How does nix-env -u know when not to apply version updates?

[teozkr]

@lilyball

Or does this only work if the highPrio package is the one with the lowest version number?

nix-env -u won’t downgrade a package, even if the newer version package is no longer longer available (or is shadowed by prios).

@lilyball

Huh, I was under the impression that the priority only affected what happens if you try and install 2 derivations that both have the same output path.

I can’t remember the name right now, but IIRC that’s a similar but unrelated system.

@lilyball

I’m on macOS so I would have to do the meta-package route, but it seems kinda crappy for me to have to edit an overlay on disk any time I want to install or uninstall a package. I don’t suppose there are any plans to overhaul nix-env upgrades?

It’s pretty much the same workflow as for NixOS, which works fine for me (though it did take some getting used to). I expect this will be fixed when/if nix-env is merged into nix (which has replaced package names with attributes, removing the need for the prio system at all).

There is also Declarative package management for normal users - #2 by Mic92 which manages the meta-package for you.