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How does the NixOS package management system work?
NixOS is based on Nix, a purely functional package management system. Nix stores all packages in isolation from each other under paths such as The string 5rnf… is a cryptographic hash of all input used to build the package.
How is the operating system built in Nix?
In NixOS, the entire operating system — the kernel, applications, system packages, configuration files, and so on — is built by the Nix package manager from a description in a purely functional build language. The fact that it’s purely functional essentially means that building a new configuration cannot overwrite previous configurations.
Can a global root install a global NixOS package?
All packages are always system-wide and only root can install packages. Packages root installs are system-wide. It does so through /etc/nixos/configuration.nix. If root installs packages the same way users do, through ~/.nixpkgs/config.nix, they are also global.
How can I track multiple channels in NixOS?
You can add your own specifications, or look at existing ones, in nixpkgs/lib/systems/examples.nix. One can track multiple channels on NixOS simultaneously, and then declaratively change packages from the default channel to another one.
Where can I find the Nix package manager?
Additional information regarding the Nix package manager and the Nixpkgs project can be found in respectively the Nix manual and the Nixpkgs manual . If you encounter problems, please report them on the Discourse or on the #nixos channel on Freenode, or consider contributing to this manual.
How to build a VM out of A NixOS profile?
If you use a different profile name the procedure is similar, but use /nix/var/nix/profiles/system-profiles/$profileName instead of /nix/var/nix/profiles/system . While nixos-rebuild build-vm allows to build a vm out of the current system configuration, there is a more light-weight alternative when only a single service needs to be tested.
What are the root channels of NixOS Nix?
Garbage Collector Roots 12. Channels 13. Sharing Packages Between Machines 13.1. Serving a Nix store via HTTP 13.2. Copying Closures Via SSH 13.3. Serving a Nix store via SSH 13.4. Serving a Nix store via AWS S3 or S3-compatible Service 13.4.1.