cross-posted from: https://programming.dev/post/38125775
Nix related discussion starts around the the 0:14:00 min mark.
nixos will affect linux and build systems generally for ever
I got started on NixOS on a whim really. I distro hopped every so often and like a month ago I wanted to try something different. Already used Arch, Fedora, Ubuntu, Debian, etc but figured I’d give NixOS a shot.
At first I hated it and it just confused the hell out of me. Then when someone told me I should use flake for my config so I could through it in a repo it just clicked. Once you figure it out and “get it” it just becomes so easy. I’m still a noob at it but I absolutely love NixOS. It just makes everything so easy when you got everything in a flake with a config and home nix. Even backups are easy as you literally can just put it in your config to run. I even have it how where it’ll toss out old generations after 10 days automatically.
Plus the fact I can just use stuff without actually installing it is awesome. as a Dev NixOS is brilliant for that.
Can you explain to me what a flake is? I’ve read the guides but I didn’t really get it.
I’m using home-manager but that’s about as complicated as I’ve gotten.
Its like a project configuration for a nix lang project (can be stuff from nixos config to nix packages or a collection of nix packages). It configures inputs to that project (other nix flakes, online tar files, git repos) and the version of that input, to stay the same unless you nix flake update.
So it’s both to lock packages to a certain version, and to allow you to add stuff to your system that isn’t in the NIX or AUR repos?
yeah basically it locks it to your current build/system.
So for example I use it for my overall system config. I have a flake, a configuration.nix, and a home.nix all of which are tied to my git repo. I make a change to the system be it installing a package or modifying something or other I can then push that to my git repo. Say I want to take my system as is and put it on another pc/laptop I can then go on the new machine, clone my nix repo, and build it now that new machine is exactly the same setup as my main machine. Like a few weeks ago I put Arch on my main machine for a couple weeks and then went back to nix. It took less than 10minutes to install NixOS and get my machine back to where it was exactly prior to putting Arch on it.
For Dev work flakes allows you to bypass the whole “well it works on my machine” since you develop in flakes you can take that development environment anywhere and it’ll always work regardless of what machine you put it on.
Think of it sort of like a Docker container.
Does having a flake lock the versions of everything, or just the packages mentioned in the flake? (I assume the latter)
I had a flake for a minute but since I had no idea what I was doing, I was more comfortable nursing that stuff into my config.nix.
Nixpkgs is an input which does get locked
Sorry, I’m not certain which way your answer goes. Nixpkgs would be all packages in the system, even if installed in config.nix or home.nix?
I’ve wanted to give NixOS a shot, but I have very little reason to switch away from Arch. I have my install tailored to be exactly what I want. No fuss in maintaining it either.
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It’s a horrible distro for trying to run your desktop.
Why? Do you know any other distro that lets you swap your default kernel to a number of real-time gaming-optimized kernels in few lines of configs at any moment without any risks? Also, just install toolbox/distrobox/homebrew into it for minor stuff that you don’t mind being reproducible enough to justify bloating the config.
This particular example isn’t very good, just install multiple kernels (or compile one yourself) on your distro of choice and boot into the one you want with your bootloader of choice. Once set up you don’t even have to change any configs any more, just use an interactive menu on boot. So even easier than NixOS? There are plenty of valid use-cases for Nix, this isn’t one of them.
just install multiple kernels (or compile one yourself) on your distro of choice and boot into the one you want with your bootloader of choice
That’s way more complicated than adding a single line of text in a single text file and also having guaranteed way back if anything goes wrong.
Thats just not true. Nix and NixOS are not the same thing. Nix is meant for CI/CD. NixOS is an OS designed for both desktop and server use. Why would there even be so many desktop environments and desktop software packages if it wasnt designed to be used on a desktop?
Its not for everyone but I’ve been using NixOS as my desktop OS for nearly 10 years and I am honestly pretty satisfied with the experience.
Hey, to offset the person in the other comment, I want to say this: thanks for making home-manager and firefox-addons, my digital life is so much better with those <3
Thanks, that is very nice to hear!
Ohh so that’s why that name was familiar.
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Suspiciously you’re the one who’s trying to be included into every Nix{,OS} conversation with alternative facts easily disproved with a 5 second ddg search. Also, you’re writing this to friggin rycee 1 2 3, which is just a cherry on top. Sincerely, someone who’s mastered time travel because apparently running NixOS 15.09 on a desktop was not possible in this timeline. Oh wait whoops people have been running NixOS on desktop since 2007.
(honestly, you must be trolling, I just don’t see any other reason to do this shit.)
Desktop packages haven’t even been a part of the Nix repos for 10 years.
Yes they have? Why are you just making shit up.
https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/tree/15.09-beta/pkgs/desktops/plasma-5.3
niche exotic distro nobody knows about
the only one of its kind based around the idea of config-driven reproducible immutable builds
Is NixOS Just Hype?
Pretty sure it’s not “hype” at all, but if it was it wouldn’t be “just hype”.
It has 9k contributors and 20k stars. Just because you havent heard of it doesnt mean nobody has.
Also Guix is doing the exact same thing.
