unsafeDiscardReferences

Adds a new boolean structured attribute
`outputChecks.<output>.unsafeDiscardReferences` which disables scanning
an output for runtime references.

    __structuredAttrs = true;
    outputChecks.out.unsafeDiscardReferences = true;

This is useful when creating filesystem images containing their own embedded Nix
store: they are self-contained blobs of data with no runtime dependencies.

Setting this attribute requires the experimental feature
`discard-references` to be enabled.

doc/manual/src/language/advanced-attributes.md

@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ Derivations can declare some infrequently used optional attributes.
     If this **experimental** attribute is set to true, then the derivation
     outputs will be stored in a content-addressed location rather than the
     traditional input-addressed one.
-    This only has an effect if the `ca-derivation` experimental feature is enabled.
+    This only has an effect if the `ca-derivations` experimental feature is enabled.
 
     Setting this attribute also requires setting `outputHashMode` and `outputHashAlgo` like for *fixed-output derivations* (see above).
 

doc/manual/src/release-notes/rl-next.md

@@ -21,3 +21,15 @@
 * Error traces have been reworked to provide detailed explanations and more
   accurate error locations. A short excerpt of the trace is now shown by
   default when an error occurs.
+
+* In derivations that use structured attributes, you can now use `unsafeDiscardReferences`
+  to disable scanning a given output for runtime dependencies:
+  ```nix
+  __structuredAttrs = true;
+  outputChecks.out.unsafeDiscardReferences = true;
+  ```
+  This is useful e.g. when generating self-contained filesystem images with
+  their own embedded Nix store: hashes found inside such an image refer
+  to the embedded store and not to the host's Nix store.
+
+  This requires the `discard-references` experimental feature.

src/libstore/build/local-derivation-goal.cc

@@ -2319,11 +2319,30 @@ DrvOutputs LocalDerivationGoal::registerOutputs()
             buildUser ? std::optional(buildUser->getUIDRange()) : std::nullopt,
             inodesSeen);
 
-        debug("scanning for references for output '%s' in temp location '%s'", outputName, actualPath);
+        bool discardReferences = false;
+        if (auto structuredAttrs = parsedDrv->getStructuredAttrs()) {
+            if (auto outputChecks = get(*structuredAttrs, "outputChecks")) {
+                if (auto output = get(*outputChecks, outputName)) {
+                    if (auto unsafeDiscardReferences = get(*output, "unsafeDiscardReferences")) {
+                        settings.requireExperimentalFeature(Xp::DiscardReferences);
+                        if (!unsafeDiscardReferences->is_boolean())
+                            throw Error("attribute 'outputChecks.\"%s\".unsafeDiscardReferences' of derivation '%s' must be a Boolean", outputName, drvPath.to_string());
+                        discardReferences = unsafeDiscardReferences->get<bool>();
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
 
-        /* Pass blank Sink as we are not ready to hash data at this stage. */
+        StorePathSet references;
-        NullSink blank;
+        if (discardReferences)
-        auto references = scanForReferences(blank, actualPath, referenceablePaths);
+            debug("discarding references of output '%s'", outputName);
+        else {
+            debug("scanning for references for output '%s' in temp location '%s'", outputName, actualPath);
+
+            /* Pass blank Sink as we are not ready to hash data at this stage. */
+            NullSink blank;
+            references = scanForReferences(blank, actualPath, referenceablePaths);
+        }
 
         outputReferencesIfUnregistered.insert_or_assign(
             outputName,

src/libutil/experimental-features.cc

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ std::map<ExperimentalFeature, std::string> stringifiedXpFeatures = {
     { Xp::ReplFlake, "repl-flake" },
     { Xp::AutoAllocateUids, "auto-allocate-uids" },
     { Xp::Cgroups, "cgroups" },
+    { Xp::DiscardReferences, "discard-references" },
 };
 
 const std::optional<ExperimentalFeature> parseExperimentalFeature(const std::string_view & name)

src/libutil/experimental-features.hh

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ enum struct ExperimentalFeature
     ReplFlake,
     AutoAllocateUids,
     Cgroups,
+    DiscardReferences,
 };
 
 /**

tests/check-refs.nix

@@ -67,4 +67,13 @@ rec {
     disallowedReferences = [test5];
   };
 
+  test11 = makeTest 11 {
+    __structuredAttrs = true;
+    outputChecks.out = {
+      unsafeDiscardReferences = true;
+      allowedReferences = [];
+    };
+    buildCommand = ''echo ${dep} > "''${outputs[out]}"'';
+  };
+
 }

tests/check-refs.sh

@@ -40,3 +40,12 @@ nix-build -o $RESULT check-refs.nix -A test7
 
 # test10 should succeed (no disallowed references).
 nix-build -o $RESULT check-refs.nix -A test10
+
+if isDaemonNewer 2.12pre20230103; then
+    enableFeatures discard-references
+    restartDaemon
+
+    # test11 should succeed.
+    test11=$(nix-build -o $RESULT check-refs.nix -A test11)
+    [[ -z $(nix-store -q --references "$test11") ]]
+fi