Re: [OUTREACHY] toward a proposal?

["Gábor Boskovits" <boskovits@gmail.com>]

Thanks,

zimoun <zimon.toutoune@gmail.com> ezt írta (időpont: 2020. szept. 12.,
Szo, 16:00):
>
> Dear,
>
> The command “guix time-machine” is really cool but today it is not easy
> to find the commit corresponding to one specific version.  For example,
> try to install the version 1.6.8 of the package ’msmtp’.
>
> A concrete example is described here [1].  And when reproducing
> scientific papers, the versions are not always provided but instead the
> dates are.  How to install the same ’msmtp’ as in 2018-12-08?
>
>
> The Guix Data Service helps for such situation:
>
> https://data.guix.gnu.org/repository/1/branch/master/package/msmtp/output-history
>
> but its database starts on 2019-01-01 (if I have correct).  It is an
> external service and will never collect data from all specifics channels
> (guix-past, your-name-it, etc.).  Well, it is a good complement and all
> the JSON files are under used, for example, to know if the package
> builds or not.  Another story.
>
>
> Today, the 2 previous use-cases are usually solved by cloning the
> repository from Savannah and then by invoking Git commands.  It is not
> fully satisfactory since this repository is already checked out, by
> default:
>
> ~/.cache/guix/checkouts/pjmkglp4t7znuugeurpurzikxq3tnlaywmisyr27shj7apsnalwq/
>
> Let this path affected to the environment variable $SRC. Then, to find
> the 2 commits, the user can run:
>
> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
> $ git -C $SRC --date=short --format="%h  %cd  %s" | grep msmtp
> 5d2b9b0749  2020-08-26  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.8.12.
> 56e1cc0c34  2020-06-10  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.8.11.
> 70ebab5aa7  2020-05-09  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.8.10.
> b93b7b2585  2020-03-29  gnu: msmtp: Don't rely on netcat to send
> queued messages.
> a4fd9423b0  2019-12-30  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.8.7.
> 58da4b0a84  2019-10-02  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.8.6.
> 214cbec2cf  2019-07-16  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.8.5.
> 34e549d813  2019-07-11  gnu: msmtp: Install additional files.
> 06c86f166d  2019-04-29  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.8.4.
> ce53048fb8  2019-02-14  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.8.3.
> b8c0b9c1a3  2019-01-31  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.8.2.
> 1460e77abf  2018-12-10  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.8.1.
> 91b3a6d4db  2018-09-09  gnu: msmtp: Remove unneeded input.
> 37f9cfae43  2018-09-09  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.8.0.
> 1a80f1a9e3  2018-07-11  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.6.8.
> 899358d18a  2016-12-20  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.6.6.
> d23d1ddf6e  2016-07-21  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.6.5.
> 70dced54ed  2016-05-06  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.6.4.
> 823e2ed4b3  2016-02-28  gnu: msmtp: Install msmtpq.
> 72d8b5baf4  2015-12-21  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.6.3.
> 4c60ce4a6b  2015-11-06  gnu: msmtp: Update to 1.6.2.
> 0704788109  2015-03-19  gnu: msmtp: Use mirror:// URI.
> d6e941bc95  2014-12-09  gnu: add msmtp
> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>
>
> The proposal is to implement the same result hiding all the plumbing
> details, i.e.,
>
>   guix git log --oneline | grep msmtp
>

This is very interesting. We should wait a bit for others to reply,
and evaluate if this proposal
can fill a full internship, or if it can be complemented with
something. I am all for improving user experience though.

> Well, naming is hard. :-)  Therefore, the subcommand could have another
> name (bikeshedding, bikeshedding :-)).
>
>
> The next steps could be:
>
> - take in account the channels, and maybe sort all the commits by dates
> - have an --format option
> - have an --grep option
> - etc.
>
> depending on the progress of the student.  IMHO, there are small
> actionable steps that fit how Outreachy program works (at least how I
> understand it works).
>
>
> Does it make sense?
> If yes, I volunteer to co-mentor, even if I am not sure to be enough
> qualified to do so.  BTW, co-mentoring is good.

I believe that you will make a good co-mentor, and thanks for volunteering.

>
> What do you think?
>
>
> [1] https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/help-guix/2019-06/msg00098.html
>
>
> All the best,
> simon

Best regards,
g_bor

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