Does nix has a plan to comply with XDG Base Directory Spec? #1079

Abdillah · 2016-10-02T13:47:57Z

Written here, @svanderburg said that Nix try to comply as close as possible with standard (well, with FHS). Whilst, it is failed to fully comply with FHS, why we don't try to comply with XDG Base Directory Spec, which more make sense to users?

Nix programs create three directories at my $HOME. Honestly, it looks very bad for me (by far no complaints on the Internet sadly).

I wanted to create a patch for this if granted.

Best,
Abdillah

The text was updated successfully, but these errors were encountered:

edolstra · 2016-10-03T09:39:54Z

I assume you're referring to ~/.nix-defexpr, ~/.nix-channels etc. Those are very old and they may even predate the XDG. We can't change them since that would break compatibility with existing installations. However, most of these files will become obsolete with the new Nix command line interface.

New files do respect the XDG. For example, Nix stores various cache files in ~/.cache/nix.

Abdillah · 2016-10-05T00:05:15Z

However, most of these files will become obsolete with the new Nix command line interface.

Hmm.. I just install nix & nixos a week ago, so it should be "new" right 😄
And what do you mean obsolete? Honestly, I haven't seen any sign of it. Can you point me some?

I found three files, and yes, those are,
.nix-defexpr -> /nix/store/some-nixpkgs still used by nix-env
.nix-profile -> /nix/var/nix/profiles/.../default not sure who use this, myself?
.nix-channels file used by nix-channel
I thought in early nix, are there more so you said "most of these files"?

Then, how can I help on this? I love nix and my clean ~ 😸

severen · 2016-10-08T12:30:11Z

@edolstra used past tense when he said "However, most of these files will become obsolete with the new Nix command line interface.", so perhaps you could assume it's either not developed yet or isn't released yet.

Abdillah · 2016-10-08T13:48:40Z

@SShrike okay then.
Hope we get chance to resolve this.

nhooyr · 2016-10-12T22:09:30Z

@edolstra well we could do what git does to maintain backwards compatibility. Use $XDG_CONFIG_HOME if it exists but if not, use ~/.nix-whatever. And when creating new files, always use $XDG_CONFIG_HOME.

hajdamak · 2019-01-21T12:38:22Z

Are there any plans to introduce something like @nhooyr described?

grahamc · 2019-01-21T12:41:28Z

I don't think anyone is working on this project, or working on a plan for this project. It might be possible that a PR implementing that behavior + docs would be accepted.

edolstra · 2019-01-21T13:37:29Z

I'm not opposed to it, but I'm not sure it's really worth it. It's likely to cause all sorts of confusion (e.g. when ~/.nix-channels and ~/.local/share/nix/channels both exist).

hajdamak · 2019-01-21T13:58:41Z

@edolstra Your fist comment in this thread mentioned new Nix command line interface. Is this currently being worked on?

edolstra · 2019-01-21T14:05:09Z

Yes, the new nix command in Nix >= 2.0 uses ~/.config/nix. However it doesn't have replacements for nix-channel and nix-env yet. Hopefully soon.

hajdamak · 2019-01-21T15:08:45Z

So the plan is that new nix command will no longer use .nix-profile, .nix-channels and .nix-defexpr and keep necessary information in ~/.config/nix?
Is it described somewhere?

wangkev · 2020-08-29T22:58:09Z

Are there any updates here? Would definitely appreciate this.

Ericson2314 · 2020-08-30T02:35:59Z

Yeah, it would be good to try some new directories for the old stuff, c.f. Git supporting /.gitconfig and /.config/git/... Even if flakes is stabilized, I still imagine people will not all stop using channels and what-not instantly, so I think this is worth it.

xeruf · 2020-09-24T08:50:27Z

4 years ago, it was stated that these would become obsolete. What's going on? My home being cluttered is so incredibly annoying...
Why not migrate softly like @nhooyr suggested?

stale · 2021-03-26T11:56:55Z

I marked this as stale due to inactivity. → More info

GovanifY · 2021-03-31T07:58:56Z

This is definitely not stale, it'll have to happen at some point

TLATER · 2021-06-23T20:34:16Z

On the opposite end of this, I'm using the new nix commands, and I still have this clutter in my home directory. What is their purpose at this point? In my case the files just seem to be empty or contain [ ], is this just leftover?

luciorq · 2021-10-26T12:22:03Z

On the opposite end of this, I'm using the new nix commands, and I still have this clutter in my home directory. What is their purpose at this point? In my case the files just seem to be empty or contain [ ], is this just leftover?

