Re: Git-LFS or Git Annex?

[Philip McGrath]

Hi,

On 1/24/24 10:22, Ludovic Courtès wrote:


The question boils down to: Git-LFS or Git Annex?

[...]

What’s your experience?  What would you suggest?



I have a few times had a problem for which I thought Git LFS might be a 
solution, and each time I have ended up ripping out Git LFS in 
frustration before long.


I have not used Git Annex. I have looked into it a few times, but each 
time I decided it was too complex or not quite suitable for my use-case 
in some way. On the other hand, I have heard good things about it from 
people who have used it: in particular, I believe Morgan Lemmer-Webber 
(CC'ed) used it to manage a large set of art history images.


The main thing in this context that still isn't clear to me from by 
reading so far is how sharing lists of remotes works with Git Annex. In 
plain Git, remotes are part of the local state of a particular clone, 
not distributed as part of the repository. For the objectives here, 
though, a lot of the benefit would seem to be having many copies in 
synchronized, possibly "special" remotes so that anyone trying to get 
the videos would have plenty of ways to get them. I'm not sure to what 
extent Git Annex does that out of the box.


I did see that Git Annex can use Git LFS as a "special remote".

There are also two other approaches I think would be worth at least 
considering:


1. Just use Git

While the limitations of Git for storing large media files are well 
known, I have found it to be good enough for several use-cases, and it 
has the strong advantage of not requiring additional tools. My 
impression is that a significant factor in people using Git LFS, in 
particular, is the limit on repository size imposed by the popular 
hosting providers. There are strategies within Git to avoid having to 
download unwanted artifacts, including creating branches with unrelated 
histories, shallow clones (e.g. --depth=1 --single-branch), partial 
clones [1][2][3] (e.g. --filter=blob:none), and sparse checkouts [4][5], 
with the later two being fairly new features.


[1]: https://git-scm.com/docs/partial-clone
[2]: 
https://git-scm.com/docs/git-clone#Documentation/git-clone.txt---filterltfilter-specgt
[3]: 
https://git-scm.com/docs/git-rev-list#Documentation/git-rev-list.txt---filterltfilter-specgt

[4]: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-sparse-checkout
[5]: https://git-scm.com/docs/git-clone#Documentation/git-clone.txt---sparse

2. Mirror URLs

Another approach would be just to make each video available at a few 
URLs and have Guix origins with the list. If one of the available URLs 
were the Internet Archive, it would have a high degree of assurance of 
long-term preservation. I think the biggest downside is that this might 
not help much with managing the collection of videos.


Philip

Re: Feedback of the GNU Guix manual

[Matt]

Friendly bump.

Attached is a suggested diff.

A previous suggestion was made to change "system" to the proper noun "System", 
as in the "Guix System", within the Binary Installation section.  The change 
would occur in a warning that moving unpacked binary tarballs as directed on 
existing Guix installations will overwrite system files.

The suggested capitalization would be improper since the "system" referred to 
is "an arbitrary system" and not specifically the Guix System.

The broader context is that the change suggested occurs within the Binary 
Installation section.  Since, there is no apparent reason why a user of an 
existing Guix installation would need to perform a binary installation, this 
patch removes the warning sentence (containing the confusing usage of "system") 
and moves it to the beginning of the section so that readers may understand the 
risk at the start and to decide whether this section applies to them before 
reading further.

The change also corrects the overly broad term "arbitrary system" to the 
specific "Linux or Hurd-based system."  Guix does not work with BSD, Haiku, 
Windows, or Darwin systems.  While installing Guix on these systems may be 
possible, by some definitions of "install", doing so for an end-user would be 
silly, since it wouldn't function as expected.

The change also more accurately lists the requirements.  Previously, it was 
stated that only tar and Xz are required.  This is false since Guix requires a 
Linux or Hurd-based system.

The explanation of "a self-contained tarball providing binaries for Guix and 
for all its dependencies" was reduced to the simpler "archived binaries."  
Generally, "tarball" is imprecise, hence the need to explain what it contains 
in this context.  Further, it's jargon, may not be familiar to some readers, 
and isn't relevant to the point of the introduction, that Guix may be installed 
without needing to compile and why that might be desirable.

