Re: Adding operating-system field for a custom /etc/profile.

[Ludovic Courtès]

Alex Kost <address@hidden> skribis:

> Ludovic Courtès (2015-11-24 23:30 +0300) wrote:
>
>> Alex Kost <address@hidden> skribis:
> [...]
>>> But still I prefer to have a straightforward way to set my own
>>> /etc/profile.  Or maybe it would be good to have even a more general
>>> solution: a way to specify any file that goes to "/etc" dir, something
>>> like this:
>>>
>>> (operating-system
>>>   ;; ...
>>>   (etc-files
>>>    ("hosts"   (local-file "/home/me/guix/etc/hosts"))
>>>    ("profile" (local-file "/home/me/guix/bash/my-favourite-etc-profile"))
>>>    ("fstab"   (local-file "/home/me/guix/etc/fstab"))))
>>
>> Please take a look at ‘etc-service’.  It’s essentially what you describe.
>
> Yes I know, I mean this is what I would like to have, but it can't be
> used right now.  As ‘operating-system-etc-service’ is a part of
> ‘essential-services’, it cannot be modified/replaced, right?  I see that
> now operating-system services are split into 'essential-services' and
> 'user-services'.  What about letting a user change any service instead?
> I mean to make %essential-services and make it a part of %base-services.
> (I didn't look in the details though, so I don't know if it's possible.)

Yeah it’s not that simple, because <operating-system> objects
essentially get compiled down to a list of <service>; some of them are
added as a function of what the <operating-system> object contains.

But see my other proposal about “Customizing /etc.”

>>> Sorry, but this is not what I want.  I would like to have a full control
>>> on any aspect of my system.
>>
>> I think you’re overreacting.  I feel bad because in spite of several
>> attempts, I’m failing to get us to focus on concrete proposal to move
>> forward.  I don’t know what to add.
>
> I'm sorry for being so emotional; that's because I don't want to return
> to "Arch Linux"!  I love GuixSD, but this is a potential blocker for me.
> I just tried to explain that users may want to change/replace any
> /etc/<file>, but they can't do it (this is essential for me, as I have a
> sick wish to control everything).

Understood!

Please bear with me/us.  This is an iterative process.  Think of what
GuixSD was like 6 months ago.  ;-)  Initially, many things had to be more
or less hardcoded to allow us to get something running, in turn making
it possible to do more development and to refine things.

You’re pointing at limitations that have always been there and that need
to be addressed.  The mere fact that we can have heated discussions over
these features means we’ve already done a lot of progress technically.
:-)

And again, rest assured that there’s no fundamental disagreement between
us on the goals.  It’s just about finding the right approach to satisfy
all the (sometimes contradictory) needs.

Thank you,
Ludo’.