Re: Package variant defined in manifest not visible by Guix

[Ricardo Wurmus]

Hi,

> I'm trying to use a manifest file to define a package variant 
> which adds
> an option to the configure phase:
>
> ```
>
> (use-modules (inria storm))
>
> (define starpu-maxnodes1
>   (package
>     (inherit starpu)
>     (arguments
>       (substitute-keyword-arguments (package-arguments starpu)
>                                     ((#:configure-flags flags 
>                                     '())
>                                      `(cons 
>                                      "--enable-maxnodes=1"
> ,flags))))))
>
> ```
>
> When I'm trying to build this variant, guix can't find it:
>
> ```
>
> % guix build -c 2 -m starpu-maxnodes1.scm starpu-maxnodes1
> guix build: erreur : starpu-maxnodes1 : paquet inconnu
>
> ```
>
> I don't see what I'm doing wrong. Any idea ?

There seems to be a small misunderstanding.  You defined a package 
variant, but that’s not a manifest.  A manifest describes the 
complete contents of a profile; i.e. it’s a list of packages that 
Guix should install.

Here are three different ways that should work for you:

1) Build a single package from a file.

Here we define the package variant in a file and make sure that 
the file evaluates to the package value:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(use-modules (inria storm))

(define starpu-maxnodes1
 (package
   (inherit starpu)
   (arguments
     (substitute-keyword-arguments (package-arguments starpu)
                                   ((#:configure-flags flags '())
                                    `(cons "--enable-maxnodes=1" 
                                    ,flags))))))

;; Make sure the file evaluates to the package value.
;; The definition alone has no specified return value.
starpu-maxnodes1
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Now we can build the package specified in the file:

   guix build --file=this-file.scm


2) Build a whole manifest from a file.

Here the file must evaluate to a manifest value, not just a single 
package.

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(use-modules (inria storm))

(define starpu-maxnodes1
 (package
   (inherit starpu)
   (arguments
     (substitute-keyword-arguments (package-arguments starpu)
                                   ((#:configure-flags flags '())
                                    `(cons "--enable-maxnodes=1" 
                                    ,flags))))))

(packages->manifest (list starpu-maxnodes1))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Then build the profile from the manifest file:

   guix build --manifest=this-file.scm


3) Create a module and use it however you want.

You can make the custom package available to any Guix command by 
putting it into a Guile module and then informing Guix about the 
module.  This is a little more effort as you need more boilerplate 
code to define the module (and the file name needs to match the 
moule header, etc).


--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(define-module (my packages storm)
#:use-module (gnu packages)
#:use-module (guix packages)
#:use-module (guix utils)
;; …
#:use-module (inria storm)
#:export (starpu-maxnodes1))

(define starpu-maxnodes1
 (package
   (inherit starpu)
   (arguments
     (substitute-keyword-arguments (package-arguments starpu)
                                   ((#:configure-flags flags '())
                                    `(cons "--enable-maxnodes=1" 
                                    ,flags))))))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Put this in a file “my/packages/storm.scm” and then set the 
GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH environment variable to the directory containing 
“my” (e.g. $HOME/code/guix/custom containing 
$HOME/code/guix/custom/my/packages/storm.scm).

Note that you haven’t overridden the “name” field of the original 
“starpu” package, so on the command line the package cannot be 
distinguished (unless you use “-e '(@ (my packages storm) 
starpu-maxnodes1)'”).  Do this to also change the name on the 
command line:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(define starpu-maxnodes1
 (package
   (inherit starpu)
   (name "starpu-maxnodes1")
   (arguments
     (substitute-keyword-arguments (package-arguments starpu)
                                   ((#:configure-flags flags '())
                                    `(cons "--enable-maxnodes=1" 
                                    ,flags))))))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Hope this helps!

--
Ricardo