Specific mention of installing Guix's dependencies was removed.  Guix being 
installed implies that its dependencies are also installed.

The warning line was added in commit:
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/commit/?id=5dc3ce5f6c7990f44143f8e9bb9a873a014a82e4.
The warning orginates from this commit:
https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/commit/?id=09722b11e5e618028051d5f6d14eb13529dc7100

I see no associated issue referenced in the commits.  I assume the warning is 
simply being cautious.

#+begin_src diff
diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi
index 4af830aed7..16349d4ec1 100644
--- a/doc/guix.texi
+++ b/doc/guix.texi
@@ -732,14 +732,16 @@ ready to use it.

 @cindex installing Guix from binaries
 @cindex installer script
-This section describes how to install Guix on an arbitrary system from a
-self-contained tarball providing binaries for Guix and for all its
-dependencies.  This is often quicker than installing from source, which
-is described in the next sections.  The only requirement is to have
-GNU@tie{}tar and Xz.
+This section describes how to install Guix from archived binaries.  Such
+installations are often quicker than building from source, which is
+described in the next sections.  Binary installations require a Linux or
+Hurd-based system with GNU@tie{}tar and Xz.
+
+@quotation Important
+This section only applies to systems without Guix.  Following it for
+existing Guix installations will overwrite important system files.

 @c Note duplicated from the ``Installation'' node.
-@quotation Note
 We recommend the use of this
 @uref{https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/plain/etc/guix-install.sh,
 shell installer script}.  The script automates the download, installation, and
#+end_src


0001-binary-installation.diff
Description: Binary data

Re: [OT: s/Joshua/Josiah/ in sig ; -] Re: [shepherd] several patches that i deem ready

[Attila Lendvai]

> > “But if you wish to remain slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own 
> > slavery, let them create money.”
> > — Joshua Stamp
> 
> ^^
> Josiah
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah_Stamp,_1st_Baron_Stamp
> 
> Hi attila (and others who, like me, may enjoy the quotations
> at the bottom of your posts :)


your report is much appreciated, and thanks for your kind words, too! it's good 
to know that someone not only enjoys them, but that it has initiated further 
research.

it reminds me of how it all started:

years ago i found myself, that on a mailing list i was only reading the end of 
mail quotes from a great hacker (http://fare.tunes.org), from whom i have 
learned a lot on a wide range of topics. and then it struck me: i should have 
this too! (be the change you want to see in the world, and whatnot... :)

in that spirit, my scripts and my collection is available below (it often has 
quotes and references in comments, and it's grouped by topics):

https://codeberg.org/attila.lendvai/dotfiles


> Should such misspellings be reported somewhere as a bug?


an email like this is perfect. you may consider keeping it off-list though, to 
respect the topic of the list.

thanks again and happy hacking,

-- 
• attila lendvai
• PGP: 963F 5D5F 45C7 DFCD 0A39
--
“Many people believe that evil is the presence of something. I think it’s the 
absence of something.”
— Lisa Unger (1970–), 'Sliver of Truth'

Re: SSH key management for Guix cloud machines

[Fabio Natali]

On 2024-01-20, 20:14 -0800, Felix Lechner  wrote:
>> How does the publishing happen exactly
>
> You can query SSH server keys remotely [1] but I would deploy keys I
> know already.

Hi Felix,

Thanks for getting back to me and sorry it took me so long to reply.

Querying the SSH server would be a bit of a catch-22 situation though,
unless the machine you're querying from is part of the same VPN as the
server.

While I do like the idea of using a DNS record, by itself this doesn't
seem to solve the trust-on-first-use issue. I'd be fine with this
solution, if the DNS were part of the same network as the newly
installed server, but that's not my case.

The other solution that comes to mind would involve:

- some kind of cloud-init service that waits until the SSH key pair is
  generated and then communicates the public key to the cloud provider;
- a cloud-init compliant cloud provider, that accepts the public key and
  then make it available to the user via a web dashboard.

I think this is what some providers do with other system images?

OTOH, UX-wise, this is much worse than the DNS record as it requires
manual intervention.

Let's see, maybe someone else might chime in with some other idea at
some point.

Thanks for now, cheers, Fabio.


