[Nix-dev] Managing /home during system activation

[Peter Jones]

I'd like to manage files in my home directory during system activation.
Sort of like nix-home[1] but during activation so NixOps can also deploy
things such as my shell configuration.  I have an idea, and I'm
wondering how terrible it is.

Based on the way etc activation works, I would build a directory in the
nix store and fill it with symlinks to other parts of the store:

/nix/store/xxx-home-pjones/.zshrc -> /nix/store/xxx-zshrc/zshrc

Then, set up a UnionFS mount so that /nix/store/xxx-home-pjones gets
overlaid on top of /home/pjones.  This means I don't have to search
through /home looking for links to an old generation to deactivate it,
and rolling back just mounts a previous generation on top of /home.

So, how bad is this idea?

Thanks!


[1]: https://github.com/sheenobu/nix-home

-- 
Peter Jones, Founder, Devalot.com
Defending the honor of good code