[Nix-dev] In multi-user Nix, let the daemon handle creation of GC roots

[Kevin Cox]

On 18/06/17 03:49, sbaugh at catern.com wrote:
>
> It seems to me that it would be useful for the daemon to handle making
> GC roots, and forbid users to directly create GC roots.
>
> The features that come to mind:
> - Allows later implementing policy about GC roots/space consumption
> - Allows avoiding complicated locking around doing GC
> - Allows /nix to be put on network storage transparently
> - Allows /nix to be shared between containers transparently

I'm not sure just this will solve your problem, however it might be a
good start. For example if the daemon only created indirect roots then
each root is accounted for (based on where it points) and can be cleaned
up by either the system or the user.

That being said I'm not sure this is necssary. You can already
inspect/delete roots by a given user to see how much space they are
"using". I'm curious what you would want to do to help with containers,
or to help with putting nix on network storage. I don't see how this is
required.

Basically I don't have any fanstic reason this shouldn't be done (except
simplicity) however I also don't really understand any of your arguments
for why it should be done. I think some sort of design-document for
solving one (or more) of these problems would be useful. This way there
is a concrete example of why the current situation wouldn't work and
provide a place for people to suggest concrete alternatives and debate
the merits.

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