this post was submitted on 31 Dec 2023
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Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Reposting because it looks like federation failed.

I was just reading about it, it sounds like a pretty cool OS and package manager. Has anyone actually used it?

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Using Scheme instead of a purely functional language like Nix as the Nix/Guix expression language is a bold choice I am not sure I agree with.

Scheme is the most functional of all non-purely-functional languages that I know of. What's more, the parts of Guix in which packages are defined are quite pure, even using monads for some things, so it is really not too different from the Nix language.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

the parts of Guix in which packages are defined are quite pure, even using monads for some things

Monads have nothing to do with purity. In fact, one of the most infamous usages of them is Haskell's IO monad which is probably the most impure construct in the entire language.

it is really not too different from the Nix language.

Hm, I can't help but think that a lisp dialect can never really be similar to any language except another lisp.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

No, monadic interface is used to programmatically access the store instead of being used to define packages. Packages are pure in Guix.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

So I guess they just wanted to use an established language?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Guile Scheme is the official extensions language for the GNU Project. Guile and Guix's history often intersect as Guix is seen as the shining poster child of Guile and contributes to a lot of Guile's development.

When you say "Scheme" you should also refer to what type of Scheme you're referring to as there are multiple with different feature sets/goals.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago