Re: getting started test-building packages without breaking the system profile?

[Leo Famulari <leo@famulari.name>]

On Mon, Dec 07, 2015 at 01:49:18PM -0500, anonymiss wrote:
> I'm sorry for top-posting, my setup is a bit difficult at the moment.

That's too bad, it's difficult to read your messages. You should
probably join us on IRC. We are on #guix on irc.freenode.net. You will
get help more quickly there.

> 
> So: "If you are just testing packages and not GuixSD / system stuff, try `guix environment --ad-hoc foo`, and maybe also the `--pure` option."
> and looking at guix environment --help output, with my file being /home/user/gnunet-gtk.scm I run:
> `guix environment --ad-hoc --pure -- guix build /home/user/gnunet-gtk.scm --keep-failed`
> this seems to be wrong, even with sudo:
> "In execvp of guix: Permission denied"

First of all, you can't nest the `guix build` in the `guix environment`
command. You would do:
`guix environment --ad-hoc gnunet-gtk`

If gnunet-gtk has already been built, that will put it in your
environment so you can test. If not, it will build it first.

But, I don't know how to use `guix environment` with a gnunet-gtk.scm
file in any random place. I either set my GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH to point to
the correct path, or, if I am working in checkout of the Guix source
tree, I use `./pre-inst-env guix environment`, assuming that I have
bootstrapped and built the Guix from the checkout.

> 
> What I'm trying to do is to check if my package for gnunet-gtk works, so I can eventually debug it and mail it to the list.
> 
> 
> --anonymiss
> -----------------------------------------------
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> 
> 
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: getting started test-building packages without breaking the system profile?
> Local Time: December 7 2015 7:26 pm
> UTC Time: December 7 2015 6:26 pm
> From: leo@famulari.name
> To: ng_prism@protonmail.ch
> CC: guix-devel@gnu.org
> 
> On Mon, Dec 07, 2015 at 12:54:53PM -0500, anonymiss wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I've read https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/html_node/Packaging-Guidelines.html and I am done with the gnunet-gtk.scm, at least as far as I can go without testing.
> > My question is, do I check out the guix.git for testing the package with
> > ./pre-inst-env guix build $pkg-name --keep-failed
> > or what is the general recommended process for this?
> > I know I can even setup VMs within guix with guix, but I just started and need some pointers.
> 
> If you are just testing packages and not GuixSD / system stuff, try
> `guix environment --ad-hoc foo`, and maybe also the `--pure` option.
> 
> This will put the packages in your environment as if they were installed
> in a profile, without actually making a profile generation.
> 
> The only downside, to me, is that `guix gc` will delete foo unless you
> explicity register it as a garbage collector root with `guix build -r
> foo`. It has been discussed to add this option to `guix environment`,
> but I'm not sure if any decision was reached:
> http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2015-10/msg00551.html
> 
> >
> >
> > --anonymiss
> > -----------------------------------------------
> > Email is public and violates our right for secrecy of correspondence.
> > Talk to me in private:
> > http://loupsycedyglgamf.onion/anonymiss/
> > irc://loupsycedyglgamf.onion:67/anonymiss
> > https://psyced.org:34443/anonymiss/
> >
> > If you want Email like communication which respects
> > your privacy and rights and is secure without requiring you to
> > learn complicated tools, use bitmessage:
> > (public) bitmessage: BM-2cSj8qEigE3CMaLU3CwPZf7T3LvzvnttsC
> >
> > my vcard (sort of): http://krosos.sdf.org