Linux distribution and package manager Guix 1.2 has already been released

Have been launched the GNU Guix 1.2 package manager and the GNU / Linux distribution kit built on this base. 

The distribution kit can be installed as a standalone operating system in virtualization systems, in containers and on conventional hardware, and it can be run on already installed GNU / Linux distributions, acting as a platform to implement applications.

User has functions such as dependency accounting, work without root, roll back to previous versions in case of problems, configuration management, environment cloning (creating an exact copy of the software environment on other computers), etc.

It is worth mentioning that the GNU Guix package manager is based on the operation of the project nix and, in addition to the typical functions package management, supports features such as performing transactional updates, the ability to roll back updates, work without gaining superuser privileges, support for profiles linked to individual users, the ability to simultaneously install multiple versions of a program, garbage collectors (identification and removal of unused versions of packages). 

To define the application build scripts and the packaging rules, it is proposed to use a domain-specific high-level language Guile Scheme API components, which allow all package management operations to be performed in the functional programming language Scheme.

Main novelties of Guix 1.2

In this new version for the package manager the ability to authenticate package repositories was implemented "Guix pull" and similar commands now cryptographically authenticate code that is pulled from the repository, preventing unauthorized commits from being pulled from the repository.

Alsos added command "Guix git authenticate", which pallows to use the authentication mechanism proposed for arbitrary git repositories.

The commands "Guix pull" and "guix system reconfigure" are implemented to detect and block system rollback to old versions in order to prevent programs from being reverted to vulnerable versions in order to exploit the vulnerabilities fixed in the current versions.

Added an automatic update service which periodically executes "guix pull" and "guix system reconfigure" to keep the system up to date, as well as support for SHA-3 and BLAKE2 crypto hashes to the compilation process and API.

Graphical installer usability improved and the script to install Guix in the environment of other distributions.

We can also find the new paging modes to the guix search, the guix system search and similar commands.

Besides that work was done on reducing compilation time and the consumption of resources when executing the command «guix pull» taking advantage of the new compiler introduced in Guile 3.0.4 and that added hurd-vm service with Guix GNU / Hurd system cross-compilation that runs as a virtual machine on GNU / Linux.

Were added three new package transformation options "–With-debug-info", "–with-c-toolchain" and "–without-tests".

The command "Guix pack -RR" adds support for the "fakechroot" engine to create relocatable packages that can be run in environments without Guix.

Added "gnu image" module and "guix system disk-image –image-type = TYPE" command to work with system images on ISO-9660, qcow2 with ext4 partitions, ext2 with Hurd options, etc.

It is also mentioned that new system services added lxqt, udev-rules, hostapd, zram, autossh, webssh, ganati, gmnisrv, guix-build-coordinator, guix-build-coordinator-agent, guix-build-coordinator-queue-builds, hurd-console, hurd-getty, hurd-vm, rshiny.

As well as the updated versions of programs in 3652 packages, 1999 new packages added. Including updated versions of GNOME 3.34.2, MATE 1.24.1, enlightenment 0.24.2, xfce 4.14.2, xorg-server 1.20.8, bash 5.0.16, gcc 10.2.0, gimp 2.10.22, glibc 2.31, go to 1.14.10 , inkscape 1.0.1, libreoffice 6.4.6.2, linux-libre 5.9.3, openjdk 14.0, python 3.8.2, rust 1.46.0.

Another of the changes mentioned:

  • The minimum binary set for x86_64 and i686 architectures has been reduced to 60MB.
  • Added support for FS NTFS in the graphical installer.
  • Work has started on the implementation of the native GNU / Hurd support.

Download Guix 1.2

Finally for those who are interested in testing the package manager or distribution, you can check the details installation and / or find the images for download, In the following link.

The images for installation in USB Flash (489 MB) and their use in virtualization systems (479 MB). Supported work on i686, x86_64, armv7, and aarch64 architectures.


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