many packages become nonfunctional if not install in fixed profiles (e.g. ~/.guix-profile) These are two instances 1. blueman 2. font-conf so most of font like font-lohit will not be available I had noticed that fixed profiles have become part of many packages/services definition which could be the reason that many of these packages/services become dependent on these fixed profiles. It can be checked with $ ag --scheme '.guix-profile' $ grep -r '.guix-profile' in code Also We provides necessary services through putting environment variables in each profiles PROFILE_PATH/etc/profile like for pidgin/purple PURPLE_PLUGIN_PATH for libraries LIBRARY_PATH As suggestion We could first provide augment all variables with guix specific prefix e.g. GUIX_PEV_... (PVS profile environment variables.) So these all variables will become GUIX_PEV_PURPLE_PLUGIN_PATH GUIX_PEV_LIBRARY_PATH then we could or could not (left to user) to set them PURPLE_PLUGIN_PATH=$GUIX_PEV_PURPLE_PLUGIN_PATH LIBRARY_PATH=$GUIX_PEV_LIBRARY_PATH So with prefixed env vars, in first look one will know it is coming from guix related profiles. maybe it will also help in removing dependencies on fixed profiles. /syam