Drop nix 2.18

[Mic92]

Things done

Depends on #354148

• Built on platform(s)
  • x86_64-linux
  • aarch64-linux
  • x86_64-darwin
  • aarch64-darwin
• For non-Linux: Is sandboxing enabled in nix.conf? (See Nix manual)
  • sandbox = relaxed
  • sandbox = true
• Tested, as applicable:
  • NixOS test(s) (look inside nixos/tests)
  • and/or package tests
  • or, for functions and "core" functionality, tests in lib/tests or pkgs/test
  • made sure NixOS tests are linked to the relevant packages
• Tested compilation of all packages that depend on this change using nix-shell -p nixpkgs-review --run "nixpkgs-review rev HEAD". Note: all changes have to be committed, also see nixpkgs-review usage
• Tested basic functionality of all binary files (usually in ./result/bin/)
• 25.05 Release Notes (or backporting 24.11 and 25.05 Release notes)
  • (Package updates) Added a release notes entry if the change is major or breaking
  • (Module updates) Added a release notes entry if the change is significant
  • (Module addition) Added a release notes entry if adding a new NixOS module
• Fits CONTRIBUTING.md.

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[infinisil]

Why no throw alias?

[Mic92]

Why no throw alias?

Fixed.

[Mic92]

nixpkgs-review result

Generated using nixpkgs-review.

Command: nixpkgs-review pr 359215

---

x86_64-linux

✅ 4 packages built:

• haskellPackages.nix-serve-ng
• haskellPackages.nix-serve-ng.doc
• nix-serve-ng
• nix-web

---

aarch64-linux

✅ 4 packages built:

• haskellPackages.nix-serve-ng
• haskellPackages.nix-serve-ng.doc
• nix-serve-ng
• nix-web

---

x86_64-darwin

✅ 4 packages built:

• haskellPackages.nix-serve-ng
• haskellPackages.nix-serve-ng.doc
• nix-serve-ng
• nix-web

---

aarch64-darwin

❌ 1 package failed to build:

• nix-serve-ng

✅ 3 packages built:

• haskellPackages.nix-serve-ng
• haskellPackages.nix-serve-ng.doc
• nix-web

[roberth]

aarch64-darwin

❌ 1 package failed to build:

• nix-serve-ng

Known issue

• macOS build fails (aarch64-darwin) aristanetworks/nix-serve-ng#37

[nixos-discourse]

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

https://discourse.nixos.org/t/2024-12-02-nix-team-meeting-minutes-199/56961/1

[mweinelt]

Funny. We just reverted the tarball-mirror script to 2.18, since newer release broke the API to check for valid store paths.

NixOS/infra@e8ae7d8

https://matrix.to/#/!sUXcTulPzyhnqOiFPL:helsinki-systems.de/$hyLkcAg8VmWY-YD0d5_q-X3aV_BdL4Fczkdia_XPNXs?via=helsinki-systems.de&via=matrix.org&via=nixos.dev

[vcunat]

Maybe some other version in between also works well. For me it was just easiest to keep the version that we had until now (because it's 24.05 default).

[Mic92]

@vcunat This function still exist but you need instantiate a store: https://github.com/NixOS/nix/blob/ff00eebb16fc4c0fd4cebf0cbfc63c471e3c4abd/src/perl/t/init.t#L9

There is no other nix version that is lower than 2.24 to migrate to. The proper fix is to upgrade it to the new API.

[vcunat]

I do have code for that already. But we ran into other regressions instead:
NixOS/nix#11996
NixOS/nix#11997

[Mic92]

@vcunat ok. Here was my attempt: #361700

[9999years]

There is no other nix version that is lower than 2.24 to migrate to. The proper fix is to upgrade it to the new API.

This would be a lot more reasonable if Nix versions above 2.18 weren't full of bugs and regressions. See: NixOS/nix#11756 (comment)