Crashes when there are leftovers from a previous installation #56

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opened 2025-09-09 11:47:18 +00:00 by nightuser · 3 comments

nightuser commented

2025-09-09 11:47:18 +00:00

Error

Error: 
   0: Planner error
   1: Error executing action
   2: Action `create_users_and_group` errored
   3: Action `create_user` errored
   4: User `_nixbld5` existed but had a different uid (305) than planned (355)

Metadata

key	value
version	0.17.1
os	macos
arch	aarch64

Further info

I had Nix installed a few years ago. When trying to install Lix, the installer crashes due to the residual user accounts/groups.

## Error ``` Error: 0: Planner error 1: Error executing action 2: Action `create_users_and_group` errored 3: Action `create_user` errored 4: User `_nixbld5` existed but had a different uid (305) than planned (355) ``` ## Metadata |key|value| |--|--| |**version**|0.17.1| |**os**|macos| |**arch**|aarch64| ## Further info I had Nix installed a few years ago. When trying to install Lix, the installer crashes due to the residual user accounts/groups.

ktemkin self-assigned this

2025-09-21 16:11:43 +00:00

kfearsoff commented

2025-12-10 20:22:37 +00:00

Member

Are you on MacOS Sequoia? Have you ran repair sequoia before?

The error message you get seems to be a common symptom of that: https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-installer/issues/1398

Are you on MacOS Sequoia? Have you ran `repair sequoia` before? The error message you get seems to be a common symptom of that: https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-installer/issues/1398

nightuser commented

2025-12-10 20:29:16 +00:00

Author

@kfearsoff yes, I was on Sequoia at the time of the report. I haven't run repair sequoia. In my case the issue happens because I had Nix installed (via the official installer) a few years ago, so the situation is not quite common. Simply removing the users manually and running the installer again solves the problem. My only real concern is that the error message should probably give some explanation and be less intimidating.

@kfearsoff yes, I was on Sequoia at the time of the report. I haven't run `repair sequoia`. In my case the issue happens because I had Nix installed (via the official installer) a few years ago, so the situation is not quite common. Simply removing the users manually and running the installer again solves the problem. My only real concern is that the error message should probably give some explanation and be less intimidating.

kfearsoff commented

2025-12-10 20:35:12 +00:00

Member

@nightuser wrote in #56 (comment):

@kfearsoff yes, I was on Sequoia at the time of the report. I haven't run repair sequoia. In my case the issue happens because I had Nix installed (via the official installer) a few years ago, so the situation is not quite common. Simply removing the users manually and running the installer again solves the problem. My only real concern is that the error message should probably give some explanations and bit less intimidating.

Haha, yeah, I'm 100% with you on that. Error reporting could very well use some work.

I don't think having Nix installed via the script a few years ago is too uncommon, really. I have some ambitious dreams on removing the receipts at all, preventing this kind of edge cases entirely, but in the meantime, I think this is an issue that is very well worth attention in terms of error reporting - I'll label it as such. Thanks for a quick response!

@nightuser wrote in https://git.lix.systems/lix-project/lix-installer/issues/56#issuecomment-16243: > @kfearsoff yes, I was on Sequoia at the time of the report. I haven't run `repair sequoia`. In my case the issue happens because I had Nix installed (via the official installer) a few years ago, so the situation is not quite common. Simply removing the users manually and running the installer again solves the problem. My only real concern is that the error message should probably give some explanations and bit less intimidating. Haha, yeah, I'm 100% with you on that. Error reporting could very well use some work. I don't think having Nix installed via the script a few years ago is *too* uncommon, really. I have some ambitious dreams on removing the receipts at all, preventing this kind of edge cases entirely, but in the meantime, I think this is an issue that is very well worth attention in terms of error reporting - I'll label it as such. Thanks for a quick response!

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