Re: Add guix install command

[Andy Wingo <wingo@igalia.com>]

Thanks for the comments.  Just a couple points, happy to wait for
Ludovic to get back.

On Fri 07 Aug 2015 14:22, "Thompson, David" <dthompson2@worcester.edu> writes:

>> In the case of "guix install", yes.  However what would you show for
>> "guix install --help"?  What would error messages show: "guix package"
>> or "guix install"?  Would the user perceive it as a separate command or
>> would the fact that it is an alias be visible to the user?
>
> If we were to go the aliasing route, we could still make the --help
> and --version flags show 'guix install' with a simple pattern match on
> the arguments list.

You would have to modify the set of arguments as well.  What it mean to
say e.g. "guix install --remove foo bar" ?  If it were supported as an
alias and all guix package options were there, "guix package --remove
foo bar" would remove foo and bar, but you might expect "guix install
--remove foo bar" to remove foo but install bar -- but even then "guix
install --remove" is nonsensical.

To me I see the advantage of guix install as "paving the cowpaths" --
making a common use case easy while still pointing to more powerful
tools.

> every other tool encapsulates it's full functionality under a single
> subcommand: import, system, environment, gc, lint, etc.

This is a very slight advantage from the maintainer POV but from the
user's POV it's a negative thing, I think.

"guix package" just does too much: for example try "guix package
--install foo --list-available".  It doesn't install foo at all, or even
try!

Andy