Re: The usability of Guix configurations

[myglc2]

On 11/07/2017 at 15:52 julien lepiller writes:

> Le 2017-11-07 15:11, myglc2 a écrit :
>> On 11/07/2017 at 14:13 julien lepiller writes:
>>>
>>> This new version outputs something like this :
>>>
>>>
>>> guix system: error: failed to load 'vm-image.tmpl':
>>> vm-image.tmpl:6:0: vm-image.tmpl:6:0: Package module "abc" does not
>>> exist.
>>> Check the "use-package-modules" line in your configuration.
>>
>> Thanks Julien, I tried the patch and it works for me. I think it is a
>> great improvement.
>>
>> Small suggestion: is it feasible for the last line to read:
>>
>> Please add a module containing "abc" to the "use-package-modules" line
>> in your configuration.
>
> Wouldn't that be confusing though?
>
> Maybe you're confused because modules have the same name as some
> packages,
> but there is no relation between a package name and its module in
> general.
> In (use-package-modules abc), abc refers to a file named
> 'gnu/packages/abc.go'
> and the error happens when this file doesn't exist.
>
> Maybe that last line could be a hint as to how to find the correct
> module, though,
> such as:
>
> guix system: error: failed to load 'vm-image.tmpl':
> vm-image.tmpl:6:0: vm-image.tmpl:6:0: Package module "abc" does not
> exist.
> Check the "use-package-modules" line in your configuration.
> Hint: You may use `guix package -s foo` to search for foo's location.
> Hint: If you get the line "location: gnu/packages/ssh.scm:174:2",
> Hint: you want to add ssh in use-package-modules.
>
> And similarly with services:
>
> guix system: error: failed to load 'vm-image.tmpl':
> vm-image.tmpl:7:0: vm-image.tmpl:7:0: Service module "abc" does not
> exist.
> Check the "use-service-modules" line in your configuration.
> Hint: You may use `guix system search foo` to search for foo's location.
> Hint: If you get the line "location: gnu/services/ssh.scm:188:2",
> Hint: you want to add ssh in use-service-modules.
>
> Maybe that's too much?

Not for me. Looks great! Just a couple minor suggestions:

1) How about narrowing search to locations like this:

Hint: You may use `guix package --show=foo | grep location` to search for foo's 
location.

2) I think you mean to say "foo" where you say "ssh" in the last two HINTs