Re: Order of manifest and overlapping binaries

[Simon Tournier <zimon.toutoune@gmail.com>]

Hi,

On Tue, 16 May 2023 at 16:41, Greg Hogan <code@greghogan.com> wrote:

> I could not find documentation on this circumstance or how to resolve.
> Both 'parallel' and 'moreutils' produce a 'bin/parallel' and only one
> can go in the $GUIX_PROFILE.
>
> Creating a container, the latter package overshadows the former
> package, as below. Unclear if this is consistent. In my manifest the
> former package overshadows the latter (I'd prefer to have parallel's
> parallel, but by default I have sorted the listing alphabetically). Is
> there a better way to fix this?
>
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> $ guix shell --container moreutils parallel which coreutils
> [env]$ readlink -f `which parallel`
> /gnu/store/xd9kbadmrrbpkjs9vl1v9rhgayfxwgbc-parallel-20230422/bin/parallel
>
> guix shell --container parallel moreutils which coreutils
> [env]$ readlink -f $(which parallel)
> /gnu/store/60zdm9zm0nqm5d97vs30sf4plb2ib5p9-moreutils-0.67/bin/parallel
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Command-line is parsed from right to left.  Therefore, it is consistent.

However, when using manifest, it is parsed from left to right.  See
#43585 [1].  Compare:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
$ cat moreutils-parallel.scm
(specifications->manifest
 (list "moreutils" "parallel"))

$ guix shell -C -m moreutils-parallel.scm coreutils which
[env]$ readlink -f $(which parallel)
/gnu/store/60zdm9zm0nqm5d97vs30sf4plb2ib5p9-moreutils-0.67/bin/parallel

$ guix shell -C moreutils parallel coreutils which
[env]$ readlink -f $(which parallel)
/gnu/store/wi3j9z1s5pdna43ccyjf6c5pa1gnpg4x-parallel-20230622/bin/parallel
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

versus

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
$ cat parallel-moreutils.scm
(specifications->manifest
 (list "parallel" "moreutils"))

$ guix shell -C -m parallel-moreutils.scm coreutils which
[env]$ readlink -f $(which parallel)
/gnu/store/wi3j9z1s5pdna43ccyjf6c5pa1gnpg4x-parallel-20230622/bin/parallel

$ guix shell -C parallel moreutils coreutils which
[env]$ readlink -f $(which parallel)
/gnu/store/60zdm9zm0nqm5d97vs30sf4plb2ib5p9-moreutils-0.67/bin/parallel
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Well, I do not know if it is a feature or a bug. :-)

Especially when command-lines are not all consistent.

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
$ guix show moreutils parallel | recsel -Cp name
name: moreutils
name: parallel

$ guix show parallel moreutils | recsel -Cp name
name: parallel
name: moreutils
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---


Cheers,
simon


1: https://issues.guix.gnu.org/43585#2