Packaging Cardano-Node for Guix, A Functional Package Manger

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Allan Rojas

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

allroj978@gmail.com

Additional applicants

None

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

3

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.” .

No dependencies

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

Project will be fully open source.

[METADATA] Category of proposal

Node

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Pre-built binaries are a significant threat to the trust model of blockchain systems. There is no way to guarantee what a binary will do until it is run, and by that point it may already be too late. Building software from source is important for security and for trust. Many users are compelled to download pre-built binaries due to their convenience, but this requires a lot of trust in the software being installed, and could result in malicious code being run.

Building from source allows one to verify that the binary does what the source code calls out. However, there are challenges when building from source:

• Incompatible software versions
• Most operating systems do not support installing multiple versions of the same software due to conflicts, and certain software mandates the use of an incompatible version. This situation is known as dependency hell
• Inconsistent builds
• Differences in build environment leads to different binaries being produced. This leads to inconsistent binaries, which appear the same, but are different in subtle, undetectable ways

Guix provides multiple tools to help developers manage their packages.

• Guix allows for multiple versions of the same software to be installed on a system without conflict
• Guix builds software in an isolated environment, with the resulting binaries being bit-for-bit identical no matter the system

In addition, Guix is a free software project, enabling maximum user freedom to use, learn from, modify, replicate, and share code without interference. This aligns with the values of the Cardano ecosystem, and combining the two will foster a more open software ecosystem.

My dream is to enable developers, enthusiasts, hackers, and the community to build software themselves, empowering them to take control of the tools they use, and to do so with as little friction as possible. Packing cardano-node for Guix will simply the process of compiling from source and serve as the stepping stone for packaging more Cardano tools for Guix. The long term goal is to enable developers to leverage Guix for managing their entire software stack in a purely functional way.

Recently, Bitcoin adopted the Guix package manager as part of their build process to minimize trust and improve reproducibility. Including cardano-node in the package repository might help on-board Bitcoin developers to the Cardano ecosystem, since they can continue using a familiar tool.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

Including cardano-node in the Guix package manager will make the Cardano network more accessible to a wider group of people. Reducing friction in building software will bring more trust to the ecosystem and allow for a much better development experience for builders in the space, and confer greater collaboration due to consistent work environments.

There are many functional programming enthusiasts in the Cardano community, but not all of them use Haskell. Guix is a popular functional package manager, written in Guile Scheme, and sees wide use do to its inclusion in Bitcoin's build system.

(Guix is also a very swanky tool, beautifully engineered and elegant in its simplicity. There will be a mutually beneficial relationship between Guix and Cardano, and a win for free and open source software as a whole.)

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

I will measure the success of the project through the adoption of Guix across various Cardano ecosystem tools. Having cardano-node available as a package will make it easier for people to package their own tools, since the main node software is already available to build on.

I will also pursue adding Guix as an optional installation method to the official documentation for cardano-node, solidifying its place within the ecosystem. Inclusion in the official documentation will be recognition of its utility.

As more people adopt the tool, people will feel compelled to write their own documentation or tutorials to teach new people how to use it. This will create a snowball effect, leading to more and more adoption as time goes on. The first step is to get the ball rolling, and I will be the one to spearhead the effort, much like Carl Dong spreadheaded it for Bitcoin.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

I will write documentation for cardano-node, detailing how one can install the software using Guix.

I will pursue inclusion of this documentation into the official repo for cardano-node.

Cardano-node currently has almost 3000 stars on its github repo, signifying its popularity. It is also the most used node client for the Cardano network.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

I use Guix as a primary tool for development due to its reproducibility, and ease of packaging.

The code I write to package cardano-node for Guix will be licensed under the GNU AGPL, similar to the upstream Guix package manger. This will make the code free and open source, to the highest standards possible. Its inclusion into the Guix pacakge repo will demonstrate its trust, having gone through a vetting process by core developers.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goals for the project are as follows:

• Successfully build cardano-node using the Guix package manger
• Submit package recipe for inclusion in upstream Guix package repository and have it accepted
• Write documentation for how to install cardano-node using the Guix package manager
• Submit my documentation to the official cardano-node github repository and have it accepted

I will validate if the approach is feasible by ensuring licensing compatibility for the invovled software packages. Cardano-node is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license, which is AGPL compatible.

Cardano-node will be built using the Guix pacakge manager. I will also be using Emacs as a development environment, for its compatibility with Guix via the emacs-guix package.

After building cardano-node with Guix, I will test it by running the software and seeing if it works correctly. From there, I begin the process of including it in Guix, following the contribution guide in the official Guix documentation.

Once accepted, I shall write the documentation explaining how to install cardano-node with Guix and submit that over git to the official cardano-node Github repository.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Month 1:

• Develop cardano-node package recipe
• Test package recipe
• Successfully build cardano-node with Guix
• Test resultant binary
• Successfully download blocks using produced binary

Month 2:

• Submit package recipe to upstream Guix package repo
• Successfully get package included in upstream package repo

Month 3:

• Write documentation for how to install cardano-node using the Guix pacakge manager
• Submit documentation to official cardano-node Github repository
• Successfully get documentation included in cardano-node Github repository

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

• I will produce a package recipe of cardano-node for the Guix package manager that successfully builds
• I will submit package recipe to be included in upstream package repository, the validity of which will be verifiable by visiting the official repository web page. All source code will be made open to the public, who are free to copy, change, modify, redistribute, etc.
• I will write documentation for cardano-node and submit for inclusion in the official Github repo.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

I will use 18k ADA to fund purchasing more powerful development equipment suitable for production. I will convert ADA to USD, which would incur capital gains taxes in the country I live in, so a portion of the funds will be set aside to pay for that. The US dollars will be used to purchase the equipment, an upgrade motherboard 13th gen intel i7 with 20 core CPU, 64GB memory, and fast nvme storage. Compiling software from source is resource intensive, so to speed up the process, the powerful and speedy hardware will minimize the time spent compiling.

Any remaining ADA funds leftover will be delegated to a mission-driven, single stake pool operator, to support small stake pools and promote decentralization.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

High end hardware is expensive, but yields incredible boosts to productivity. I am committed to developing more tools for the Cardano network, so having access powerful hardware will enable me to continue producing tools, beyond the scope of this proposal for Project Catalyst. An initial investment now will yield years of dedication to improving the network.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept