Guix: A most advanced operating system

podiki | karma 2365 | avg karma 4.95 · 2021-08-19 17:18:35

I've just put Guix on a new desktop and have been really enjoying it. Required a bit of work, but I love anything Lisp related so it has been a joy to do the hacking. Also, a great and active community for its size, very helpful group.

Xophmeister | karma 2008 | avg karma 3.54 · 2021-08-19 18:05:25

I’m just getting started with Nix, as it seems more mature than Guix. The argument the article makes is that using a real language (Guile Scheme) over a proprietary DSL (Nix Language) is a better proposition. Can anyone offer any anecdata on that, having used both or either? Does Nix’s inertia overcome its DSL which, while I find a bit ugly, doesn’t strike me as hard to work with?

whateveracct | karma 5466 | avg karma 1.98 · 2021-08-19 18:07:44

Nix's DSL is just that - domain-specific.

Its laziness + it's record system and all the sugar around it are perfect for a package manager config language.

I love Nix-the-language even as someone who loves Scheme.

Now if Nix-the-language had an s-expression frontend..I would always prefer that. But the core language is great.

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Xophmeister | karma 2008 | avg karma 3.54 · 2021-08-19 18:09:45

Indeed; from what I’ve played with it, it does everything it needs to. I’m a big Scheme fan too, but if Nix does the job, then why overcomplicate it?

It reminds me of HCL, which I know people love to hate on, but I’ve always found eminently useable.

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lambdaba | karma 1380 | avg karma 1.62 · 2021-08-19 18:12:21

Agreed, I wonder how Guix can manage to work the same (does it?) as Nix if the language is not restricted in this way. (PS: I too would prefer parens over semicolons :))

corei10 | karma None | avg karma None · 2021-08-19 19:23:51

https://guix.gnu.org/en/blog/2018/multi-dimensional-transact... discusses some deeper ways that Guix and NixOS differ, beyond the syntax. See the "On coupling" section.

I have briefly tried Guix, and like it, but NixOS works well enough for me that I don't see a strong reason to look more into Guix.

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nextaccountic | karma 4934 | avg karma 2.25 · 2021-08-20 02:20:30

That's a broken link, here's the correct link http://guix.gnu.org/blog/2018/multi-dimensional-transactions...

astrophysics | karma 43 | avg karma 1.79 · 2021-08-20 07:06:28

I think Guix is amazing, but I went for Nix because I want nothing to do with GNU Guile and the terrible activism and bullying associated with it.

Nhanderu | karma 1 | avg karma 1.0 · 2021-08-20 13:59:20

> the terrible activism and bullying associated with it.

Could you please elaborate on that, or give some examples? I never heard of Guile besides it's used in Guix, so I'm an ignorant of the subject.

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astrophysics | karma 43 | avg karma 1.79 · 2021-08-21 04:39:36

Look up Andy Wingo, one of the Guile developers, and his woke crusade against Stallman. It's a mess and I haven't collected all the historical references, but some of it is referenced here: https://gnu.support/richard-stallman/Ludovic-Court%C3%A8s-Gu...

rurban | karma 5612 | avg karma 0.84 · 2021-08-21 11:13:37

The GUIX maintainers crusade against RMS is even bigger. You can easily classify him as the worst RMS defamer in recent history

mrlonglong | karma 986 | avg karma 0.81 · 2021-08-23 10:58:56

Do I have to use emacs if I was to try out Guix?