[Nix-dev] Managing NIX stable

[Pjotr Prins]

I am thinking we may need to split the trees for stable Nix, nixpkgs
and Nixos from the development branch. The development branch is
generally excellent, but a moving target. I have trouble, for one,
keeping nixpkgs inline on my server deployments. A moving target is
certainly not what one wants on a production system. So far I have
frozen my deployment trees, but when I do want to upgrade something -
perhaps for security reasons - I find it is a lot of work to
synchronize and fix stuff. In the end I am certainly duplicating work
others have done, or are doing. It is also unclear, at this point, who
is in charge of the trees. I think responses on this list I have seen
like "Don't use the stable tree" and "Check out latest SVN" are not
helpful to people who do not dig the whole NIX thing. I don't think
users require a driving license to use Nix to be taken seriously.

Put it like that: a stable tree would be for normal people who don't
dig NIX internals.

Eelco and others: how about asking people to step in as managers for
the stable trees - a bit like the Linux Kernel model? I don't know who
would feel competent, or inclined, but it is certainly something to be
wished for at this point. In particular for nixpkgs and NIXOS (could
be one person). If we want people to seriously start using NIX it is
the road to take. 

I have a feeling most of old NIX hands want to continue the
development route. Great! But, who wants to stand up and take on the
responsibility for STABLE?

And git would probably be the best tool for that.

Pj.