Nix is a tool that takes a unique approach to package management and system configuration. Learn how to make reproducible, declarative and reliable systems.
It’s because they’re a documentation mess caught in a release/stable discussion that I don’t understand.
Perhaps that changed in the last year, haven’t looked into them again since then - but unless there’s a trigger (new server setup or official release for example) I simply don’t have the time and energy to invest.
As someone who has switched their system to flakes, I really do struggle with them for projects and getting dev-shells. So I use flakes for the system but use a classic shell.nix for my shells
Because I don’t understand them. Last time I looked, the documentation on flakes was minimal to nonexistent. What documentation I did find was all 3rd party and conflicted with each other.
Granted, that was a 2ish years ago, but I haven’t needed to change anything major, and nothing has broken. My current setup just works.
Why aren’t you using a flake?
Not the person you asked but for me:
It’s because they’re a documentation mess caught in a release/stable discussion that I don’t understand.
Perhaps that changed in the last year, haven’t looked into them again since then - but unless there’s a trigger (new server setup or official release for example) I simply don’t have the time and energy to invest.
I still haven’t found a good guide on how to use flakes though I’ve read many. It really is an incredible mess.
As someone who has switched their system to flakes, I really do struggle with them for projects and getting dev-shells. So I use flakes for the system but use a classic
shell.nixfor my shellsOh that’s an approach I haven’t even considered, I es always very … Black and white :D
Thanks for the inspiration, should I find a bucket of time in the future I’ll give it a shot!
Because I don’t understand them. Last time I looked, the documentation on flakes was minimal to nonexistent. What documentation I did find was all 3rd party and conflicted with each other.
Granted, that was a 2ish years ago, but I haven’t needed to change anything major, and nothing has broken. My current setup just works.
This helped me get my brain around flakes
https://nixos-and-flakes.thiscute.world/
Is there an easy way to swap over?
Write a flake.nix
Most of whatever you have should be simple to include with one line of code.
Then once you’re using a flake, updates are as simple as “nix flake update” and “nixos-rebuild boot --flake .