nix store diff-closures

Warning: This program is experimental and its interface is subject to change.

# Name

`nix store diff-closures` - show what packages and versions were added and removed between two closures

# Synopsis

`nix store diff-closures` [option...] before after

# Examples

- Show what got added and removed between two versions of the NixOS system profile:

      # nix store diff-closures /nix/var/nix/profiles/system-655-link /nix/var/nix/profiles/system-658-link
      acpi-call: 2020-04-07-5.8.16 → 2020-04-07-5.8.18
      baloo-widgets: 20.08.1 → 20.08.2
      bluez-qt: +12.6 KiB
      dolphin: 20.08.1 → 20.08.2, +13.9 KiB
      kdeconnect: 20.08.2 → ∅, -6597.8 KiB
      kdeconnect-kde: ∅ → 20.08.2, +6599.7 KiB
      …

# Description

This command shows the differences between the two closures before and after with respect to the addition, removal, or version change of packages, as well as changes in store path sizes.

For each package name in the two closures (where a package name is defined as the name component of a store path excluding the version), if there is a change in the set of versions of the package, or a change in the size of the store paths of more than 8 KiB, it prints a line like this:

    dolphin: 20.08.1 → 20.08.2, +13.9 KiB

No size change is shown if it's below the threshold. If the package does not exist in either the before or after closures, it is represented using `∅` (empty set) on the appropriate side of the arrow. If a package has an empty version string, the version is rendered as `ε` (epsilon).

There may be multiple versions of a package in each closure. In that case, only the changed versions are shown. Thus,

    libfoo: 1.2, 1.3 → 1.4

leaves open the possibility that there are other versions (e.g. `1.1`) that exist in both closures.

# Options

Common evaluation options:

- `--arg` name expr
  Pass the value expr as the argument name to Nix functions.

- `--argstr` name string
  Pass the string string as the argument name to Nix functions.

- `--eval-store` store-url
  The Nix store to use for evaluations.

- `--impure`
  Allow access to mutable paths and repositories.

- `--include` / `-I` path
  Add path to the list of locations used to look up `<...>` file names.

- `--override-flake` original-ref resolved-ref
  Override the flake registries, redirecting original-ref to resolved-ref.

Common flake-related options:

- `--commit-lock-file`
  Commit changes to the flake's lock file.

- `--inputs-from` flake-url
  Use the inputs of the specified flake as registry entries.

- `--no-registries`
  Don't allow lookups in the flake registries. This option is deprecated; use `--no-use-registries`.

- `--no-update-lock-file`
  Do not allow any updates to the flake's lock file.

- `--no-write-lock-file`
  Do not write the flake's newly generated lock file.

- `--override-input` input-path flake-url
  Override a specific flake input (e.g. `dwarffs/nixpkgs`). This implies `--no-write-lock-file`.

- `--recreate-lock-file`
  Recreate the flake's lock file from scratch.

- `--update-input` input-path
  Update a specific flake input (ignoring its previous entry in the lock file).

Options that change the interpretation of installables:

- `--derivation`
  Operate on the store derivation rather than its outputs.

- `--expr` expr
  Interpret installables as attribute paths relative to the Nix expression expr.

- `--file` / `-f` file
  Interpret installables as attribute paths relative to the Nix expression stored in file.