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doc/manual/src/release-notes/rl-0.9.md

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+# Release 0.9 (2005-09-16)
+
+NOTE: this version of Nix uses Berkeley DB 4.3 instead of 4.2. The
+database is upgraded automatically, but you should be careful not to use
+old versions of Nix that still use Berkeley DB 4.2. In particular, if
+you use a Nix installed through Nix, you should run
+
+    $ nix-store --clear-substitutes
+
+first.
+
+  - Unpacking of patch sequences is much faster now since we no longer
+    do redundant unpacking and repacking of intermediate paths.
+
+  - Nix now uses Berkeley DB 4.3.
+
+  - The `derivation` primitive is lazier. Attributes of dependent
+    derivations can mutually refer to each other (as long as there are
+    no data dependencies on the `outPath` and `drvPath` attributes
+    computed by `derivation`).
+    
+    For example, the expression `derivation
+            attrs` now evaluates to (essentially)
+    
+        attrs // {
+          type = "derivation";
+          outPath = derivation! attrs;
+          drvPath = derivation! attrs;
+        }
+    
+    where `derivation!` is a primop that does the actual derivation
+    instantiation (i.e., it does what `derivation` used to do). The
+    advantage is that it allows commands such as `nix-env -qa` and
+    `nix-env -i` to be much faster since they no longer need to
+    instantiate all derivations, just the `name` attribute.
+    
+    Also, it allows derivations to cyclically reference each other, for
+    example,
+    
+        webServer = derivation {
+          ...
+          hostName = "svn.cs.uu.nl";
+          services = [svnService];
+        };
+         
+        svnService = derivation {
+          ...
+          hostName = webServer.hostName;
+        };
+    
+    Previously, this would yield a black hole (infinite recursion).
+
+  - `nix-build` now defaults to using `./default.nix` if no Nix
+    expression is specified.
+
+  - `nix-instantiate`, when applied to a Nix expression that evaluates
+    to a function, will call the function automatically if all its
+    arguments have defaults.
+
+  - Nix now uses libtool to build dynamic libraries. This reduces the
+    size of executables.
+
+  - A new list concatenation operator `++`. For example, `[1 2 3] ++
+    [4 5
+            6]` evaluates to `[1 2 3 4 5
+            6]`.
+
+  - Some currently undocumented primops to support low-level build
+    management using Nix (i.e., using Nix as a Make replacement). See
+    the commit messages for `r3578` and `r3580`.
+
+  - Various bug fixes and performance improvements.