Can someone expand on this?

06kellyjac · 2021-10-26T12:46:48Z

Probably:

λ cat ~/.nix-defexpr/channels/manifest.nix
[ ]

As a note for me ~/.nix-defexpr/channels_root/ and ~/.nix-profile/ has a bunch of stuff in it

It'd be good to get a list of empty or [ ] files from @TLATER

TLATER · 2021-10-26T13:00:02Z

tlater ~ $ find -L .nix-defexpr -type f -printf "%p\n" -exec cat {} +
.nix-defexpr/channels_root/manifest.nix
.nix-defexpr/channels/manifest.nix
[ ][ ]%                                                                                           
tlater ~ $ cat .nix-channels
tlater ~ $ cat .nix-profile/manifest.nix
[ ]%

That said, I now realize this is likely because I'm using flakes, so neither my user nor root are using any channels. Not that that's any less annoying, of course.

If you are also using flakes, and still have debris in there, keep in mind that you likely should delete those channels manually at some point.

06kellyjac · 2021-10-26T13:08:18Z

Yeah I've switched to flakes on a machine that wasn't originally using them.

Would none of this come from this config?:

  mkRegistry = attrs: lib.mapAttrs (_: flake: { inherit flake; }) attrs;
  defaultModules = [
    {
      nix = {
        nixPath = [
          "nixpkgs=${nixpkgs}"
          "home-manager=${home-manager}"
          "nixpkgs-master=${nixpkgs-master}"
          "nur=${nur}"
        ];
        registry = mkRegistry { inherit nixpkgs home-manager nixpkgs-master nur; };
      };
    }
  ];

TLATER · 2021-10-26T13:18:49Z

Unlikely, given I have those settings set too: https://github.com/TLATER/nixos-hosts/blob/master/flake.nix#L47

nix-channel --list and sudo nix-channel --list will probably give you some output, delete the channels with nix-channel --remove (both for root and your user), and you should get the same output I do :)

balsoft · 2021-11-17T21:05:56Z

Everyone who's interested, please help review and test #5588

nixos-discourse · 2021-11-25T15:03:40Z

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

https://discourse.nixos.org/t/tweag-nix-dev-update-22/16251/1

balsoft · 2023-02-10T17:31:57Z

Now if you set use-xdg-base-directories = true in your /etc/nix/nix.conf, all the "classic" Nix tools (nix-env, nix-channel, ...) and nix profile will use ~/.local/state/nix instead of dotfiles in your ~.

Ramblurr · 2023-03-24T14:55:13Z

I'm trying to figure out how to install nix and take advantage of this feature..

I have use-xdg-base-directories = true in my /etc/nix/nix.conf

I use the snippet sh <(curl -L https://releases.nixos.org/nix/nix-2.14.1/install) --no-daemon

But at the end it tells me to source /home/ramblurr/.nix-profile/etc/profile.d/nix.sh but this file doesn't exist. It also doesn't exist in ~/.config/nix nor ~/.local/state/nix

balsoft · 2023-03-24T14:57:23Z

Hi @Ramblurr , we're working on better documentation and support for use-xdg-base-directories right now.

As for your problem, you should do source /home/ramblurr/.local/state/nix/profile/etc/profile.d/nix.sh .

Ramblurr · 2023-03-24T14:58:49Z

thanks @balsoft ! That solved it.

Freed-Wu · 2023-07-12T06:02:10Z

Yes, the new nix command in Nix >= 2.0 uses ~/.config/nix. However it doesn't have replacements for nix-channel and nix-env yet. Hopefully soon.

