Coreutils 9.0 won't build

knedlsepp · September 8, 2022, 1:42am

Here is an example overlay I am using:

This one looks rather innocent as it is only adding a custom package on top. The overlay would only be the cause of a rebuild if you were to modify a dependency of coreutils or coreutils itself.

noblman · September 10, 2022, 10:11pm

How do I troubleshoot this? Why is coreutils being built? I don’t think I have “modified” a dependency. I’m not even sure what that means, or what that would look like.

noblman · September 10, 2022, 11:33pm

More specifically, how do I troubleshoot this? I do not think I am using a custom fork of nixpkgs. I’m not even sure how to do that. I do not have a ~/.config/nixpkgs/overlays.nix, although I do have a ~/.config/nixpkgs/overlays/ directory. I do call coreutils from home.nix like this: ${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/...

knedlsepp · September 11, 2022, 6:53am

It’s somewhat hard to tell without seeing your configuration.
If you don’t want to share it, you could try commenting out most of it and work your way to a minimal example.

Some other potential causes for that rebuild issue:

Settings in ~/.config/nixpkgs/config.nix like gcc.arch or enableCuda
You’re on an architecture that’s not guaranteed to have builds in the cache for that channel version
You’re just unlucky and happen to be on a channel version where hydra couldn’t build your package due to some intermittent failure (unlikely as for such a package as coreutils the channel would not advance)

So essentially you need to play around with your nix-channel and your configuration. In the config it could be either some “global” settings (such as the gcc.arch or enableCuda, or similar) or it’s an overlay (you mentioned “an example overlay”, do you have more?). Both of which could result in a change of coreutils dependencies and thus the need for a local build.

knedlsepp · September 11, 2022, 7:08am

This won’t help you with your problem, but as a sidenote:
This is a “known issue” in the nix ecosystem that one cannot reproduce a nix expression on another machine when there are differences in global configuration in ~/.config/nixpkgs as well as differing channel versions between machines.
The solution for that is that flakes will enforce that these things are part of the git-versioned flake and thus cannot differ between machines, reducing moving parts.

knedlsepp · September 13, 2022, 5:33am

Here is another thread where they successfully found the source of undesired builds. Maybe it helps you track down the problem.

noblman · September 14, 2022, 6:52pm

That might have been helpful. Does this look right to you:

$ nix-channel --list
home-manager https://github.com/nix-community/home-manager/archive/release-22.05.tar.gz

$ sudo nix-channel --list
nixos https://nixos.org/channels/nixos-22.05

Update:
It didn’t look right to me, so I did a:

$ nix-channel --add nixos https://nixos.org/channels/nixos-22.05
$ nix-channel --update

But core-utils is still building (and failing) from source.

noblman · November 8, 2022, 6:28am

I am finally attempting to tackle this again. I believe my problem is related to my trying to implement some custom script files into my setup.

Specifically, I have two scripts files that allow me to use rofi to control my bluetooth and wifi connections. I want to be able to call these scripts from within my home.nix. There seems to be no easy way to achieve this. I searched and asked on this forum for help, and the best I could come up with is to use overlays (which I don’t fully understand).

This is what I did:

I created a file called rofi-bluetooth.nix in ~/.config/nixpkgs/overlays:

self: super: {
  rofi-bluetooth = super.writeShellApplication {
    name = "rofi-bluetooth";
    runtimeInputs = [ super.rofi super.bluez super.coreutils super.gnugrep ];
    checkPhase = ''
    	runHook preCheck
    	runHook postCheck
    '';
    text = builtins.readFile ./rofi-bluetooth.sh;
  };
}

Also, in ~/config/nixpkgs/overlays I created rofi-bluetooth.sh which is a large file and I don’t think is necessary to show here. It is the script I used in my pre-NixOS days.

