LWN.net Logo

GNU Guix launches

GNU Guix launches

Posted Nov 26, 2012 16:42 UTC (Mon) by cmm (guest, #81305)
In reply to: GNU Guix launches by khim
Parent article: GNU Guix launches

Oh, I realize that.

Thing is, the GNU folks realize that quite well too.  And since they haven't changed their policy yet, what makes anyone think that rehashing the same tedious arguments yet again will have any effect?

BTW, I believe Guile comes with a reasonably functional implementation of ECMAScript these days.  I don't think anyone is using that, though.  Perhaps that's selection bias at work (if you've already chosen Guile over, say, Lua, then it's a safe bet you like Scheme), and/or perhaps syntax is just Not Interesting enough anyway.


(Log in to post comments)

GNU Guix launches

Posted Nov 26, 2012 17:30 UTC (Mon) by tzafrir (subscriber, #11501) [Link]

I read the name of that language as EMACSscript.

GNU Guix launches

Posted Nov 27, 2012 0:09 UTC (Tue) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]

It comes with that too :) at least, it comes with a (partial, last I checked) implementation of emacs lisp.

GNU Guix launches

Posted Nov 26, 2012 21:30 UTC (Mon) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link]

BTW, I believe Guile comes with a reasonably functional implementation of ECMAScript these days.

Really? Since when? Manual says ECMAScript was not the first non-Schemey language implemented by Guile, but it was the first implemented for Guile's bytecode compiler. The goal was to support ECMAScript version 3.1, a relatively small language, but the implementor was completely irresponsible and got distracted by other things before finishing the standard library, and even some bits of the syntax. So, ECMAScript does deserve a mention in the manual, but it doesn't deserve an endorsement until its implementation is completed, perhaps by some more responsible hacker.

Not a ringing endorsement to say the least. The only language which is kinda-sorta-maybe-supported is Emacs Lisp and it's not clear why anyone will want that if they don't like Scheme.

P.S. It's funny, really. Guile is still pushed really hard by FSF backers and it's used in some fringe projects (like Lilypond, or Gnucash, or, I don't know, Guix) but when serious people need real scripting for their real needs they choose... something else. In fact you can easily see when project built around guile tries to finally reach normal people: it's when guile is finally get a sane alternative.

GNU Guix launches

Posted Nov 26, 2012 23:09 UTC (Mon) by elanthis (guest, #6227) [Link]

Wow, that manual entry actually insults someone who contributed code for free? Good job on completely pushing away other on-the-fence contributors. Some people do have more to do with their time than try to fully implement a complex feature for nothing in return besides potential contempt and ridicule.

GNU Guix launches

Posted Nov 27, 2012 0:10 UTC (Tue) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]

I suspect you'll find the manual entry was written by the very person who got distracted. :) it feels like self-deprecation to me.

GNU Guix launches

Posted Nov 27, 2012 1:27 UTC (Tue) by elanthis (guest, #6227) [Link]

Ah, alright. That obviously doesn't translate very well with a quick reading. :)

Copyright © 2013, Eklektix, Inc.
Comments and public postings are copyrighted by their creators.
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds