I think Guix is recommended by the FSF, so that makes me more interested in it over Nix.
Guix
Guix is an advanced distribution of the GNU operating system developed by the GNU Project
Likes, that are maybe not integrated in NixOs ?: Scheme and elisp, are both lisp, and while It looks shit to start with, I'm coming around to it. Lisp is a clever language imho, so I like it as a configuration language (scheme). Emacs looks almost like a natural extension of Guix, and I'm finally starting playing with it. I feel that every little corner of the Guix have been designed for a purpose from the ground up. Repo is curated with floss goodness, and flatpak for the rest. I like the simplicity and 'order' of it all. Ah, the system installer is shaky, but..
I find guix as both a system and package manager easy and very powerful out of the box. I've had other systems/package managers for many years without using as many build-in features as now.
Besides std Guix, there are 2 spinoffs, pantherx that is supposed to be more enduser polished and rdb that are Guix+Emacs in a love relationship I think. Not sure, but you can check it out.
Maybe NixOS would do the same, but I've never been 'giddy' about a new distribution before, so I I'm just happy I found my new permanent distro. Not leaving.
Same here, Guix SD is my permanent distro, never hopping again
GNU and scheme. I know that's kind of an obvious answer, but they're things I appreciate. Unfortunately guix hasn't really worked for me as a distribution. I'll probably look again some time in the future.
I'd also love to know what didn't work for you
what didn't work for you?
check out my config for a real world example, many things here are simply inconceivable without the power of a proper programming language, and a powerful one like Scheme