Re: Some general guix questions

[Divan Santana]

George Clemmer <address@hidden> writes:

> Divan Santana <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> Hi great guix community,
>>
>> 1. What is the recommendations around when to install a package system
>>    wide (via guix system reconfigure manifest.scm) vs in your user
>>    profile? I'm confused if i3/various X packages and other desktop
>>    packages should be installed in one or the other? Or even the pros
>>    and cons of each. Is this in the manual?
>
> FWIW, when you run a single-user system (e.g. a desktop or server that
> only you use), it can be convenient to install any packages that you
> want available in root system-wide. E.g, I use ...
>
> (define sys-packages
>   '(
>     "cups"
>     "emacs-no-x"
>     "emacs-guix"
>     "emacs-magit"
>     "emacs-paredit"
>     "freeipmi"
>     "git"
>     "glibc-utf8-locales"
>     "mdadm"
>     "mosh"
>     "nss-certs"
>     "openssh"
>     "qemu"
>     "screen"
>     "smartmontools"
>     ))
> ...
>  (packages (append (map specification->package
>                       sys-packages)
>                  %base-packages))
>
>> 2. One can install packages via a manifest or via a frontend tool like
>>    emacs-guix or helm system packages.  I like the former, because
>>    it's like your system is defined in a manifest and evaluated, and
>>    you can keep track in git etc, suppose infrastructure as code. But
>>    I like the latter too and I believe some others do too. Is there a
>>    way to get the best of both worlds here? Any thoughts on the
>>    matter.
>
> I find it convenient to maintain a Guix manifest under Git but I feel
> free to "dabble" using emacs-guix. I "roll back" to the manifest set by
> using the emacs-guix Generation-List running 'guix package -m'.
>
>> 3. If I run guix system vm --fallback system.scm I get a vm I can run,
>>    which is really awesome. If I then do a guix pull and guix system
>>    vm --fallback system.scm I get /another/ VM which I can run. How is
>>    the previous VMs garbage collected, I wonder?
>
> Your 'guix system vm' results will be protected from gc if you specify
> the ‘--root=FILE’ option.
>
> HTH - George

It does help. Thanks.