-- 
Fabio Natali
https://fabionatali.com

Re: Git-LFS or Git Annex?

[Simon Tournier]

Hi Kyle,

On jeu., 25 janv. 2024 at 21:20, Kyle Meyer  wrote:

> Fwiw I think someone could do that outside Haskell, if they preferred,
> via a custom backend:
>
>   https://git-annex.branchable.com/design/external_backend_protocol/
>
> Special remotes can also be written in other languages:
>
>   https://git-annex.branchable.com/design/external_special_remote_protocol/

Thanks!  I did not know.  Indeed, it could be a nice GSoC to implement
some ‘git-annex-backend-nar’. :-)

Cheers,
simon

Re: GUIX days and FOSDEM 2024

[Pjotr Prins]

Hi all,

We have overshot 40 participants for Guix days. If you add yourself to
the list you may still get in. I think capacity is up to 50 people.
If we really have to bar people we can set up a satellite event
somewhere (a fringe of a fringe), but I think we'll be OK. 

We'll have to look for a larger venue next year!! Go go Guix!

On a separate note, our friend indieterminancy (aka Jonathan) has
organised a Friday evening dinner for us at Offdem!!

=> https://oxygen.offdem.net/pub/offdem-ourstory

Near Pont Jules de Trooz. It is a 40 minute walk past Gar du Nord, or
a bus ride away.  

Again we have a limited number of 40 seats, and others may want to
join who are not coming to Guix days, so use the following website to
sign up (you don't have to sign in - though you need to verify by
E-mail):

=> https://mobilizon.nl/events/ee570f76-1898-43ff-88f0-86f18608ff2d

signup by email option:

=> 
https://mobilizon.nl/events/ee570f76-1898-43ff-88f0-86f18608ff2d/participate/without-account

They'll cook with volunteers for a larger group in addition to ours.
If you or your partner want to help with cooking that will be much
appreciated! Maybe and antidote to geeky stuff. We can send a note.
Dinner will cost EUR 20 pp. After 10pm we should be quiet - it is
residential area.

If too many people want to sign up we can organise another satellite
dinner on Friday. Just ping us at that point. There are many
restaurants in that area. 

Do sign up - it is first come first serve in both cases.

Pj.

On Tue, Jan 16, 2024 at 05:32:09AM +, Pjotr Prins wrote:
> Guix days has close to 40 participants now - that is the number we can
> host in the main room due to fire regulations. Do add yourself if you
> intend to join because if we are too many we'll go by this list. Add
> the day if it is just for a day.
> 
> Looks like next year we need a larger venue :)
> 
> Pj.
> 
> On Thu, Jan 04, 2024 at 09:49:09PM +, Pjotr Prins wrote:
> > Just a quick heads up. Feb 1+2 we are organising Guix days and a devroom at
> > FOSDEM (Feb 4).
> > 
> > https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Group:Guix/FOSDEM2024
> > 
> > (do add your name if you want to attend - the amount of attendees of
> > Guix days is limited to some 40).
> > 
> > https://fosdem.org/2024/schedule/track/declarative-and-minimalistic-computing/
> > 
> > If you want to meet with the Guix and Guile hackers this is an event
> > you should not miss out on :). And FOSDEM is itself is free and
> > amazing. Just look at the Saturday programme:
> > 
> > https://fosdem.org/2024/schedule/day/saturday/
> > 
> > There is something for everyone. If you can't make it in person -
> > every talk is streamed.
> > 
> > Looking forward to seeing you!
> > 
> > Pj.
> > 
> 
> -- 

-- 

[OT: s/Joshua/Josiah/ in sig ;-] Re: [shepherd] several patches that i deem ready

[bokr]

On +2024-01-24 17:11:28 +, Attila Lendvai wrote:
[...]
> -- 
> • attila lendvai
> • PGP: 963F 5D5F 45C7 DFCD 0A39
> --
> “But if you wish to remain slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own 
> slavery, let them create money.”
>   — Joshua Stamp
  ^^
  Josiah


>
Hi attila (and others who, like me, may enjoy the quotations
at the bottom of your posts :)

Should such misspellings be reported somewhere as a bug?

--
Regards,
Bengt Richter