Re: Building a software toolchain that works

[Yasuaki Kudo <yasu@yasuaki.com>]

I am very interested in this topic, too!

At work, I have been forced to use the NPM package manager and since the first day I have been unable to understand this enigma - how on earth do people work with this fuzzy system almost designed to be unaccountable??   Can Guix replace NPM?

I think we are really onto something - my hunch is that technicalities are only half of the issue and the other is the community building for democratic and accountable software(for which, concepts like Free Software will fit naturally)

-Yasu


> On Mar 17, 2022, at 00:29, Ryan Prior <rprior@protonmail.com> wrote:
> 
> On Wednesday, March 16th, 2022 at 2:02 PM, Josselin Poiret <dev@jpoiret.xyz> wrote:
> 
>> Let me chime in on a specific point.
>> [...]
>> I don't think I would've written these patches without Guix's help.
> 
> This is CRUCIAL to Guix's value proposition: by abstracting away so much of the incidental complexity of software, Guix enables a nimble, carefree mode of hacking where you'll create and improve software that would never have been worth the trouble otherwise.
> 
> Proposals like David's `guix contribute` play on the strength of Guix as an enabling technology. That's exactly the kind of thing I meant when I wrote "double down." How can I encourage the improvement & implementation of such proposals? A few notions:
> 
> a. My Guile isn't strong enough to put together a proof-of-concept in Guix as a solo effort. I might be able to write a PoC in concert with a more experienced Guiler. We could schedule some strategy & pair programming sessions to get something on track.
> 
> b. I could work on a PoC using a language I'm better trained with (elisp, Ruby and JavaScript are my three strongest languages probably.) I don't know how that would be received by the Guix commons, I've felt discouraged in the past to extend Guix unless it's in Guile but perhaps that's a false anxiety.
> 
> c. I could also provide some funding if somebody has time & skills to create a PoC and just needs the financial incentive. If this is you, reach out.
> 
> 
> I've been pleased to see ideas resonate in this thread. It makes me believe many of us have some form of this thought in our heads and that by socializing we can bring something fresh to the free software world. What are the next steps?
>