Re: Warning on using GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hello,

Pjotr Prins <address@hidden> skribis:

> @FOSDEM we concluded that GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH does not necessarily work
> that wel. I added to my guix-notes the following:
>
> +Note that, even though GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH can be a feasible way of
> +adding and maintaining packages, it has two largish downsides: (1) it
> +is removed from the main package tree and therefore not easily shared
> +and integrated and (2) to remain compatible you need to juggle two git
> +trees which may go out of synch.

I’m not sure who “we” is.  :-)

Anyway I think GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH is just that: an environment variable
that allows users to add more packages to Guix’s search path.  It has
never pretended to do more than this, so in that sense the downsides you
mention are “expected”.

It does mean that a higher-level mechanism like channels would be more
than helpful, but it doesn’t mean that GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH is “broken” per se.

Ludo’.