Subject: /run should be cleaned on boot
From: Vagrant Cascadian <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:23:54 -0700
List-Id: <debbugs-submit.debbugs.gnu.org>

So, if there are files sitting around in /run, they do not get cleaned
up unless it is something guix is already aware of
(e.g. /run/setuid-programs).

I noticed this when experimenting with:

  https://issues.guix.gnu.org/61462
  Add support for file capabilities(7)

Even after a reboot, the leftovers from that experimental patchset were
still present in /run...

While I know that Guix does not really follow the FHS in most respects,
maybe the intention of /run defined there should still be respected?

  https://refspecs.linuxfoundation.org/FHS_3.0/fhs/ch03s15.html

  3.15. /run : Run-time variable data
  3.15.1. Purpose

  This directory contains system information data describing the system
  since it was booted. Files under this directory must be cleared
  (removed or truncated as appropriate) at the beginning of the boot
  process.
  ...

Many distros implement this by having /run on a tmpfs, but making sure
to clean up /run at boot seems like a reasonable thing to do at the very
least.

I am not sure if it makes sense to do housecleaning of /run from guix
system reconfigure ... as there may be legitimate uses for other
processes to write there.

live well,
  vagrant