Newbie: Error when using "guix gc -D" to delete directory in /gnu/store

[Rodrigo Morales]

Table of Contents
_________________

1. The context
2. What I've tried
3. Additional information
4. The question


1 The context
=============

  I had previously installed the package `rime-data'. One of the files
  that is installed by that package is called `wubi86.dict.yaml'.

  I'm currently experimenting with `ibus' and I need all files that
  exist in `/gnu/store' that are called `wubi86.dict.yaml' to be deleted
  from my system. I've located those files, but when I try to delete
  those files, I get the following error

  ,----
  | guix gc -D /gnu/store/252h4ryvdj3d3bgnm1v47s7838wn86nz-profile
  `----

  ,----
  | finding garbage collector roots...
  | guix gc: error: cannot delete path
`/gnu/store/252h4ryvdj3d3bgnm1v47s7838wn86nz-profile' since it is still
alive
  `----

  See next section to see what I've tried to delete those directories.


2 What I've tried
=================

  I know how to locate all files that are called `wubi86,dict.yaml' and
  are located under `/gnu/store'

  ,----
  | sudo updatedb
  `----

  ,----
  | locate 'wubi86.dict.yaml'
  `----

  ,----
  |
/gnu/store/252h4ryvdj3d3bgnm1v47s7838wn86nz-profile/share/rime-data/wubi86.dict.yaml
  |
/gnu/store/b3f1s6nnj1rg7szcmb3n3y194ayhfgja-rime-data-0.38.20210802/share/rime-data/wubi86.dict.yaml
  |
/gnu/store/zj0cf20jk3qgl12451znx1n8rj13z2jg-profile/share/rime-data/wubi86.dict.yaml
  `----

  If I try to delete any of those directories using `guix gc -D', I get
  the same error (please see code blocks below)

  ,----
  | guix gc -D /gnu/store/252h4ryvdj3d3bgnm1v47s7838wn86nz-profile
  `----

  ,----
  | finding garbage collector roots...
  | guix gc: error: cannot delete path
`/gnu/store/252h4ryvdj3d3bgnm1v47s7838wn86nz-profile' since it is still
alive
  `----

  ,----
  | guix gc -D
/gnu/store/b3f1s6nnj1rg7szcmb3n3y194ayhfgja-rime-data-0.38.20210802
  `----

  ,----
  | finding garbage collector roots...
  | guix gc: error: cannot delete path
`/gnu/store/b3f1s6nnj1rg7szcmb3n3y194ayhfgja-rime-data-0.38.20210802' since
it is still alive
  `----

  ,----
  | guix gc -D /gnu/store/zj0cf20jk3qgl12451znx1n8rj13z2jg-profile/
  `----

  ,----
  | finding garbage collector roots...
  | guix gc: error: cannot delete path
`/gnu/store/zj0cf20jk3qgl12451znx1n8rj13z2jg-profile' since it is still
alive
  `----


3 Additional information
========================

  I found [this thread] in the help-guix mailing list on the same
  topic. In [this reply], someone mentions that it is possible to list
  the referrers to see which directories are pointing to those
  directories. This is the output of those command.

  For the two directories that end in `*-profile', `guix gc --referrers'
  print the directory itself.

  ,----
  | guix gc --referrers /gnu/store/252h4ryvdj3d3bgnm1v47s7838wn86nz-profile
  `----

  ,----
  | /gnu/store/252h4ryvdj3d3bgnm1v47s7838wn86nz-profile
  `----

  ,----
  | guix gc --referrers /gnu/store/zj0cf20jk3qgl12451znx1n8rj13z2jg-profile/
  `----

  ,----
  | /gnu/store/zj0cf20jk3qgl12451znx1n8rj13z2jg-profile
  `----

  For the directory, that has the files from the package, a lot of files
  ending with `drv' is shown.

  ,----
  | guix gc --referrers
/gnu/store/b3f1s6nnj1rg7szcmb3n3y194ayhfgja-rime-data-0.38.20210802
  `----

  ,----
  | /gnu/store/0wr0x4v73wiks87843njqqf590fm0xix-glib-schemas.drv
  | /gnu/store/252h4ryvdj3d3bgnm1v47s7838wn86nz-profile
  | /gnu/store/4zpl6kqdb1ppnc0a1wbh50az8bhnzc4z-gtk-icon-themes.drv
  | /gnu/store/7qjr2v4w4m8kp1mzax2w840mg489120m-emacs-subdirs.drv
  | /gnu/store/8qjbmddr1x6v4pjwxm8i5alslxb7ca43-profile.drv
  | /gnu/store/8ziy5i9svd645iinf850cnca82vb154s-ca-certificate-bundle.drv
  | /gnu/store/a8n5pfdh03lwfrcpp6823bnwlgh5in13-xdg-desktop-database.drv
  | /gnu/store/ascqql7fl3c7r784hpnqcam3x8f78dmg-info-dir.drv
  | /gnu/store/bwlk4j71l97vk84pzdddra2fpvn9zvj5-fonts-dir.drv
  | /gnu/store/d9dhmxg8b87jj8n797vyabdc2dimr2aw-ibus-rime-1.5.0
  | /gnu/store/h4qckgajdkz7rm8yrwrxqv882mr1mnnm-emacs-rime-1.0.5
  |
/gnu/store/hlrfay6rcgh9c5wzzcj7wf7iwzf87msc-gdk-pixbuf-loaders-cache-file.drv
  | /gnu/store/nbhwrpx1py3j4sivysv6xi5s4hx4ziqz-gtk-im-modules.drv
  | /gnu/store/px3idmv8x0ws0zs2n7scgbi302af7iaw-xdg-mime-database.drv
  | /gnu/store/qczdrj7c8wyszygw78yi9ngz46lhyylv-ibus-rime-1.5.0
  | /gnu/store/zj0cf20jk3qgl12451znx1n8rj13z2jg-profile
  `----


[this thread]
<https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/help-guix/2016-05/msg00043.html>

[this reply]
<https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/help-guix/2016-05/msg00048.html>


4 The question
==============

  How can I get rid of those three directories in `/gnu/store/' [1] so
  that I can make sure that my system has no file called
  `wubi86.dict.yaml'?

  [1] Namely
  + `/gnu/store/252h4ryvdj3d3bgnm1v47s7838wn86nz-profile'
  + `/gnu/store/b3f1s6nnj1rg7szcmb3n3y194ayhfgja-rime-data-0.38.20210802'
  + `/gnu/store/zj0cf20jk3qgl12451znx1n8rj13z2jg-profile'