NixOS Development Environments

1. What is NixOS based on?
2. What is Nix environment?
3. Is NixOS based on Debian?
4. How does nix shell work?
5. Is NixOS stable?
6. How hard is NixOS?
7. What does * nix mean?
8. What is * nix in Linux?
9. What is a nix shell?
10. What init system does NixOS use?
11. Why should I use NixOS?
12. Does NixOS use systemd?

What is NixOS based on?

NixOS is based on the Nix package manager that stores all packages in isolation from each other in the package store. Installed packages are identified by a cryptographic hash of all input used for their build.

What is Nix environment?

It is also the name of the tool's programming language. A package's hash takes into account the dependencies, which is claimed to eliminate dependency hell. ... A nix environment keeps track of references automatically, which allows unused packages to be garbage collected when no other package depends on them.

Is NixOS based on Debian?

Debian: The Universal Operating System. ... FreeBSD is an operating system including a kernel and other software; NixOS: A Linux distribution built on top of the Nix package manager. It is a Linux distribution with a unique approach to package and configuration management.

How does nix shell work?

The command nix-shell will build the dependencies of the specified derivation, but not the derivation itself. It will then start an interactive shell in which all environment variables defined by the derivation path have been set to their corresponding values, and the script $stdenv/setup has been sourced.

Is NixOS stable?

The official channels

Stable/unstable: Stable channels ( nixos-20.09 ) provide conservative updates for fixing bugs and security vulnerabilities, but do not receive major updates after initial release. New stable channels are released every six months.

How hard is NixOS?

NixOS is definitely a difficult operating system to get into, but it was well worth the effort for me. Through using NixOS, and reading the build specifications for packages in NixOS, I learnt a lot about the Linux itself. Now I have an operational system that I can replicate and rely on, which can last.

What does * nix mean?

(Entry 1 of 4) transitive verb. US, informal. : to refuse to accept or allow (something) : veto, reject The court nixed the merger.

What is * nix in Linux?

*nix just means operating systems that are like the old workhorse Unix. Some examples include Linux, FreeBSD, and Mac OS X (its kernel, Darwin, is based on BSD). The main relation between *nix and Ruby is just a pragmatic one; most Ruby developers seem to prefer to work on Unix-like OSes (typically Linux or Mac OS X).

What is a nix shell?

Nix-shell lets you open a shell in a new environment. In Nix; an environment is a collection of derevations (aka packages) that are put into your PATH. This is really useful in many circumstances: Collaboration; you can just send the . nix file to a collaborator and they will have the same things installed.

What init system does NixOS use?

systemd is an integral part of NixOS, because it makes extensive use of its features, such as cgroups, sandboxing, user units, and systemd timers instead of cron.

Why should I use NixOS?

Additionally, NixOS takes the pain out of re-installing. It's nice because you can configure your whole system all with the (checked) Nix language instead of the dozens of configuration formats you usually have to use. A lot of the hacks you would copy-paste from arch wiki are also already built in and available.

Does NixOS use systemd?

Void Linux ditched systemd, and NixOS will ditch it in the near future. There is already a growing consensus that it should be a priority to remove systemd from NixOS. You will have to leave NixOS. The vast majority of developers and users do not want systemd.