diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/manual/release-notes.xml')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/manual/release-notes.xml | 44 |
1 files changed, 44 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/doc/manual/release-notes.xml b/doc/manual/release-notes.xml index 4f14a0c75187..073461f17016 100644 --- a/doc/manual/release-notes.xml +++ b/doc/manual/release-notes.xml @@ -129,6 +129,22 @@ list:</para> environment.</para></listitem> + <listitem><para><command>nix-env -i / -u</command>: instead of + breaking package ties by version, break them by priority and version + number. That is, if there are multiple packages with the same name, + then pick the package with the highest priority, and only use the + version if there are multiple packages with the same + priority.</para> + + <para>This makes it possible to mark specific versions/variant in + Nixpkgs more or less desirable than others. A typical example would + be a beta version of some package (e.g., + <literal>gcc-4.2.0rc1</literal>) which should not be installed even + though it is the highest version, except when it is explicitly + selected (e.g., <literal>nix-env -i + gcc-4.2.0rc1</literal>).</para></listitem> + + <listitem><para><command>nix-env --set-flag</command> allows meta attributes of installed packages to be modified. There are several attributes that can be usefully modified, because they @@ -215,7 +231,35 @@ list:</para> the indentation of the surrounding expression. It also requires much less escaping, since <literal>''</literal> is less common in most languages than <literal>"</literal>.</para></listitem> + + + <listitem><para>The new command <command>nix-store + --optimise</command> reduces Nix store disk space usage by finding + identical files in the store and hard-linking them to each other. + It typically reduces the size of the store by something like + 25-35%.</para></listitem> + + <listitem><para>Allow <filename>~/.nix-defexpr</filename> to be a + directory, in which case the Nix expressions in that directory are + combined into an attribute set, with the file names used as the + names of the attributes. The command <command>nix-env + --import</command> (which set the + <filename>~/.nix-defexpr</filename> symlink) is + removed.</para></listitem> + + + <listitem><para>Fixed-output derivations (like + <function>fetchurl</function>) can define the attribute + <varname>impureEnvVars</varname> to allow external environment + variables to be passed to builders. This is used in Nixpkgs to + support proxy configuration, among other things.</para></listitem> + + + <listitem><para><command>nix-pull</command> now supports + bzip2-compressed manifests. This speeds up + channels.</para></listitem> + </itemizedlist> |