[Nix-dev] Problems building installation CD on Debian etch x86_64

[Eelco Dolstra]

Hi,

Steve Roggenkamp wrote:

> I'm trying to build the installation CD on a Debian etch system
> (x86_64), but am running into a problem I can't debug.
> 
> I've downloaded and built the nix packaging system from Subversion: 
> nix-0.12pre13257.  My nixpkgs system is from Subversion revision 13304
> and my nixos is revision 13254.
> 
> In the toplevel directory for nixos I type in the following command:
> 
> nix-build installer/cd-dvd/rescue-cd.nix

That should be nix-build installer/cd-dvd/rescue-cd.nix -A rescueCD

> A short while later I get a long error message that has the last few lines:
> 
> building path(s) `/nix/store/hnmncq9xq7lsfyfq1dxahlnrxi9aamg1-curl'
> a `i686-linux' is required to build

This is because we need to build Grub, which requires a 32-bit Glibc in order to
build, i.e. a Glibc built on i686-linux.  (It should be possible to build a
32-bit Glibc on x86_64-linux, but I haven't figured out how to do so.)  The
derivation that builds that Glibc cannot be performed on a x86_64-linux machine.

However, Nix can download a pre-built binary from the Nixpkgs channel if you're
subscribed to it.  Then it will just download the binary instead of trying to
build it.  Are you subscribed to the Nixpkgs channel?  (I.e. "nix-channel --add
http://nixos.org/releases/nixpkgs/channels/nixpkgs-unstable; nix-channel --update").

-- 
Eelco Dolstra | http://www.st.ewi.tudelft.nl/~dolstra/