"guix package -i" exception should be a normal error message

> When I have network problems sometimes I get a backtrace like this:

> ...

> substitute: 1727: 3 [%start-stack load-stack #<procedure a97d60 at ice-9/boot-9.scm:4047:10 ()>]

> substitute: 1732: 2 [#<procedure a99b70 ()>]

> substitute: In unknown file:

> substitute: ?: 1 [primitive-load "/gnu/store/175nlv448nk5kagwwl3zyy2w4726qfz6-guix-0.12.0-4.d9da/bin/.guix-real"]

> substitute: In guix/ui.scm:

> substitute: 1228: 0 [run-guix-command substitute "--query"]

> substitute:

> substitute: guix/ui.scm:1228:8: In procedure run-guix-command:

> substitute: guix/ui.scm:1228:8: Throw to key `bad-response' with args `("Bad Response-Line: ~s" (""))'.

>

> It might make sense to

>

> (a) convert that into a normal runtime error message and

> (b) Fallback to substituteless building (maybe only for this thing).

> This old bug #25719 is about exception and error message. See:

>

> <http://issues.guix.gnu.org/issue/25719>

>

> On Tue, 14 Feb 2017 at 09:41, Danny Milosavljevic <dannym@scratchpost.org> wrote:

> > When I have network problems sometimes I get a backtrace like this:

>

> First, do you still experiment such behaviour? Since it 3 years old.

> > substitute: 1727: 3 [%start-stack load-stack #<procedure a97d60 at ice-9/boot-9.scm:4047:10 ()>]

> > substitute: 1732: 2 [#<procedure a99b70 ()>]

> > substitute: In unknown file:

> > substitute: ?: 1 [primitive-load "/gnu/store/175nlv448nk5kagwwl3zyy2w4726qfz6-guix-0.12.0-4.d9da/bin/.guix-real"]

> > substitute: In guix/ui.scm:

> > substitute: 1228: 0 [run-guix-command substitute "--query"]

> > substitute:

> > substitute: guix/ui.scm:1228:8: In procedure run-guix-command:

> > substitute: guix/ui.scm:1228:8: Throw to key `bad-response' with args `("Bad Response-Line: ~s" (""))'.

> >

> > It might make sense to

> >

> > (a) convert that into a normal runtime error message and

>

> What do you mean?

> > (b) Fallback to substituteless building (maybe only for this thing).

>

> Is it not the case currently?

>> > substitute: 1727: 3 [%start-stack load-stack #<procedure a97d60 at ice-9/boot-9.scm:4047:10 ()>]

>> > substitute: 1732: 2 [#<procedure a99b70 ()>]

>> > substitute: In unknown file:

>> > substitute: ?: 1 [primitive-load "/gnu/store/175nlv448nk5kagwwl3zyy2w4726qfz6-guix-0.12.0-4.d9da/bin/.guix-real"]

>> > substitute: In guix/ui.scm:

>> > substitute: 1228: 0 [run-guix-command substitute "--query"]

>> > substitute:

>> > substitute: guix/ui.scm:1228:8: In procedure run-guix-command:

>> > substitute: guix/ui.scm:1228:8: Throw to key `bad-response' with args `("Bad Response-Line: ~s" (""))'.

>> >

>> > It might make sense to

>> >

>> > (a) convert that into a normal runtime error message and

>>

>> What do you mean?

>

> The above is an exception.

>

> In this case the download failed--and unfortunately that is a completely normal

> thing on the internet. Therefore, that is not something you'd use an exception

> for.

>

> There is no added information that could help the user in the exception.

> For example it doesn't list the URL--the one thing that would actually help.

> On Tue, 01 Dec 2020 19:28:12 +0100

> zimoun <zimon.toutoune@gmail.com> wrote:

>

>> This old bug #25719 is about exception and error message. See:

>>

>> <http://issues.guix.gnu.org/issue/25719>

>>

>> On Tue, 14 Feb 2017 at 09:41, Danny Milosavljevic <dannym@scratchpost.org> wrote:

>> > When I have network problems sometimes I get a backtrace like this:

>>

>> First, do you still experiment such behaviour? Since it 3 years old.

>

> I haven't seen this particular exception in a long time. I cannot tell whether

> the actual usability has been fixed, though--it could be that only the servers

> are more reliable and this code path is thus not currently being entered.