Re: [arch-haskell] ghc: /usr/share/doc/ghc/html/libraries/hslogo-16.png exists in filesystem

[Magnus Therning]

On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 05:16:24PM +0100, Mateusz Loskot wrote:
[...]
> 
> As Haskell newbie and new born Hakyll users, I've found recent
> replies [1] by Ian Ross interesting:
> 
> "I'm also using Arch Linux on x86_64.  I would strongly recommend
> *not* using the Arch packages for most Haskell things.  I use hsenv
> instead."
> 
> I haven't switched myself and I still use the packages, but I
> started to wonder if Ian's got the point indeed.
> 
> [1] https://groups.google.com/d/topic/hakyll/9G1qXBA4raU/discussion

As so often it all depends on what your goal is.  hsenv compares
itself to Python's virtualenv[1].  I've personally written quite a bit
of Python code, and used many tools and programs written in Python,
without *ever* feeling a need to use virtualenv.  The same is, so far
at least, true regarding Haskell and hsenv.  In neither language have
I ever had the need to have more than a single environment around.  On
the other hand I've often had a need to install libraries on my
system.  In those cases I personally prefer using the package
manager to make libraries available to all users on my system, i.e. I
don't use distutils and cabal to install things on my system, just as
I don't download tar-balls and run 'sudo make install' (instead I wrap
that up in a PKGBUILD and install the resulting package).

On the other hand I completely understand why virtualenv/hsenv are
useful in some cases.  By creating a virtual environment they
disconnect you from the whims of upstream (Arch & ArchHaskell),
letting you create the exact environment you need and run 'pacman
-Syu' without having to worry (too much) about breaking that service
your livelihood depends on.

/M

[1]: https://github.com/Paczesiowa/hsenv#what-is-it

-- 
Magnus Therning                      OpenPGP: 0xAB4DFBA4 
email: mag...@therning.org   jabber: mag...@therning.org
twitter: magthe               http://therning.org/magnus


Perl is another example of filling a tiny, short-term need, and then
being a real problem in the longer term.
     -- Alan Kay

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