Investigate how nix could be supported

[buremba]

We would like to support nix package manager. For the bot, we will enable setting up installing nix packages which will be available in the subprocess, docker, and kubernetes environments. The use-case is that the users don't need the github integration all the time, if the git is not available and the user wants to access some CLI (aws cli etc.) the user can run termos on a directory with nix file and all the workers will have these installed packages through nix in the environment. @claude ask questions if you need clarification

[traycerai]

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[claude]

Claude finished @buremba's task —— View job

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Investigating Nix Package Manager Support

I've completed a comprehensive investigation of how Nix package manager could be integrated into peerbot to support package installation across subprocess, Docker, and Kubernetes environments.

Investigation Complete ✅

Summary of Findings

Current Architecture: Peerbot uses a sophisticated worker environment with Docker/K8s deployment, persistent workspaces, and multi-package manager support (Bun, npm, Python, apt).

Nix Integration Approach: Hybrid strategy that adds Nix alongside existing package managers rather than replacing them.

Key Integration Points Identified

1. Worker Container Setup (Dockerfile.worker)

• Add Nix installation during container build
• Configure binary caches for performance
• Set up single-user Nix installation for container environment

2. Workspace Detection (workspace-manager.ts)

• Detect flake.nix, shell.nix, or default.nix files during workspace setup
• Parse Nix configuration to understand package requirements
• Activate Nix environment when Nix files are present

3. Environment Activation (worker-entrypoint.sh)

• Initialize Nix environment variables and PATH
• Activate project-specific Nix shells automatically
• Integrate with existing tool checking process

Technical Challenges & Solutions

Performance Considerations

• Challenge: Nix builds can be slow on first run
• Solution: Binary caching with cache.nixos.org and optional private cache
• Optimization: Layer caching in Docker builds for common Nix packages

Storage Management

• Challenge: Nix store can consume significant disk space
• Solution: Regular garbage collection and store optimization
• Monitoring: Track Nix store size in persistent volumes

Multi-User Isolation

• Challenge: Separating Nix environments per thread/user
• Solution: User-specific Nix profiles in persistent workspace directories
• Security: Contained within existing worker isolation boundaries

Recommended Implementation Plan

Phase 1: Foundation (Low Risk)

1. Add Nix installation to worker Docker image
2. Implement basic Nix file detection in workspace setup
3. Add simple nix-shell activation for shell.nix files

Phase 2: Advanced Features

1. Support modern flake.nix with nix develop command
2. Implement caching strategies for better performance
3. Add user configuration options for Nix usage

Phase 3: Optimization

1. Binary cache integration for common packages
2. Selective Nix activation (performance vs. capability trade-off)
3. Environment templates and presets

Benefits for Users

1. Reproducible Environments: Exact package versions across different workers
2. Broader Package Ecosystem: Access to 80,000+ packages in nixpkgs
3. Declarative Configuration: Infrastructure-as-code for development environments
4. Multi-Language Support: Unified package management across ecosystems
5. No GitHub Dependency: Works with any directory containing Nix files

Questions for Clarification

1. Performance Priority: Is build speed or reproducibility more important for your users?
2. Storage Constraints: What are the disk space limitations for worker persistent volumes?
3. User Experience: Should Nix be opt-in per workspace or auto-detected?
4. Integration Scope: Focus on development packages or also include deployment tools?

This investigation provides a clear path for implementing Nix support while maintaining peerbot's existing robust architecture and multi-package manager ecosystem.

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