NixOS / NixOS/nixpkgs

nixos/xserver: keyboard compilation relies on the presence of `/bin/sh`

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#419,829 6 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

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0.kind: bug 2.status: stale 6.topic: nixos
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Nix
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Description

Nixpkgs version
  • Unstable (25.11)
Describe the bug

Preface: I was experimenting with impermanence-like setup and mounted /bin, /etc, /lib*, /srv and /usr to tmpfs. Since /etc and /usr are always set as neededForBoot (and therefore were intact), /lib* are used purely for warnings, and /srv is empty, i only blame /bin (and, by extension, /bin/sh).

Bug itself: X server failed to launch. According to the logs (sadly, lost), it failed to compile keyboard layouts with xkbcomp. I don't know exactly, whether Xorg or xkbcomp failed (judging by the command, it was fed from stdin).

Steps to reproduce
  1. Remove /bin/sh
  2. Run sx dwm
Expected behaviour

Programs should not rely on /bin/sh

Screenshots

No response

Relevant log output
sadly, none
Additional context

Loosely related issue I've found on Arch forums (but you can see there what kinda errors I've seen): https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=54015

System metadata

Typing from phone, sry

Notify maintainers

Prolly random, but @quantenzitrone @K900 @trofi


Note for maintainers: Please tag this issue in your pull request description. (i.e. Resolves #ISSUE.)

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Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing the failure with /bin/sh removed and sx dwm, then trace the X server's xkbcomp invocation and determine which command path requires the shell. The issue provides no source file or test location, so the relevant X server or keyboard-compilation entry point must be located first. Done means keyboard compilation and X server startup work without /bin/sh.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
linux, shell
Domain
operating-systems
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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