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Setting the Hash Algorithm to BLAKE3 | Nixtamal
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<h1 itemprop="headline" class="title">
Setting the Hash Algorithm to BLAKE3
</h1>
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<section itemprop="articleBody" id="Content" class="Content Article-body">
<p>
Nix supports a number of hash algorithms:
</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li>
<p>
<del>
MD5 (deprecated)
</del>
</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>
<del>
SHA-1 (deprecated)
</del>
</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>
SHA-256 (default)
</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>
SHA-512
</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>
BLAKE3 (experimental)
</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>
BLAKE3 support requires Nix version 2.31+ & enabling the <a class="reference external" href="https://nix.dev/manual/nix/2.31/development/experimental-features.html#xp-feature-blake3-hashes"><span class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">blake3-hashes</span></span> experimental feature</a>.
This algorithm is very good with tree-like structuresâââlike the file system, which is what Nix is often hashing.
BLAKE3 offers faster hashing & is more secure which makes it a good choice for new setups that can afford to try it out.
At the time of writing, Nix flakes does not & cannot support changing the hash algorithm away from SHA-256 for input pinning requiring an input pinner like <a class="reference external" href="https://nixtamal.toast.al/"><cite>Nixtamal</cite></a> to automate it.
</p>
<section id="how-to-use-the-blake3-hash-algorithm-with-nix-nixtamal">
<h2>
How to use the BLAKE3 hash algorithm with Nix + Nixtamal
</h2>
<p>
Letâs show the way using the <a class="reference external" href="https://gitlab.com/whisperfish/whisperfish"><cite>WhisperFish</cite></a> repositoryâs latest commit, but you can use any input kind.
</p>
<p class="rubric">
Using BLAKE3 on a single input
</p>
<pre class="code kdl literal-block"><span class="c1">// manifest.kdl
</span><span class="nl">inputs</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="o">{</span><span class="nl">
</span><span class="nl"> whisperfish</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="o">{</span><span class="nl">
</span><span class="nl"> archive</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="o">{</span><span class="nl">
</span><span class="nl"> url</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="s">"https://gitlab.com/whisperfish/whisperfish/-/archive/{{fresh-value}}/whisperfish-{{fresh-value}}.tar.bz2"</span><span class="w">
</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="o">}</span><span class="w">
</span><span class="nl"> hash</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="na">algorithm=</span><span class="s">BLAKE3</span><span class="w">
</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="o">}</span><span class="w">
</span><span class="nl"> fresh-cmd</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="o">{</span><span class="nl">
</span><span class="nl"> $</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="s">git</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="s">ls-remote</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="s">--branches</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="s">main</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="s">"https://gitlab.com/whisperfish/whisperfish.git"</span><span class="w">
</span><span class="nl"> |</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="s">cut</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="s">-f1</span><span class="w">
</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="o">}</span><span class="w">
</span><span class="o">}</span></pre>
<p>
Additionally, you can set BLAKE3 to be the default in the manifest fileâs top level.
</p>
<p class="rubric">
Project-wide default
</p>
<pre class="code kdl literal-block"><span class="c1">// manifest.kdl
</span><span class="nl">version</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="s">"1.0.0"</span><span class="w">
</span><span class="nl">default-hash-algorithm</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="s">BLAKE3</span></pre>
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