Re: Guix can't build my dummy package definition

[Ricardo Wurmus <rekado@elephly.net>]

Hi Jérémy,

> I've a package dummy definition in /tmp/def.scm:
>
> (use-modules 
>   (guix packages)
>   (guix build-system emacs)
>   (guix licenses)
>   (guix git-download)) 
>
> (define-public ac-geiser 
>   (package 
>     (name "")
>     (version "") 
>     (source
>       (origin
>         (uri
>           (git-reference (url "") 
>           (commit ""))) 
>         (method git-fetch) 
>         (sha256 (base32 ""))))
>     (build-system emacs-build-system)
>     (synopsis "")
>     (description "") 
>     (license bsd-3)
>     (home-page "")))
>
> Then when I do :
>
> ./pre-inst-env guix build -f /tmp/def.scm
>
> I get :
>
> guix build: error: #<unspecified>: not something we can build

This is because “define” (or “define-public”) does not return a value.
It returns an unspecified value.

When using “guix build” with a file then the file must evaluate to a
package value.  This means it must end with a (package …) expression or
the name of a variable that is bound to a package expression.

You can fix this by either adding “ac-geiser” to the bottom of the file,
or by removing the (define-public ac-geiser …) wrapping around the
package expression.

-- 
Ricardo