Re: --with-source version not honored?

[zimoun <zimon.toutoune@gmail.com>]

Hi Phil,

On Wed, 20 Oct 2021 at 20:46, Phil <phil@beadling.co.uk> wrote:

> guix environment --with-source=foobar@9.5.0=/path/to/package
> some-package-that-depends-on-foobar --ad-hoc foobar

Well, I do not know what you are trying to achieve.


> This gives me the warning that with-source will have no effect on
> some-package-that-depends-on-foobar, but that's not strictly true here.
>
> In this case the depending package's dependencies are installed into the
> environment including the original version of foobar (9.0.1) first, but this
> is then overwritten by foobar@9.0.5 - I can see files from
> both packages under the site-packages for foobar.

Usually, the transformation reads:

  guix build foobar --with-source=foobar=/path/to/foobar/v9.5.0

or

  guix build barbaz --with-inputs=foobar=foobar@9.5.0


The transformation ’with-source’ overwrites the origin of the target
package.  Target package means the one specified after ’--with-source=’.

If you have 2 packages ’foobar’, one at version 9.0.1 and one at 9.5.0,
and you want to overwrite the source of 9.5.0, from my understanding,
you should write:

 guix build foobar@9.5.0 --with-source=foobar@9.5.0=/path/to/foobar/v9.5.0-modif

Does it not work?


The transformation ’with-inputs’ overwrites the inputs.  The package
’barbaz’ depends on the package ’foobar’ at one specific version; in the
input lists, there is ("foobar" ,foobar-9.0.1) and here ,foobar-9.0.1
refers to a symbol defining a package at a specific version.  This
symbol is probably just ’foobar’, but if all is named foobar, the
explanations are made harder. ;-)

If you have another version of foobar, you have probably another symbol,
say foobar-9.5.0.  Then ’with-inputs=foobar=foobar@9.5.0’ replaces the
symbol listed as inputs of ’barbaz’ by the symbol referring to
“foobar@9.5.0“.  In the example, somehow, the symbol ’foobar-9.0.1’ will
be replaced by the symbol ’foobar-9.5.1’.

Now, be careful with ("identifier" ,symbol).  I do not remember if
’with-inputs’ uses ‘identifier’ or the “name” that ’symbol’ defines.  I
guess it is “name”.  I agree that it can appear confusing; a change in
core-updates should remove this confusing ’identifier’, I guess. :-)

> Any ideas if I can create a new package with --with-source and then
> substitute it in the same command for an input of another package? 

Is this command-line not working

  guix build barbaz --with-source=foobar=/path/to/replaced/foobar

?  Assuming the package ’barbaz’ depends on the package “foobar”.


Otherwise, maybe you can provide an concrete example defining the
package ’barbazz’ and ’foobar’. :-)


Cheers,
simon