Merge pull request #169 from DeterminateSystems/release-v3.8.5/67f08381-3e31-4930-9336-7f1a66cf35e7

Release v3.8.5

Author: detsys-spaghetti[bot]

.version-determinate

@@ -1 +1 @@
-3.8.4
+3.8.5

doc/manual/source/SUMMARY.md.in

@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@
   - [Contributing](development/contributing.md)
 - [Determinate Nix Release Notes](release-notes-determinate/index.md)
   - [Changes between Nix and Determinate Nix](release-notes-determinate/changes.md)<!-- next -->
+  - [Release 3.8.5 (2025-08-04)](release-notes-determinate/rl-3.8.5.md)
   - [Release 3.8.4 (2025-07-21)](release-notes-determinate/rl-3.8.4.md)
   - [Release 3.8.3 (2025-07-18)](release-notes-determinate/rl-3.8.3.md)
   - [Release 3.8.2 (2025-07-12)](release-notes-determinate/rl-3.8.2.md)

doc/manual/source/release-notes-determinate/changes.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Changes between Nix and Determinate Nix
 
-This section lists the differences between upstream Nix 2.30 and Determinate Nix 3.8.4.<!-- differences -->
+This section lists the differences between upstream Nix 2.30 and Determinate Nix 3.8.5.<!-- differences -->
 
 * In Determinate Nix, flakes are stable. You no longer need to enable the `flakes` experimental feature.
 
@@ -120,3 +120,13 @@ This section lists the differences between upstream Nix 2.30 and Determinate Nix
 <!-- Determinate Nix version 3.8.4 -->
 
 * Revert "Use WAL mode for SQLite cache databases" by @grahamc in [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#155](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/155)
+
+<!-- Determinate Nix version 3.8.5 -->
+
+* Tab completing arguments to Nix avoids network access. [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#161](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/161)
+
+* Nix on ZFS no longer stalls for multiple seconds at a time [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#158](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/158)
+
+* Importing Nixpkgs and other tarballs to the cache 2-4x faster [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#149](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/149)
+
+* Adding paths to the store is significantly faster [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#162](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/162)

doc/manual/source/release-notes-determinate/rl-3.8.5.md

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+## What's Changed
+
+### Less time "unpacking into the Git cache"
+
+Unpacking sources into the user's cache is now takes 1/2 to 1/4 of the time it used to.
+Previously, Nix serially unpacked sources into the cache.
+This change takes better advantage of our users' hardware by parallelizing the import.
+Real life testing shows an initial Nixpkgs import takes 3.6s on Linux, when it used to take 11.7s.
+
+PR: [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#149](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/149)
+
+### Copy paths to the daemon in parallel
+
+Determinate Nix's evaluator no longer blocks evaluation when copying paths to the store.
+Previously, Nix would pause evaluation when it needed to add files to the store.
+Now, the copying is performed in the background allowing evaluation to proceed.
+
+PR: [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#162](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/162)
+
+### Faster Nix evaluation by reducing duplicate Nix daemon queries
+
+Determinate Nix more effectively caches store path validity data within a single evaluation.
+Previously, the Nix client would perform many thousands of exra Nix daemon requests.
+Each extra request takes real time, and this change reduced a sample evaluation by over 12,000 requests.
+
+PR: [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#157](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/157)
+
+### More responsive tab completion
+
+Tab completion now implies the "--offline" flag, which disables most network requests.
+Previously, tab completing Nix arguments would attempt to fetch sources and access binary caches.
+Operating in offline mode improves the interactive experience of Nix when tab completing.
+
+PR: [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#161](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/161)
+
+### ZFS users: we fixed the mysterious stall.
+
+Opening the Nix database is usually instantaneous but sometimes has a several second latency.
+Determinate Nix works around this issue, eliminating the frustrating random stall when running Nix commands.
+
+PR: [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#158](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/158)
+
+### Other changes
+
+* Determinate Nix is now fully formatted by clang-format, making it easier than ever to contribute to the project.
+
+PR: [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#159](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/159)
+
+* Determinate Nix is now based on upstream Nix 2.30.2.
+
+PR: [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#160](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/160)
+
+* Determinate Nix now uses `main` as our development branch, moving away from `detsys-main`.
+
+PRs:
+* [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#164](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/164)
+* [DeterminateSystems/nix-src#166](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-src/pull/166)
+