Nixpkgs: [Question] How to enable a service from a different channel

Created on 29 May 2018 · 6Comments · Source: NixOS/nixpkgs

Issue description

How do you enable a service from a different channel, such as nixos-unstable?
(import <nixos-unstable> {}).whatever works for packages, but I can't find a way to do something similar for a service, is this possible?

Steps to reproduce

N/A

Technical details

system: "x86_64-linux"
host os: Linux 4.14.43, NixOS, 18.03.132507.5f2da7f837e (Impala)
multi-user?: yes
sandbox: yes
version: nix-env (Nix) 2.0.2
channels(root): "nixos-18.03, nixos-unstable, nixpkgs"
nixpkgs: /nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixos/nixpkgs

question nixos

Source

Chiiruno

Most helpful comment

You need to disable the module and import it from the other channel, i.e.

{ config, pkgs, lib, ... }:

let
  unstable = import <nixos-unstable> { };
in
{
  imports = [ <nixos/modules/services/web-servers/caddy.nix> ];
  disabledModules = [ "services/web-servers/caddy.nix" ];
}

I think it than uses the package from the "normal" channel, so you need to override that aswell (either as in the next example or via an overlay).

If you want to change the channel for an unfree package, you need to allow unfree packages for the unstable channel as well, i.e.

let
  baseconfig = { allowUnfree = true; };
  unstable = import <nixos-unstable> { config = baseconfig; };
in
{
  imports = [ <nixos-unstable/nixos/modules/services/networking/unifi.nix> ];

  disabledModules = [ "services/networking/unifi.nix" ];

  nixpkgs.config = baseconfig // {
    packageOverrides = pkgs: {
      unifi = unstable.unifi;
    }; 
  };
};

Moredread on 29 May 2018

👍7

All 6 comments

You need to disable the module and import it from the other channel, i.e.

{ config, pkgs, lib, ... }:

let
  unstable = import <nixos-unstable> { };
in
{
  imports = [ <nixos/modules/services/web-servers/caddy.nix> ];
  disabledModules = [ "services/web-servers/caddy.nix" ];
}

I think it than uses the package from the "normal" channel, so you need to override that aswell (either as in the next example or via an overlay).

If you want to change the channel for an unfree package, you need to allow unfree packages for the unstable channel as well, i.e.

let
  baseconfig = { allowUnfree = true; };
  unstable = import <nixos-unstable> { config = baseconfig; };
in
{
  imports = [ <nixos-unstable/nixos/modules/services/networking/unifi.nix> ];

  disabledModules = [ "services/networking/unifi.nix" ];

  nixpkgs.config = baseconfig // {
    packageOverrides = pkgs: {
      unifi = unstable.unifi;
    }; 
  };
};

Moredread on 29 May 2018

👍7

Ok thanks, that answers my question.

Chiiruno on 29 May 2018

😄1

SOLVED