Re: Building a software toolchain that works

[Ryan Prior]

On Wednesday, March 16th, 2022 at 2:02 PM, Josselin Poiret <dev@jpoiret.xyz> 
wrote:

> Let me chime in on a specific point.
>[...]
> I don't think I would've written these patches without Guix's help.

This is CRUCIAL to Guix's value proposition: by abstracting away so much of the 
incidental complexity of software, Guix enables a nimble, carefree mode of 
hacking where you'll create and improve software that would never have been 
worth the trouble otherwise.

Proposals like David's `guix contribute` play on the strength of Guix as an 
enabling technology. That's exactly the kind of thing I meant when I wrote 
"double down." How can I encourage the improvement & implementation of such 
proposals? A few notions:

a. My Guile isn't strong enough to put together a proof-of-concept in Guix as a 
solo effort. I might be able to write a PoC in concert with a more experienced 
Guiler. We could schedule some strategy & pair programming sessions to get 
something on track.

b. I could work on a PoC using a language I'm better trained with (elisp, Ruby 
and JavaScript are my three strongest languages probably.) I don't know how 
that would be received by the Guix commons, I've felt discouraged in the past 
to extend Guix unless it's in Guile but perhaps that's a false anxiety.

c. I could also provide some funding if somebody has time & skills to create a 
PoC and just needs the financial incentive. If this is you, reach out.


I've been pleased to see ideas resonate in this thread. It makes me believe 
many of us have some form of this thought in our heads and that by socializing 
we can bring something fresh to the free software world. What are the next 
steps?