Newbie user question: How to delete all files in /gnu/store related to a package definition?

Newbie user question: How to delete all files in /gnu/store related to a package definition?

[Rodrigo Morales]

Table of Contents
_________________

1. The context
2. The question


1 The context
=============

  Inexperienced user here. I'm currently learning how to define my own
  packages. I'm using the following package definition to install a
  font.

  ,----
  | (define-module (fonts)
  |   #:use-module (guix packages)
  |   #:use-module (guix git-download)
  |   #:use-module (guix gexp)
  |   #:use-module (guix build-system trivial)
  |   #:use-module ((guix licenses) #:prefix license:))
  |
  | (define-public font-noto-color-emoji
  |   (package
  |     (name "font-noto-color-emoji")
  |     (version "2.034")
  |     (source (origin
  |               (method git-fetch)
  |               (uri (git-reference
  |                     (url "https://github.com/googlefonts/noto-emoji")
  |                     (commit (string-append "v" version))))
  |               (file-name (git-file-name name version))
  |               (sha256
  |                (base32
  |
"1d6zzk0ii43iqfnjbldwp8sasyx99lbjp1nfgqjla7ixld6yp98l"))))
  |     (build-system trivial-build-system)
  |     (arguments
  |      (list
  |       #:modules `((guix build utils))
  |       #:builder
  |       #~(begin
  |           (use-modules (guix build utils))
  |           (let* ((out #$output)
  |                  (font-dir (string-append out "/share/fonts"))
  |                  (truetype-dir (string-append font-dir "/truetype")))
  |             (chdir (assoc-ref %build-inputs "source"))
  |             (install-file "fonts/NotoColorEmoji.ttf" truetype-dir)))))
  |     (home-page "https://github.com/googlefonts/noto-emoji")
  |     (synopsis "Noto Color Emoji fonts")
  |     (description "Noto Color Emoji fonts.")
  |     (license license:silofl1.1)))
  `----

  I installed that package without no problems.

  ,----
  | guix package -i font-noto-color-emoji
  | echo Exit code: $?
  `----

  ,----
  | The following package will be installed:
  |    font-noto-color-emoji 2.034
  |
  | The following derivation will be built:
  |   /gnu/store/63y5vvvkmr48cmc17kv6d14miia22z9z-profile.drv
  |
  | building CA certificate bundle...
  | listing Emacs sub-directories...
  | building fonts directory...
  | generating GdkPixbuf loaders cache...
  | generating GLib schema cache...
  | creating GTK+ icon theme cache...
  | building cache files for GTK+ input methods...
  | building directory of Info manuals...
  | building XDG desktop file cache...
  | building XDG MIME database...
  | building profile with 24 packages...
  | hint: Consider setting the necessary environment variables by running:
  |
  |      GUIX_PROFILE="/home/rdrg/.guix-profile"
  |      . "$GUIX_PROFILE/etc/profile"
  |
  | Alternately, see `guix package --search-paths -p
"/home/rdrg/.guix-profile"'.
  | Exit code: 0
  `----

  I could check that the package was installed by executing the
  following command.

  ,----
  | guix package -I font-noto-color-emoji
  `----

  ,----
  | font-noto-color-emoji 2.034 out
/gnu/store/b1myag5hg13qs0n3p3l0av2b2v96czi6-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034
  `----

  I deleted the package.

  ,----
  | guix package -r font-noto-color-emoji
  | echo Exit code: $?
  `----

  ,----
  |
  | The following package will be removed:
  |    font-noto-color-emoji 2.034
  |
  | hint: Consider setting the necessary environment variables by running:
  |
  |      GUIX_PROFILE="/home/rdrg/.guix-profile"
  |      . "$GUIX_PROFILE/etc/profile"
  |
  | Alternately, see `guix package --search-paths -p
"/home/rdrg/.guix-profile"'.
  |
  | Exit code: 0
  `----

  Now, because I've been experimenting with the definition of that
  package, there are multiple files that have been created in
  `/gnu/store'. See output of the command below.

  ,----
  | find /gnu/store -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -name '*font-noto-color-emoji*'
  `----

