From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Konrad Hinsen Subject: bug#22629: Channels not needed for a stable branch (was: Channels!) Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2018 07:57:55 +0200 Message-ID: References: <87vb5vsffd.fsf@gnu.org> <87pny2iks2.fsf@gnu.org> <877ekagtg9.fsf@netris.org> <87zhx5msfl.fsf@pompo.co> <87lg8pccys.fsf_-_@netris.org> <87zhx59gh3.fsf@elephly.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Return-path: Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([208.118.235.92]:50172) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fvG2X-00037E-B6 for bug-guix@gnu.org; Thu, 30 Aug 2018 02:02:49 -0400 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fvFxy-00063F-16 for bug-guix@gnu.org; Thu, 30 Aug 2018 01:58:05 -0400 Received: from debbugs.gnu.org ([208.118.235.43]:32799) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:RSA_AES_128_CBC_SHA1:16) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1fvFxx-000636-OG for bug-guix@gnu.org; Thu, 30 Aug 2018 01:58:01 -0400 Received: from Debian-debbugs by debbugs.gnu.org with local (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1fvFxx-0007bH-Jj for bug-guix@gnu.org; Thu, 30 Aug 2018 01:58:01 -0400 Sender: "Debbugs-submit" Resent-Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <87zhx59gh3.fsf@elephly.net> 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: Ricardo Wurmus , Mark H Weaver Cc: 22629@debbugs.gnu.org Hi Ricardo, > I also agree with you that we don=E2=80=99t need channels for providing a= stable > branch. The biggest obstacle to providing a stable branch is not > technical, but it requires people maintaining it. Look at this from the opposite end: if you were interested in maintaining a stable software distribution, would you choose a quickly evolving package manager such as Guix as the basis? I'd say no, and I am speaking from experience because I did actually maintain stable software installations for a couple of years. You want to concentrate on critical bug fixes and avoid anything else that could perturb the stability of your system. For me this whole discussion isn't about technicalities. Channels are just a convenience layer on top of what can already be done with GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH and manifest files. The real issue is how such features are advertised: as a way to bolt on your own developments, following Guix evolution closely, or as a way to provide decoupled autonomous branches such as stable software. So I agree with Ludo that a communication along the lines of > I had this example in mind too: the kernel technically supports > out-of-tree modules, but kernel developers have always resisted pressure > to freeze APIs. > > Because this policy has been stated upfront very clearly and has > remained unchanged, out-of-tree module developers know that that the > compatibility burden is on them. There=E2=80=99s flexibility, along with= a > strong incentive to get things in the mainline kernel. should be sufficient to avoid the issue that Mark has raised here. But it also discourages people interested in stable software installations from using or contributing to Guix. Konrad.