[Nix-dev] run-time dependency missing in cabal-install

[Peter Simons]

roconnor at theorem.ca wrote:

 > cabal install transformers-0.2.2.0 (and other cabal commands) says
 > that "ar" is missing on a fresh nix install.

I am not sure that this fact constitutes a missing dependency. The cabal
executable searches $PATH at run-time for tools like ghc, ar, happy,
alex, haddock, etc. None of those paths is hard-coded -- if you don't
have these tools in $PATH, then cabal won't find them. Why should this
behavior be altered? Any more importantly, why should it be altered only
for ar?

Take care,
Peter