Automatic system upgrades - Revision history

Dwt: /* Flake-based systems */ explain why --update-inputs nixpkgs doesn't work anymore and which bug to follow for resolutions.

2026-04-29T21:21:14Z

Flake-based systems: explain why --update-inputs nixpkgs doesn't work anymore and which bug to follow for resolutions.

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:21, 29 April 2026
Line 38:		Line 38:
	randomizedDelaySec = "45min";		randomizedDelaySec = "45min";
	};		};
	</nowiki>}}		</nowiki>}}Previously this page advised to set the flags <code>--update-input nixpkgs</code> to trigger updating a specific input. However that flag will just be handed through to <code>nix build</code> where it was deprecated and removed. Follow [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/349734 this Bug for details and resolutions].

	== Monitoring ==		== Monitoring ==

Lyz: how to fix Git "fatal: unable to auto-detect email address"

2026-03-31T12:56:33Z

how to fix Git "fatal: unable to auto-detect email address"

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:56, 31 March 2026
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	</nowiki>}}		</nowiki>}}

			=== Git "fatal: unable to auto-detect email address" ===
			The root user doesn't have specified the user and email in the git configuration. To fix this, you can extend the <syntaxhighlight inline lang="bash">nixos-upgrade</syntaxhighlight> service with:
			{{file\|auto-upgrade.nix\|nix\|<nowiki>
			systemd.services.nixos-upgrade.environment = {
			GIT_AUTHOR_NAME = "NixOS Auto-upgrade";
			GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL = "root@<your-hostname>";
			GIT_COMMITTER_NAME = "NixOS Auto-upgrade";
			GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL = "root@<your-hostname>";
			};
			</nowiki>}}

	[[Category:NixOS]]		[[Category:NixOS]]

Peter: /* Flake-based systems */ Capitalisation consistency.

2026-03-02T00:36:03Z

Flake-based systems: Capitalisation consistency.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:36, 2 March 2026
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	flags = [		flags = [
	"--print-build-logs"		"--print-build-logs"
	"--commit-lock-file" # if you want to automatically commit the updated flake.lock		"--commit-lock-file" # If you want to automatically commit the updated flake.lock
	];		];
	dates = "02:00";		dates = "02:00";

Peter: Fix flake configuration, update monitoring to include force-running an upgrade, add troubleshooting for repository not owned by current user.

2026-03-02T00:35:07Z

Fix flake configuration, update monitoring to include force-running an upgrade, add troubleshooting for repository not owned by current user.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:35, 2 March 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Automatic system upgrades can be used to upgrade a system regularly at a specific time. This can help to reduce the time period of applying important security patches to your running software but might also introduce some breakage in case an automatic upgrade fails. For automatic upgrades an automatic [[Garbage Collection\|garbage collection]] is important to prevent full /boot and / partitions.		Automatic system upgrades can be used to upgrade a system regularly at a specific time. This can help to reduce the time period of applying important security patches to your running software but might also introduce some breakage in case an automatic upgrade fails. For automatic upgrades an automatic [[Garbage Collection\|garbage collection]] is important to prevent full <syntaxhighlight inline lang="bash">/boot</syntaxhighlight> and <syntaxhighlight inline lang="bash">/</syntaxhighlight> partitions.

	== Configuration ==		== Configuration ==
Line 5:		Line 5:
	=== Channel-based systems (default) ===		=== Channel-based systems (default) ===

	Most NixOS installations use channels by default. If you're unsure which you're using, check with `nix-channel --list`. If that returns results, you're using channels.		Most NixOS installations use channels by default. If you're unsure which you're using, check with <syntaxhighlight inline lang="bash">nix-channel --list</syntaxhighlight>. If that returns results, you're using channels.

	For channel-based systems, use this configuration:		For channel-based systems, use this configuration:

	{{file\|~~/etc/nixos/configuration~~.nix\|nix\|<nowiki>		{{file\|auto-upgrade.nix\|nix\|<nowiki>
	system.autoUpgrade = {		system.autoUpgrade = {
	enable = true;		enable = true;
Line 27:		Line 27:
	To enable unattended automatic system updates on a flake-enabled host, add following part to your configuration:		To enable unattended automatic system updates on a flake-enabled host, add following part to your configuration:

	{{file\|~~/etc/nixos/configuration~~.nix\|nix\|<nowiki>		{{file\|auto-upgrade.nix\|nix\|<nowiki>
	system.autoUpgrade = {		system.autoUpgrade = {
	enable = true;		enable = true;
	flake = ~~inputs.self.outPath~~;		flake = "/path/to/flake";
	flags = [		flags = [
	"--print-build-logs"		"--print-build-logs"
			"--commit-lock-file" # if you want to automatically commit the updated flake.lock
	];		];
	dates = "02:00";		dates = "02:00";
Line 41:		Line 42:
	== Monitoring ==		== Monitoring ==

