How to prevent incomplete build results from being garbage collected?

How to prevent incomplete build results from being garbage collected?

[Mykola Nikishov]

Hi there,

I'm trying to build a package that fails. In the meantime, I'd like to
reclaim some disk space by collecting garbage. After that, all build
results for such package are gone and rebuilding it next time just
wastes bandwidth and CPU cycles by re-downloading and re-building the
same stuff:

#+begin_example
  guix build <PACKAGE>
  guix gc
  guix build <PACKAGE>
#+end_example

Using --root=FILE with guix build does not help, I suppose it would help
only for successful build.

How could I retain build results regardless if build was successful or
not?

-- 
Mykola

Libre/Free Java Software Developer
https://manandbytes.gitlab.io/

Re: How to prevent incomplete build results from being garbage collected?

[James Thomas]

Mykola Nikishov wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> I'm trying to build a package that fails. In the meantime, I'd like to
> reclaim some disk space by collecting garbage. After that, all build
> results for such package are gone and rebuilding it next time just
> wastes bandwidth and CPU cycles by re-downloading and re-building the
> same stuff:
>
> #+begin_example
>   guix build <PACKAGE>
>   guix gc
>   guix build <PACKAGE>
> #+end_example
>
> Using --root=FILE with guix build does not help, I suppose it would help
> only for successful build.
>
> How could I retain build results regardless if build was successful or
> not?

I guess you meant 'dependencies' where you said 'results'. So maybe run:

guix shell -D <package> -r <path>

...once to keep a profile with the dependencies registered as a root.

--

Re: How to prevent incomplete build results from being garbage collected?

[zimoun]

Hi,

On Sat, 16 Apr 2022 at 13:32, James Thomas <jimjoe@gmx.net> wrote:
> Mykola Nikishov wrote:

>> #+begin_example
>>   guix build <PACKAGE>
>>   guix gc
>>   guix build <PACKAGE>
>> #+end_example

[...]

> guix shell -D <package> -r <path>

In addition, you could use “guix gc -F 10G” or whatever space you would
like to reclaim.  Because “guix gc” delete all dead items whereas the
option ’-F’ (or ’-C’) tries to determine which items based on dates (I
guess).


Sometimes, I also do:

    for item in $(guix gc --list-dead | grep <filter>)
    do
       guix gc -D $item
    done

and you can pipe instead of for-looping. :-)


Hope that helps,
simon