Gnome startup applications and Guix updates

Gnome startup applications and Guix updates

[Daniel Hatton]

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Something that emerged from the recent "Gnome default web browser" 
thread on here: it looks to me like, in general, if

- an application is among Gnome's startup applications; and
- the guix package manager upgrades the package for that application

then the Gnome autostart system continues to point to the old version of 
the application.

This is possible because, unlike other distros, Guix's package upgrades 
leave the old package present on the system and install the new package 
in a different location in the filesystem.

Should this be considered a Guix bug?

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Re: Gnome startup applications and Guix updates

[Simon Tournier]

Hi,

On Thu, 21 Nov 2024 at 18:21, Daniel Hatton <dan.hatton@btinternet.com> wrote:

> Something that emerged from the recent "Gnome default web browser" 
> thread on here: it looks to me like, in general, if

I have not followed the discussion in this thread.  Do you mean

    Gnome default web browser
    Daniel Hatton <dan.hatton@btinternet.com>
    Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:15:30 +0000
    id:88266131-fd36-48da-bfb8-5876a4547bc4@btinternet.com
    https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/help-guix/2024-11
    https://yhetil.org/guix/88266131-fd36-48da-bfb8-5876a4547bc4@btinternet.com

?

> - an application is among Gnome's startup applications; and
> - the guix package manager upgrades the package for that application
>
> then the Gnome autostart system continues to point to the old version of 
> the application.

I am not sure to understand the question.  IIRC, Clément tries to
manage third-party packages of IceCat with Guix.  Well, I am not sure to
well understand, both your question and Clément work. :-)


Cheers,
simon

Re: Gnome startup applications and Guix updates

[Daniel Hatton]

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On 29/11/2024 16:12, Simon Tournier wrote:

> Do you mean

>      https://yhetil.org/guix/88266131-fd36-48da-bfb8-5876a4547bc4@btinternet.com

Yes, that's the thread I was referring to.

> I am not sure to understand the question.  IIRC, Clément tries to
> manage third-party packages of IceCat with Guix.  Well, I am not sure to
> well understand, both your question and Clément work. :-)

The present thread (as opposed to the linked thread) isn't just about 
IceCat - AFAICT, this problem applies to all Guix packages:

Imagine I install some Guix package.  For concreteness, let's say the 
package is IceCat 115.15.0, but again, I think the problem occurs in all 
Guix packages.  Guix installs the package in a directory

   /gnu/store/c93r1gl7li1sy2p7r2chkg94gskjz6z4-icecat-115.15.0-guix1

Now I launch the GUI Gnome Tweaks app, and use it to add IceCat to the 
startup applications list.  This creates a file

   $HOME/.config/autostart/icecat.desktop

which includes the lines

 
Exec=/gnu/store/c93r1gl7li1sy2p7r2chkg94gskjz6z4-icecat-115.15.0-guix1/bin/icecat 
%u
 
Exec=/gnu/store/c93r1gl7li1sy2p7r2chkg94gskjz6z4-icecat-115.15.0-guix1/bin/icecat 
-new-window
 
Exec=/gnu/store/c93r1gl7li1sy2p7r2chkg94gskjz6z4-icecat-115.15.0-guix1/bin/icecat 
-private-window

which causes IceCat to be launched automatically when I start a Gnome 
session.

Now, somewhat later, I run

   guix pull
   guix package -u

which upgrades IceCat to version 115.17.0.  The new version is installed 
in a directory

   /gnu/store/sxb7vrqmbxyc5l1n3g6pwv5lawil8iqg-icecat-115.17.0-guix1

But the directory

   /gnu/store/c93r1gl7li1sy2p7r2chkg94gskjz6z4-icecat-115.15.0-guix1

is still present, and still contains the old version of IceCat.  Now 
here's the critical point: the upgrade process does not edit the Exec 
lines in

   $HOME/.config/autostart/icecat.desktop

So they still point to the old version of IceCat, and it's still the old 
version of IceCat that is automatically launched when I start a Gnome 
session.

Once more to be on the safe side: I do not think this problem is unique 
to IceCat, I think it applies to all Guix packages.


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Re: Gnome startup applications and Guix updates

[Simon Tournier]

Hi,

On Fri, 29 Nov 2024 at 18:29, Daniel Hatton <dan.hatton@btinternet.com> wrote:

> The present thread (as opposed to the linked thread) isn't just about 
> IceCat - AFAICT, this problem applies to all Guix packages:

Are you using Guix System or Guix on the top of another distro?

Cheers,
simon


Cheers,
simon