Does nixpkgs have a policy on building packages preferably from source? I have noticed the nix scripts of a few packages fetch a binary package instead of building from source, even though a source should also be available, for example Eclipse and Gradle. Is this a conscious decision, or were these packages too difficult to build for the moment?
As for me, I think packages should be built from source whenever it is possible. It allows using the nix script as a base for customisation and alternative versions and confirms that the source can be compiled and corresponds to the binary package. Sometimes source packages include pre-built dependencies. These should also be replaced with distribution-built versions, if such are available. The reasons are the same: allowing customisation and linking to an alternative version, and confirming that the dependency is built using the public source code. _______________________________________________ nix-dev mailing list [email protected] http://lists.science.uu.nl/mailman/listinfo/nix-dev
