nix-installer failed on brand new macbook

[laptou]

Got a brand-new MBP w/ latest Sequoia 15.4.1. Haven't downloaded anything except for Zen Browser and Xcode. I enabled FileVault disk encryption when prompted. I attempted to run the nix installer, and it failed.

Error

Error: 
   0: Install failure
   1: Error executing action
   2: Action `create_nix_volume` errored
   3: Action `encrypt_apfs_volume` errored
   4: Failed to execute command `"/usr/sbin/diskutil" "mount" "Nix Store"`
      stdout: 
      stderr: Volume on disk3s7 failed to mount

   4: exited with status code: 1

Metadata

key	value
version	3.4.0
os	macos
arch	aarch64

[laptou]

Here's the whole shell that I used:

Last login: Mon Apr 28 14:13:35 on console
ibiyemi@Ibiyemis-MacBook-Pro ~ % curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -L https://install.determinate.systems/nix | sh -s -- install
info: downloading installer https://install.determinate.systems/nix/tag/v3.4.0/nix-installer-aarch64-darwin
 INFO nix-installer v3.4.0
`nix-installer` needs to run as `root`, attempting to escalate now via `sudo`...
Password:
 INFO nix-installer v3.4.0
 INFO For a more robust Nix installation, use the Determinate package for macOS: https://dtr.mn/determinate-nix

Install Determinate Nix?

Selecting 'no' will install Nix from NixOS instead.

Proceed? ([Y]es/[n]o/[e]xplain): n 
Nix install plan (v3.4.0)
Planner: macos (with default settings)

Planned actions:
* Create an encrypted APFS volume `Nix Store` for Nix on `disk3` and add it to `/etc/fstab` mounting on `/nix`
* Fetch `https://releases.nixos.org/nix/nix-2.28.2/nix-2.28.2-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 upstream Nix daemon service
* Remove directory `/nix/temp-install-dir`


Proceed? ([Y]es/[n]o/[e]xplain): y
 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", Os { code: 30, kind: ReadOnlyFilesystem, message: "Read-only file system" })
ERROR 
   0: Install failure
   1: Error executing action
   2: Action `create_nix_volume` errored
   3: Action `encrypt_apfs_volume` errored
   4: Failed to execute command `"/usr/sbin/diskutil" "mount" "Nix Store"`
      stdout: 
      stderr: Volume on disk3s7 failed to mount

   4: exited with status code: 1
   4: 

Location:
   /private/tmp/nix-build-nix-installer-static-arm64-apple-darwin-3.4.0.drv-0/nix-installer-source/src/cli/subcommand/install/mod.rs:240

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_nix_volume%60+errored%0A+++3%3A+Action+%60encrypt_apfs_volume%60+errored%0A+++4%3A+Failed+to+execute+command+%60%22%2Fusr%2Fsbin%2Fdiskutil%22+%22mount%22+%22Nix+Store%22%60%0A++++++stdout%3A+%0A++++++stderr%3A+Volume+on+disk3s7+failed+to+mount%0A%0A+++4%3A+exited+with+status+code%3A+1%0A%0A%60%60%60%0A%0A%23%23+Metadata%0A%7Ckey%7Cvalue%7C%0A%7C--%7C--%7C%0A%7C**version**%7C3.4.0%7C%0A%7C**os**%7Cmacos%7C%0A%7C**arch**%7Caarch64%7C%0A
Installation failure, offering to revert...
Nix uninstall plan (v3.4.0)

Planner: macos (with default settings)

Planned actions:
* Remove the APFS volume `Nix Store` on `disk3`


Proceed? ([Y]es/[n]o/[e]xplain): 

[grahamc]

If you're open to using Determinate Nix, you might try the macOS package we offer: https://docs.determinate.systems/. I wonder if that'd work...

[laptou]

I tried it, and it worked

[simonzkl]

@grahamc I've seen this suggested as a solution a few times now. Could you elaborate what the difference is between the macOS pkg and the nix-installer and why this would help? As opposed to the installer, the pkg is a complete black box to me.