nix run with different binary name

[0ihsan]

Some programs don't match with their executable names, e.g.

• ripgrep -> rg
• neovim -> nvim

$ nix run nixpkgs#ripgrep
unable to execute '/nix/store/flwx9dk03037cfbqhkvlb9dv85k88gbq-ripgrep-12.1.1/bin/ripgrep': No such file or directory

It would be nice to detect their executable names automatically or get the specified name from a user input in arguments. Alternative solution would be to go into a nix shell nixpkgs#ripgrep and run the program in there but that would be a two step procedure. I would really prefer one of these commands instead of a subshell:

nix run nixpkgs#rg

or

nix run nixpkgs#ripgrep --exe rg

Additional context

My nix --version is: nix (Nix) 2.4pre20201201_5a6ddb3

[cole-h]

Would also be useful for packages like coreutils that provide many different binaries.

[colemickens]

Kinda related: I still get confused when choosing between nix run and nix shell. I tend to stick with nix shell because I know it's the more flexible option that can do what I need. (Also nix run doesn't seem to allow specifying args in the flake.nix. If it did, that would be more interesting.)

[Kha]

I've noticed this issue as well. One could claim that this is what the apps flake attribute is for, but I dislike that it is anti-modular, requiring keeping packages and apps in sync (or maybe nixpkgs or flake-utils just needs to introduce a nice convention for deriving apps from packages, outsourcing the issue from Nix itself).

nix run nixpkgs#ripgrep --exe rg

You can use nix shell nixpkgs#ripgrep -c rg.

(Also nix run doesn't seem to allow specifying args in the flake.nix. If it did, that would be more interesting.)

Cmdline args are currently ignored anyway: #3949

[0ihsan]

nix shell nixpkgs#ripgrep -c rg -w hello

Works for me. Thanks!

[garbas]

2 solutions to this problem:

• improve the error message that you should rather run nix shell with a --command flag and also show possible binaries of a package
• add a meta field to the derivation