guix_mirror_bot pushed a commit to branch master
in repository guix.
commit 997dd3aa510c1d56487e5fdf8b4a3c7ccb45b074
Author: Ludovic Courtès <[email protected]>
AuthorDate: Sat Jan 24 23:49:41 2026 +0100
doc: cookbook: Don’t insist on mounting home directories on the head node.
* doc/guix-cookbook.texi (Setting Up a Head Node): State that mounting home
directories on the head node is “optional”.
Change-Id: Id60b54d463f5422f71a71607cd71ed347a98865e
Merges: #5890
---
doc/guix-cookbook.texi | 21 +++++++++++++++++----
1 file changed, 17 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
diff --git a/doc/guix-cookbook.texi b/doc/guix-cookbook.texi
index 0a63161e02..b04ca538ab 100644
--- a/doc/guix-cookbook.texi
+++ b/doc/guix-cookbook.texi
@@ -6022,16 +6022,29 @@ The @file{/gnu/store} directory can be exported
read-only since only
package}; thus, to allow users to install packages with @code{guix
package}, this must be read-write.
-Users can create as many profiles as they like in addition to the
-default profile, @file{~/.guix-profile}. For instance, @code{guix
-package -p ~/dev/python-dev -i python} installs Python in a profile
-reachable from the @code{~/dev/python-dev} symlink. To make sure that
+@quotation Note
+Although it is rarely used, Guix allows for the creation of profiles in
+non-default locations. For instance, @code{guix package -p
+~/dev/python-dev -i python} installs Python in a profile reachable from
+the @code{~/dev/python-dev} symlink instead of the default
+@file{~/.guix-profile}.
+
+To make sure that
this profile is protected from garbage collection---i.e., that Python
will not be removed from @file{/gnu/store} while this profile exists---,
@emph{home directories should be mounted on the head node} as well so
that @code{guix-daemon} knows about these non-standard profiles and
avoids collecting software they refer to.
+@c The following paragraph refers to Guix commit
+@c d12c4452a49b355369636de1dfc766b5bad6437b, which changed
+@c 'time-machine' and 'shell' to store GC roots under /var/guix.
+Doing so is optional though: profiles created by default by
+@command{guix package}, @command{guix pull}, and @command{guix shell}
+are all stored under @file{/var/guix} and thus protected from garbage
+collection.
+@end quotation
+
It may be a good idea to periodically remove unused bits from
@file{/gnu/store} by running @command{guix gc} (@pxref{Invoking guix
gc,,, guix, GNU Guix Reference Manual}). This can be done by adding a
