doc: Add "Adding New Packages".

* doc/guix.texi (Adding New Packages): New section.
  (Packaging Guidelines): Make a subsection thereof.
  (From the Source Tarball to the Package): New subsection.
  (Contributing): Link to "Adding New Packages".
  (Package Modules): Link to modules in Guile's manual.
This commit is contained in:
Ludovic Courtès 2013-07-17 11:59:48 +02:00
parent c71493c8b9
commit b81e194706
1 changed files with 87 additions and 24 deletions

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@ -1482,9 +1482,9 @@ tight integration of GNU components, and an emphasis on programs and
tools that help users exert that freedom. tools that help users exert that freedom.
@menu @menu
* Packaging Guidelines:: What goes into the distribution.
* Installing Debugging Files:: Feeding the debugger. * Installing Debugging Files:: Feeding the debugger.
* Package Modules:: Packages from the programmer's viewpoint. * Package Modules:: Packages from the programmer's viewpoint.
* Adding New Packages:: Growing the distribution.
* Bootstrapping:: GNU/Linux built from scratch. * Bootstrapping:: GNU/Linux built from scratch.
* Porting:: Targeting another platform or kernel. * Porting:: Targeting another platform or kernel.
@end menu @end menu
@ -1492,25 +1492,6 @@ tools that help users exert that freedom.
Building this distribution is a cooperative effort, and you are invited Building this distribution is a cooperative effort, and you are invited
to join! @ref{Contributing}, for information about how you can help. to join! @ref{Contributing}, for information about how you can help.
@node Packaging Guidelines
@section Packaging Guidelines
@c Adapted from http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html.
The GNU operating system has been developed so that users can have
freedom in their computing. GNU is @dfn{free software}, meaning that
users have the @url{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html,four
essential freedoms}: to run the program, to study and change the program
in source code form, to redistribute exact copies, and to distribute
modified versions. Packages found in the GNU distribution provide only
software that conveys these four freedoms.
In addition, the GNU distribution follow the
@url{http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html,free
software distribution guidelines}. Among other things, these guidelines
reject non-free firmware, recommendations of non-free software, and
discuss ways to deal with trademarks and patents.
@node Installing Debugging Files @node Installing Debugging Files
@section Installing Debugging Files @section Installing Debugging Files
@ -1575,8 +1556,9 @@ the load. To check whether a package has a @code{debug} output, use
From a programming viewpoint, the package definitions of the From a programming viewpoint, the package definitions of the
distribution are provided by Guile modules in the @code{(gnu packages distribution are provided by Guile modules in the @code{(gnu packages
...)} name space---for instance, the @code{(gnu packages emacs)} module ...)} name space (@pxref{Modules, Guile modules,, guile, GNU Guile
exports a variable named @code{emacs}, which is bound to a Reference Manual}). For instance, the @code{(gnu packages emacs)}
module exports a variable named @code{emacs}, which is bound to a
@code{<package>} object (@pxref{Defining Packages}). The @code{(gnu @code{<package>} object (@pxref{Defining Packages}). The @code{(gnu
packages)} module provides facilities for searching for packages. packages)} module provides facilities for searching for packages.
@ -1584,7 +1566,87 @@ The distribution is fully @dfn{bootstrapped} and @dfn{self-contained}:
each package is built based solely on other packages in the each package is built based solely on other packages in the
distribution. The root of this dependency graph is a small set of distribution. The root of this dependency graph is a small set of
@dfn{bootstrap binaries}, provided by the @code{(gnu packages @dfn{bootstrap binaries}, provided by the @code{(gnu packages
bootstrap)} module. More on this in the next section. bootstrap)} module. For more information on bootstrapping,
@ref{Bootstrapping}.
@node Adding New Packages
@section Adding New Packages
The GNU distribution is nascent and may well lack some of your favorite
packages. This section describes how you can help make the distribution
grow. @ref{Contributing}, for additional information on how you can
help.
@menu
* Packaging Guidelines:: What goes into the distribution.
* From the Source Tarball to the Package:: The story of a package.
@end menu
@node Packaging Guidelines
@subsection Packaging Guidelines
@c Adapted from http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html.
The GNU operating system has been developed so that users can have
freedom in their computing. GNU is @dfn{free software}, meaning that
users have the @url{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html,four
essential freedoms}: to run the program, to study and change the program
in source code form, to redistribute exact copies, and to distribute
modified versions. Packages found in the GNU distribution provide only
software that conveys these four freedoms.
In addition, the GNU distribution follow the
@url{http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html,free
software distribution guidelines}. Among other things, these guidelines
reject non-free firmware, recommendations of non-free software, and
discuss ways to deal with trademarks and patents.
@node From the Source Tarball to the Package
@subsection From the Source Tarball, to the Package Definition, to the Binary Package
Free software packages are usually distributed in the form of
@dfn{source code tarballs}---typically @file{tar.gz} files that contain
all the source files. Adding a package to the distribution means
essentially two things: adding a @dfn{recipe} that describes how to
build the package, including a list of other packages required to build
it, and adding @dfn{package meta-data} along with that recipe, such as a
description and licensing information.
In Guix all this information is embodied in @dfn{package definitions}.
Package definitions provide a high-level view of the package. They are
written using the syntax of the Scheme programming language; in fact,
for each package we define a variable bound to the package definition,
and export that variable from a module (@pxref{Package Modules}).
However, in-depth Scheme knowledge is @emph{not} a prerequisite for
creating packages. For more information on package definitions,
@ref{Defining Packages}.
Once a package definition is in place, stored in a file in the Guix
source tree, it can be tested using the @command{guix build} command
(@pxref{Invoking guix build}). For example, assuming the new package is
called @code{gnew}, you may run this command from the Guix build tree:
@example
./pre-inst-env guix build gnew --keep-failed
@end example
Using @code{--keep-failed} makes it easier to debug build failures since
it provides access to the failed build tree.
Once your package builds correctly, please send us a patch
(@pxref{Contributing}). Well, if you need help, we will be happy to
help you too. Once the patch is committed in the Guix repository, the
new package automatically gets built on the supported platforms by
@url{http://hydra.gnu.org/gnu/master, our continuous integration
system}.
@cindex substituter
Users can obtain the new package definition simply by running
@command{guix pull} (@pxref{Invoking guix pull}). When
@code{hydra.gnu.org} is done building the package, installing the
package automatically downloads binaries from there (except when using
@code{--no-substitutes}). The only place where human intervention is
needed is to review and apply the patch.
@node Bootstrapping @node Bootstrapping
@ -1756,7 +1818,8 @@ reason.
This project is a cooperative effort, and we need your help to make it This project is a cooperative effort, and we need your help to make it
grow! Please get in touch with us on @email{guix-devel@@gnu.org}. We grow! Please get in touch with us on @email{guix-devel@@gnu.org}. We
welcome ideas, bug reports, patches, and anything that may be helpful to welcome ideas, bug reports, patches, and anything that may be helpful to
the project. the project. We particularly welcome help on packaging (@pxref{Adding
New Packages}).
Please see the Please see the
@url{http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/tree/HACKING, @url{http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/tree/HACKING,