Next, I “installed” these overlays/derivations/whatever they are called in my home.nix by doing this:

home = {
  packages = with pkgs ; [
    rofi-bluetooth
  ]

And then throughout my home.nix I call these scripts like this inside my sxhkd config:

"super + b" = "rofi-bluetooth";

I used to be able to update my config with a home-manager switch, but now when I try I get the following:

❯ home-manager switch
these 10 derivations will be built:
  /nix/store/jn1b2kqxap814a8h7fw27fmg34aq6605-coreutils-9.0.drv
  /nix/store/1zp5h9dand7xq0i1p7ybmzpm5wcc5awm-rofi-bluetooth.drv
  /nix/store/6pgkpiaf3x8fvyxgv19vqc0kawavflm5-rofi-network-manager.drv
  /nix/store/c414jyj3f3m9j1s7n87afb856ayba2hp-home-manager-path.drv
  /nix/store/2vmbaglcg5gvdvmkbbqr9mdaz53v69qd-hm_fontconfigconf.d10hmfonts.conf.drv
  /nix/store/mgg7blcd6x874sq65k3w59pvkrhxrjzs-polybar.conf.drv
  /nix/store/d167644k8pwnqpf65dla29vgkiy5yzlc-polybar.service.drv
  /nix/store/8wxry9mafxrpdjw82rc0hqx6mnlh4dqm-home-manager-files.drv
  /nix/store/vfkvpynq8cdy13rlbhbcmk9849i5afg1-activation-script.drv
  /nix/store/4rvw4503r8ziyvyz68q023ax38c4wc3g-home-manager-generation.drv
building '/nix/store/mgg7blcd6x874sq65k3w59pvkrhxrjzs-polybar.conf.drv'...
building '/nix/store/jn1b2kqxap814a8h7fw27fmg34aq6605-coreutils-9.0.drv'...
building '/nix/store/d167644k8pwnqpf65dla29vgkiy5yzlc-polybar.service.drv'...
unpacking sources
unpacking source archive /nix/store/is8fadziysa55wpq1dppzhv5yhlhhm6n-coreutils-9.0.tar.xz
source root is coreutils-9.0
setting SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH to timestamp 1632488258 of file coreutils-9.0/doc/coreutils.info
patching sources
applying patch /nix/store/2j8nv5xpgw7js9lr3dnspc2vk04jifzv-fix-chmod-exit-code.patch
patching file NEWS
Hunk #1 succeeded at 143 with fuzz 2 (offset 141 lines).
patching file src/chmod.c
patching file tests/chmod/ignore-symlink.sh
patching file tests/local.mk
applying patch /nix/store/snhl0w63mc0s3q6y386g061bgc7jdwwn-disable-seek-hole.patch
patching file src/copy.c
patching file tests/seek-data-capable
applying patch /nix/store/nqrwkrrnpc7443annivd10zgnnfcc0cm-fix-arm64-macos.patch
patching file src/uname.c
autoreconfPhase
autoreconf: export WARNINGS=
autoreconf: Entering directory '.'
autoreconf: running: autopoint --force
Copying file build-aux/config.rpath
Copying file m4/extern-inline.m4
Copying file m4/glibc2.m4
Copying file m4/glibc21.m4
...

etc. until the build eventually quits and I finally get this error:

error: builder for '/nix/store/jn1b2kqxap814a8h7fw27fmg34aq6605-coreutils-9.0.drv' failed with exit code 2;
       last 10 log lines:
       > ============================================================================
       > make[4]: *** [Makefile:13580: tests/test-suite.log] Error 1
       > make[4]: Leaving directory '/build/coreutils-9.0'
       > make[3]: *** [Makefile:13688: check-TESTS] Error 2
       > make[3]: Leaving directory '/build/coreutils-9.0'
       > make[2]: *** [Makefile:13948: check-am] Error 2
       > make[2]: Leaving directory '/build/coreutils-9.0'
       > make[1]: *** [Makefile:13465: check-recursive] Error 1
       > make[1]: Leaving directory '/build/coreutils-9.0'
       > make: *** [Makefile:13950: check] Error 2
       For full logs, run 'nix log /nix/store/jn1b2kqxap814a8h7fw27fmg34aq6605-coreutils-9.0.drv'.
error: 1 dependencies of derivation '/nix/store/1zp5h9dand7xq0i1p7ybmzpm5wcc5awm-rofi-bluetooth.drv' failed to build
error: 1 dependencies of derivation '/nix/store/c414jyj3f3m9j1s7n87afb856ayba2hp-home-manager-path.drv' failed to build
error: 1 dependencies of derivation '/nix/store/byl8h83l2h178l06rwhsavzj8vszkcw5-polybar.conf.drv' failed to build
error: 1 dependencies of derivation '/nix/store/q3r3418rgii6k55il672rvl9b2cc78jc-home-manager-generation.drv' failed to build

Hopefully this gives a bit more insight into my situation, and hopefully I can get some help. I am unable to make any changes to my system because of this.

