I installed Guix System on an old partly broken laptop after seeing it recommended here. Been running it for about 3 weeks and I think it will replace NixOS for me. There aren’t quite as many packages, but the gap is not that big and I’m usually ok to just use other software instead if a program is missing. I was able to make 2 packaging PRs in my first week, which I think is a testament to the choice to use Scheme. (I never wrote lisp before this.)

One thing I miss from the Nix ecosystem is that there are way more service definitions, e.g. it’s almost trivial to set up a basic Matrix server in Nix these days. That’s only due to the network effect, much larger contributor base for Nix. That can only be addressed by joining and contributing.

I love Guix. I think it’s extremely powerful, and I love that it’s the same language I use for my little Emacs world, too. As time passes I think GNU software in particular is braced to stand the test of time in better shape than many of their contemporaries. Craven opportunists that litter this field are allergic to the GPL, which is fine by me.

It sounds interesting to me but I wonder if it’s really worth the effort to learn for just personal computer use.