Re: [PATCH] gnu: r: Update to 3.3.1.

[myglc2 <myglc2@gmail.com>]

Roel Janssen <roel@gnu.org> writes:

> myglc2 writes:
>
>> Pjotr Prins <pjotr.public12@thebird.nl> writes:
>>
>>> On Sun, Jul 31, 2016 at 01:49:00PM -0400, myglc2 wrote:
>>>
>>>> Guix has marvelous raw tools to do anything. The question is how to make
>>>> it simple enough for someone that is basically an R user to take
>>>> advantage of them.  The challenge in guix R packaging is to consider R
>>>> patterns of use and determine how guix packate R to support them in a
>>>> way that is accessible to typical R users.
>>>
>>> What you need is a 'managed' environment for your users. My suggestion
>>> is not to give guix daemon access to those users. Use Unix modules -
>>> which I have packaged - to point them to a prepared profile. When they
>>> want to use R, just make a profile. All modules do is set the PATHS,
>>> as Roel described. Technology older than the Linux kernel :/
>>>
>>> The 'manager' is the only one who will upgrade and test software to
>>> run. That way you can do controlled upgrades. You can even have
>>> multiple modules for different R's.
>>
>> I imagine that, in the spirit of guix, we also want a user to be able to
>> "help themself" instead of depending on a 'manager.' This would probably
>> require an additional R "package manager component" that is usable by a
>> manager or user. Such a thing would certainly showcase the unique
>> capabilities of guix.
>
> And users can!  The "software manager" can provide "supported" profiles,
> and the users can still create their own software environment.  Then
> when things break, users are one command away from switching to a
> working environment (provided by the manager).  This safety net provides
> a confidence to play around even more..
>
> The software manager can install packages from his own custom recipes,
> separate from whatever `guix pull' provides by setting the
> GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH variable.  Users do not need to know about it, if they
> don't want to.

Yes I get that it is possible now... but I feel strongly that the
typical R user will be overwhealmed by the guix "wheels and levers".

So I resort to fantasizing a mythical additional guix-specific
component, an 'R "package manager component"'. The idea is to exploit
guix capabilities to make this much more tractable for an average R user
and much more convenient for the sysadmin in charge of providing support
to R users.

Such an 'R "package manager component"' would make the argument for guix
isntallation very compelling for medical research labs.