nixos will affect linux and build systems generally for ever
this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2025
31 points (94.3% liked)
Linux
9626 readers
264 users here now
A community for everything relating to the GNU/Linux operating system (except the memes!)
Also, check out:
Original icon base courtesy of lewing@isc.tamu.edu and The GIMP
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
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 moving 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?
Nixpkgs is the nix package repo, and is an input you have to include if you want any packages. So yea
Okay, thank you!
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.
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.