Subject: bug#31786: 'pre-inst-env guix --version' is not updated by new commits"

From: George Clemmer <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2018 20:51:30 -0400

Ludovic Courtès <[email-masked]> writes:

> George Clemmer <[email-masked]> skribis:
>
>> Ok, cool. Thanks for the clarification. So... how about adding a
>> footnote to '(guix) Running Guix Before It Is Installed' something like
>> ...
>>
>> (3) The Guix version in the Guix build is set by './configure'. Thus,
>> when guix is run from the Git working tree by './pre-inst-env guix' or a
>> '~/.config/guix/latest’ symlink, the version reported by 'guix
>> --version' is not updated by subsequent 'git pull; make' steps. To
>> update the version (and rebuild everything), you may use 'git clean
>> -dfx; ./bootstrap; ./configure; make'.
>
> I’m not comfortable documenting this because it’s nothing specific to
> Guix.

So to summarize: This behavior is a side effect of how GNU tools
work. It is obvious to anyone who understands them. You don't want to
describe things that are obvious. I understand.

But I think many users don't have a clue about GNU build tools. They may
be puzzled by how pre-inst-env works. I think the footnote would be
helpful for them. I urge you to reconsider.

> Besides, note that ~/.config/guix/latest no longer exists.

Yes, I saw you revamped Guix pull but I haven't actually used guix pull
in over a year.  I need to check the new one out.

- George