  ,----
  |
/gnu/store/3m3ifwx0klp2kphx1rmc5qq3z940xbkn-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.lock
  |
/gnu/store/z085zkl49g4pxmd0f7m5izlmlf7429ac-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034-checkout.drv
  |
/gnu/store/bvc3bfvdblsz6k28m3d1h16ccgv31r3k-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/xjrsfz1ca4zphxivmsmz7z7j2xswrrgs-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/nbp1bp6pabdl0lqd20bxpwalgcpn4dyn-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/rram8vs20f0g6zmvli19lrrkh0wrrz5z-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/zka3h8gmvqi9rs16av5xq5b5128kr2v9-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/7wgb6vhhwdlx3pwaqvvmvha3vkxsj5kl-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/qxjr48bb5qzh8v16xk94yphyb0ppmxlg-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/pks5k3gnacyqikb1828qmjks8pb6yvql-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/zi928lwkgijciyxd9l68k215hd1z5j7p-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/7wk18cpyy7bpi7v04xi2ygavdlf6rg24-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/4pjz6gl2aj1sl6zyq8pgxyk9fwf8j9h2-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/2j9gykgj0axgg193pd6hvrmnzqbz88nm-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/plarjz5jbvwd2s3cv5pk237bnzkbl0pw-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/b0b2vzpkxi0i45hvy8c0bs09w20316sw-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/sjjszsxaklr8wg47r9s76y4ln98h8j97-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/bg3lg99617f8clzjba0z9r15q1305wsr-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/y2vzwjpyafar83ag15p9g2j121nczlvy-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/kv26z95lf2qxn4h6bq5q169fmxadrw8q-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/s9slj9j198gfx3kqp1zkcqhfcyg14rap-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-checkout.drv
  |
/gnu/store/8lgzq20azwhfisxv10y3k9ims26hnc3r-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/aipvm0x05a137hard114kx4bsrq87ahq-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/399x8r112szia15ila5ncwgx7my515bj-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/nx1q95fz8b8y20agmr5jjwv6144k3w7x-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/wirjgrz2s8b34gwy0nkq4whlyjwy9zq3-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/yspy26259vk78k3glh3qnl7i99jixnf6-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/7kdwg0dhckbjr9fw80535waa12qyrdzj-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/vafk3k8za8llvr868v98c63kn0m9c4c4-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/jlmah8rvjrwsasnpvbp81g1dhq7sb5ng-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/r5yp65w0456dqcx3qf3ssf2llfrivy1r-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/mwjh47r3c9bl3hjk03k5c6nmj4kqaf3k-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/dmwyzd77yc2gnnisxfkzaknasj3pr0m1-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/j135a8rxcjf9g35kcylxas7ryqw2qlpw-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/av15fkq561hbdb01010cscj21lgyw9vz-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/6pymy4sik5ywmnbfk94hx0hccpm170ql-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/3w6j2vcj5cxzk7fbcp79gspkj32x28g6-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/rm4m88y98abfy5jnm7y4kdyyw42qszxl-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/3ig8j3nrdvyx6insxnjrbdb8r2lx5bg3-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034.drv
  |
/gnu/store/laa1q5k6a9kkganmwjpddw9kj6nygd8m-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-builder
  |
/gnu/store/mlgjqk1xk7wmszs3qiak0ry1nzpd9kc9-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034.drv
  | /gnu/store/b1myag5hg13qs0n3p3l0av2b2v96czi6-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034
  | /gnu/store/3m3ifwx0klp2kphx1rmc5qq3z940xbkn-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034
  | /gnu/store/r4223f33vb2qw6mhgvlw9g8ghm3w9pq1-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034
  | /gnu/store/l7sf97435054lp5y8hcg6z8jydkm5x0k-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034
  | /gnu/store/jfjz40xprqh70rvii0mbnyfkxvy4sdq9-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034
  | /gnu/store/z6abnxrz1wj941r80438q8m99jchq2z4-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034
  | /gnu/store/i5iw608yfyk9slf9di1y2c1cwyx61i5b-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034
  | /gnu/store/k6xllqgmb9s6bvi3194rgg7gr5cqlczr-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034
  | /gnu/store/mcm7nz5k8qihcn89c11qc114cvm0v3cy-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034
  |
/gnu/store/c32blyvc9knxmr3fn4wlz26d2sfgs6fh-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034-checkout
  |
/gnu/store/kqh995j2wjxh0mmay1np9pvvjfmsa9n2-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034-checkout
  |
/gnu/store/nfw0336absmbrmy33f4mzrx3kbxhmv8v-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034
  |
/gnu/store/h2v3ffvjhn5smxir394kjyqg8w5mh4qb-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034
  |
/gnu/store/3al3v0ckyn82rz38rs68mqg8z3b963wz-font-noto-color-emoji-2-2.034
  `----


2 The question
==============

  How should I remove all those directories in /gnu/store that are
  related with `font-noto-color-emoji'? I want to delete them because I
  want to continue experimenting and I want to make sure that none of
  those files or directories are interferring with my experimentation in
  any way. I've tried executing the following command, but I get the
  following error.

  ,----
  | find /gnu/store -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -name '*font-noto-color-emoji*'
| xargs guix gc -D
  | echo Exit code: $?
  `----

  ,----
  | finding garbage collector roots...
  | guix gc: error: cannot delete path
`/gnu/store/2j9gykgj0axgg193pd6hvrmnzqbz88nm-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.drv'
since it is still alive
  | Exit code: 123
  `----

  Again, I need to delete those files, because I want to learn more
  about Guix and continue experimenting, so I want to install the
  package as if it had never been installed in my system. I suppose that
  some files from previous installations are reused, I don't want this
  to occur, that's why I want to delete them.

Re: Newbie user question: How to delete all files in /gnu/store related to a package definition?

[Julien Lepiller]

Hi Rodrigo,

>   ,----
>   | finding garbage collector roots...
>   | guix gc: error: cannot delete path
> `/gnu/store/2j9gykgj0axgg193pd6hvrmnzqbz88nm-font-noto-color-emoji-2.034.drv'
> since it is still alive
>   | Exit code: 123
>   `----

As it says, that store path is still alive, but why?

When you install a package, remove a package, or do anything in your
user profile, guix will create a new "generation" of the profile that
contains the same items as the previous generation, except for what you
asked it to do. So when removing a package with `guix remove foo`, you
cerate a new generation of the profile, where package "foo" is not
present.

Old generations of your profile are considered live, and are protected
against garbage collection, so you can roll back to them easily in case
something goes wrong with the new generation.

Try this:

guix package --roll-back

Now, you should be able to use your font again!

You can list the generations with

guix package --list-generations

and go back to the most recent one with

guix package --switch-generation=<n> where <n> is the generation number
given in the previous command.

You can also remove old generations of your profile, for instance, all
but the current one:

guix package --delete-generations

and then, you should be able to collect that store path :)

HTH!