configure.ac: Set default value for the 'prefix' variable.

The Guix standard configuration uses a localstatedir of /var and a sysconfdir
of /etc.  To ease things for everyone, make the default values match that
standard expected configuration.  See
<https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2024-05/msg00003.html> for a
related discussion.

* configure.ac: Default $prefix to '' unless already set.
* doc/contributing.texi (Building from Git): Streamline doc.
* doc/guix-cookbook.texi (Guix environment via direnv): Likewise.

Reviewed-by: Ludovic Courtès <ludo@gnu.org>
Change-Id: I23cd12b58a842d246fbc9fdc740311c573eb0212
This commit is contained in:
Maxim Cournoyer 2024-05-17 15:06:02 -04:00
parent 94c8cec999
commit 77771036f0
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3 changed files with 7 additions and 18 deletions

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@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ more information.
Then, run:
@example
./configure --localstatedir=/var --sysconfdir=/etc
./configure
@end example
@noindent
@ -246,19 +246,6 @@ normal @code{sysconfdir} value. Note that you will probably not run
important to pass the right @code{localstatedir} and @code{sysconfdir}
values, which get recorded in the @code{(guix config)} Guile module.
When configuring Guix on a system that already has a Guix installation,
be sure to specify the same state directory as the existing installation
using the @option{--localstatedir} option of the @command{configure}
script (@pxref{Directory Variables, @code{localstatedir},, standards,
GNU Coding Standards}). Usually, this @var{localstatedir} option is set
to the value @file{/var}. The @command{configure} script protects
against unintended misconfiguration of @var{localstatedir} so you do not
inadvertently corrupt your store (@pxref{The Store}). The configuration
directory should also be configured by setting the @option{--sysconfdir}
option to the @file{/etc} value, which is the location used by Guix to
store for example the access control list of authorized machines and the
definition of offload machines.
Finally, you can build Guix and, if you feel so inclined, run the tests
(@pxref{Running the Test Suite}):