GNU bug report logs - #42247
Channel news raise error on `guix pull`

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pierre Neidhardt <mail <at> ambrevar.xyz>
To: bug-guix <at> gnu.org
Subject: Channel news raise error on `guix pull`
Date: Tue, 07 Jul 2020 16:54:22 +0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

I've added a news-file entry to my channel:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(channel
 (version 0)
 (news-file "news.scm"))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

which contains

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(channel-news
 (version 0)
 (entry (commit "25387230a7f99c2b0886488ed061747c9e00434a")
        (title (en "Hello"))
        (body (en "World!"))))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

Reading the news file from the REPL works.

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(with-input-from-file "/home/ambrevar/projects/foo/news.scm"
                          (lambda ()
                            (read-channel-news (current-input-port))))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

However, guix pull chokes on it:

--8<---------------cut here---------------start------------->8---
(repl-version 0 0)
(exception unbound-variable (value #f) (value "Unbound variable: ~S") (value (channel-news)) (value #f))
--8<---------------cut here---------------end--------------->8---

I first encountered this issue in Feb 2020, but this issue might have
been around since channel news were introduced.

-- 
Pierre Neidhardt
https://ambrevar.xyz/

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Message #8 received at 42247 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
To: Pierre Neidhardt <mail <at> ambrevar.xyz>
Cc: 42247 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#42247: Channel news raise error on `guix pull`
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:26:39 +0200

Hi,

Pierre Neidhardt <mail <at> ambrevar.xyz> skribis:

> However, guix pull chokes on it:
>
> (repl-version 0 0)
> (exception unbound-variable (value #f) (value "Unbound variable: ~S") (value (channel-news)) (value #f))

This suggests that the ‘news.scm’ file of your channel is being picked
up and evaluated as if it were a module, which it’s not.

The solution is to rename it to, say, ‘news.txt’, or to move the actual
modules to a sub-directory and specify that in ‘.guix-channel’ (info
"(guix) Channels").

HTH!

Ludo’.

Message #15 received at 42247 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pierre Neidhardt <mail <at> ambrevar.xyz>
To: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 42247 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#42247: Channel news raise error on `guix pull`
Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2020 11:13:24 +0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org> writes:

> This suggests that the ‘news.scm’ file of your channel is being picked
> up and evaluated as if it were a module, which it’s not.
>
> The solution is to rename it to, say, ‘news.txt’, or to move the actual
> modules to a sub-directory and specify that in ‘.guix-channel’ (info
> "(guix) Channels").

Thanks for the hint, this works indeed!

1. Is there anything we can do to catch this error and output a more
intelligible error message?

2. I suggest we document this pitfall in the documentation.

Cheers!

-- 
Pierre Neidhardt
https://ambrevar.xyz/

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Message #18 received at 42247 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
To: Pierre Neidhardt <mail <at> ambrevar.xyz>
Cc: 42247 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#42247: Channel news raise error on `guix pull`
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:27:39 +0200

Hi,

Pierre Neidhardt <mail <at> ambrevar.xyz> skribis:

> Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org> writes:
>
>> This suggests that the ‘news.scm’ file of your channel is being picked
>> up and evaluated as if it were a module, which it’s not.
>>
>> The solution is to rename it to, say, ‘news.txt’, or to move the actual
>> modules to a sub-directory and specify that in ‘.guix-channel’ (info
>> "(guix) Channels").
>
> Thanks for the hint, this works indeed!
>
> 1. Is there anything we can do to catch this error and output a more
> intelligible error message?

I don’t think so: Guile is just doing its job and picking up .scm
files.

> 2. I suggest we document this pitfall in the documentation.

Yup, makes sense; would you like to send a patch?

Thanks,
Ludo’.

Message #21 received at 42247 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Bengt Richter <bokr <at> bokr.com>
To: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
Cc: Pierre Neidhardt <mail <at> ambrevar.xyz>, 42247 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#42247: Channel news raise error on `guix pull`
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 14:50:23 +0200

On +2020-07-13 12:27:39 +0200, Ludovic Courtès wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Pierre Neidhardt <mail <at> ambrevar.xyz> skribis:
> 
> > Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org> writes:
> >
> >> This suggests that the ‘news.scm’ file of your channel is being picked
> >> up and evaluated as if it were a module, which it’s not.
> >>
> >> The solution is to rename it to, say, ‘news.txt’, or to move the actual
> >> modules to a sub-directory and specify that in ‘.guix-channel’ (info
> >> "(guix) Channels").
> >
> > Thanks for the hint, this works indeed!
> >
> > 1. Is there anything we can do to catch this error and output a more
> > intelligible error message?
> 
> I don’t think so: Guile is just doing its job and picking up .scm
> files.
>

You are not saying that a file extension is used as hard type data
when "Guile is just doing its job ..." are you?? (unless the producer
of the filename is contracted to guarantee the extension semantics in
guile's environment at the run-time in question ...
but where is such policy documented, if so? (I don't mean looking for
.go files newer than corresponding .scm, etc))

> > 2. I suggest we document this pitfall in the documentation.
> 
> Yup, makes sense; would you like to send a patch?
> 
> Thanks,
> Ludo’.
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Regards,
Bengt Richter

Message #24 received at 42247 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pierre Neidhardt <mail <at> ambrevar.xyz>
To: Ludovic Courtès <ludo <at> gnu.org>
Cc: 42247 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#42247: Channel news raise error on `guix pull`
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2020 10:53:58 +0200

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Done: 42351 <at> debbugs.gnu.org

-- 
Pierre Neidhardt
https://ambrevar.xyz/

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