GNU Guix 0.11 Package Manager Released

[phoronix]

Phoronix: GNU Guix 0.11 Package Manager Released

GNU Guix 0.11 has been released along with an update to GuixSD, the Guix System Distribution using the Linux-Libre kernel with GNU Shepherd init system...

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=GNU-Guix-0.11

[Kemosabe]

Personally I really enjoy using NixOS. Nevertheless I cannot tell how the release of Guix affects NixOS's Nix package manager - if at all! Are these features going to end up in NixOS as well?

[starshipeleven]

I always wanted to try NixOS but I've always been scared by having to learn how to deal with an alien system.

I really hope it gets more widespread so I won't have to add many packages by myself.

[c117152]

Happy to see another GuixSD release. I'm currently satisfied with NixOS - and mostly limited to non-libre kernels anyhow over driver issues - but I encourage people to try both.

Congrats GNUs

[Wingfeather]

I always wanted to try NixOS but I've always been scared by having to learn how to deal with an alien system.

I really hope it gets more widespread so I won't have to add many packages by myself.

I've just recently been getting into Nix myself, and it is completely fantastic. It has a steep learning curve, as to do much of anything at all you need at least a rudimentary grasp of the nix language. However, as languages go, it is very straightforward, and once you're over the initial hump the entire OS's machinery is sort've laid bare for you to inspect (I find the whole thing way more approachable than Gentoo, for example, which feels to me like just layers of magic held together with scripts).

The declarative configuration paradigm, which is Nix's main selling point in many ways, is a breath of fresh air. I really have no more to say than that. Just amazing.

Finally, the Nix community is extremely friendly and helpful. I've reported issues on the tracker which were fixed very rapidly, and everyone on the mailing list has been very patient with my basic questions.

I'm curious about Guix, but not enough to try it. I don't quite see why it exists, other than as an academic attempt to implement Nix's ideas with a different language. Probably I'm missing something there,

[Kemosabe]

I've just recently been getting into Nix myself, and it is completely fantastic. It has a steep learning curve, as to do much of anything at all you need at least a rudimentary grasp of the nix language. However, as languages go, it is very straightforward, and once you're over the initial hump the entire OS's machinery is sort've laid bare for you to inspect (I find the whole thing way more approachable than Gentoo, for example, which feels to me like just layers of magic held together with scripts).

The declarative configuration paradigm, which is Nix's main selling point in many ways, is a breath of fresh air. I really have no more to say than that. Just amazing.

Finally, the Nix community is extremely friendly and helpful. I've reported issues on the tracker which were fixed very rapidly, and everyone on the mailing list has been very patient with my basic questions.

I'm curious about Guix, but not enough to try it. I don't quite see why it exists, other than as an academic attempt to implement Nix's ideas with a different language. Probably I'm missing something there,

It is so awesome. I am migrating one of my servers which manages 15 virtual machines from Debian to NixOS. Each host gets its own git repository containting the complete configuration within one folder. Sufficient to recreate those machines exactly.
I wasn't aware about NixOps which is being advertised on nixos.org right now which will simplify it even more. It appears as it were made for servers.

I will also switch to NixOS for my main workstation soon. The only thing that annoys me: It is a pain to chroot from non-NixOS systems and even if you're successful: You have to reboot your host machine afterwards (or at least I am too stupid to fix whatever is broken).

[phantomas]

I've just recently been getting into Nix myself, and it is completely fantastic. It has a steep learning curve, as to do much of anything at all you need at least a rudimentary grasp of the nix language. However, as languages go, it is very straightforward, and once you're over the initial hump the entire OS's machinery is sort've laid bare for you to inspect (I find the whole thing way more approachable than Gentoo, for example, which feels to me like just layers of magic held together with scripts).

The declarative configuration paradigm, which is Nix's main selling point in many ways, is a breath of fresh air. I really have no more to say than that. Just amazing.

Finally, the Nix community is extremely friendly and helpful. I've reported issues on the tracker which were fixed very rapidly, and everyone on the mailing list has been very patient with my basic questions.

I'm curious about Guix, but not enough to try it. I don't quite see why it exists, other than as an academic attempt to implement Nix's ideas with a different language. Probably I'm missing something there,

Well the main differences are 1) The language 2) The policy of using only free software.

Well on the choice of the language when Eelco started the Nix project he created a dsl specifically for using it in Nix. When I asked him about it he told me "I did it for the fun of it" which sounds good enough reason for me. But nowadays many may say that the language is a bit difficult to work with, so Ludovic decided that guile is a better alternative to use. (easier to learn and use.) Btw I am sure there are other reason as well, but I don't think I have enough experience yet, to judge them properly.

Currently the only common code between Guix and Nix is the daemon, which is written in c++, but even that starts to deviate. And everything else in Guix is written in Guile. Even the system descriptions.

And on the matter of free software.. well that's just a matter of the reader's opinions and beliefs to agree or disagree.

Needless to say, both projects are awesome :-)