Re: [GSoC] Porting GuixSD to GNU Hurd draft

[Manolis Ragkousis]

On 03/24/16 13:38, Justus Winter wrote:
> Otoh if we could properly build packages, we could provide the
> substitutes, so people could try Guix on the Hurd without going
> through the 12h+ bootstrap procedure.

Here the problem is not isolation but the fact that we don't have a
substitutes server.  The machine I had at my house crashed and I cannot
bring it back up remotely. When I get back to my home island and revive
it, this will not be an issue.

> Here is an overview of the early server bootstrap in the Hurd.  It is
> slightly outdated, but still the best description that I know of:
> 
> http://teythoon.cryptobitch.de/posts/bootstrapping-the-hurd/
>

It definitely is!! Nice one!!

> Hmmm, so one still needs a filesystem, right?  That's going to be a
> bit tricky too, since whatever tool you use for that purpose, it
> surely does not support creating hurdish passive translator records.
> Without passive translator records things get indeed more interesting.
> I have a patch for some tool for creating ext2 filesystems that could
> help, or we create all the passive translator records on first boot
> similar to how Samuels Debian/Hurd live cds deal with that.  Or I
> finish my bootshell work that can boot from filesystems without
> passive translator records.

Where can I find more info on those?

Manolis