Document relative and tilde paths #497

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opened 2024-09-01 22:36:08 +00:00 by rbt · 0 comments

rbt commented

2024-09-01 22:36:08 +00:00

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With #482 closed, path configuration settings (some of them, at least) can support relative and tilde paths. Here's how I described it in the release notes (the links won't work):

Configuration settings can now refer to files with paths relative to the file they're written in or relative to your home directory (with ~/).

This makes settings like repl-overlays and secret-key-files much easier to set, especially if you'd like to refer to files in an existing dotfiles repo cloned into your home directory.

If you put repl-overlays = repl.nix in your ~/.config/nix/nix.conf, it'll load ~/.config/nix/repl.nix. Similarly, you can set repl-overlays = ~/.dotfiles/repl.nix to load a file relative to your home directory.

Configuration files can also include paths relative to your home directory.

Only user configuration files (like $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/nix/nix.conf or the files listed in $NIX_USER_CONF_FILES) can use tilde paths relative to your home directory. Configuration listed in the $NIX_CONFIG environment variable may not use relative paths.

Let's add something to the nix.conf docs explaining this.

With #482 closed, path configuration settings (some of them, at least) can support relative and tilde paths. Here's how I described it in the release notes (the links won't work): > [Configuration settings](@docroot@/command-ref/conf-file.md) can now refer to files with paths relative to the file they're written in or relative to your home directory (with `~/`). > > This makes settings like [`repl-overlays`](@docroot@/command-ref/conf-file.md#conf-repl-overlays) and [`secret-key-files`](@docroot@/command-ref/conf-file.md#conf-repl-overlays) much easier to set, especially if you'd like to refer to files in an existing dotfiles repo cloned into your home directory. > > If you put `repl-overlays = repl.nix` in your `~/.config/nix/nix.conf`, it'll load `~/.config/nix/repl.nix`. Similarly, you can set `repl-overlays = ~/.dotfiles/repl.nix` to load a file relative to your home directory. > > Configuration files can also [`include`](@docroot@/command-ref/conf-file.md#file-format) paths relative to your home directory. > > Only user configuration files (like `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/nix/nix.conf` or the files listed in `$NIX_USER_CONF_FILES`) can use tilde paths relative to your home directory. Configuration listed in the `$NIX_CONFIG` environment variable may not use relative paths. Let's add something to the `nix.conf` docs explaining this.