How to remove single package from cache/nix store?

Question

Is there any way to force removing a package from /nix/store/..

I am testing my expression for my package and want to make sure it will rebuild correctly.

The problem is if I build my package once, the next time I build it again it will use the cache.

I use this command to test my package

nix-shell -I nixpkgs=</path/to/repo> -p <package_name>

I don't want to use nix-collect-garbage because it remove lot of buildInputs too.

Looking for something like nix-cg <package_name>

while Vladimir is right, you can achive what you want with --check argument, for example, nix-build '<nixpkgs>' -A hello --check will rebuild hello even if it is available in cache — danbst, May 16, 2018 at 12:19
@danbst Exactly what I needed, thanks again! Was looking for a way to re-compile packages, and opened this thread because of an unrelated question. Pretty frustrating though that --check is not listed as an option under nix-build man page (nor under nix-instantiate's), and only found it under nix-store's by accident... (I guess that's why it works with nix-shell as well.) — toraritte, Feb 10, 2021 at 22:11

Vladimír Čunát · Accepted Answer · 2017-07-26 20:54:03Z

18

nix-store --delete /path Note that the path might be alive and thus refused to be deleted without --ignore-liveness and root privileges.

answered Jul 26, 2017 at 20:54

Vladimír Čunát

1,1986 silver badges11 bronze badges

1

sudo nix-store --delete --ignore-liveness /nix/store/XXX
– srghma
Sep 9, 2018 at 11:27
6

Careful with that! I just recursively deleted my entire system and had to recover from the install USB.
– Jeff
Jul 16, 2019 at 3:28
This command borked my $HOME user profile symlinks to store, despite the package I was uninstalling was android-studio I thought was ok.
– truthadjustr
Feb 26, 2021 at 15:57

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