Guix gets a new Rust packaging model

While Nix and NixOS get all the attention when it comes to declarative package management, there are other, competing implementations of the same general idea. Guix, developed as part of the GNU Project, was originally based on Nix, but grew into its own thing. The project recently announced a major change to how it packages Rust and its countless dependencies and optional ‘crates’.

We have changed to a simplified Rust packaging model that is easier to automate and allows for modification, replacement and deletion of dependencies at the same time. The new model will significantly reduce our Rust packaging time and will help us to improve both package availability and quality.
↫ Hilton Chain at the Guix blog

I hear people talk about Nix and NixOS all the time – I tried it myself, too, but I felt I was using an IBM z17 mainframe to watch a YouTube video – and in fact, Nix has kind of become a meme in and of itself, but you never hear people talk about Guix. With this being OSNews, I’m assuming there’s going to be people here using it, and I’m incredibly curious about your experiences. What are the features and benefits that make you use it?

If you’re curious – the best way to try Guix is probably to install the GNU Guix System, the Linux distribution built around Guix and Shepard, GNU’s alternative init system. It’s available for i686, x86_64, ARMv7, and AArch64, and can be virtualised too, of course.