[Nix-dev] Re: NixOS: New scheme

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hello!

"Nicolas Pierron"
<nicolas.b.pierron at gmail.com> writes:

> This mail is a draft about the description of the new writing style.

I'm afraid I didn't get the whole point, partly because "New scheme" or
"new writing style" is not very descriptive IMO.

> To support you reading, you can have a look at
> https://svn.nixos.org/repos/nix/nixos/trunk/upstart-jobs/cron.nix
>
> A configuration file is the same as a module.  It starts with the
> following syntax which declares everything you may need.
>
> ------
> {pkgs, config, ...}:
> ------
>
> - pkgs: Attribute set that contains every package (e.g.: pkgs.cron,
> pkgs.keen4, ...)
> - config: Attribute set that contains your computer configuration. (see ??)

I agree that it makes it slightly more simple to write an Upstart jobs.
However, I think that passing `pkgs' and `config' to every single job is
too coarse-grain, and it breaks the principle of least authority.  I
would feel more at ease if Upstart jobs were passed only what they
really need (which is roughly what the so-called "old scheme" does).

BTW, I'd find it nicer if such experiments were made in a separate
branch so as to minimize disruption, and especially since I don't think
there's an overwhelming consensus about it.

Thanks,
Ludo'.