bash: Make interactive by default#379368
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Bash is distributing the rendered docs with the source, so no build tools are used or needed anymore. This was not the case originally, see dd91141
The status quo of `bash` not being interactive is frustrating for many users, because trying to use it interactively is just messed up, and `bashInteractive` is not intuitive and barely discoverable. This was brought to my (and many others) attention by @stahnma in his [talk at CfgMgmtCamp 2025](https://cfp.cfgmgmtcamp.org/ghent2025/talk/YUVUTN/), where he highlighted this as one of the frustrations he ran into when learning Nix. Why this is fine: - No reason for not making interactive the default was given in the original commit (6c6ff6f), but probably it was due to the increase in closure size - The closure size only increases by 6.9MiB (19.5%) today, with the added dependency on the store paths for readline and ncurses, which are needed on systems in almost all cases anyways - If somebody really needs to get a more minimal system, they can use the newly-introduced `bashNonInteractive` instead now - Though to apply it consistently, they'll need to do that in an overlay like ``` final: prev: { bash = self.bashNonInteractive; } ``` Or alternatively using the `system.replaceDependencies.replacements` NixOS option approach. While there's also other such `*Interactive` packages that could use the same treatment, `bash` is a great start. This was already attempted before in NixOS#151227, but was not continued for unknown reason. To avoid stdenv becoming bigger, all uses of bash in the (working) stdenv's are changed to the explicitly non-interactive version here. This commit will however still cause a mass rebuild for all packages (and reverse deps) making use of the default bash.
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bash has been interactive by default since this PR [1] was merged. This commit simplifies dockerTools given that there is now no distinction between bash and bashInteractive. * [1] NixOS#379368 Co-authored-by: commiterate <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Joel Holdsworth <[email protected]>
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bash has been interactive by default since this PR [1] was merged. This commit simplifies dockerTools given that there is now no distinction between bash and bashInteractive. * [1] NixOS#379368 Co-authored-by: commiterate <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Joel Holdsworth <[email protected]>
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bash has been interactive by default since this PR [1] was merged. This commit simplifies dockerTools given that there is now no distinction between bash and bashInteractive. * [1] NixOS#379368 Co-authored-by: commiterate <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Joel Holdsworth <[email protected]>
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bash has been interactive by default since this PR [1] was merged. This commit simplifies dockerTools given that there is now no distinction between bash and bashInteractive. * [1] NixOS#379368 Co-authored-by: commiterate <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Joel Holdsworth <[email protected]>
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bash has been interactive by default since this PR [1] was merged. This commit simplifies dockerTools given that there is now no distinction between bash and bashInteractive. * [1] NixOS#379368 Co-authored-by: commiterate <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Joel Holdsworth <[email protected]>
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bash has been interactive by default since this PR [1] was merged. This commit simplifies dockerTools given that there is now no distinction between bash and bashInteractive. * [1] NixOS#379368 Co-authored-by: commiterate <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Joel Holdsworth <[email protected]>
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bash has been interactive by default since this PR [1] was merged. This commit simplifies dockerTools given that there is now no distinction between bash and bashInteractive. * [1] NixOS#379368 Co-authored-by: commiterate <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Joel Holdsworth <[email protected]>
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bash has been interactive by default since this PR [1] was merged. This commit simplifies dockerTools given that there is now no distinction between bash and bashInteractive. * [1] NixOS#379368 Co-authored-by: commiterate <[email protected]> Signed-off-by: Joel Holdsworth <[email protected]>
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bash is interactive by default since NixOS/nixpkgs#379368.
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This is a continuation of @Artturin's #151227, which I only saw after I was done with this one 😅
The status quo of
bashnot being interactive is frustrating for many users, because trying to use it interactively is just messed up, andbashInteractiveis not intuitive and barely discoverable.This was brought to my (and many others) attention by @stahnma in his talk at CfgMgmtCamp 2025, where he highlighted this as one of the frustrations he ran into when learning Nix.
Why this is fine to change:
No reason for not making interactive the default was given in the original commit (6c6ff6f), but probably it was due to the increase in closure size
The closure size only increases by 6.9MiB (19.5%) today, with the added dependency on the store paths for readline and ncurses, which are needed on systems in almost all cases anyways. Even
systemd-minimalincludes themIf somebody really needs to get a more minimal system without those paths, they can use the newly-introduced
bashNonInteractiveinstead nowThough to apply it consistently, they'll need to do that in an overlay like
Or alternatively using the
system.replaceDependencies.replacementsNixOS option approach.While there's also other such
*Interactivepackages that could use the same treatment,bashis a great start.This was already attempted before in #151227, but was not continued for unknown reason.
To avoid stdenv becoming bigger, all uses of bash in the (working) stdenv's are changed to the explicitly non-interactive version here.
This commit will however still cause a mass rebuild for all packages (and reverse deps) making use of the default bash.
In addition to this main change I've also done a minor bash cleanup in the first commit.
Closes #151227
Things done
stdenv's don't change (linux, darwin, freebsd, cross)This work is funded by Tweag and Antithesis ✨
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