Ricardo Wurmus <rek...@elephly.net> writes:
> Ludovic Courtès <l...@gnu.org> writes: > >> Hello, >> >> I think “Guix System” is OK. > > I think so too. I recommend against renaming GuixSD >> "Guix System". Here is Why: 1) A noob would expect "guix system" to refer to the whole Guix enchilada. If we use it to refer to GuixSD, a specific Guix deployment mode, we have created a new, counter-intuitive thing we have to explain. 2) As Ricardo points out below, the "guix system" command clashes with this use of Guix system. This is a second counter-intuitive thing we would have to explain. Bottom line: we shouln'd use the general term "Guix System" in any way beyond, perhaps in a descriptway way, e.g., The Guix project develops the Guix System, a set of tools that manage software environments. >> Most of the time we’ll just say “Guix”, as >> is already the case, and when we need to disambiguate (for instance when >> addressing bugs), we’ll ask “Are you using Guix System?” or “Are you >> using the Guix distro?”, and everything will be fine. :-) > > Exactly. > > I wrote this on IRC: > > The name “GuixSD” is opaque and creates an arbitrary distinction between > the system running on bare metal and the systems you can create with the > “guix system” commands. It makes it difficult to communicate about > Guix. Do we really offer “a package manager” and a “distro” — or is it > really all one thing with various levels? > > The “guix system” command can be used without GuixSD to create Guix > virtual machines or containers. Describing “guix system” is difficult > when we think in terms of “package manager” vs “distro”. Guix itself is > also a distro – none of the packages it provides link with the host > system, and the collection of packages is a distribution of free > software. > > I think that simplifying the name by using “guix” as a category will > make communication easier. > >> The motivation for this name change is that “SD” is obscure to most, as >> you note, plus it creates confusion when people visit the web site: the >> web site has a “GuixSD” logo, but then it talks about features of the >> package manager. Designating the whole tool set as “Guix” will simplify >> this, and we can always be more specific when we need to. > > I agree. I agree too. You may recall that I recommendi this approach when we discussed the web site in January. That thread includes a product description [1] that might be a good place to start when describing the "whole tool set". [1] https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2018-01/msg00457.html