From 3ca2731c2007622ed29cca5ce7e3f7ee2b227d5d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Ludovic Courtès Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 10:15:46 +0100 Subject: doc: Introduce the Guix System Distribution. * doc/guix.texi (Introduction): Introduce "Guix System Distribution". Add a couple of sentences about it. Remove "Guixotic". (GNU Distribution): Likewise. (System Installation): Ditto. --- doc/guix.texi | 46 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++-------------------- 1 file changed, 26 insertions(+), 20 deletions(-) (limited to 'doc') diff --git a/doc/guix.texi b/doc/guix.texi index 857653dca4..911403cc31 100644 --- a/doc/guix.texi +++ b/doc/guix.texi @@ -208,9 +208,15 @@ garbage collection of packages (@pxref{Features}). Guix has a command-line interface, which allows users to build, install, upgrade, and remove packages, as well as a Scheme programming interface. +@cindex Guix System Distribution +@cindex GSD Last but not least, Guix is used to build a distribution of the GNU -system, with many GNU and non-GNU free software packages. @xref{GNU -Distribution}. +system, with many GNU and non-GNU free software packages. The Guix +System Distribution, or GNU@tie{}GSD, takes advantage of the core +properties of Guix at the system level. With GNU@tie{}GSD, users +@emph{declare} all aspects of the operating system configuration, and +Guix takes care of instantiating that configuration in a reproducible, +stateless fashion. @xref{GNU Distribution}. @c ********************************************************************* @node Installation @@ -3312,19 +3318,17 @@ build} supports (@pxref{Invoking guix build, common build options}). @node GNU Distribution @chapter GNU Distribution -@cindex Guixotic -Guix comes with a distribution of free software@footnote{The term -``free'' here refers to the +@cindex Guix System Distribution +@cindex GSD +Guix comes with a distribution of the GNU system consisting entirely of +free software@footnote{The term ``free'' here refers to the @url{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html,freedom provided to -users of that software}.} that forms the basis of the GNU system. The +users of that software}.}. The distribution can be installed on its own (@pxref{System Installation}), but it is also possible to install Guix as a package manager on top of an installed GNU/Linux system (@pxref{Installation}). To distinguish -between the two, we refer to the standalone distribution as -``Guixotic''@footnote{``How am I going to pronounce that name?'', you -may ask. Well, we would pronounce it like ``geeks-otic'', for -consistency with Guix---which is quite different from the usual -pronunciation of ``quixotic''.}. +between the two, we refer to the standalone distribution as the Guix +System Distribution, or GNU@tie{}GSD. The distribution provides core GNU packages such as GNU libc, GCC, and Binutils, as well as many GNU and non-GNU applications. The complete @@ -3341,7 +3345,7 @@ Linux-based and other variants of GNU, with a focus on the promotion and tight integration of GNU components, and an emphasis on programs and tools that help users exert that freedom. -The GNU distribution is currently available on the following platforms: +Packages are currently available on the following platforms: @table @code @@ -3361,6 +3365,8 @@ n32 application binary interface (ABI), and Linux-Libre kernel. @end table +GSD itself is currently only available on @code{i686} and @code{x86_64}. + @noindent For information on porting to other architectures or kernels, @xref{Porting}. @@ -3382,9 +3388,9 @@ to join! @xref{Contributing}, for information about how you can help. @node System Installation @section System Installation -@cindex Guixotic -This section explains how to install the standalone distribution, -code-named ``Guixotic'', on a machine. The Guix package manager can +@cindex Guix System Distribution +This section explains how to install the Guix System Distribution +on a machine. The Guix package manager can also be installed on top of a running GNU/Linux system, @pxref{Installation}. @@ -3399,13 +3405,13 @@ link that follows: @pxref{Help,,, info, Info: An Introduction}. Hit @subsection Limitations -As of version @value{VERSION}, GNU@tie{}Guix and Guixotic are -not production-ready. They may contain bugs and lack important +As of version @value{VERSION}, the Guix System Distribution (GSD) is +not production-ready. It may contain bugs and lack important features. Thus, if you are looking for a stable production system that respects your freedom as a computer user, a good solution at this point is to consider @url{http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html, one of more established GNU/Linux distributions}. We hope you can soon switch -to Guixotic without fear, of course. In the meantime, you can +to the GSD without fear, of course. In the meantime, you can also keep using your distribution and try out the package manager on top of it (@pxref{Installation}). @@ -3589,7 +3595,7 @@ about the installation image. @section System Configuration @cindex system configuration -Guixotic supports a consistent whole-system configuration +The Guix System Distribution supports a consistent whole-system configuration mechanism. By that we mean that all aspects of the global system configuration---such as the available system services, timezone and locale settings, user accounts---are declared in a single place. Such @@ -4800,7 +4806,7 @@ This action does not actually install anything. @item init Populate the given directory with all the files necessary to run the operating system specified in @var{file}. This is useful for first-time -installations of Guixotic. For instance: +installations of GSD. For instance: @example guix system init my-os-config.scm /mnt -- cgit 1.4.1