Improve Guix commands for update/upgrade

Hi There,

The current commands used to make sure everything updated are not

friendly to type nor to memorize, Current commands:(i dunno if i missed

more)

guix pull

guix upgrade

sudo guix reconfigure /etc/config.scm

There is no relation can be drawn from using these commands:

- pull: Is actually the opposite of push which is a git command and it

make sense in git atmosphere/usage.

- upgrade: This is the only good one as this is very common term used

within distros or actually most of the operating systems generally.

- reconfigure /etc/config.scm: hmm...

There are many ways we can improve this by using different better terms

which can be easily memorized and even linked e.g: (These are just

examples, If there are any better terms you can come with sure why not)

- pull -> update or refresh

- upgrade -> can be kept or package-upgrade

- reconfigure /etc/config.scm -> dist-upgrade or distro-upgrade or

system-upgrade

----

OR There is another approach some distros taking which is using

shortcuts to only letters e.g

pull -> p or -p

upgrade -> u or -u

reconfigure -> re or -re

as a one world for memory "pure" (any other letters can be used as well)

ThX!

bo0od <bo0od@riseup.net> writes:

guix pull usually does a git pull under the hood and then builds guix

from that updated repository.

I don't get what you mean when you say pull is actually the opposite of

push? That's true in the sense of the words, but how does that relate to

Guix?

I think update is OK, although I think pull is OK too. refresh is

already taken.

You can "downgrade" (switch to using an older Guix/software) by

reconfiguring, so I wouldn't like to see that operation referred to as

an upgrade (as it's not always).

> push? That's true in the sense of the words, but how does that relate to

> Guix?

git pull , git push -> both are making sense

guix pull, but no guix push -> doesnt make sense as there is no relation

between pull and other used commands. (thus i suggested to use known

linked-terms like update,upgrade...etc)

> You can "downgrade" (switch to using an older Guix/software) by

> reconfiguring, so I wouldn't like to see that operation referred to as

> an upgrade (as it's not always)

I see, for example it can be made as upgrade command to always read

configurations which are only intended for upgrading the system and if

you want to use downgrade then it will read configurations only intended

for downgrading the system. (either by using the same config.scm or each

command point to separated config.scm like upgrade.scm and downgrade.scm...)

by this can run system-upgrade , system-downgrade or

dist-upgrade/downgrade..etc

Maybe there are better solutions like better terms or technical

solutions someone can come up with to make things better than the

current situation.

Christopher Baines:

bo0od writes:

The name of package management commands seems like it would largely be

personal preference.

Each person using Guix could customize the commands to their own

preferences using Bash aliases or an equivalent for the shell they are

using. For Bash refer to the Aliases section of it's info

documentation.

For command names there are many package managers that you can look to

for inspiration. Here are some examples:

This could also be done with shell aliases.

Not really personal, Its about when there are new users these commands

looks horrible.

You can call it personal when im saying use this X instead B while X and

B has the same bad approach or both are good. This is called personal e.g:

use upgrade instead of distro-upgrade = yeah very much is something not

really benefiting/different and personal.

but pull or update , reconfigure or system-upgrade...etc this is not

anymore personal as i have already explained in my reasoning above.

Bone Baboon:

Am Freitag, den 23.04.2021, 16:23 +0000 schrieb bo0od:

Sorry for informing you, but your sense for aesthetics is a very

personal thing. If we really want to talk about UX, much more would be

gained by having a translatable GUI than through questionable command

renamings.

- guix pull: You "pull" a fresh set of package descriptions. Note,

that you can't "push" package descriptions *yet*.

- guix upgrade: You "upgrade" a given user profile.

- guix system reconfigure: You "reconfigure" your "system" according to

the specifications made in some file. Note, that this is not

inherently an upgrade -- it is perfectly fine only to change some

services, to add new ones, or to do all of those three at once.

Of course, there may come times, when you will have to explain to your

less tech-savvy family members or friends, who you've helped install

Guix, why upgrading all of your packages is such a tedious operation,

that involves this funny command line thing. I've been there and done

that. It all makes sense if you take a little time to

explain/understand it properly.

Regards,

Leo

tags 47971 wontfix

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