From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Mark H Weaver Subject: bug#22629: Channels! Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:52:06 -0400 Message-ID: <877ekagtg9.fsf@netris.org> References: <87vb5vsffd.fsf@gnu.org> <87pny2iks2.fsf@gnu.org> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:60519) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fukEn-0004Ly-IX for bug-guix@gnu.org; Tue, 28 Aug 2018 16:05:21 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fuk3u-000443-8A for bug-guix@gnu.org; Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:54:05 -0400 Received: from debbugs.gnu.org ([208.118.235.43]:59162) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:RSA_AES_128_CBC_SHA1:16) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fuk3u-00043q-3v for bug-guix@gnu.org; Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:54:02 -0400 Received: from Debian-debbugs by debbugs.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1fuk3u-0000bJ-0R for bug-guix@gnu.org; Tue, 28 Aug 2018 15:54:02 -0400 Sender: "Debbugs-submit" Resent-Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <87pny2iks2.fsf@gnu.org> ("Ludovic \=\?utf-8\?Q\?Court\=C3\=A8s\=22'\?\= \=\?utf-8\?Q\?s\?\= message of "Tue, 28 Aug 2018 17:16:29 +0200") List-Id: Bug reports for GNU Guix List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: bug-guix-bounces+gcggb-bug-guix=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sender: "bug-Guix" To: Ludovic =?UTF-8?Q?Court=C3=A8s?= Cc: 22629@debbugs.gnu.org Hi Ludovic, ludo@gnu.org (Ludovic Court=C3=A8s) writes: > Currently third-party channels are expected to provide nothing but > package modules. I'd like to say again that I have grave concerns that this could be the death-knell for long-term innovation in Guix. It's likely that whenever a change is proposed that will break these third-party channels, there will be resistance, and efforts to preserve backward compatibility. Even things as seemingly innocuous as moving a package from one module to another will impact these third-party channels, not to mention changing our internal APIs or making fundamental changes to the way packages are specified. Part of why I'm so interested in Guix is because it currently has nearly unconstrained potential to grow into something far more beautiful and elegant than it is today. I fear that with the introduction of channels, that potential will be drastically curtailed, and that we're essentially trading our future potential for what will in practice, most likely, be primarily used to facilitate the use of non-free software on Guix. When I start to see signs of resistance to changes for the sake of third-party channels, then I'll know I was right to be fearful, and Guix will become far less interesting to me. Mark