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doc/manual/source/release-notes/rl-0.6.md
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# Release 0.6 (2004-11-14)

  - Rewrite of the normalisation engine.
    
      - Multiple builds can now be performed in parallel (option `-j`).
    
      - Distributed builds. Nix can now call a shell script to forward
        builds to Nix installations on remote machines, which may or may
        not be of the same platform type.
    
      - Option `--fallback` allows recovery from broken substitutes.
    
      - Option `--keep-going` causes building of other (unaffected)
        derivations to continue if one failed.

  - Improvements to the garbage collector (i.e., it should actually work
    now).

  - Setuid Nix installations allow a Nix store to be shared among
    multiple users.

  - Substitute registration is much faster now.

  - A utility `nix-build` to build a Nix expression and create a symlink
    to the result int the current directory; useful for testing Nix
    derivations.

  - Manual updates.

  - `nix-env` changes:
    
      - Derivations for other platforms are filtered out (which can be
        overridden using `--system-filter`).
    
      - `--install` by default now uninstall previous derivations with
        the same name.
    
      - `--upgrade` allows upgrading to a specific version.
    
      - New operation `--delete-generations` to remove profile
        generations (necessary for effective garbage collection).
    
      - Nicer output (sorted, columnised).

  - More sensible verbosity levels all around (builder output is now
    shown always, unless `-Q` is given).

  - Nix expression language changes:
    
      - New language construct: `with
                                                        E1;
                                                        E2` brings all attributes defined in the attribute set *E1* in
        scope in *E2*.
    
      - Added a `map` function.
    
      - Various new operators (e.g., string concatenation).

  - Expression evaluation is much faster.

  - An Emacs mode for editing Nix expressions (with syntax highlighting
    and indentation) has been added.

  - Many bug fixes.

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3b557b25 (1st chunk of `doc/manual/source/release-notes/rl-0.6.md`)
Title: Nix Release 0.6 Notes
Summary
This document outlines the features and improvements introduced in Nix Release 0.6, dated November 14, 2004. Key updates include a complete rewrite of the normalisation engine, enabling parallel and distributed builds, along with options for handling broken substitutes and build failures. The garbage collector has been improved, and setuid installations now allow sharing a Nix store among multiple users. Performance enhancements include faster substitute registration and expression evaluation. A new utility, `nix-build`, was added for testing derivations, and `nix-env` received several updates, such as platform filtering, improved installation/upgrade behavior, generation deletion for garbage collection, and better output. The Nix expression language gained a new `with` construct, a `map` function, and various new operators. Finally, an Emacs mode for Nix expressions was added, alongside manual updates and numerous bug fixes.