Don't depend on PARSER_UTIL_BIN being set

[mkenigs]

Currently PARSER_UTIL_BIN must be set to compile runix. Requiring a binary dependency to be injected via an environment variable is a barrier to adoption.

Some options:

• fall back to the runix flakeref parser if PARSER_UTIL_BIN is not set
• pass PARSER_UTIL_BIN in the same way that the nix binary is passed (a downside is that a simple FlakeRef::from_str no longer works)
• use FFI
• Something else?

[aakropotkin]

We had landed on option 2 as being the expectation previously correct?

[mkenigs]

No we pass nix_bin explicitly rather than using an environment variable:
https://github.com/flox/flox/blob/e2d4ad168152ad4da091c61931cd6d86ca312bd7/crates/flox-rust-sdk/src/flox.rs#L80

[gl-yziquel]

I just hit this issue when trying to run "cargo build" on the source repository.

It's indeed a barrier to adoption.

(And a workaround for the noob -- i.e. me -- would be welcome, here.)

[mkenigs]

(And a workaround for the noob -- i.e. me -- would be welcome, here.)

If you're in the runix repo, you can run flox or nix develop .#runix. Are you trying to use it in another project or does that work for you?

[gl-yziquel]

I was making a survey of the tools that I may use for a personal project. Roughly, a build automation tool. I do not have flox up and running. As to nix develop, I'm not yet that comfortable with it. Will give it a try as soon as I find more time for it. Thank you.

[phaer]

Alternatively, the crates.io pkg of runix could be updated if it's not too much trouble? The current one is 12 month old and this would allow users to include it more easily in their own projects, whereas the need to checkout, build in a nix develop shell, and use a path dependency in cargo atm.

[mkenigs]

Alternatively, the crates.io pkg of runix could be updated if it's not too much trouble? The current one is 12 month old and this would allow users to include it more easily in their own projects, whereas the need to checkout, build in a nix develop shell, and use a path dependency in cargo atm.

I think the problem is present even on main, so I'm not sure how bumping would help? https://github.com/flox/runix/blob/main/crates/runix/src/url_parser.rs#L15

We're not actively maintaining runix anymore, so that's why it hasn't been bumped in so long