Installer bootstrapping issue due to nix 2.20.3 missing from nixpkgs

[e-nikolov]

If I install nix via the installer, I get nix v2.20.3, which has a new profile manifest version (3).

However, nixpkgs currently only has nix v2.19.3, which still uses the old manifest.

When dealing with a new machine, I usually install nix via the installer and then use home-manager to declaratively manage/update it. Right now, however because nix v2.20.3 is not yet available on nixpkgs, home-manager installs a version of nix that does not understand the new manifest version and I get errors:

Starting Home Manager activation
warning: unknown setting 'upgrade-nix-store-path-url'
warning: unknown setting 'upgrade-nix-store-path-url'
Activating checkFilesChanged
Activating checkLinkTargets
Activating writeBoundary
Activating installPackages
warning: unknown setting 'upgrade-nix-store-path-url'
error: profile manifest '/home/test/.local/state/nix/profiles/profile/manifest.json' has unsupported version 3
warning: unknown setting 'upgrade-nix-store-path-url'
error: profile manifest '/home/test/.local/state/nix/profiles/profile/manifest.json' has unsupported version 3

The same issue would happen if I directly use nix profile install instead of home-manager.

Platform

• Linux:
• macOS
• WSL

Priorities

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[e-nikolov]

Simpler reproduction steps:

# 1. Create a new ubuntu WSL VM and start a bash session
# 2. Install nix

sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install) --daemon

# 3. Restart the session / source ~/.bashrc so that nix becomes available

nix --version 
# Output:
# nix (Nix) 2.20.4

# 4. Install nix via nix

nix --extra-experimental-features nix-command --extra-experimental-features flakes install nixpkgs#nix

# 5. Restart the session so that nix from the local profile becomes available

nix --version 
# Output:
# nix (Nix) 2.18.1

# 6. Try to install anything else via nix

nix --extra-experimental-features nix-command --extra-experimental-features flakes profile install nixpkgs#hello
# Output:
# error: profile manifest '/home/test/.local/state/nix/profiles/profile/manifest.json' has unsupported version 3

[horriblename]

is there a temporary fix for this?

[e-nikolov]

is there a temporary fix for this?

I guess a workaround would be to either:

• not install a second version of nix via home-manager/profile install
• use an older version of the nix installer to get the same version of nix available in nixpkgs

[nixos-discourse]

This issue has been mentioned on NixOS Discourse. There might be relevant details there:

https://discourse.nixos.org/t/2024-03-04-nix-team-meeting-minute-130/40830/1