file 'home-manager' was not found in the Nix search path

[ghost]

$ nix-shell '<home-manager>' -A install
error: file 'home-manager' was not found in the Nix search path (add it using $NIX_PATH or -I)

Hi, I receive the above when trying to install home manager.

[uvNikita]

Did you remember to run:

$ nix-channel --add https://github.com/rycee/home-manager/archive/master.tar.gz home-manager
$ nix-channel --update

Because it seems that nix can't find a home-manager channel.

[ghost]

Thanks for the quick reply. I have already home-manager channel added:

$ nix-channel --list
home-manager https://github.com/rycee/home-manager/archive/master.tar.gz
nixpkgs https://nixos.org/channels/nixpkgs-unstable

[rycee]

@mehandes Does your NIX_PATH contain ~/.nix-defexpr/channels? Running echo $NIX_PATH gives me

$ echo $NIX_PATH 
/home/rycee/.nix-defexpr/channels:nixpkgs=/home/rycee/devel/nixpkgs-18.09:nixos-config=/etc/nixos/configuration.nix

I did notice that if you don't have a ~/.nix-defexpr/channels directory before doing nix-channel --add then it is necessary to log out and back in for it to show up in NIX_PATH.

[ghost]

@rycee Yes, it does

$ echo $NIX_PATH
nixpkgs=/home/mc/.nix-defexpr/channels/nixpkgs
$ nix-shell '<home-manager>' -A install
error: file 'home-manager' was not found in the Nix search path (add it using $NIX_PATH or -I)

[rycee]

Hmm, from what I can tell it is actually missing the entry I was looking for. I believe it would work if it was set to /home/mc/.nix-defexpr/channels:nixpkgs=/home/mc/.nix-defexpr/channels/nixpkgs Did you try a relog? Also are you using NixOS or a Nix installation on some other system?

…

On December 7, 2018 6:32:10 PM GMT+01:00, Matt ***@***.***> wrote: @rycee Yes, it does ``` $ echo $NIX_PATH nixpkgs=/home/mc/.nix-defexpr/channels/nixpkgs $ nix-shell '<home-manager>' -A install error: file 'home-manager' was not found in the Nix search path (add it using $NIX_PATH or -I) ``` -- You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: #487 (comment)

-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

[ghost]

Yes, I relogged, rebooted and tried even on VPS. I am using Linux 4.15.0-42-generic #45-Ubuntu SMP.

Thanks for the suggestion - I tried

NIX_PATH=/home/mc/.nix-defexpr/channels:nixpkgs=/home/mc/.nix-defexpr/channels/nixpkgs nix-shell '<home-manager>' -A install

and it worked, but I don't know why and if I should change the NIX_PATH permanently.

[willbush]

it is necessary to log out and back in for it to show up in NIX_PATH.

I had a similar issue when following the install instructions in the readme. However, logging out and back in added ~/.nix-defexpr/channels to the nix path and it now works.

[kerrnelPanic]

Hmm, from what I can tell it is actually missing the entry I was looking for. I believe it would work if it was set to /home/mc/.nix-defexpr/channels:nixpkgs=/home/mc/.nix-defexpr/channels/nixpkgs Did you try a relog? Also are you using NixOS or a Nix installation on some other system?
…
On December 7, 2018 6:32:10 PM GMT+01:00, Matt @.***> wrote: @rycee Yes, it does $ echo $NIX_PATH nixpkgs=/home/mc/.nix-defexpr/channels/nixpkgs $ nix-shell '<home-manager>' -A install error: file 'home-manager' was not found in the Nix search path (add it using $NIX_PATH or -I) -- You are receiving this because you were mentioned. Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: #487 (comment)
-- Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

I faced that problem, too, relog, reboot didn't help. Executing the channel commands with elevated rights did help. I think the documentation is a bit imprecise here, having '$ command someOption', instead of '# command someOption' as examples, so it doesn't point out that you may need elevated rights.

[nixos-discourse]

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

https://discourse.nixos.org/t/home-manager-command-wont-switch-twice-on-nixos/50344/1