[aklug] Fw: FSF announces fundraising support for GNU Guix, a new approach to GNU/Linux

From: Christopher Howard <ch.howard@zoho.com>
Date: Thu Dec 24 2015 - 14:57:57 AKST

I think this is rather interesting because Guix is supposed to be
modelled after Nix package manager, which i tracked a few years
ago. Nix is basically declarative functional programming ideas
translated into a package manager.

Begin forwarded message:

Date: Thu, 24 Dec 2015 16:04:46 -0500
From: "Free Software Foundation" <info@fsf.org>
To: <ch.howard@zoho.com>
Subject: FSF announces fundraising support for GNU Guix, a new approach
to GNU/Linux

![Guix Logo](http://static.fsf.org/fsforg/img/GuixSD-V.png)

The Free Software Foundation (FSF) today announced that we would begin
accepting donations as part of our support for [GNU Guix][1], a
dependable and customizable package manager, along with GuixSD, GNU's
advanced [free GNU/Linux distribution][2]. Donations will primarily go
to increasing the project's build farm capacity so it can manage the
growing number of packages and users.

[1]: https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/
[2]:
https://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html

You can help GNU Guix by
[making a contribution at the FSF-hosted page for the campaign][3]. 10%
of your contribution to Guix will also go to help the FSF meet
[its current fundraising goal][4]! Donations are accepted in US
dollars, Euro (email <donate@fsf.org> for transfer info), Bitcoin, and
Litecoin.

[3]: https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=50
[4]: https://fsf.org/appeal

There is no shortage of GNU/Linux distributions and package managers,
but GNU Guix and GuixSD distinguish themselves in several important
ways. As a package manager, Guix offers [uncommon features][5] such as
transactional upgrades and rollbacks -- users can run package
upgrades, possibly unattended, confident that they can roll back to
the previous state should the upgrade trigger bugs.

[5]: https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/html_node/Features.html

GuixSD, the Guix System Distribution, takes that to the level of the
complete operating system: instead of modifying configuration files
and other parts of the system state in a possibly irreversible
fashion, GuixSD sysadmins provide a [*declaration*][6] of what they
want the system to be like, and then *instantiate* it. The declaration
specifies details ranging from locale and timezone settings, mounted
file systems, and system services and their configuration. It can be
[instantiated][7] on the "bare metal" or in virtual machines or
containers, which simplifies testing.

[6]:
https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/html_node/Using-the-Configuration-System.html
[7]:
https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/html_node/Invoking-guix-system.html

Last but not least, Guix and GuixSD provide a unified set of
programming interfaces, making the whole system highly customizable.
The package recipes and build tools themselves are essentially
[a set of libraries][8] of [GNU Guile][9], the host language. Core
parts of the system, from initialization code to system service
management, are similarly available as libraries.

[8]:
https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/html_node/Package-Modules.html
[9]: https://www.gnu.org/software/guile/

Guix builds on low-level techniques pioneered by the [Nix][10] package
manager. These techniques notably maximize package reproducibility:
Builds are performed in isolated environments, so independent builds
are likely to produce bit-for-bit reproducible binaries. This
property, in turn, is what allows users to check whether they really
get the [corresponding source][11] of binaries they run. Guix
[provides tools for users to take advantage of reproducible builds][12],
and is part of a [broader community of free software projects][13]
committed to addressing the remaining roadblocks to reproducible
builds.

[10]: https://nixos.org/nix/
[11]: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html#section1
[12]: https://savannah.gnu.org/forum/forum.php?forum_id=8407
[13]: https://reproducible-builds.org/

The GNU Guix project was started [three years ago][14]. Today, Guix
provides almost [3,000 packages][15] available on 4 hardware
platforms. GuixSD itself is in beta stage, currently targeted
primarily at experienced users. Its small developer community has been
growing continuously, with more than 50 people who contributed
packages or code in 2015, and a number of people helping with the key
tasks of localization, Web design, and artwork.

[14]:
https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnu-system-discuss/2012-11/msg00000.html
[15]: https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/packages/

In addition to funding, GNU Guix needs more developers. Interested
hackers are invited to join the `#guix` IRC channel on
`irc.freenode.net` or the project's
[other communication channels][16]. The Web site's
[contribution page][17] lists the technical and non-technical ways in
which you can help.

[16]: https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/about/#contact
[17]: https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/contribute/

*Support for GNU Guix is part of the FSF's
[Working Together for Free Software][18] initiative, a broad campaign
to connect software freedom advocates with projects that need their
help. Other projects that have benefited from this program include the
[Replicant][19] free mobile operating system, and the federated Web
media-publishing platform [GNU MediaGoblin][20].*

[18]: https://www.fsf.org/working-together/fund
[19]: https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=19
[20]: https://my.fsf.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=36

Happy hacking,

Ludovic Courtès, Guix maintainer
John Sullivan, FSF executive director

*Read online:
<https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/fsf-announces-support-for-gnu-guix>*

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Received on Thu Dec 24 13:20:34 2015

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