Nixpkgs config (e.g. allowUnfree) when using nix profile

[kirelagin]

When using the new flakes interface, e.g. nix profile, the nixpkgs configuration in ~/.config/nixpkgs/config.nix is ignored due to hermetic evaluation, so, e.g. it is not clear to me how to install unfree packages now. When I try to install a new package, the error is not helpful as it suggests using this file.

I think, this error needs to be updated to detect (?) that the evaluation is hermetic and recommend some other solution which will work.

[samuelgrf]

You can work around this by running NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE=1 nix profile --impure, but this shouldn't be a long term solution.

Nix issue about this: NixOS/nix#3949 . There are plans for fixing this mentioned here: NixOS/nix#3843 (comment)

[doronbehar]

See also: #101367 .

[stale]

I marked this as stale due to inactivity. → More info

[doronbehar]

Still an issue.

[mausch]

You can work around this by running NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE=1 nix profile --impure

This flag doesn't seem to exist?

$ NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE=1 nix profile --impure install .#
error: unrecognised flag '--impure'

Nix 2.15.1

[iFreilicht]

@mausch --impure is an argument of install, not profile. Try it like this:

NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE=1 nix profile install --impure .#