Re: Gnome startup applications and Guix updates

[Daniel Hatton <dan.hatton@btinternet.com>]

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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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