[macos mojave 10.14] Failed multi-user installation

[zennad]

I tried to reinstall nix after I ran into some issues with '*.lock' files. I cleared all of the nix directories and all mentions of nix in my shell config files.

It seems like the installer is having trouble with creating the nix directories, or perhaps the nix-build group or the builders themselves:

Note: a multi-user installation is possible. See https://nixos.org/nix/manual/#sect-multi-user-installation
Switching to the Daemon-based Installer
Welcome to the Multi-User Nix Installation

This installation tool will set up your computer with the Nix package
manager. This will happen in a few stages:

1. Make sure your computer doesn't already have Nix. If it does, I
   will show you instructions on how to clean up your old one.

2. Show you what we are going to install and where. Then we will ask
   if you are ready to continue.

3. Create the system users and groups that the Nix daemon uses to run
   builds.

4. Perform the basic installation of the Nix files daemon.

5. Configure your shell to import special Nix Profile files, so you
   can use Nix.

6. Start the Nix daemon.

Would you like to see a more detailed list of what we will do?
[y/n] y


We will:

 - make sure your computer doesn't already have Nix files
   (if it does, I  will tell you how to clean them up.)
 - create local users (see the list above for the users we'll make)
 - create a local group (nixbld)
 - install Nix in to /nix
 - create a configuration file in /etc/nix
 - set up the "default profile" by creating some Nix-related files in
   /var/root
 - back up /etc/bashrc to /etc/bashrc.backup-before-nix
 - update /etc/bashrc to include some Nix configuration
 - back up /etc/zshrc to /etc/zshrc.backup-before-nix
 - update /etc/zshrc to include some Nix configuration
 - load and start a LaunchDaemon (at /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.nixos.nix-daemon.plist) for nix-daemon

Ready to continue?
[y/n] y


---- let's talk about sudo -----------------------------------------------------
This script is going to call sudo a lot. Every time we do, it'll
output exactly what it'll do, and why.

Just like this:

---- sudo execution ------------------------------------------------------------
I am executing:

    $ sudo echo

to demonstrate how our sudo prompts look


This might look scary, but everything can be undone by running just a
few commands. We used to ask you to confirm each time sudo ran, but it
was too many times. Instead, I'll just ask you this one time:

Can we use sudo?
[y/n] y

Yay! Thanks! Let's get going!

---- sudo execution ------------------------------------------------------------
I am executing:

    $ sudo test -e /var/root/.nix-defexpr

making sure that /var/root/.nix-defexpr doesn't exist

Password:

---- sudo execution ------------------------------------------------------------
I am executing:

    $ sudo test -e /var/root/.nix-channels

making sure that /var/root/.nix-channels doesn't exist


---- sudo execution ------------------------------------------------------------
I am executing:

    $ sudo test -e /var/root/.nix-profile

making sure that /var/root/.nix-profile doesn't exist


---- Nix config report ---------------------------------------------------------
        Temp Dir:	/var/folders/wm/0sbfxx5s11b5v6v8f1hs4ysm0000gn/T/tmp.XXXXXXXXXX.XrNEYixa
        Nix Root:	/nix
     Build Users:	32
  Build Group ID:	30000
Build Group Name:	nixbld

build users:
    Username:	UID
     nixbld1:	30001
     nixbld2:	30002
     nixbld3:	30003
     nixbld4:	30004
     nixbld5:	30005
     nixbld6:	30006
     nixbld7:	30007
     nixbld8:	30008
     nixbld9:	30009
     nixbld10:	30010
     nixbld11:	30011
     nixbld12:	30012
     nixbld13:	30013
     nixbld14:	30014
     nixbld15:	30015
     nixbld16:	30016
     nixbld17:	30017
     nixbld18:	30018
     nixbld19:	30019
     nixbld20:	30020
     nixbld21:	30021
     nixbld22:	30022
     nixbld23:	30023
     nixbld24:	30024
     nixbld25:	30025
     nixbld26:	30026
     nixbld27:	30027
     nixbld28:	30028
     nixbld29:	30029
     nixbld30:	30030
     nixbld31:	30031
     nixbld32:	30032

Ready to continue?
[y/n] y


~~> Setting up the build group nixbld
            Exists:	Yes

~~> Setting up the build user nixbld1
            Exists:	Yes
            Hidden:	Yes

---- sudo execution ------------------------------------------------------------
I am executing:

    $ sudo /usr/bin/dscl . -create /Users/nixbld1 NFSHomeDirectory /var/empty

in order to give nixbld1 a safe home directory

<main> attribute status: eDSPermissionError
<dscl_cmd> DS Error: -14120 (eDSPermissionError)

---- oh no! --------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeeze, something went wrong. If you can take all the output and open
an issue, we'd love to fix the problem so nobody else has this issue.

:(

We'd love to help if you need it.

If you can, open an issue at https://github.com/nixos/nix/issues

Or feel free to contact the team,
 - on IRC #nixos on irc.freenode.net
 - on twitter @nixos_org

[LnL7]

Duplicate of #2542.