How can I nix-env install a derivation from a nix expression file?

Question

I've got a default.nix file that builds a derivation (at least my understanding of it).

{ nixpkgs ? import <nixpkgs> {}, compiler ? "ghc864" } :
nixpkgs.pkgs.haskell.packages.${compiler}.callCabal2nix "bhoogle" (./.) {}

I can successfully nix-build this. Is there a way I can install this into my user profile with nix-env directly? For example something like nix-env -i -f default.nix.

Otherwise I need to define a package in my system profile with something like:

  example = pkgs.callPackage /home/chris/example/default.nix {};

Your example `nix-env` invocation looks fine. Did you try it? — Robert Hensing, Jul 08 '19 at 14:50
It works! I think I read the nix-env --help for `-f` and just dismissed it as not what I was looking for - but apparently not! Thanks! — Chris Stryczynski, Jul 08 '19 at 15:02

score 18 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 08 '19 at 15:04

Quite literally my initial guess (thanks @Robert):

nix-env -i -f default.nix

Documented in nix --help:

   --file / -f path
       Specifies the Nix expression (designated below as the active Nix expression) used by the --install, --upgrade, and --query
--available operations to obtain derivations. The default is ~/.nix-defexpr.
       If the argument starts with http:// or https://, it is interpreted as the URL of a tarball that will be downloaded and
unpacked to a temporary location. The tarball must include a single top-level directory containing at least a file named default.nix.

How can I nix-env install a derivation from a nix expression file?

1 Answers1