	~~To see the status of the timer~~ run		Check that automatic system upgrades run successfully. Force an automatic system upgrade by running

	<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">		<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
	# systemctl ~~status~~ nixos-upgrade~~.timer~~		# systemctl start nixos-upgrade
	</syntaxhighlight>		</syntaxhighlight>

	~~The~~ upgrade log ~~can be printed~~ with ~~this command~~		Check the upgrade log with

	<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">		<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
Line 53:		Line 54:
	</syntaxhighlight>		</syntaxhighlight>

	~~To check if upgrades have been failing silently~~, ~~examine~~ the ~~service logs:~~		Or, to see the full log

	<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">		<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
	# journalctl -u nixos-upgrade.service		# journalctl -u nixos-upgrade.service
	</syntaxhighlight>		</syntaxhighlight>

			To see the status of the upgrade timer run

			<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
			# systemctl status nixos-upgrade.timer
			</syntaxhighlight>

			== Troubleshooting ==

			=== Git "repository is not owned by current user" ===

			The flake repository directory is not owned by <syntaxhighlight inline lang="bash">root</syntaxhighlight> (which <syntaxhighlight inline lang="bash">nixos-upgrade</syntaxhighlight> runs as). To fix this, add the following to <syntaxhighlight inline lang="bash">/root/.gitconfig</syntaxhighlight>:

			{{file\|/root/.gitconfig\|gitconfig\|<nowiki>
			[safe]
			directory = /path/to/flake
			</nowiki>}}


	[[Category:NixOS]]		[[Category:NixOS]]

Bittner: Remove reference to deprecated flag in text

2025-07-30T13:24:45Z

Remove reference to deprecated flag in text

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:24, 30 July 2025
Line 21:		Line 21:
	</nowiki>}}		</nowiki>}}

	Important: Do not use ~~`--update-input` or similar~~ flake-specific flags with channel-based systems, as they will cause the upgrade to fail silently.		<strong>Important:</strong> Do not use flake-specific flags with channel-based systems, as they will cause the upgrade to fail silently.

	=== Flake-based systems ===		=== Flake-based systems ===

Bittner: /* Flake-based systems */ Remove deprecated flag

2025-07-30T13:20:20Z

Flake-based systems: Remove deprecated flag

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:20, 30 July 2025
Line 32:		Line 32:
	flake = inputs.self.outPath;		flake = inputs.self.outPath;
	flags = [		flags = [
	~~"--update-input"~~
	~~"nixpkgs"~~
	"--print-build-logs"		"--print-build-logs"
	];		];

Dujo: Prioritize channel-based auto-upgrade config since it's the NixOS default; clarify flake vs channel differences

2025-07-18T15:14:31Z

Prioritize channel-based auto-upgrade config since it's the NixOS default; clarify flake vs channel differences

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 == Configuration ==
 To enable unattended automatic system updates on a flake-enabled host, add following part to your configuration:
@@ Line 18: / Line 40: @@
 };
 </nowiki>}}
 To see the status of the timer run
@@ Line 29: / Line 53: @@
 <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
 # systemctl status nixos-upgrade.service
 </syntaxhighlight>
 [[Category:NixOS]]

Klinger: Added a sentence about garbage collection

2024-06-18T18:24:02Z

Added a sentence about garbage collection

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:24, 18 June 2024
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	Automatic system upgrades can be used to upgrade a system regularly at a specific time. This can help to reduce the time period of applying important security patches to your running software but might also introduce some breakage in case an automatic upgrade fails.		Automatic system upgrades can be used to upgrade a system regularly at a specific time. This can help to reduce the time period of applying important security patches to your running software but might also introduce some breakage in case an automatic upgrade fails. For automatic upgrades an automatic [[Garbage Collection\|garbage collection]] is important to prevent full /boot and / partitions.

	== Configuration ==		== Configuration ==

Lelgenio: Use long command line arguments in example code.

2024-04-05T00:10:18Z

Use long command line arguments in example code.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:10, 5 April 2024
Line 12:		Line 12:
	"--update-input"		"--update-input"
	"nixpkgs"		"nixpkgs"
	"-~~L" #~~ print build logs		"--print-build-logs"
	];		];
	dates = "02:00";		dates = "02:00";

imported>IgorM: Added category

2023-09-27T09:21:31Z

Added category

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:21, 27 September 2023
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	# systemctl status nixos-upgrade.service		# systemctl status nixos-upgrade.service
	</syntaxhighlight>		</syntaxhighlight>

			[[Category:NixOS]]