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Re: [PATCH] gnu: r: Update to 3.3.1.
From: |
Roel Janssen |
Subject: |
Re: [PATCH] gnu: r: Update to 3.3.1. |
Date: |
Sun, 31 Jul 2016 19:34:13 +0200 |
User-agent: |
mu4e 0.9.17; emacs 24.5.1 |
myglc2 writes:
> Pjotr Prins <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> On Sat, Jul 30, 2016 at 03:41:50PM -0400, myglc2 wrote:
>>> The workaround used by sysops where I work (hospital research lab) is to
>>> give notice of R upgrades and to make previous releases available for
>>> reference by ongoing projects. IMO, we should consider how the guix R
>>> recipe(s) might support a pattern of use like this.
>>>
>>> I can assure you that if our users do guix pull and invisibly get a new
>>> R release, their analyses will from time to time break. So we may want a
>>> simple way for them to back down to a previous release. So.. I am
>>> thinking it would make sense to keep previous versions of R in the
>>> recipe. What do others think?
>
>> Note, meanwhile, that a new R install does not remove the old packages
>> automatically. One way to work older versions is by using guix
>> profiles effectively. We introduced Unix modules with Guix, so a
>> module would point to a well tested and working profile. Just make
>> sure it does not get GC'd at some point.
>
> This functionality could be adequate in some situations if it can be
> made simple to use. Some questions to answer...
>
> What do you mean by "Unix modules"?
I think Pjotr means environment variables.
> How does one "make sure it does not get GC'd"?
Keep it in a profile linked to the store. (So once you've installed
a version in a profile, Guix will not GC it as long as you haven't
removed the profile, or the programs in the profiles and its
accompanying generations).
> What happens when a user wants something else (e.g., not R) updated?
He can just to `guix package --upgrade=<specific-package>'.
>> Another way to work it is by using a checked out Guix source tree.
>
> This is not simple and is beyond the capability of the medical
> researchers I have met.
I agree. However, when upgrading packages, they can be careful not to
upgrade a package. You can do that by `guix package --upgrade
--do-not-upgrade=r'.
This may seem too difficult as well, but let's consider the alternative:
Not upgrading packages upstream. That's what we can already do
downstream (simply don't run `guix pull'). I like having the latest
versions available in GNU Guix, and when I need an older version, I can
find it in the version control system.
Kind regards,
Roel Janssen
Re: [PATCH] gnu: r: Update to 3.3.1., Andreas Enge, 2016/07/31