Error running installer on macOS Sonoma 14.8.4 #1790
Description
Got a fresh macbook recently. I tried running the installer via curl -fsSL https://install.determinate.systems/nix | sh -s -- install and it looks like it failed during the creation of the APFS volume.
djacu@chalk ~ % uname -a
Darwin chalk 23.6.0 Darwin Kernel Version 23.6.0: Mon Jan 19 22:03:37 PST 2026; root:xnu-10063.141.1.710.3~1/RELEASE_ARM64_T6030 arm64
djacu@chalk ~ % curl -fsSL https://install.determinate.systems/nix | sh -s -- install
info: downloading the Determinate Nix Installer
INFO nix-installer v3.16.3
`nix-installer` needs to run as `root`, attempting to escalate now via `sudo`...
INFO nix-installer v3.16.3
INFO For a more robust Nix installation, use the Determinate package for macOS: https://dtr.mn/determinate-nix
Nix install plan (v3.16.3)
Planner: macos (with default settings)
Planned actions:
* Install Determinate Nixd
* Create an encrypted APFS volume `Nix Store` for Nix on `disk3` and add it to `/etc/fstab` mounting on `/nix`
* Extract the bundled Nix (originally from /nix/store/msvb8a935ccsjv6p6nbr0j5a2djvnwdb-nix-binary-tarball-3.16.3/nix-3.16.3-aarch64-darwin.tar.xz) to `/nix/temp-install-dir`
* Create a directory tree in `/nix`
* Synchronize /nix/var ownership
* Move the downloaded Nix into `/nix`
* Synchronize /nix/store ownership
* Create build users (UID 351-382) and group (GID 350)
* Configure Time Machine exclusions
* Setup the default Nix profile
* Place the Nix configuration in `/etc/nix/nix.conf`
* Configure the shell profiles
* Configuring zsh to support using Nix in non-interactive shells
* Create a `launchctl` plist to put Nix into your PATH
* Configure the Determinate Nix daemon
* Remove directory `/nix/temp-install-dir`
Proceed? ([Y]es/[n]o/[e]xplain): Y
INFO Step: Install Determinate Nixd
INFO Step: Create an encrypted APFS volume `Nix Store` for Nix on `disk3` and add it to `/etc/fstab` mounting on `/nix`
ERROR Error saving receipt: RecordingReceipt("/nix/receipt.tmp", Os { code: 30, kind: ReadOnlyFilesystem, message: "Read-only file system" })
ERROR
0: \x1b[91mInstall failure\x1b[0m
1: \x1b[91mError executing action\x1b[0m
2: \x1b[91mAction `create_determinate_nix_volume` errored\x1b[0m
3: \x1b[91mFailed to execute command `"/usr/local/bin/determinate-nixd" "init" "--stop-after" "mount"`
stdout:
stderr: 2026-03-03T17:33:40.227165Z INFO determinate_nixd::nix_conf: Writing the Determinate managed Nix configuration to "/etc/nix/nix.conf"
at src/nix_conf/mod.rs:497
in determinate_nixd::nix_conf::write_once
in determinate_nixd::command::init::execute with args: InitArgs { stop_after: Some(Mount), keep_mounted: false }, dissenter: Some(DiskArbitrationDissenter)
in determinate_nixd::task_cmd
2026-03-03T17:33:40.227423Z INFO determinate_nixd::command::init: Updating Nix's trusted certificates from Keychain
at src/command/init.rs:72
in determinate_nixd::command::init::execute with args: InitArgs { stop_after: Some(Mount), keep_mounted: false }, dissenter: Some(DiskArbitrationDissenter)
in determinate_nixd::task_cmd
thread 'main' (258126) panicked at /sources/core-foundation-0.10.1-b2a6cd9ae233e7f62ba4e9353e81a88df7fc8a5987b8d445b4d90c879bd156f6/src/string.rs:28:1:
Attempted to create a NULL object.
note: run with `RUST_BACKTRACE=1` environment variable to display a backtrace
exited with status code: 101
\x1b[0m
Location:
\x1b[35m/nix/var/nix/builds/nix-1538-2784168133/nix-installer-source/src/cli/subcommand/install/mod.rs\x1b[0m:\x1b[35m234\x1b[0m
Backtrace omitted. Run with RUST_BACKTRACE=1 environment variable to display it.
