GNU bug report logs - #56016
[BUG] Various confusing error messages.

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: "(" <paren <at> disroot.org>
To: <bug-guix <at> gnu.org>
Subject: [BUG] Various confusing error messages.
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2022 07:50:54 +0100

This issue aims to document error messages in Guix that need to be
improved. If you get an error message and you have no idea what it's
trying to tell you, please send it here!

~ Unbound variable while building package cache

This might be a Guile or Guix thing, not sure which. Using the recent
libpng/guix-gaming problem as an example:

---
Generating package cache for
'/gnu/store/1mzdd7rf9r34xiibcs1gpjsf7jkh6a0r-profile'...
(exception unbound-variable (value #f) (value "Unbound variable: ~S")
(value (libpng-1.2)) (value #f))
---

This error message doesn't tell you *where* the unbound variable is,
which means people may (and have! <https://issues.guix.gnu.org/56012>)
report this as a Guix issue, not a guix-gaming issue.

This error should perhaps look something like

---
Error: Unbound variable `libpng-1.2' in gaming/packages/whatever.scm
---

~ Network disconnection while downloading things

When the network disconnects during a download, Guix usually either
hangs or says something like "corrupt archive while restoring input from
socket" (I haven't been able to reproduce this, so I don't remember the
exact message).

Guix should probably poll the network and check whether it's down, then
report an error and try to reconnect for perhaps 30 seconds before
giving up.

Message #8 received at 56016 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Josselin Poiret <dev <at> jpoiret.xyz>
To: "(" <paren <at> disroot.org>, 56016 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#56016: [BUG] Various confusing error messages.
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2022 12:33:37 +0200

Hello,

paren--- via Bug reports for GNU Guix <bug-guix <at> gnu.org> writes:
> ~ Unbound variable while building package cache
>
> This might be a Guile or Guix thing, not sure which. Using the recent
> libpng/guix-gaming problem as an example:
>
> ---
> Generating package cache for
> '/gnu/store/1mzdd7rf9r34xiibcs1gpjsf7jkh6a0r-profile'...
> (exception unbound-variable (value #f) (value "Unbound variable: ~S")
> (value (libpng-1.2)) (value #f))
> ---

For now, [1] should add more context to this error message by printing
the whole backtrace.

You need the new `guix pull`'d guix first though before you can benefit
from it for future guix pulls (and time-machines) :)

[1] https://issues.guix.gnu.org/55911
    https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=55911

Best,
-- 
Josselin Poiret

Message #11 received at 56016 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: "(" <paren <at> disroot.org>
To: "Josselin Poiret" <dev <at> jpoiret.xyz>, <56016 <at> debbugs.gnu.org>
Subject: Re: bug#56016: [BUG] Various confusing error messages.
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2022 15:43:49 +0100

On Thu Jun 16, 2022 at 11:33 AM BST, Josselin Poiret wrote:
> For now, [1] should add more context to this error message by printing
> the whole backtrace.

Nice!

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