[RFC] fetchFromGitHub for release archives

[groxxda]

Issue description

Currently fetchFromGitHub only allows fetching the source archive.
Some programs (mainly those using autoconf) also provide a release archive that includes a prebuilt configure script.

So a packager has to choose to use either

• fetchFromGitHub and include autoconf / autoreconfHook plus possible some other dependencies
• fetchurl and specify the github url for the release archive.

It would be nice if we extended fetchFromGitHub to provide a way to download the release archive.

The change should be fairly trivial and backward-compatible, I'm just wondering if I'm missing something and this is already possible or if this would be considered an improvement in which case I'll be happy to make the required changes and submit a PR.

nixpkgs $ ag -A5 'fetch(zip|url)' | grep github.\*/release | wc -l
144

[joachifm]

Are release archives modified/generated by github? If not, I think it makes sense to simply use fetchurl for release archives.

[vcunat]

No, those true releases are only changed by hand, I think. It might still make sense, as there's a difference whether the result is already unpacked or not.

[c0bw3b]

Should we keep this open?
I find using fetchurl for stable releases to be clearer and more straightforward. The biggest problem is rather the opposite (some using fetchurl on unstable GH archives)

[c0bw3b]

Closing for now.
The current situation is that:

• fetchurl should be used for stable GH release assets ; fetchzip can also be used is one wants to use its postFetch hook as seen in many fixed-output derivations.
• fetchFromGitHub or fetchzip should be used on GH archives depending on personal preferences and features (the former allows to fetch git submodules).