Run with RUST_BACKTRACE=full to include source snippets.
Consider reporting this error using this URL: https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-installer/issues/new?title=%3Cautogenerated-issue%3E&body=%23%23+Error%0A%60%60%60%0AError%3A+%0A+++0%3A+Install+failure%0A+++1%3A+Error+executing+action%0A+++2%3A+Action+%60create_determinate_nix_volume%60+errored%0A+++3%3A+Failed+to+execute+command+%60%22%2Fusr%2Flocal%2Fbin%2Fdeterminate-nixd%22+%22init%22+%22--stop-after%22+%22mount%22%60%0A++++++stdout%3A+%0A++++++stderr%3A+++2026-03-03T17%3A33%3A40.227165Z++INFO+determinate_nixd%3A%3Anix_conf%3A+Writing+the+Determinate+managed+Nix+configuration+to+%22%2Fetc%2Fnix%2Fnix.conf%22%0A++++++++++at+src%2Fnix_conf%2Fmod.rs%3A497%0A++++++++++in+determinate_nixd%3A%3Anix_conf%3A%3Awrite_once%0A++++++++++in+determinate_nixd%3A%3Acommand%3A%3Ainit%3A%3Aexecute+with+args%3A+InitArgs+%7B+stop_after%3A+Some%28Mount%29%2C+keep_mounted%3A+false+%7D%2C+dissenter%3A+Some%28DiskArbitrationDissenter%29%0A++++++++++in+determinate_nixd%3A%3Atask_cmd%0A%0A++++++++2026-03-03T17%3A33%3A40.227423Z++INFO+determinate_nixd%3A%3Acommand%3A%3Ainit%3A+Updating+Nix%27s+trusted+certificates+from+Keychain%0A++++++++++at+src%2Fcommand%2Finit.rs%3A72%0A++++++++++in+determinate_nixd%3A%3Acommand%3A%3Ainit%3A%3Aexecute+with+args%3A+InitArgs+%7B+stop_after%3A+Some%28Mount%29%2C+keep_mounted%3A+false+%7D%2C+dissenter%3A+Some%28DiskArbitrationDissenter%29%0A++++++++++in+determinate_nixd%3A%3Atask_cmd%0A%0A%0A++++++thread+%27main%27+%28258126%29+panicked+at+%2Fsources%2Fcore-foundation-0.10.1-b2a6cd9ae233e7f62ba4e9353e81a88df7fc8a5987b8d445b4d90c879bd156f6%2Fsrc%2Fstring.rs%3A28%3A1%3A%0A++++++Attempted+to+create+a+NULL+object.%0A++++++note%3A+run+with+%60RUST_BACKTRACE%3D1%60+environment+variable+to+display+a+backtrace%0A%0A++++++exited+with+status+code%3A+101%0A%0A%60%60%60%0A%0A%23%23+Metadata%0A%7Ckey%7Cvalue%7C%0A%7C--%7C--%7C%0A%7C**version**%7C3.16.3%7C%0A%7C**os**%7Cmacos%7C%0A%7C**arch**%7Caarch64%7C%0A
Installation failure, offering to revert...
Nix uninstall plan (v3.16.3)
Planner: macos (with default settings)
Planned actions:
* Remove the APFS volume `Nix Store` on `disk3`
* Remove the Determinate Nix superpowers
Proceed? ([Y]es/[n]o/[e]xplain): Y
INFO Revert: Remove directory `/nix/temp-install-dir`
INFO Revert: Configure the Determinate Nix daemon
INFO Revert: Create a `launchctl` plist to put Nix into your PATH
INFO Revert: Configuring zsh to support using Nix in non-interactive shells
INFO Revert: Configure Nix
INFO Revert: Configure Time Machine exclusions
INFO Revert: Create build users (UID 351-382) and group (GID 350)
INFO Revert: Provision Nix
INFO Revert: Create an encrypted APFS volume `Nix Store` for Nix on `disk3` and add it to `/etc/fstab` mounting on `/nix`
INFO Revert: Install Determinate Nixd
Partial Nix install was uninstalled successfully!