Install Nix on 64-bit Ubuntu

install-nix.sh

#!/bin/sh

set -e

# Install the binary tarball...
cd /
wget -O - http://hydra.nixos.org/job/nix/trunk/binaryTarball.x86_64-linux/latest/download | tar xvj
/usr/bin/nix-finish-install
rm /usr/bin/nix-finish-install

# Setup multiuser

# Allow all users to create profiles
mkdir -p /nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user
chmod 1777 /nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user

# Add build users
# 9 is the exit code when the group already exists
groupadd -r nixbld || [ "$?" -eq 9 ]
for n in 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10; do
    useradd -c "Nix build user $n" -d /var/empty -g nixbld -G nixbld \
        -M -N -r -s `which nologin` nixbld$n || [ "$?" -eq 9 ]
done
chown root:nixbld /nix/store
chmod 1775 /nix/store
mkdir -p /etc/nix
grep -w build-users-group /etc/nix/nix.conf 2>/dev/null || echo "build-users-group = nixbld" >> /etc/nix/nix.conf
grep -w binary-caches /etc/nix/nix.conf 2>/dev/null || echo "binary-caches = http://cache.nixos.org" >> /etc/nix/nix.conf
grep -w trusted-binary-caches /etc/nix/nix.conf 2>/dev/null || echo "trusted-binary-caches = http://hydra.nixos.org http://builder.logicblox.com http://cache.nixos.org" >> /etc/nix/nix.conf

# Use a multiuser-compatible profile script
unlink /etc/profile.d/nix.sh
cat > /etc/profile.d/nix.sh <<EOF
if test -n "\$HOME"; then
    NIX_LINK="\$HOME/.nix-profile"

    if [ -w /nix/var/nix/db ]; then
        OWNS_STORE=1
    fi

    # Set the default profile.
    if ! [ -L "\$NIX_LINK" ]; then
        echo "creating \$NIX_LINK" >&2
        if [ -n "\$OWNS_STORE" ]; then
            _NIX_PROFILE_LINK=/nix/var/nix/nix/profiles/default
        else
            mkdir -p "/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/\$LOGNAME"
            _NIX_PROFILE_LINK="/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/\$LOGNAME/profile"
        fi
        ln -s "\$_NIX_PROFILE_LINK" "\$NIX_LINK"
    fi

    # Subscribe the root user to the Nixpkgs channel by default.
    if [ -n "\$OWNS_STORE" ] && [ ! -e "\$HOME/.nix-channels" ]; then
        echo "http://nixos.org/channels/nixpkgs-unstable nixpkgs" > "\$HOME/.nix-channels"
    fi

    # Set up nix-defexpr
    NIX_DEFEXPR="\$HOME/.nix-defexpr"
    if ! [ -e "\$NIX_DEFEXPR" ]; then
        echo "creating \$NIX_DEFEXPR" >&2
        mkdir -p "\$NIX_DEFEXPR"
        _NIX_CHANNEL_LINK=/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixpkgs
        ln -s "\$_NIX_CHANNEL_LINK" "\$NIX_DEFEXPR"
    fi

    if [ -z "\$OWNS_STORE" ]; then
        export NIX_REMOTE=daemon
        export PATH="/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/bin:\$PATH"
    fi
    export PATH="\$NIX_LINK/bin:\$PATH"

    # Set up NIX_PATH
    export NIX_PATH="\${NIX_PATH:+\$NIX_PATH:}/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/\$LOGNAME/channels"
    unset OWNS_STORE
fi
EOF
cat >> /etc/environment <<EOF
PATH="\$PATH:/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/bin"
EOF

# Install upstart job
cat > /etc/init/nix-daemon.conf <<EOF
description "Nix Daemon"
start on filesystem
stop on shutdown
respawn
env NIX_CONF_DIR="/etc/nix"
exec $(readlink -f /nix/var/nix/profiles/default/bin/nix-daemon) --daemon
EOF

# Start nix daemon
initctl start nix-daemon

# Update the nix channel
/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/bin/nix-channel --update

this don't work, at least on elementary OS (Ubuntu 14.04 based).

the link to the nix binary don't work and if you change it to the correct one the script stops at:

./install-nix.sh: 9: ./install-nix.sh: /usr/bin/nix-finish-install: not found

If someone writes a script designed for 64 bit Ubuntu, it sort of implies that there is no guarantee that it works on anything other than that. So, it likely does work, just not in your completely unsupported environment.

It is pretty broken however that it kills the standard PATH variable settings. I do not endorse this script.

The use of quotes is also rather giving away that you don't know how to write a decent shell script.

@zefhemel Why do you publish this crap?

Before you use a file (/etc/environment), make sure that you understand how it works, please.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/EnvironmentVariables#A.2Fetc.2Fenvironment