Nix manager only detects nixpkgs flake input, and no others

[nbraud]

How are you running Renovate?

Mend Renovate hosted app on github.com

Was this something which used to work for you, and then stopped?

I am trying to get this working for the first time

Describe the problem

I set up Renovate for a new repo, and the dashboard only lists the following dependency:

• nix
  • flake.nix
    • nixpkgs nixpkgs-unstable

I'd expect to also find a flake-utils entry, based on the flake's inputs:

inputs = {
  # Actual versions are pinned in lockfile
  flake-utils.url = "github:numtide/flake-utils";
  nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable";
};

I reproduced the issue in a near-empty repository, as a minimal reproducing example:

• renovate.json does not contain any custom rules;
• the relevant data is limited to flake.{lock, nix}, which do not contain any dependencies other than the 2 needed to exhibit the bug, and only build placeholder outputs.

Relevant debug logs

DEBUG: packageFiles with updates

{
  "baseBranch": "main"
  "config": {
    "nix": [
      {
        "deps": [
          {
            "currentValue": "nixpkgs-unstable",
            "currentVersion": "nixpkgs-unstable",
            "datasource": "git-refs",
            "depName": "nixpkgs",
            "fixedVersion": "nixpkgs-unstable",
            "packageName": "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs",
            "sourceUrl": "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs",
            "versioning": "nixpkgs",
            "warnings": [],
            "updates": []
          }
        ],
        "packageFile": "flake.nix"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Have you created a minimal reproduction repository?

I have linked to a minimal reproduction in the description above

[nbraud]

EDIT: Provided a minimal repo where the bug is reproduced, to confirm this is unrelated to the other contents of the repo where I first encountered the issue.

This seems related to dependabot-core#7340: Renovate reportedly doesn't handle flake inputs other than nixpkgs. This should presumably be documented or fixed. (Nevermind that, IDK how I got myself linked to dependabot instead of Renovate...)

[rarkins]

PRs welcome

[nbraud]

I also confirmed that adding "lockFileMaintenance": { "enabled": true } is insufficient for Renovate to update flake.lock, even for updating nixpkgs.

[rarkins]

Please add that config to the reproduction repo

[oliver-kk]

Hi everyone,

first, @nbraud, the behaviour seems to be expected: the original discussion on Nix support mentions that updating flake.lock files is not within the feature's scope. In particular, a Nix flake using the unstable channel of nixpkgs is not updated by Renovate bot. @rarkins, please let me know if I am gravely wrong here, but if I am right then I would greatly appreciate a slight extension of the documentation in this respect. I am happy to provide a draft, if desired.

@rarkins For the case that I am completely wrong, meaning if Renovate does update flake.lock files following the unstable channel then the following would be my functioning config on a repo of mine. There, flake.lock files are present (and also found) but not updated.

DEBUG: Repository config (repository=some/fancy/project)
       "fileName": "renovate.json",
       "config": {
         "$schema": " https://docs.renovatebot.com/renovate-schema.json",
         "nix": {"enabled": true},
         "lockFileMaintenance": {"enabled": true},
         "extends": [
           "config:recommended",
           ":semanticCommits",
           "docker:enableMajor",
           ":disableDependencyDashboard"
         ],
         "baseBranches": ["master", "main"],
         "kubernetes": {"fileMatch": [".\\.gitlab-ci\\.yml$"]},
         "gitlabci-include": {"fileMatch": [".\\.gitlab-ci\\.yml$"]},
         "docker-compose": {"fileMatch": ["(^|/)compose-[^/]*.ya?ml$"]},
         "packageRules": [
           {
             "matchUpdateTypes": ["major", "minor", "patch", "pin", "digest"],
             "automerge": false,
             "platformAutomerge": false
           }
         ],
         "prHourlyLimit": 0,
         "prConcurrentLimit": 0
       }

Thanks and cheers

[rarkins]

Unfortunately I have no additional information other than what's in the docs/repo. It does state that lockFileMaintenance is supported, which means that's one way to update the lock file.

The original author of this manager has left the project so anyone new who'd like to move it forward would be very welcome to do so.

[oliver-kk]

Thanks Rhys, for your very swift reply. I see, things are a little stalled then, thanks for the information. I do feel that this feature would be very valuable, indeed. I will try to take a look and see what can be done. Thank you again!