Re: git guix checkout automation for contributors

[zimoun]

Hi,

On dim., 25 sept. 2022 at 21:40, kiasoc5 <kiasoc5@disroot.org> wrote:
> Isn't there a checkout cache in ~/.cache/guix? Can guix edit be pointed
> to the git repo in the cache as opposed to the system's?

This checkout* is used by “guix time-machine” and it does not always
point to what “guix describe” returns.  Modulo this minor warning
(easily fixable by moving HEAD to the correct commit), it appears to me
a good idea to rely on it for easing some contributions.

*checkout:
~/.cache/guix/checkouts/pjmkglp4t7znuugeurpurzikxq3tnlaywmisyr27shj7apsnalwq/


For instance,

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
$ guix describe
Generation 9    août 31 2022 14:51:40   (current)
  guix 23152ff
    repository URL: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git
    branch: master
    commit: 23152ff70f0ed4966d8207846f54c793d7cb4f86

$ git -C 
/home/simon/.cache/guix/checkouts/pjmkglp4t7znuugeurpurzikxq3tnlaywmisyr27shj7apsnalwq/
 log -1 --oneline
2e8b4f9bfa (HEAD -> master) installer: Exit console-services page with 
abort-to-prompt.

$ guix time-machine 
--url=file:///home/simon/.cache/guix/checkouts/pjmkglp4t7znuugeurpurzikxq3tnlaywmisyr27shj7apsnalwq/
 -- describe
  guix 2e8b4f9
    repository URL: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git
    commit: 2e8b4f9bfa00489fd3acff305837a79af236e183
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

When running “guix time-machine” (inferiors), all the machinery
“./bootstrap && ./configure --localstatevar=/var && make” is
transparently done.  We discussed that at the 10 Years event with
Josselin.


Therefore, we could imagine something similar for helping people to
contribute:

 1. use (test?) unmerged patches
 2. update and/or create new patches


Cheers,
simon