Add build-dir setting, clean up default TMPDIR handling

This is a squash of upstream PRs #10303, #10312 and #10883.

fix: Treat empty TMPDIR as unset

Fixes an instance of

    nix: src/libutil/util.cc:139: nix::Path nix::canonPath(PathView, bool): Assertion `path != ""' failed.

... which I've been getting in one of my shells for some reason.
I have yet to find out why TMPDIR was empty, but it's no reason for
Nix to break.

(cherry picked from commit c3fb2aa1f9d1fa756dac38d3588c836c5a5395dc)

fix: Treat empty XDG_RUNTIME_DIR as unset

See preceding commit. Not observed in the wild, but is sensible
and consistent with TMPDIR behavior.

(cherry picked from commit b9e7f5aa2df3f0e223f5c44b8089cbf9b81be691)

local-derivation-goal.cc: Reuse defaultTempDir()

(cherry picked from commit fd31945742710984de22805ee8d97fbd83c3f8eb)

fix: remove usage of XDG_RUNTIME_DIR for TMP

(cherry picked from commit 1363f51bcb24ab9948b7b5093490a009947f7453)

tests/functional: Add count()

(cherry picked from commit 6221770c9de4d28137206bdcd1a67eea12e1e499)

Remove uncalled for message

(cherry picked from commit b1fe388d33530f0157dcf9f461348b61eda13228)

Add build-dir setting

(cherry picked from commit 8b16cced18925aa612049d08d5e78eccbf0530e4)
Change-Id: Ic7b75ff0b6a3b19e50a4ac8ff2d70f15c683c16a

1 files changed, 25 insertions, 5 deletions

diff --git a/src/libstore/globals.hh b/src/libstore/globals.hh
index 947a2fbf0..d360e5c5e 100644
--- a/src/libstore/globals.hh
+++ b/src/libstore/globals.hh
@@ -582,16 +582,36 @@ public:
     Setting<std::string> sandboxShmSize{
         this, "50%", "sandbox-dev-shm-size",
         R"(
-          This option determines the maximum size of the `tmpfs` filesystem
-          mounted on `/dev/shm` in Linux sandboxes. For the format, see the
-          description of the `size` option of `tmpfs` in mount(8). The default
-          is `50%`.
+            *Linux only*
+
+            This option determines the maximum size of the `tmpfs` filesystem
+            mounted on `/dev/shm` in Linux sandboxes. For the format, see the
+            description of the `size` option of `tmpfs` in mount(8). The default
+            is `50%`.
         )"};
 
     Setting<Path> sandboxBuildDir{this, "/build", "sandbox-build-dir",
-        "The build directory inside the sandbox."};
+        R"(
+            *Linux only*
+
+            The build directory inside the sandbox.
+
+            This directory is backed by [`build-dir`](#conf-build-dir) on the host.
+        )"};
 #endif
 
+    Setting<std::optional<Path>> buildDir{this, std::nullopt, "build-dir",
+        R"(
+            The directory on the host, in which derivations' temporary build directories are created.
+
+            If not set, Nix will use the system temporary directory indicated by the `TMPDIR` environment variable.
+            Note that builds are often performed by the Nix daemon, so its `TMPDIR` is used, and not that of the Nix command line interface.
+
+            This is also the location where [`--keep-failed`](@docroot@/command-ref/opt-common.md#opt-keep-failed) leaves its files.
+
+            If Nix runs without sandbox, or if the platform does not support sandboxing with bind mounts (e.g. macOS), then the [`builder`](@docroot@/language/derivations.md#attr-builder)'s environment will contain this directory, instead of the virtual location [`sandbox-build-dir`](#conf-sandbox-build-dir).
+        )"};
+
     Setting<PathSet> allowedImpureHostPrefixes{this, {}, "allowed-impure-host-deps",
         "Which prefixes to allow derivations to ask for access to (primarily for Darwin)."};