Building a whole distro on top of a minimalistic language The story of GNU Guix

by Ludovic Courtès
At: FOSDEM 2019
video.fosdem.o...
GNU Guix is a package manager and GNU/Linux distribution that builds on Scheme, a Lisp dialect known for its emphasis on minimalism. This talk will be an exploration of Guix’ use of Scheme’s extensibility to build high-level abstractions and user interfaces in a broad sense. GNU Guix is a package manager, GNU/Linux distribution, and more generally a “software deployment toolbox” featuring key features such as
transactional upgrades and rollbacks, declarative operating system configuration, and more. Guix has become a relatively large piece of software but a key aspect of it is that Guix builds on Scheme, a Lisp dialect known for its emphasis on minimalism. From day one, use of
Scheme as its single implementation language has shaped Guix.
This talk will be about what it means for Guix to be implemented as a set of libraries on top of this tiny core that Scheme is. Together we will have a guided tour through Guix’ interfaces, be they “programming” or “user” interfaces; we’ll look at its embedded domain-specific languages (EDSLs) that make it just as clear as your favorite YAML/JSON/XML thing while retaining the full power (and joy!) of a general-purpose programming language. We’ll discuss the features of Scheme that make it possible. I will share my thoughts on how such a design can empower users and how well this has worked in practice.
Room: K.4.201
Scheduled start: 2019-02-02 14:50:00+01

[@sinekonata]

This is amazing. I'm so hyped up. I hope it's not merely a dream. I'm already using guix but I will install the distro to try one of these days. And once I've taken to learn both Lisp and distro packaging, I will try using it as my daily machine.

[@maxsievers8251]

Same

[@nonenothingnull]

Systembloat is more than a million lines of code, so guix is impressive

[@nonenothingnull]

@Didac Cerver it uses shepherd

[@maxsievers8251]

@@nonenothingnull I would say that Guix itself is the replacement of systemd and sheperd is a part of it.

[@filipesantos3745]

@@maxsievers8251 You're actually right. Shepherd is "just an init system", while systemd and launchd are more than that. Guix can be even more powerful with less complexity

[@a0um]

The Guix repository includes different init systems, so I guess you can specify the one you prefer. Maybe shepherd is the default, but doesn’t have to be just that one. Guix is a framework implemented in Guile.

[@digitalspecter]

One step closer to Lisp-machine :D

[@Stopinvadingmyhardware]

Nope

[@KabeloMoiloa]

@@Stopinvadingmyhardware the browser is the lisp machine for our century. don't laugh.

[@fabioec5]

Lisp-like syntax highlights should adopt something like "rainbow braces" by default

[@rashie]

👍👍

[@ygjt76v0-----]

Only 400 mb

[@charliebrownau]

Whats the point using this distro over Trisquel ?

[@nonenothingnull]

Being able to build your stuff without much troubles

[@nonenothingnull]

i.e. putting nonfree firmware (because the world is not ideal)

[@Ateshtesh]

Because GuixSD is the evolution of every GNU/Linux distribution over there? ambrevar.xyz/guix-advance/index.html

[@matthewramsaywack6034]

GuixSD has fixed and rolling release versions, whereas Trisquel has only fixed releases. Trisquel runs systemd as it's init system whereas GNU Shepherd is the init system for GuixSD.

[@khandarwilliam5439]

lol, hardware support, lol

[@Stopinvadingmyhardware]

Lol, Chinese hackers ruin lives

[@raretapes8057]

@@Stopinvadingmyhardware what do you mean?