[PATCH] doc: Clarify need to update search paths on foreign distro (was Re: Feedback of the GNU Guix manual)

[Matt <matt@excalamus.com>]

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We're working through a list of feedback one item at a time:
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2024-01/msg00117.html

We have completed the first five items.  The sixth item was fixed already in
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/commit/?id=cb3f833aaa5326e653b128bfd7b13d553f7c2a47

The next item reported is:

#+begin_quote
6.7 L37 true for Guix System as well?
The result of running ‘guix pull’ is a “profile” available under
‘~/.config/guix/current’ containing the latest Guix. Thus, make sure to
add it to the beginning of your search path so that you use the latest
version, and similarly for the Info manual (*note Documentation::):

export PATH="$HOME/.config/guix/current/bin:$PATH"
export INFOPATH="$HOME/.config/guix/current/share/info:$INFOPATH"
#+end_quote

As far as I know, exporting like this is only necessary on foreign distros.

The attached patch makes this explicit.  It also provides information for people unfamiliar with the concept of a "search path" or how shells work by suggesting the exports be added to .bashrc and tries to clarify the consequences of not doing this.

Unnecessary words were struck to reduce the overall word count.  According to M-x count-words-region, the patch adds only 6 words (which is less than the 7 needed for "users of Guix on a foreign distro", itself hard to reduce).

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From 61d7fd377f428bf228e77f9e64b9e55e903a63f3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Matthew Trzcinski <matt@excalamus.com>
Date: Tue, 7 May 2024 21:30:28 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] doc: Clarify need to update search paths on foreign distro.

* doc/guix.texi (Invoking guix pull): Make explicit the need to update PATH
and INFOPATH on foreign distros after running 'guix pull'.  Give example of
where users may make the updates, as well as clearify the explanation why.
---
 doc/guix.texi | 11 ++++++-----
 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 1c1e0164e7..af08dd4046 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -4403,11 +4403,12 @@ instance, when user @code{root} runs @command{guix pull}, this has no
 effect on the version of Guix that user @code{alice} sees, and vice
 versa.
 
-The result of running @command{guix pull} is a @dfn{profile} available
-under @file{~/.config/guix/current} containing the latest Guix.  Thus,
-make sure to add it to the beginning of your search path so that you use
-the latest version, and similarly for the Info manual
-(@pxref{Documentation}):
+@command{guix pull} creates a new @dfn{profile} in
+@file{~/.config/guix/current} containing the latest Guix.  Users of Guix
+on a foreign distro should add this profile to the beginning of their
+search path (for example in @file{.bashrc}) to ensure that
+@command{guix} and @command{info guix} (@pxref{Documentation}) reference
+the latest versions:
 
 @example
 export PATH="$HOME/.config/guix/current/bin:$PATH"
-- 
2.41.0