# Guix home reconfigure not installing packages

**URL:** <https://forum.systemcrafters.net/t/guix-home-reconfigure-not-installing-packages/1625>\
**Category:** Guix\
**Created:** [May 23, 2025, 2:23pm UTC](https://forum.systemcrafters.net/t/guix-home-reconfigure-not-installing-packages/1625 "2025-05-23T14:23:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rbrins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@rbrins](https://forum.systemcrafters.net/u/rbrins)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 2:23pm UTC](https://forum.systemcrafters.net/t/guix-home-reconfigure-not-installing-packages/1625/1 "2025-05-23T14:23:24Z")

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I’m using guix system and I’ve ran into a problem with `guix home reconfigure /path/to/config.scm` not installing packages through package-\>specification list I’m providing. It goes through the motions that looks like it is downloading and building profiles but when it finishes.

- Non of the installed packages show up when `guix package --list-installed`.
- The `.bash_profile` is updated correctly with the aliases I’ve placed there
- I’ve tried logging /relogging
- I’ve ran `guix home describe` and it shows the generation I’m on

Any idea how to get the packages available?

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**Author:** ![altomcat](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.systemcrafters.net/altomcat/32/583_2.png) [@altomcat](https://forum.systemcrafters.net/u/altomcat)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2025, 2:43pm UTC](https://forum.systemcrafters.net/t/guix-home-reconfigure-not-installing-packages/1625/2 "2025-05-24T14:43:04Z")

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Hey @rbrins,

In Guix, you can have multiple profiles as a single user. A profile is a kind of directory where your packages are stored.

With `guix home describe --list-installed` you’ll get the list of installed packages within your **home profile** (related to guix home).  
You’ll use `guix package --list-installed` instead after a `guix install whatever-app`.  
By default it’s using the **user’s default profile** which is different from the **home profile**. You can point to another profile with `-p`.

My approach is to define a minimum set of packages inside _config.scm_ to provide a light but functional system then I prefer to use` guix home` to deal with the other packages. It can be slow for you with a large amount of packages. Try to experiment a bit with it.  
You can also `guix shell the-App` for a tempory use of an application.

Are you using Guix on top of a foreign distro ?  
Can you share your home config file ?