Subject: Re: [bug#43361] [PATCH] doc: Mention config.scm in reconfigure description

From: Julien Lepiller <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 2020 19:51:21 -0400

Le 13 septembre 2020 17:10:30 GMT-04:00, "Ludovic Courtès" <[email-masked]> a écrit :
>Hi,
>
>Julien Lepiller <[email-masked]> skribis:
>
>> this patch is a small change to the manual that should help at least
>> one confused user from
>>
>https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/550597/what-is-the-file-to-be-specified-in-guix-system-reconfigure
>>
>>>From dfa9439efbf1de7ffe281dac330a19c1e369e5d8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00
>2001
>> From: Julien Lepiller <[email-masked]>
>> Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2020 21:46:57 +0200
>> Subject: [PATCH] doc: Mention config.scm in reconfigure description
>>
>> * doc/guix.texi (Invoking guix system): Mention `/etc/config.scm' in
>the
>> description of guix system reconfigure.
>> ---
>>  doc/guix.texi | 8 ++++----
>>  1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
>> index a6e14ea177..c10387441e 100644
>> --- a/doc/guix.texi
>> +++ b/doc/guix.texi
>> @@ -28919,10 +28919,10 @@ As for @command{guix package --search}, the
>result is written in
>>  (@pxref{Top, GNU recutils databases,, recutils, GNU recutils
>manual}).
>>  
>>  @item reconfigure
>> -Build the operating system described in @var{file}, activate it, and
>> -switch to it@footnote{This action (and the related actions
>> -@code{switch-generation} and @code{roll-back}) are usable only on
>> -systems already running Guix System.}.
>> +Build the operating system described in @var{file} (typically
>> +@file{/etc/config.scm}), activate it, and switch to it@footnote{This
>action
>> +(and the related actions @code{switch-generation} and
>@code{roll-back}) are
>> +usable only on systems already running Guix System.}.
>
>Perhaps “(typically @file{/etc/config.scm})” should go next to
>“@var{file} must be …”?
>
>But if the person doesn’t read more than a few lines of the page, it
>won’t help.
>
>I was thinking we could have “guix system reconfigure” without
>arguments
>pick up /run/current-system/configuration.scm.  Perhaps that’d help?

I think it would be even more confusing, because that file isn't even editable. So you'de get users thinking they must re-install the distro to change that file.

Others would eventually find /etc/config.scm and not pass it as argument, then get their system reconfigured to something different than what they specified.

Maybe it should be "e.g. /etc/config, initially generated by the graphical installer" or something?

>Thanks,
>Ludo’.