Guix tips and tricks • Random bits and pieces

Useful Guix commands

subcommand (guix …)	description
`describe --format=channel`	Decribe channels in Guile format
`search <what>`	Search packages
`install <packages>`	Install packages and make a new generation
`package --list-installed (or -I)`	List installed packages
`package -A`	List available packages
`package -A wlr`	List available containing given word in name
add `--profile=<path>` to previous commands	List installed packages from given profile
`package --roll-back`	Roll-back to previous generation
`package --list-generations`	List generations
`package --switch-generation <>`	Switch to given generation by number
`size <package>`	Report size of package and its deps
`graph -M 2 <package>`	Produce `dot` graph of deps with depth 2
	..pipe to `xdot -` to visualize
`weather <package>`	Check if package is available as a substitute
`pull`	Update channels

List system level packages (works only of a full Guix system):

    guix packages --list-installed --profile=/run/current-system/profile

Additional channels

In ~/.config/guix/channels.scm:

(cons*
 (channel
  (name 'nonguix)
  (url "https://gitlab.com/nonguix/nonguix")
  (introduction
   (make-channel-introduction
    "897c1a470da759236cc11798f4e0a5f7d4d59fbc"
    (openpgp-fingerprint
     "2A39 3FFF 68F4 EF7A 3D29  12AF 6F51 20A0 22FB B2D5"))))
 (channel
  (name 'guix-gaming-games)
  (url "https://gitlab.com/guix-gaming-channels/games.git")
  (introduction
   (make-channel-introduction
    "c23d64f1b8cc086659f8781b27ab6c7314c5cca5"
    (openpgp-fingerprint
     "50F3 3E2E 5B0C 3D90 0424  ABE8 9BDC F497 A4BB CC7F"))))

 %default-channels)

Run Guix in VM

wget https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/guix/guix-system-vm-image-1.4.0.x86_64-linux.qcow2
qemu-system-x86_64 \
   -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci \
   -enable-kvm -m 2048 \
   -device virtio-blk,drive=myhd \
   -drive if=none,file=guix-system-vm-image-1.4.0.x86_64-linux.qcow2,id=myhd

Install Guix in VM

wget https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/guix/guix-system-install-1.4.0.x86_64-linux.iso
wget https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/guix/guix-system-install-1.4.0.x86_64-linux.iso.sig
gpg --verify guix-system-install-1.4.0.x86_64-linux.iso.sig
# Ako nemam GPG javni ključ
wget https://sv.gnu.org/people/viewgpg.php?user_id=15145 -qO - | gpg --import -

# Copy on a USB stick
dd if=guix-system-install-1.4.0.x86_64-linux.iso of=/dev/sdX status=progress
sync

# Run in VM
qemu-img create -f qcow2 guix-system-igord.qcow2 50G
qemu-system-x86_64 -m 1024 -smp 1 -enable-kvm \
  -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci -boot menu=on,order=d \
  -drive file=guix-system-igord.qcow2 \
  -drive media=cdrom,file=guix-system-install-1.4.0.x86_64-linux.iso

Follow installation instructions.

After the installation is complete run the image in VM as described in a previous node.

      qemu-system-x86_64 -m 1024 -smp 1 -enable-kvm \
      -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci -boot menu=on,order=d \
      -drive file=guix-system-igord.qcow2

System config is in /etc/config.scm. To change configuration run:

  guix pull
  sudo guix system reconfigure /etc/config.scm

See the manual.

Mount local folder inside QEMU

qemu-system-x86_64 -m 2048 -smp 1 -enable-kvm \
-nic user,model=virtio-net-pci -boot menu=on,order=d \
-drive file=guix-system-igord.qcow2 -virtfs local,path=/home/igor/repos/config/guix/,security_model=passthrough,mount_tag=host0,id=host0

Inside the guest:

      mkdir config
      sudo mount -t 9p -o trans=virtio,version=9p2000.L host0 ~/config

Running Guix Shell

guix shell --container python coreutils procps grep less util-linux bash -- bash

or simply:

      guix shell -e '(@ (gnu) %base-packages)'

or with isolation just to the current folder:

      guix shell --container -e '(@ (gnu) %base-packages)'

Interesting install config with non-free stuff

On reddit

Configure new system inside QEMU from Arch

Configuration in ~/repos/config/guix.
Mount the folder inside QEMU and run the image.
Reconfigure with sudo guix system reconfigure ~/config/system.scm

Copy paste with QEMU

For this SPICE is used. See this tutorial.
But it looks like it wont work with sway.

Use sway/wayland inside QEMU

Interesting try. It kinda works.

      qemu-system-x86_64 \
      -m 2G -smp 1 -enable-kvm \
      -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci \
      -boot menu=on,order=d \
      -drive file=guix-system-igord.qcow2 \
      -virtfs local,path=/home/igor/repos/config/,security_model=passthrough,mount_tag=host0,id=host0 \
      -device intel-hda \
      -device hda-duplex \
      -device virtio-vga-gl \
      -display gtk,gl=on