Re: Should guix track package aliases?

[Josh Marshall]

Checking http://guix.gnu.org/packages.json again, it seems like the
server changes to not misrepresent dates have not been applied yet.
Can someone get in and do that?

On Sun, May 10, 2020 at 2:16 PM Josh Marshall
<address@hidden> wrote:
>
> This back and forth is what I've been having going on in my head.  We might 
> be able to leverage repology.org for their work on mapping packages across 
> distros.  Yesterday, civodul entered a bug to remove the Etag and 
> last-modified headers in the nginx config to fix a bug on our side so 
> repology will update info on guix.  That code is GPL'd so some of it could be 
> incorporated, and maybe even be leveraged to interpret foreign distro's 
> packages to create package prototypes which we could then use to more rapidly 
> expand what packages are available through guix.  I could see this as a 
> high-payoff medium effort development for guix.
>
> On Sun, May 10, 2020 at 9:34 AM zimoun <address@hidden> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Julien,
>>
>> On Sun, 10 May 2020 at 14:13, Julien Lepiller <address@hidden> wrote:
>>
>> > The proposal was about suggesting anotger nameqwhen no package was found, 
>> > not to install something else.
>>
>> Sorry I misinterpreted.
>>
>>
>> > >Well, do you have specific example in mind?
>> >
>> > $ guix install gcc
>> > guix install: error: gcc: unknown package
>> > Hint: did you mean `guix install gcc-toolchain`?
>> >
>> > Since not being able to install gcc is surprising, and you don't always 
>> > know about gcc-toolchain.
>>
>> I understand even if this one is the wrong example. :-)
>> It even deserves an entry in the manual.
>> Well, but I understand what you mean.
>>
>>
>> > $ guix install gpg
>> > Hint: did you mean `guix install gnupg`?
>>
>> The question is: why do you type 'gpg'?
>>
>> I mean, the upstream name is really GnuPG so it is not one "stupid"
>> Guix devs arbitrary rename because in their infinite wisdom they
>> decided to. ;-)
>>
>> Well, do you type 'gpg' because
>> a) it is the name of the binary?
>> or b) it is the name of the package in your previous favourite distro?
>>
>> If it is a), then a proposal by Pierre named "filesearch" is floating
>> around.  And this should improve the situation.
>>
>> If it is b), then I do not see how to improve the situation in the
>> general case.  But maybe there is some well-known cases.
>>
>>
>> > Often a name is used to refer to a package, and it's annoying to go 
>> > through a search, especially when you have to filter a big output.
>>
>> I agree.  From my point the issue is that "guix search" is not doing
>> the job and the improvement should come from this.  And your 'gpg'
>> example is a good one, IMHO:
>>
>> --8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
>> $ guix search gpg | recsel -C -p name,relevance
>> name: signing-party
>> relevance: 16
>> name: qgpgme
>> relevance: 15
>> name: libgpg-error
>> relevance: 14
>> name: python2-gpg
>> relevance: 11
>> name: python-gpg
>> relevance: 11
>> name: ledger-agent
>> relevance: 9
>> name: python2-pygpgme
>> relevance: 8
>> name: python-pygpgme
>> relevance: 8
>> name: gpgme
>> relevance: 8
>> name: kgpg
>> relevance: 6
>> name: jetring
>> relevance: 6
>> name: emacs-pinentry
>> relevance: 6
>> name: trezor-agent
>> relevance: 5
>> name: python-trezor-agent
>> relevance: 5
>> name: keepkey-agent
>> relevance: 5
>> name: qtpass
>> relevance: 2
>> name: pinentry
>> relevance: 2
>> name: pinentry-tty
>> relevance: 2
>> name: pinentry-qt
>> relevance: 2
>> name: pinentry-gtk2
>> relevance: 2
>> name: pinentry-gnome3
>> relevance: 2
>> name: pinentry-emacs
>> relevance: 2
>> name: pinentry-efl
>> relevance: 2
>> name: kleopatra
>> relevance: 2
>> name: gnupg
>> relevance: 2
>> name: gnupg
>> relevance: 2
>> name: git-remote-gcrypt
>> relevance: 2
>> name: gajim
>> relevance: 2
>> name: emacs-extend-smime
>> relevance: 2
>> name: assword
>> relevance: 2
>> --8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---
>>
>> The expected package 'gnupg' appears... piouf!
>>
>> I fully agree that the experience with "guix search" is frustating.
>> And maybe using both the 'upstream-name' and an extra 'properties'
>> such as 'alternative-names' or 'extra-keywords' should help for
>> discoverability.
>>
>>
>> WDYT?
>>
>> All the best,
>> simon