Re: StumpWM package doesn't work

[Andy Patterson]

On Sun, 27 Nov 2016 21:43:23 +0100
address@hidden (Ludovic Courtès) wrote:

> address@hidden (宋文武) skribis:
> 
> > Toni Reina <address@hidden> writes:
> >  
> >> Hello,
> >>
> >> I'm trying to install `sbcl-stumpwm` package and looks like it
> >> doesn't work correctly. It's installed with no errors, but it
> >> doesn't generate the stumpwm binary file.
> >>
> >> The following package will be installed:
> >>    sbcl-stumpwm
> >> 0.9.9   /gnu/store/z92ri0kgjdavkp7llav1db0dia44sbid-sbcl-stumpwm-0.9.9
> >>
> >> ls /gnu/store/z92ri0kgjdavkp7llav1db0dia44sbid-sbcl-stumpwm-0.9.9  
> >> -> lib  share  
> >>  
> >
> > It's in the "bin" output of sbcl-stumpwm package, you can get it
> > with:
> >
> > guix package -i sbcl-stumpwm:bin  
> 
> It might be clearer to have an “out” and a “lib” output (instead of
> “bin” and “out”).  WDYT, Andy & 宋文武?

I think that would basically shift the awkwardness from package
installation over to package development, since it would then be
required that all dependants of stumpwm use the lib output in the
inputs field (but only on sbcl? - since ecl binaries aren't supported
just yet). 

I think the best way to clarify things would be to merge the outputs,
although this carries a ~61MiB (~11MiB compressed) extra cost. In the
case of stumpwm, I guess that the library isn't all that useful without
the binary, so that might be ok.

Another alternative would be to create a separate package like with
sbcl-stumpwm-with-slynk.

I think what might be at the root of the issue though is that multiple
outputs aren't discoverable enough. The page at
<https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/package-list.html> doesn't list them
AFAICT, and entering guix package -i sbcl-stumpwm into a shell and
mashing tab only lists one entry for the package, when I think it
should be two.

I still have improvements to the CL build system brewing, so once we've
decided on something I could incorporate it into that work.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks,

--
Andy