bug: Error installing file '.config/micro/settings.json' outside $HOME

[terxw]

Are you following the right branch?

• My Nixpkgs and Home Manager versions are in sync

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Issue description

I am trying to symlink my dotfiles to ~/.config folder, but I cannot get any combination of paths, strings, relative string path, absolute string path to workt with mkOutOfStoreSymlink.

I am using 23.11, flakes, impure

Example config:

{ config, lib, pkgs, inputs, ... }:

    {
    home = {
      file = {
        "./config/micro".source = config.lib.file.mkOutOfStoreSymlink "/home/kangus/.dotfiles/.config/micro";
      };
    };
}

Invoking command:

home-manager --show-trace switch --flake ~/nixos-config/flake_wimpy#kangus@nixos_vm  --impure'```

I get error:

error: builder for '/nix/store/5qqm9gyw7b5m35087wg31kdadgkyady1-home-manager-files.drv' failed with exit code 1;
last 1 log lines:

   > Error installing file '.config/micro/settings.json' outside $HOME

   For full logs, run 'nix log /nix/store/5qqm9gyw7b5m35087wg31kdadgkyady1-home-manager-files.drv'.error: 1 dependencies of derivation '/nix/store/jm5pghaxg8lvyn032ibhsgjx9ky9dyib-home-manager-generation.drv' failed to build```

Troubleshooting I tried:

https://www.reddit.com/r/NixOS/comments/197wnuy/help_making_a_direct_symlink_from_config_repo_to/

#2085

Here are variants I tried:

    enable = true;
    configFile."micro".source  = config.lib.file.mkOutOfStoreSymlink "/home/kangus/.dotfiles/.config";
  };

home = {
  file.".config/micro" = {
    source = config.lib.file.mkOutOfStoreSymlink "/home/kangus/.dotfiles/.config/micro";
    recursive = true;
  };

# according to reddit forum its wrong because it translates to /home/kangus/home/kangus/.config/micro
home = {
  file."${config.home.homeDirectory}/.config/micro" = {
    source = config.lib.file.mkOutOfStoreSymlink ""${config.home.homeDirectory}/.dotfiles/.config/micro";
    recursive = true;
  };

# in flakes the target cannot be nix path type, but string, but probably same error as above, e.g.  /home/kangus/home/kangus/.config/micro

home = {
    file.".config/micro" = {
      source = config.lib.file.mkOutOfStoreSymlink  "${builtins.toString config.xdg.configHome}/.dotfiles/.config/micro";
      recursive = true;
    };
};

EDIT:
This variant doesnt throw error, but creates read only link to store with two levels of indirection

home = {
    file.".config/micro" = {
      source = "/home/kangus/.dotfiles/.config/micro";
      recursive = true;
    };
};

lt ~/.config/micro
settings.json -> /nix/store/k1gx5nvlwc9b724aqyiv0y30vhv5n9yr-home-manager-files/.config/micro/settings.json

lt /nix/store/k1gx5nvlwc9b724aqyiv0y30vhv5n9yr-home-manager-files/.config/micro/settings.json

lrwxrwxrwx     - root  1 jan  1970   /nix/store/k1gx5nvlwc9b724aqyiv0y30vhv5n9yr-home-manager-files/.config/micro/settings.json -> /nix/store/fsw43b48qhqdkm363qdpnkrbp8wzr0b4-hm_micro/settings.json

lt /nix/store/fsw43b48qhqdkm363qdpnkrbp8wzr0b4-hm_micro/settings.json

Permissions Size User Date Modified Name
.r--r--r--   664 root  1 jan  1970   /nix/store/fsw43b48qhqdkm363qdpnkrbp8wzr0b4-hm_micro/settings.json    

Maintainer CC

No response

System information

- system: `"x86_64-linux"`
 - host os: `Linux 6.6.18, NixOS, 23.11 (Tapir), 23.11.20240301.79baff8`
 - multi-user?: `yes`
 - sandbox: `yes`
 - version: `nix-env (Nix) 2.18.1`
 - nixpkgs: `/nix/store/3i3rncs75fid9hwai5p2nvwc4ngdnia7-source`