Does it exist any progress of ~/.config/nix/nix-channel?

balsoft · 2023-07-12T08:07:46Z

@Freed-Wu yes. Please set use-xdg-base-directories = true in your /etc/nix/nix.conf, and then nix-channel will use ~/.local/state/nix/channels.

Freed-Wu · 2023-07-14T12:24:20Z

After nix.settings.use-xdg-base-directories = true;, my zsh's $fpath/$path still exist .nix-profile, is it a bug of zsh package?

$ print -l $path
/run/wrappers/bin
/home/wzy/.nix-profile/bin
/etc/profiles/per-user/wzy/bin
/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/bin
/run/current-system/sw/bin
$ print -l $fpath
/home/wzy/.nix-profile/share/zsh/site-functions
/home/wzy/.nix-profile/share/zsh/5.9/functions
/home/wzy/.nix-profile/share/zsh/vendor-completions
/etc/profiles/per-user/wzy/share/zsh/site-functions
/etc/profiles/per-user/wzy/share/zsh/5.9/functions
/etc/profiles/per-user/wzy/share/zsh/vendor-completions
/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/share/zsh/site-functions
/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/share/zsh/5.9/functions
/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/share/zsh/vendor-completions
/run/current-system/sw/share/zsh/site-functions
/run/current-system/sw/share/zsh/5.9/functions
/run/current-system/sw/share/zsh/vendor-completions
/nix/store/jg5k4ksj3silfqyw0id9wd99rakcz0ws-zsh-5.9/share/zsh/5.9/functions

Freed-Wu · 2023-07-16T16:26:23Z

I know the reason. It comes from

$ cat /nix/store/s0ii95lj2kc67gphakd3vll887kmcknv-set-environment|rg NIX_PROFILES
79:export NIX_PROFILES="/run/current-system/sw /nix/var/nix/profiles/default /etc/profiles/per-user/$USER $HOME/.nix-profile"

However, /nix/store/s0ii95lj2kc67gphakd3vll887kmcknv-set-environment is generated:

$ head -n1 /nix/store/s0ii95lj2kc67gphakd3vll887kmcknv-set-environment
# DO NOT EDIT -- this file has been generated automatically.

So I'll find another solution to fix this bug.

Freed-Wu · 2023-07-16T16:45:19Z

I have reported this bug NixOS/nixpkgs#243826

shlevy added the backlog label Apr 1, 2018

shlevy assigned copumpkin Apr 1, 2018

mdedetrich mentioned this issue Nov 16, 2019

Set XDG_CONFIG_HOME to ~/.config for Intellij NixOS/nixpkgs#73318

Open

domenkozar removed the backlog label Apr 30, 2020

stale bot added the stale label Mar 26, 2021

stale bot removed the stale label Mar 31, 2021

TLATER mentioned this issue Jun 23, 2021

Clean up remaining dotfiles that don't comply with XDG_BASE_DIRS TLATER/dotfiles#22

Open

16 tasks

balsoft mentioned this issue Nov 17, 2021

Follow XDG Base Directory standard #5588

Merged

8 tasks

stale bot added the stale label Aug 12, 2022

fricklerhandwerk added feature Feature request or proposal UX The way in which users interact with Nix. Higher level than UI. and removed stale labels Sep 12, 2022

thufschmitt closed this as completed in #5588 Feb 10, 2023

nre-ableton mentioned this issue Jul 22, 2023

Failing to use nix with flakes enabled with GitHub Actions Ableton/ansible-role-nix#146

Closed

kachick mentioned this issue Feb 29, 2024

Make sure use-xdg-base-directories kachick/dotfiles#427

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Does nix has a plan to comply with XDG Base Directory Spec? #1079

Does nix has a plan to comply with XDG Base Directory Spec? #1079

Abdillah commented Oct 2, 2016

edolstra commented Oct 3, 2016

Abdillah commented Oct 5, 2016 •

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Freed-Wu commented Jul 16, 2023

Does nix has a plan to comply with XDG Base Directory Spec? #1079

Does nix has a plan to comply with XDG Base Directory Spec? #1079

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