What do you need to know about NixOS?

What do you need to know about NixOS?

This manual describes how to install, use and extend NixOS, a Linux distribution based on the purely functional package management system Nix, that is composed using modules and packages defined in the Nixpkgs project.

What is the configuration file in NixOS called?

The NixOS configuration file /etc/nixos/configuration.nix is actually a Nix expression, which is the Nix package manager’s purely functional language for describing how to build packages and configurations. This means you have all the expressive power of that language at your disposal, including the ability to abstract over common patterns

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. Bugs should be reported in NixOS’ GitHub issue tracker .

Where can I find a NixOS cloud deployment tool?

To find one for your region and instance type, please refer to the list of most recent AMIs . Using NixOps, the NixOS-based cloud deployment tool, which allows you to provision VirtualBox and EC2 NixOS instances from declarative specifications. Check out the NixOps homepage for details.

Do you need an internet connection to install NixOS?

The installation will definitely need a working internet connection. It is possible to install without one, but the available set of packages is limited. For network interfaces supported by the kernel, DHCP resolution should already have happened once the shell is available.

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.

Which is the package manager for NixOS linux?

The Nix Packages collection (Nixpkgs) is the ever growing packages collection for the Nix package manager, released under a permissive MIT/X11 license. NixOps. NixOps is a tool for deploying sets of NixOS Linux machines, bare-metal or to the cloud.

How are Nix packages distributed in nixpkgs channel?

Also included in the collection are Nix expressions for NixOS modules. With these expressions the Nix package manager can build binary packages. Packages, including the Nix packages collection, are distributed through channels. The collection is distributed for users of Nix on non-NixOS distributions through the channel nixpkgs.

Which is the stable version of nixpkgs 20.09?

The collection is distributed for users of Nix on non-NixOS distributions through the channel nixpkgs. Users of NixOS generally use one of the nixos-*channels, e.g. nixos-19.09, which includes all packages and modules for the stable NixOS 19.09. Stable NixOS releases are generally only given security updates.

How to create a virtual environment with Nix shell?

Development environment with nix-shell. Nix can be used to provides some kind of virtual environment through the nix-shell command. If you already have a nix package definition of you project it’s easy: Just use nix-shell instead of nix-build and you will end up in a bash shell that reproduce the build environment of your package.

How can I install NixOS on my computer?

Get a NixOS ISO and unpack the squashfs filesystem containing the nix store. A tool from squashfs-tools is required, so install that package first. The following commands create two directories in your home directory, one for the ISO mountpoint and one for the host system.

Which is the root partition in Linux NixOS?

To simplify, we will be using these abbreviations: your linux root partition, containing your currently working OS (/dev/sda1 and /dev/sda2 *can* be the same partition!) The following sections outline two installation methods. Choose the one that suits you best.