NobbZ · November 8, 2022, 7:07am

You probably want to take the inputs from self. I am not sure though why this might cause nix to rebuild those.

I do not see why this requires an overlay, even less why it has to use impure overlay discovery…

Can’t you use a let binding in the home.nix?

Something like this:

home.packages = let
  rofi-bt = pkgs.writeShellApplication {
    name = "rofi-bluetooth";
    runtimeInputs = [ pkgs.rofi pkgs.bluz pkgs.coreutils pkgs.gnugrep ];
    text = builtins.readFile ./rofi-bluethooth.sh;
  };
  in [ rofi-bt ];

noblman · November 8, 2022, 7:49am

OK, I am going to try your suggestion of using a let binding instead of an overlay, but I have a question. Currently I have defined packages in home.nix like this:

home.packages = with pkgs; [
  feh
  ffmpeg
  ...
];

Is if possible to easily incorporate the let binding without having to add pkgs. in front of every application and without having to remove the with pkgs;?

NobbZ · November 8, 2022, 7:53am

with is something that the community is arguing about badly, and I am in favor of removing it from the language, so even though it is possible, you shouldn’t (in my opinion).

home.packages = with pkgs; let
  rofi-bt = writeShellApplication {
    name = "rofi-bluetooth";
    runtimeInputs = [ rofi bluz coreutils gnugrep ];
    text = builtins.readFile ./rofi-bluethooth.sh;
  };
  in [ rofi-bt feh ffmpeg ];

noblman · November 8, 2022, 7:59am

So you are saying I shouldn’t use your last example, and instead do this:

home.packages = let
  rofi-bt = writeShellApplication {
    name = "rofi-bluetooth";
    runtimeInputs = [ rofi bluez coreutils gnugrep ];
    text = builtins.readFile ./rofi-bluethooth.sh;
  };
  in [
    rofi-bt
    pkgs.feh
    pkgs.ffmpeg
  ];

What if I want to add a second let binding?

vcunat · November 8, 2022, 8:00am

lib.attrValues { inherit (pkgs) rofi bluez coreutils gnugrep; }

… though perhaps I partially mean that as a joke.

NobbZ · November 8, 2022, 8:27am

Just add another. You can define as many bindings in a single let as you need, eg:

let a = 1; b = 2; in a * b;

noblman · November 8, 2022, 8:29am

Nice.

So, to confirm, I should add pkgs. in front of each application?

NobbZ · November 8, 2022, 8:32am

Personally I do indeed as vcunat suggests.

noblman · November 8, 2022, 8:38am

I guess I am too new to understand how to implement that. Also, his example only references the packages from the let binding statement. What about the example packages I included (feh, ffmpeg)?

Would you mind providing an example of how to implement that lib.attrValues statement into my home.nix?

NobbZ · November 8, 2022, 9:14am

It is not a statement, its an expression

home.packages = let rofi-bt = … in builtins.attrValues {
  inherit (pkgs) feh ffmpeg;
  inherit rofi-bt;
};

vcunat · November 8, 2022, 9:56am

Sometimes I use

let
  inherit (pkgs) rofi bluez coreutils gnugrep;
in ...

but in this case it wouldn’t avoid some repetition.

noblman · November 8, 2022, 9:04pm

There seems to be an issue with this approach if the package has a ‘.’ in it such as gnome.simple-scan. Any thoughts?

Do I need to do this instead:

inherit (pkgs) feh ffmpeg;
inherit (gnome) simple-scan;
inherit rofi-bt;

Lastly, will there be a problem if I put inherit rofi-bt; first in the above list?