Hm, i don't think i have a specific example of the first issue that isn't under NDA. In the abstract, "higher order" derivations, that is derivations that produ

Hm, i don't think i have a specific example of the first issue that isn't under NDA. In the abstract, "higher order" derivations, that is derivations that produce other derivations which in turn get built are a bit cumbersome to work with. Nix is perfectly capable of expressing complex dependencies which just invites a person to push it to its limits. The limits are purely practical. You can go as far with nix as you are patient with working in a barebones language. Number 2 is probably a bug, yea. It's certainly not a design flaw. It's just a wart. Unfortunately, even though nix has a strong community of great contributors, it's a very ambitious project and so warts and rough edges are part and parcel of the nix experience.