Re: Guix minor version update?

[Bengt Richter]

Hi,

On +2020-01-21 12:43:26 -0500, Julien Lepiller wrote:
> Le 21 janvier 2020 08:32:00 GMT-05:00, zimoun <address@hidden> a écrit :
> >Dear,
> >
> >Currently, the proposed Guix to install is v1.0.1. This very version
> >has some "bugs" [1] fixed since then [2]. But it is not convenient
> >when using with Docker [3].
> >
> >Why not update the minor version to v1.1?
> >
> >Then, I propose to update this minor version:
> > - each time core-updates or staging is merged
> > - each time the bootstrapping toolchain is updated
> > - each time major archives (Bioconductor) is updated
> > - each time CLI is improved (time-machine, etc.)
> >
> >
> >Ludo "disagrees" [4], kind of. ;-)
> ><<
> >I guess semver doesn’t apply to Guix taken as a whole, so version
> >numbers should be chosen to suggest how “different” the new release is.
> >That’s pretty subjective, though.
> >>>
> >
> >Let collect some ideas. :-)
> >
> >
> >Even if version is not really meaningful when speaking about Guix
> >because rolling etc. I find useful to bump the minor version more
> >often, IMHO, for 3 reasons:
> >
> >1. Changing the (minor) version attracts interest and increases
> >visibility.
> > 2. It helps people --mainly HPC sysadmins-- to better trust "Guix
> >rocks!" because jumping from version to version fits more what they
> >know.
> >3. It eases to navigate through all the packages and their version
> >update.
> >
> >
> >What people think?
> >
> >All the best,
> >simon
> >
> >
> >[1] https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2019-11/msg00540.html
> >[2]
> >https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/commit/?id=c20ba18304ee63f01895f092bb51bc2a9ce3303b
> >[3] https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=39195
> >[4] https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=39195#25
> 
> I agree releases are too far apart, when we have all of these new things to 
> show off to newcomers :)
> 
> Your proposed release cycle seems too short for me, especially since a 
> release is a huge drain on our resources (we try to freeze the distro, fix 
> packages, make sure we retain substitutes for that version "forever", …).
> 
> We should definitely keep releases far from core-updates merges and co. That 
> would ensure we have time to fix the aftermath.
>

BF: How about generating a minimal "guix-maint" release as a binary-installable
guix (guix-maint-install.sh ?) which would install a minimal /gnu/store
like guix-install.sh if no existing /gnu/store, _but either way_ would install
guix-maint as a new generation of guix-maint in its own profile.

The idea is to be able to load a safe minimal and quality-controlled-up-to-date
seed environment (mes-derived?) which can be invoked as a base
for first-time install or later for maintenance or experimentation.

Maybe it could be a safe-mode boot option from grub, to run as something
selected from minimal profile alternatives?

HTH trigger some useful ideas,
even if this is ignorant newbie rambling :)

-- 
Regards,
Bengt Richter