bug#48214: inetutils-1.9.4 build fails

[Bone Baboon]

Ludovic Courtès writes:
>> How can I use a package definition from core-updates with guix build or
>> in a system configuration if it is not available on Guix's master
>> branch?
>
> You can do better :-), you can install 2.0 from master like so:
>
>   guix install inetutils --with-latest=inetutils

Thank you for sharing that command.

I prefer to build locally over using substitutes.  When I try to run
`guix build inetutils --no-substitutes --with-latest=inetutils` it does
not complete because there is an interactive prompt.  The prompt says
"Would you like to add this key to your keyring
'<path/to/trustedkeys.kbx>'?".  I have a substitute server that is
sequentially building packages unattended and this would cause it to
become stuck and make no further progress.

>> On the inetutils mailing list it was suggested that I try inetutils 2.0
>> on the core-updates branch.  I can successfully build inetutils 2.0 from
>> the core-updates branch even with IPv6 disabled.
>>
>> What is the purpose of the core-updates branch?
>
> The ‘core-updates’ branch contains updates to core packages and core
> Guix functionality that entails a rebuild of all the packages.  In that
> branch we put package upgrades that would otherwise lead to too many
> rebuilds (info "(guix) Submitting Patches").

Thank you for explaining this.

---

What is the process for a package to be brought into master from core-updates?

---

I would rebuild all the packages on my system if I could use inetutils
2.0.  Is there a way that I can rebuild all the packages I am using that
depend on inetutils to use inetutils 2.0 (or more generally any newer
version of package from core-updates)?

>> Can the Guix master branch provide inetutils 2.0 instead of 1.9.4?
>
> No: ‘guix refresh -l inetutils’ shows that almost 2,000 packages depend
> on inetutils.
>
> That said, if needed, ‘master’ could provide 2.0 in addition to 1.9, as
> is done for GDB for instance.

Would having multiple versions of inetutils in master also create
multiple versions of packages that depend on inetutils for example a
version of isc-dhcp that depends on inetutils 1.9 and another that
depends on inetutils 2.0?

---

Not having inetutils 2.0 in master appears to break how I connect to the
internet using Guix if I do both of these:
* Disable IPv6
** See my previous email in this thread that explains the rationale on
   why I am disabling IPv6.
* Build from source

isc-dhcp fails to build because it depends on inetutils 1.9 which is
failing.  I am using isc-dhcp when I connecting to the internet.

>> What are the reasons I might not want to use a package from the
>> core-updates branch?
>
> ‘core-updates’ is where we put core changes as I wrote, including
> experimental changes.  That branch also does not receive security
> updates in a timely fashion.  So it’s really a branch for developers
> working on core improvements.

Thank you for explaining this.