. Not a good name for a project.

If we were to reserve every word that is also used as slang for sexual organs we'd be out a lot of words. Peach, purse, shaft, sheath, tool, pocket, etc, these are all slang as well, yet we still use these for their original meaning. It's all about context. I'd also say 'gash' is quite regional. I've only ever heard it used in the U.K.
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