From 8acee2bfcba948f4b5a88709a047e6468394ca88 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: DanConwayDev <DanConwayDev@protonmail.com>
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2026 20:24:55 +0000
Subject: docs: add guide for updating git dependencies in Cargo

- Add new how-to guide covering hash updates for git dependencies
- Applies to any git dependency (e.g., nostr-sdk fork)
- Add critical note in AGENTS.md linking to this guide
- Emphasize that hash updates in both flake.nix and nix/module.nix are MANDATORY
---
 docs/how-to/update-git-dependencies.md | 192 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 192 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 docs/how-to/update-git-dependencies.md

(limited to 'docs')

diff --git a/docs/how-to/update-git-dependencies.md b/docs/how-to/update-git-dependencies.md
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+# How to Update Git Dependencies in Cargo
+
+ngit-grasp uses git dependencies (such as our fork of nostr-sdk) instead of crates.io releases. When updating any git dependency, you need to update the hash in both the Nix build files.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- Access to update `Cargo.toml` and `Cargo.lock`
+- Nix installed locally
+
+## Steps
+
+### 1. Update Cargo.toml and Cargo.lock
+
+Update the git dependency in `Cargo.toml` (change the git URL, branch, rev, or tag):
+
+```toml
+[dependencies]
+some-crate = { git = "https://github.com/user/repo", branch = "main" }
+```
+
+Then update `Cargo.lock`:
+
+```bash
+cargo update -p some-crate
+```
+
+### 2. Try Building with Nix
+
+```bash
+nix build .#default
+```
+
+This will **fail** with an error like:
+
+```
+error: hash mismatch in fixed-output derivation '/nix/store/...-some-crate-0.1.0':
+  specified: sha256-DwcWmwxNUQRR32E3hqbm7PNkGdK8LB3sGtH1Zfrkigk=
+  got:      sha256-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=
+```
+
+### 3. Copy the Correct Hash
+
+The hash in the "got:" line is the **correct** hash you need. It's already in SRI format (base64 with `sha256-` prefix).
+
+### 4. Update Both Nix Files
+
+You must update the hash in **BOTH** files:
+
+#### `flake.nix`:
+```nix
+cargoLock = {
+  lockFile = ./Cargo.lock;
+  outputHashes = {
+    "some-crate-0.1.0" = "sha256-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=";  # ← Update this
+  };
+};
+```
+
+#### `nix/module.nix`:
+```nix
+cargoLock = {
+  lockFile = ../Cargo.lock;
+  outputHashes = {
+    "some-crate-0.1.0" = "sha256-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX=";  # ← Update this
+  };
+};
+```
+
+**⚠️ CRITICAL:** Both hashes must match exactly!
+
+**Note:** The key format is `"crate-name-version"` as it appears in `Cargo.lock`. Check your `Cargo.lock` to find the exact string:
+
+```toml
+[[package]]
+name = "some-crate"
+version = "0.1.0"
+source = "git+https://github.com/user/repo?branch=main#abc123"
+```
+
+Use `"some-crate-0.1.0"` as the key.
+
+### 5. Verify the Build
+
+```bash
+nix build .#default
+```
+
+Should complete successfully without hash errors.
+
+### 6. Test Locally
+
+```bash
+nix develop
+cargo test
+```
+
+Verify all tests still pass with the updated dependency.
+
+## Common Mistakes
+
+### ❌ Using base32 Format
+
+```nix
+# WRONG - this is base32 Nix hash format:
+"sha256-02cawkx6bxfi3bn1sb5ws8cn9wzcwsk8cdv1vx8h8lad1jdic1qg"
+```
+
+Modern Nix requires SRI format (base64):
+
+```nix
+# CORRECT - SRI format with base64 and = padding:
+"sha256-DwcWmwxNUQRR32E3hqbm7PNkGdK8LB3sGtH1Zfrkigk="
+```
+
+### ❌ Forgetting to Update Both Files
+
+If you only update `flake.nix` OR `nix/module.nix`, the NixOS module deployment will fail because they both build the package independently.
+
+### ❌ Converting Hashes Manually
+
+Don't try to convert hashes yourself. Always use the hash Nix provides in the error message - it's already in the correct format.
+
+### ❌ Wrong Key Format in outputHashes
+
+The key must match exactly what appears in `Cargo.lock`:
+
+```toml
+# From Cargo.lock:
+[[package]]
+name = "nostr"
+version = "0.44.1"
+
+# Use in flake.nix/module.nix:
+"nostr-0.44.1" = "sha256-..."  # ✅ Correct
+"nostr" = "sha256-..."          # ❌ Wrong
+```
+
+## Background
+
+The `outputHashes` field is needed because we use git dependencies instead of crates.io releases. Nix requires fixed-output derivations to have known hashes for reproducibility.
+
+When the git repository changes (new commits, different branch/tag, etc.), the hash changes. Nix compares the expected hash (in our files) with the actual hash (computed from the source) and fails if they don't match.
+
+This is a **security feature** - it prevents supply chain attacks by ensuring you get exactly the code you expect.
+
+## Examples
+
+### Example 1: Updating nostr-sdk fork
+
+```bash
+# 1. Update to newer commit
+cd /path/to/ngit-grasp
+cargo update -p nostr
+
+# 2. Try to build with Nix (will fail with hash)
+nix build .#default
+
+# 3. Copy the hash from error message
+# got: sha256-ABC123...=
+
+# 4. Update both files:
+# flake.nix and nix/module.nix
+"nostr-0.44.1" = "sha256-ABC123...=";
+
+# 5. Build again
+nix build .#default
+```
+
+### Example 2: Adding new git dependency
+
+```bash
+# 1. Add to Cargo.toml
+[dependencies]
+new-crate = { git = "https://github.com/user/repo", tag = "v1.0" }
+
+# 2. Update Cargo.lock
+cargo update -p new-crate
+
+# 3. Try to build (will fail)
+nix build .#default
+
+# 4. Add to both flake.nix and nix/module.nix:
+outputHashes = {
+  "nostr-0.44.1" = "sha256-...";
+  "new-crate-1.0.0" = "sha256-...";  # ← Add from error message
+};
+```
+
+## See Also
+
+- [Nix Manual: Cargo.lock Hash](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#rust-cargo-lock-hash)
+- [SRI Hash Format](https://www.w3.org/TR/SRI/)
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