[bug#41565] [PATCH] doc: Use existing URLs and file names in installation instructions.

[bug#41565] [PATCH] doc: Use existing URLs and file names in installation instructions.

[Julien Lepiller]

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Some users seem to be confused by the fact that our URLs in the manual
don't work for them.  This is most likely because they copy them
without reading the rest of the text which clearly says they should
replace @var{system} with one of the supported values.  One example of
this confusion is this conversation:
https://mastodon.social/@Nixfreak/104224784493287104

Since our current approach doesn't seem to be very effective, I propose
to change the URLs and file names with actual ones, using x86_64-linux
as the system because this is the most popular platform that we support
nowadays.  I keep mentioning the other architectures as alternatives,
hoping that users will notice the x86_64 in the URL and keep reading to
learn how to install Guix for another architecture if they want to.

Wdyt?

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From 5be064d009e3e45029fe8c5b9a7cc0c8275bec50 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Julien Lepiller <julien@lepiller.eu>
Date: Wed, 27 May 2020 16:52:53 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] doc: Use existing URLs and file names in installation
 instructions.

Some users are confused that these URLs and file names don't work, so
change them to the most popular architecture, while still mentioning
alternatives.

* doc/guix.texi (USB Stick and DVD Installation): Use x86_64-linux URLs
by default.
---
 doc/guix.texi | 29 +++++++++++++++--------------
 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 14 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 4dbbf96db9..695b0c4485 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -567,17 +567,18 @@ Installing goes along these lines:
 @item
 @cindex downloading Guix binary
 Download the binary tarball from
-@indicateurl{@value{BASE-URL}/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz},
-where @var{system} is @code{x86_64-linux} for an @code{x86_64} machine
-already running the kernel Linux, and so on.
+@indicateurl{@value{BASE-URL}/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.tar.xz},
+where @code{x86_64-linux} can be replaced with @code{xi686-linux} for an
+@code{i686} (32-bits) machine already running the kernel Linux, and so on
+(@pxref{GNU Distribution}).
 
 @c The following is somewhat duplicated in ``System Installation''.
 Make sure to download the associated @file{.sig} file and to verify the
 authenticity of the tarball against it, along these lines:
 
 @example
-$ wget @value{BASE-URL}/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz.sig
-$ gpg --verify guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz.sig
+$ wget @value{BASE-URL}/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.tar.xz.sig
+$ gpg --verify guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.tar.xz.sig
 @end example
 
 If that command fails because you do not have the required public key,
@@ -603,7 +604,7 @@ you may have to run @code{su -} or @code{sudo -i}.  As @code{root}, run:
 @example
 # cd /tmp
 # tar --warning=no-timestamp -xf \
-     /path/to/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz
+     /path/to/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.tar.xz
 # mv var/guix /var/ && mv gnu /
 @end example
 
@@ -1917,8 +1918,8 @@ about their support in GNU/Linux.
 
 An ISO-9660 installation image that can be written to a USB stick or
 burnt to a DVD can be downloaded from
-@indicateurl{@value{BASE-URL}/guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz},
-where @var{system} is one of:
+@indicateurl{@value{BASE-URL}/guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.iso.xz},
+where you can replace @code{x86_64-linux} with one of:
 
 @table @code
 @item x86_64-linux
@@ -1933,8 +1934,8 @@ Make sure to download the associated @file{.sig} file and to verify the
 authenticity of the image against it, along these lines:
 
 @example
-$ wget @value{BASE-URL}/guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz.sig
-$ gpg --verify guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz.sig
+$ wget @value{BASE-URL}/guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.iso.xz.sig
+$ gpg --verify guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.iso.xz.sig
 @end example
 
 If that command fails because you do not have the required public key,
@@ -1965,7 +1966,7 @@ To copy the image to a USB stick, follow these steps:
 Decompress the image using the @command{xz} command:
 
 @example
-xz -d guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz
+xz -d guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.iso.xz
 @end example
 
 @item
@@ -1974,7 +1975,7 @@ its device name.  Assuming that the USB stick is known as @file{/dev/sdX},
 copy the image with:
 
