guix system reconfigure /etc/config.scm or my-config.scm

guix system reconfigure /etc/config.scm or my-config.scm

[sirgazil]

Hi,

I'm reading the Guix manual, and I'm confused about the recommended way to reconfigure the system.

The workaround added recently to the "Graphical Installation" section suggests that in a freshly installed system you can:¹

    $ sudo emacs /etc/config.scm
    Modify the file to your liking
    $ guix pull && sudo guix system reconfigure /etc/config.scm

But the "System Configuration" section seems to recommend against touching files in "/etc". The "Instantiating the System" subsection talks about running ²

    $ guix system reconfigure my-system-config.scm

This subsection also reads:

    The normal way to change the system configuration is by updating this
    file and re-running ‘guix system reconfigure’.  One should never have to
    touch files in ‘/etc’ or to run commands that modify the system state
    such as ‘useradd’ or ‘grub-install’.  In fact, you must avoid that since
    that would not only void your warranty but also prevent you from rolling
    back to previous versions of your system, should you ever need to.

So, should one do the following instead?

    $ emacs ~/path/to/my-config.scm
    Modify the file to your liking
    $ guix pull && sudo guix system reconfigure ~/path/to/my-config.scm



Footnotes:

1. https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/en/html_node/Guided-Graphical-Installation.html#Guided-Graphical-Installation
2. https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/en/html_node/Using-the-Configuration-System.html#Instantiating-the-System


---
https://sirgazil.bitbucket.io/

Re: guix system reconfigure /etc/config.scm or my-config.scm

[John Soo]

Hi there,

I do exactly what you said:

$ emacs /path/to/my/config.scm
$ sudo suix system reconfigure /path/to/my/config.scm

No need to keep it in /etc. 

Hope that helps,

John

> On May 8, 2019, at 11:54 AM, sirgazil <sirgazil@zoho.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I'm reading the Guix manual, and I'm confused about the recommended way to reconfigure the system.
> 
> The workaround added recently to the "Graphical Installation" section suggests that in a freshly installed system you can:¹
> 
>    $ sudo emacs /etc/config.scm
>    Modify the file to your liking
>    $ guix pull && sudo guix system reconfigure /etc/config.scm
> 
> But the "System Configuration" section seems to recommend against touching files in "/etc". The "Instantiating the System" subsection talks about running ²
> 
>    $ guix system reconfigure my-system-config.scm
> 
> This subsection also reads:
> 
>    The normal way to change the system configuration is by updating this
>    file and re-running ‘guix system reconfigure’.  One should never have to
>    touch files in ‘/etc’ or to run commands that modify the system state
>    such as ‘useradd’ or ‘grub-install’.  In fact, you must avoid that since
>    that would not only void your warranty but also prevent you from rolling
>    back to previous versions of your system, should you ever need to.
> 
> So, should one do the following instead?
> 
>    $ emacs ~/path/to/my-config.scm
>    Modify the file to your liking
>    $ guix pull && sudo guix system reconfigure ~/path/to/my-config.scm
> 
> 
> 
> Footnotes:
> 
> 1. https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/en/html_node/Guided-Graphical-Installation.html#Guided-Graphical-Installation
> 2. https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/en/html_node/Using-the-Configuration-System.html#Instantiating-the-System
> 
> 
> ---
> https://sirgazil.bitbucket.io/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

Re: guix system reconfigure /etc/config.scm or my-config.scm

[sirgazil]

---- On Wed, 08 May 2019 14:16:55 -0500 John Soo <jsoo1@asu.edu> wrote ----

 > Hi there, 
 >  
 > I do exactly what you said: 
 >  
 > $ emacs /path/to/my/config.scm 
 > $ sudo suix system reconfigure /path/to/my/config.scm 
 >  
 > No need to keep it in /etc. 
 >  
 > Hope that helps, 

Yes, thanks :)

Re: guix system reconfigure /etc/config.scm or my-config.scm

[Tobias Geerinckx-Rice]

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Hiya Sirgazil,

sirgazil wrote:
> So, should one do the following instead?
>
>     $ emacs ~/path/to/my-config.scm
>     Modify the file to your liking
>     $ guix pull && sudo guix system reconfigure 
>     ~/path/to/my-config.scm

Oh, it doesn't matter.

This file can be whatever and wherever you want it to be (mine's 
/etc/guix/system.scm because eww ‘config’).  It's in /etc by 
default since that's where most people will expect it and it's the 
Unixly-correct place to put system-wide configuration files, and 
this is the mother of all system-wide configuration files :-)

Now, to be blunt, I don't think

  “The normal way to change the system configuration is by 
  updating this
   file and re-running ‘guix system reconfigure’.  One should 
   never have
   to touch files in ‘/etc’[.]”

can reasonably be read as self-contradictory, but if you want to 
add an ‘other’ at the end I don't think anyone will object!

Kind regards,

T G-R

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Re: guix system reconfigure /etc/config.scm or my-config.scm

[sirgazil]

---- On Wed, 08 May 2019 14:18:33 -0500 Tobias Geerinckx-Rice <me@tobias.gr> wrote ----

 > Hiya Sirgazil, 
 >  
 > sirgazil wrote: 
 > > So, should one do the following instead? 
 > > 
 > >     $ emacs ~/path/to/my-config.scm 
 > >     Modify the file to your liking 
 > >     $ guix pull && sudo guix system reconfigure 
 > >     ~/path/to/my-config.scm 
 >  
 > Oh, it doesn't matter. 
 >  
 > This file can be whatever and wherever you want it to be (mine's 
 > /etc/guix/system.scm because eww ‘config’).  It's in /etc by 
 > default since that's where most people will expect it and it's the 
 > Unixly-correct place to put system-wide configuration files, and 
 > this is the mother of all system-wide configuration files :-) 
 >  
 > Now, to be blunt, I don't think 
 >  
 >  “The normal way to change the system configuration is by 
 >  updating this 
 >  file and re-running ‘guix system reconfigure’.  One should 
 >  never have 
 >  to touch files in ‘/etc’[.]” 
 >  
 > can reasonably be read as self-contradictory, but if you want to 
 > add an ‘other’ at the end I don't think anyone will object! 

Thanks for your help, Tobias :)