feature nix: add option useAttrPath to use packages attribute path

src/nix/devcontainer-feature.json

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 {
     "id": "nix",
-    "version": "1.1.3",
+    "version": "1.2.0",
     "name": "Nix Package Manager",
     "documentationURL": "https://github.com/devcontainers/features/tree/main/src/nix",
-    "description": "Installs the Nix package manager and optionally a set of packages.",  
+    "description": "Installs the Nix package manager and optionally a set of packages.",
     "options": {
         "version": {
             "type": "string",
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@
             "default": "",
             "description": "Optional comma separated list of Nix packages to install in profile."
         },
+        "useAttributePath": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "default": false,
+            "description": "Enable this option to use exact attribute path of the package in the Nixpkgs repository, aligning with the nix-env -iA command."
+        },
         "flakeUri": {
             "type": "string",
             "default": "",
@@ -39,4 +44,4 @@
         "PATH": "/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/bin:/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/sbin:${PATH}"
     },
     "entrypoint": "/usr/local/share/nix-entrypoint.sh"
-}
+}

src/nix/install.sh

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ cd "${FEATURE_DIR}"
 VERSION="${VERSION:-"latest"}"
 MULTIUSER="${MULTIUSER:-"true"}"
 PACKAGES="${PACKAGES//,/ }"
+USEATTRIBUTEPATH="${USEATTRIBUTEPATH:-"false"}"
 FLAKEURI="${FLAKEURI:-""}"
 EXTRANIXCONFIG="${EXTRANIXCONFIG:-""}"
 USERNAME="${USERNAME:-"${_REMOTE_USER:-"automatic"}"}"
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ else
             exit 1
         fi
         echo "(*) Performing single-user install..."
-        echo -e "\n**NOTE: Nix will only work for user ${USERNAME} on Linux if the host machine user's UID is $(id -u ${USERNAME}). You will need to chown /nix otherwise.**\n"    
+        echo -e "\n**NOTE: Nix will only work for user ${USERNAME} on Linux if the host machine user's UID is $(id -u ${USERNAME}). You will need to chown /nix otherwise.**\n"
         # Install per https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/installation/installing-binary.html#single-user-installation
         mkdir -p /nix
         chown ${USERNAME} /nix ${tmpdir}
@@ -79,14 +80,14 @@ else
         '
         update_rc_file "$home_dir/.bashrc" "${snippet}"
         update_rc_file "$home_dir/.zshenv" "${snippet}"
-        update_rc_file "$home_dir/.profile" "${snippet}"    
+        update_rc_file "$home_dir/.profile" "${snippet}"
     fi
     rm -rf "${tmpdir}" "/tmp/tmp-gnupg"
 fi
 
 # Set nix config
 mkdir -p /etc/nix
-create_or_update_file /etc/nix/nix.conf 'sandbox = false' 
+create_or_update_file /etc/nix/nix.conf 'sandbox = false'
 if  [ ! -z "${FLAKEURI}" ] && [ "${FLAKEURI}" != "none" ]; then
     create_or_update_file /etc/nix/nix.conf 'experimental-features = nix-command flakes'
 fi
@@ -127,4 +128,4 @@ else
     "
 fi
 
-echo "Done!"
+echo "Done!"

src/nix/post-install-steps.sh

@@ -2,10 +2,29 @@
 set -e
 echo "(*) Executing post-installation steps..."
 
+# if not starts with "nixpkgs." add it as prefix to package name
+add_nixpkgs_prefix() {
+  local packages=$1
+  local -a addr
+  IFS=' ' read -ra addr <<<"$packages"
+  for i in "${!addr[@]}"; do
+    if [[ ${addr[i]} != nixpkgs.* ]]; then
+      addr[i]="nixpkgs.${addr[i]}"
+    fi
+  done
+  IFS=' ' echo "${addr[*]}"
+}
+
 # Install list of packages in profile if specified.
 if [ ! -z "${PACKAGES}" ] && [ "${PACKAGES}" != "none" ]; then
+  if [ "${USEATTRIBUTEPATH}" = "true" ]; then
+    PACKAGES=$(add_nixpkgs_prefix "$PACKAGES")
+    echo "Installing packages \"${PACKAGES}\" in profile..."
+    nix-env -iA ${PACKAGES}
+  else
     echo "Installing packages \"${PACKAGES}\" in profile..."
     nix-env --install ${PACKAGES}
+  fi
 fi
 
 # Install Nix flake in profile if specified

test/nix/packages-use-attr-path.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -e
+
+# Optional: Import test library bundled with the devcontainer CLI
+source dev-container-features-test-lib
+
+uid="$(id -u)"
+echo "Current user UID is ${uid}."
+if [ "${uid}" != "1000" ]; then
+    echo "Current user UID was adjusted."
+fi
+set +e
+vscode_uid="$(id -u vscode)"
+set -e
+if [ "${vscode_uid}" != "" ]; then
+    echo "User vscode UID is ${vscode_uid}."
+    if [ "${vscode_uid}" != "1000" ]; then
+        echo "User vscode UID was adjusted."
+    fi
+fi
+nix_uid="$(stat /nix -c "%u")"
+echo "/nix UID is ${nix_uid}."
+
+cat /etc/os-release
+
+# Feature-specific tests
+# The 'check' command comes from the dev-container-features-test-lib.
+check "nix-env" type nix-env
+check "vim_installed" type vim
+check "node_installed" type node
+check "yarn_installed" type yarn
+
+# Report result
+# If any of the checks above exited with a non-zero exit code, the test will fail.
+reportResults &2>1

test/nix/scenarios.json

@@ -81,6 +81,17 @@
             }
         }
     },
+    "packages-use-attr-path": {
+        "image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/base:ubuntu",
+        "remoteUser": "vscode",
+        "features": {
+            "nix": {
+                "packages": "nodePackages.nodejs,nixpkgs.vim,nixpkgs.yarn",
+                "useAttributePath": true
+            }
+        }
+    },
+
     "flake": {
         "image": "mcr.microsoft.com/devcontainers/base:ubuntu",
         "remoteUser": "vscode",
@@ -99,4 +110,4 @@
             }
         }
     }
-}
+}