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

[Roel Janssen <roel@gnu.org>]

myglc2 writes:

> 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.

Right.  I see we can do better indeed.

Kind regards,
Roel Janssen