[Nix-dev] reproducable systems at a (much) later point / archive.org

[Florian Friesdorf]

Hi,

nix is able to exactly reproduce a build, given:

- a set of expressions (described by a git repository and a git
  revision)

- that all sources are available

- the build env is pure (including the hardware)


Scenario 1: Backup
------------------

Currently, to be sure that my system with all profiles' generations is
properly backed up, I need to backup the complete store. It would be
great if the store and the all profiles' generations could be restored
From less. I imagine a list of packages per profile generation and the
git revision of expressions being used to build each package.

Given we would solve that, we still have the problem, that sources
disappear like "intellinuxwireless.org" as Mathijs Kwik recently
experienced[1]. He proposes that nix falls back to a "last-resort
mirror". I like that idea.


Scenario 2: Showing grand children how software looked in the old days
----------------------------------------------------------------------

It would be great to know that given there is electricity and given
there is something that can emulate nowadays hardware and given there is
something like the internet, that I always will be able to install
whatever I can install now.

The only problem I currently see with that are again the "dead sources".

Wouldn't it be for that, nix would be the perfect tool to archive
software.


Solution
--------

Given that nix would support a "last-resort mirror" and given we could
convince some instution (e.g. archive.org) to provide such a mirror, the
world would be always able to exactly reproduce software installations
and we could show our / somebody's grandchildren how we kept ourselves
entertained.

Thoughts?

regards
florian

[1] http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.linux.distributions.nixos/10045
-- 
Florian Friesdorf <flo at chaoflow.net>
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