Instead we generate data bindings (build and match functions) for
  the constructors specified in `constructors.def'.  In particular
  this removes the conversions between AFuns and strings, and Nix
  expression evaluation now seems 3 to 4 times faster.

  The expression `with E1; E2' evaluates to E2 with all bindings in
  the attribute set E1 substituted.  E.g.,

    with {x = 123;}; x

  evaluates to 123.  That is, the attribute set E1 is in scope in E2.

  This is particularly useful when importing files containing lots
  definitions.  E.g., instead of

    let {
      inherit (import ./foo.nix) a b c d e f;

      body = ... a ... f ...;
    }

  we can now say

    with import ./foo.nix;

    ... a ... f ...

  I.e., we don't have to say what variables should be brought into scope.

  permission to the Nix store or database.  E.g., `nix-env -qa' will
  work, but `nix-env -qas' won't (the latter needs DB access).  The
  option `--readonly-mode' forces this mode; otherwise, it's only
  activated when the database cannot be opened.

  Previously there was the problem that all files read by nix-env
  etc. should be reachable and readable by the Nix user.  So for
  instance building a Nix expression in your home directory meant that
  the home directory should have at least g+x or o+x permission so
  that the Nix user could reach the Nix expression.  Now we just
  switch back to the original user just prior to reading sources and
  the like.  The places where this happens are somewhat arbitrary,
  however.  Any scope that has a live SwitchToOriginalUser object in
  it is executed as the original user.

* Back out r1385.  setreuid() sets the saved uid to the new
  real/effective uid, which prevents us from switching back to the
  original uid.  setresuid() doesn't have this problem (although the
  manpage has a bug: specifying -1 for the saved uid doesn't leave it
  unchanged; an explicit value must be specified).

* Drop support for the outPath attribute in derivations.

  print a nice backtrace of the stack, rather than vomiting a gigantic
  (and useless) aterm on the screen.  Example:

    error: while evaluating file `.../pkgs/system/test.nix':
    while evaluating attribute `subversion' at `.../pkgs/system/all-packages-generic.nix', line 533:
    while evaluating function at `.../pkgs/applications/version-management/subversion/default.nix', line 1:
    assertion failed at `.../pkgs/applications/version-management/subversion/default.nix', line 13

  Since the Nix expression language is lazy, the trace may be
  misleading.  The purpose is to provide a hint as to the location of
  the problem.    
  

  binding.

  instead of `derivation' triggered a huge slowdown in the Nix
  expression evaluator.  Total execution time of `nix-env -qa' went up
  by a factor of 60 or so.

  This scalability problem was caused by expressions such as

    (x: y: ... x ...) a b

  where `a' is a large term (say, the one in
  `all-packages-generic.nix').  Then the first beta-reduction would
  produce

    (y: ... a ...) b

  by substituting `a' for `x'.  The second beta-reduction would then
  substitute `b' for `y' into the body `... a ...', which is a large
  term due to `a', and thus causes a large traversal to be performed
  by substitute() in the second reduction.  This is however entirely
  redundant, since `a' cannot contain free variables (since we never
  substitute below a weak head normal form).

  The solution is to wrap substituted terms into a `Closed'
  constructor, i.e.,

    subst(subs, Var(x)) = Closed(e) iff subs[x] = e

  have substitution not descent into closed terms,

    subst(subs, Closed(x)) = Closed(x)

  and otherwise ignore them for evaluation,

    eval(Closed(x)) = eval(x).

* Fix a typo that caused incorrect substitutions to be performed in
  simple lambdas, e.g., `(x: x: x) a' would reduce to `(x: a)'.
    

  `attrs ? x' yields true iff `attrs' has an attribute named `x'.

    {stdenv, bash}: derivation {
      builder = bash ~ /bin/sh;
      args = ["-e" "-x" ./builder.sh];
      ...
    }

  Here the attribute `builder' will evaluate to, e.g.,
  `/nix/store/1234abcd...-bash-2.0.1/bin/sh'.

  `bla:' is now no longer parsed as a URL.

* Re-enabled support for the `args' attribute in derivations to
  specify command line arguments to the builder, e.g.,

    ...
    builder = /usr/bin/python;
    args = ["-c" ./builder.py];
    ...

  b then x else y.z'.

  non-inherited attributes.

  other attribute sets, rather than the current scope.  E.g.,
  
    {inherit (pkgs) gcc binutils;}

  is equivalent to

    {gcc = pkgs.gcc; binutils = pkgs.binutils;}

  I am not so happy about the syntax.

  {x=1; y=2; z=3;} // {y=4;}  =>  {x=1; y=4; z=3;}

* Various performance improvements in the evaluator.
* Do not link against unused (and missing!) libraries (-lsglr, etc.).

  `inherit' variables from the surrounding lexical scope.

  E.g.,

    {stdenv, libfoo}: derivation {
      builder = ./bla;
      inherit stdenv libfoo;
      xyzzy = 1;
    }

  is equivalent to

    {stdenv, libfoo}: derivation {
      builder = ./bla;
      stdenv = stdenv;
      libfoo = libfoo;
      xyzzy = 1;
    }

  Note that for mutually recursive attribute set definitions (`rec
  {...}'), this also works, that is, `rec {inherit x;}' is equivalent
  to `let {fresh = x; body = rec {x = fresh;};}', *not*
  `rec {x = x}'.

* Include missing files in distributions.

  parser (roughly 80x faster).

  The absolutely latest version of Bison (1.875c) is required for
  reentrant GLR support, as well as a recent version of Flex (say,
  2.5.31).  Note that most Unix distributions ship with the
  prehistoric Flex 2.5.4, which doesn't support reentrancy.

  ATermMaps.  Found thanks to Valgrind!

  Nix.  This is to prevent Berkeley DB from becoming wedged.

  Unfortunately it is not possible to throw C++ exceptions from a
  signal handler.  In fact, you can't do much of anything except
  change variables of type `volatile sig_atomic_t'.  So we set an
  interrupt flag in the signal handler and check it at various
  strategic locations in the code (by calling checkInterrupt()).
  Since this is unlikely to cover all cases (e.g., (semi-)infinite
  loops), sometimes SIGTERM may now be required to kill Nix.

  path of the Nix expression to be used with the import, upgrade, and
  query commands.  For instance,

  $ nix-env -I ~/nixpkgs/pkgs/system/i686-linux.nix

  $ nix-env --query --available   [aka -qa]
  sylpheed-0.9.7
  bison-1.875
  pango-1.2.5
  subversion-0.35.1
  ...

  $ nix-env -i sylpheed

  $ nix-env -u subversion

  There can be only one default at a time.

* If the path to a Nix expression is a symlink, follow the symlink
  prior to resolving relative path references in the expression.

  deleting a path in the store.
* Allow absolute paths in Nix expressions.
* Get nix-prefetch-url to work again.
* Various other fixes.

* Replace all directory reading code by a generic readDirectory()
  function.