Re: Language library packages should require language package

[Hartmut Goebel]

Am 24.04.2016 um 15:09 schrieb Thompson, David:
> That's not quite right. It will give you exactly what you asked for:
> an environment with only python-requests used in it. python-requests
> defines no search paths, so no environment variables are set. 


But where is `python-requests` then?


> No, this wouldn't be a good idea.  You used the --ad-hoc flag, which
> means "create an environment with *only* the direct packages I
> specified."  This behavior is correct and will not be changed. 

But this is description is at least misleading, if not wrong. `guix
environment --ad-hoc python python-requests` does not only install
python and python-requests, but also pytest, pytest-coverage, wheel (and
some more).

But you are missing my main point: While `guix environment --ad-hoc
python-requests` installs some depended python packages, it does not
install `python`. This is asymmetric and quite different than users are
used from rpm and deb based systems.

To take this one step further: Assume in GuixSD 1.3 some user is told
"install python-bla-blub vai the Guix Package Manager GUI", then she
ends up with an incomplete environment. She would have to figure out
what other dependencies (esp. the language interpreter) are required.

This is why I'm proposing to add the dependency to the language interpreter.

-- 
Regards
Hartmut Goebel

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