 @example
-dd if=guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso of=/dev/sdX
+dd if=guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.iso of=/dev/sdX
 sync
 @end example
 
@@ -1990,7 +1991,7 @@ To copy the image to a DVD, follow these steps:
 Decompress the image using the @command{xz} command:
 
 @example
-xz -d guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz
+xz -d guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.iso.xz
 @end example
 
 @item
@@ -1999,7 +2000,7 @@ its device name.  Assuming that the DVD drive is known as @file{/dev/srX},
 copy the image with:
 
 @example
-growisofs -dvd-compat -Z /dev/srX=guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso
+growisofs -dvd-compat -Z /dev/srX=guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.iso
 @end example
 
 Access to @file{/dev/srX} usually requires root privileges.
-- 
2.26.2

[bug#41565] [PATCH] doc: Use existing URLs and file names in installation instructions.

[Tobias Geerinckx-Rice via Guix-patches via]

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Julien,

Julien Lepiller 写道：
> https://mastodon.social/@Nixfreak/104224784493287104

Sigh :-)

> Since our current approach doesn't seem to be very effective, I 
> propose
> to change the URLs and file names with actual ones, using 
> x86_64-linux
> as the system because this is the most popular platform that we 
> support
> nowadays.  I keep mentioning the other architectures as 
> alternatives,
> hoping that users will notice the x86_64 in the URL and keep 
> reading to
> learn how to install Guix for another architecture if they want 
> to.

I like it!

Kind regards,

T G-R

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[bug#41565] [PATCH] doc: Use existing URLs and file names in installation instructions.

[Leo Famulari]

On Wed, May 27, 2020 at 05:30:13PM +0200, Julien Lepiller wrote:
> Some users seem to be confused by the fact that our URLs in the manual
> don't work for them.  This is most likely because they copy them
> without reading the rest of the text which clearly says they should
> replace @var{system} with one of the supported values.  One example of
> this confusion is this conversation:
> https://mastodon.social/@Nixfreak/104224784493287104
> 
> Since our current approach doesn't seem to be very effective, I propose
> to change the URLs and file names with actual ones, using x86_64-linux
> as the system because this is the most popular platform that we support
> nowadays.  I keep mentioning the other architectures as alternatives,
> hoping that users will notice the x86_64 in the URL and keep reading to
> learn how to install Guix for another architecture if they want to.

I agree, it's a common mistake for new users. Your patch seems like the
right thing to do...

[bug#41565] [PATCH] doc: Use existing URLs and file names in installation instructions.

[Marius Bakke]

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Julien Lepiller <julien@lepiller.eu> writes:

> Wdyt?

Sgtm.

[...]

> -@indicateurl{@value{BASE-URL}/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz},
> -where @var{system} is @code{x86_64-linux} for an @code{x86_64} machine
> -already running the kernel Linux, and so on.
> +@indicateurl{@value{BASE-URL}/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.tar.xz},
> +where @code{x86_64-linux} can be replaced with @code{xi686-linux} for an
                                                       ^^^ stray 'x'

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bug#41565: [PATCH] doc: Use existing URLs and file names in installation instructions.

[Julien Lepiller]

Le Wed, 27 May 2020 22:44:44 +0200,
Marius Bakke <marius@gnu.org> a écrit :

> Julien Lepiller <julien@lepiller.eu> writes:
> 
> > Wdyt?  
> 
> Sgtm.
> 
> [...]
> 
> > -@indicateurl{@value{BASE-URL}/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz},
> > -where @var{system} is @code{x86_64-linux} for an @code{x86_64}
> > machine -already running the kernel Linux, and so on.
> > +@indicateurl{@value{BASE-URL}/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.tar.xz},
> > +where @code{x86_64-linux} can be replaced with @code{xi686-linux}
> > for an  
>                                                        ^^^ stray 'x'


Pushed as f18d5d75979f5374962c03a8f3c266054a489e11 with this fix, a
copyright line for me and an improved commit message.

Thank you!