On Tue, 25 Oct 2016 04:42:28 +0000 Chuan-kai Lin <chk...@gmail.com> wrote: > I have been thinking about adding Debian-package-fetching > functionality (tentatively named fetchapt) into nixpkgs, and I'd like > to hear your thoughts. > > First, why would anyone want such a thing? > > Nixpkgs retrieves some unfree software (e.g., google-chrome) through > binary packages in Debian packaging format, through vendor > repositories (e.g., dl.google.com). Currently, retrieving the binary > packages involves manually specifying package version number and hash > value in a nixpkg. This approach has a few advantages; for example, > users can look at nixpkg and determine exactly which version of the > software is being installed.
This is _the_ argument for nix. I think its even the reason why nix was invented. It gives you reproducible builds, generations, deployments, machines. All from one git-revision. If you take that away by fetching the actual software version each time the expression is evaluated, you loose that. The builds will not be deterministic anymore. So on your test-system the new chrome release will be stable. But when you finally approve it for the production environment, the upstream/debian package will already have changed… - Arnold
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