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I switched over to Nix about a year ago. I was a Windows user before that for 30 years and tried Linux a couple of times, but it never stuck. Now I know I will

by DHolzer 6mo ago

I switched over to Nix about a year ago. I was a Windows user before that for 30 years and tried Linux a couple of times, but it never stuck. Now I know I will never touch Windows again. With NixOS I've finally found a system that actually works for me — and the full OS configuration is in a repo. My god, I love it so much. Sometimes I even prefer nix-shells over uv for quick one-off Python scripts. I cannot sufficiently convey how absolutely barbaric everything else feels in comparison. Not having Nix would be like having to work on code without Git — absolutely unacceptable. And it really isn't that much work — you do it once. The next time you set up a new system, without Nix, you'll have to do the full configuration all over again.

laserbeam 6mo ago
Can you share some good examples of how you use nix shells with python for one off scripts? I am still figuring out how python interacts with nixos :(
- squiggleblaz 6mo ago
  Not the greatest fan of python, but when I've got to run a python script, I do `nix-shell -p 'python3.withPackages (ps: [ps.requests])' --command 'python3 your-script.py'` Note that there is one argument to -p and one argument to --command -- both are quoted. The argument to -p is a nix expression that will provide a python3 command, referring to a python3 with the requests package. The argument to --command is a bash script that will run python3 with the argument "your-script.py" i.e. it will run your-script.py with the python3 that has the requests package. I think there's ways you can autoderive a python3 with specific packages from python dependency files, but I can't help you there. I do find AI to be reasonably helpful for answering questions like this: it just might sometimes require a bit of help that you want to understand the answer rather than receive a perfect packaged shell.nix file.
- codethief 6mo ago
  Do you have to figure this out? Sure, it's nice and "pure" if everything is configured through Nix but there is something to be said about being pragmatic. Personally, I just enabled nix-ld[0] and use uv to install and handle my Python versions and package dependencies. Much, much easier. [0]: https://mynixos.com/nixpkgs/option/programs.nix-ld.enable https://mynixos.com/nixpkgs/option/programs.nix-ld.enable
  - perrygeo 6mo ago
    Easier and largely compatible with the rest of the world. Solving problems with "If we all switched to NixOS..." is a non-starter in most organizations. My rule of thumb: keep a strict separation between my projects (which change constantly) and my operating system (which I set up once and periodically update). Any hard nix dependency inside the project is a failure of abstraction IMO. Collaborating with people on other operating systems isn't optional! In practice this means using language-specific package management (uv, cargo, etc) and ignoring the nix way.
stephen_cagle 6mo ago
Have you heard of any good projects for running isolated containers in NixOS that are cheaply derived from your own NixOS config? Because that is what I want. I want a computer where I can basically install every non stock app in its own little world, where it thinks "huh, that is interesting, I seem to be the only app installed on this system". Basically, I want to be able to run completely unverified code off of the internet on my local machine, and know that the worst thing it can possibly due is trash its own container. I feel like NixOS, is one path toward getting to that future.
- woleium 6mo ago
  sounds like you want qubes os https://www.qubes-os.org/ https://www.qubes-os.org/
- bpavuk 6mo ago
  depends whether you consider rootless Docker "cheap". I tried running ZeroClaw in a Nix-derived Docker (spoiler - it was a bad idea to use ZeroClaw at all since the harness is very buggy) and there is still a potential for container escape zero-days, but that's the best I've found. also, Nix's own containerization is not as hermetic as Docker; they warn about that in docs
- gallexme 6mo ago
  If containers are safe enough for ur use case then just use nixos containers they just a few more lines to setup in a regular nixos config If it isn't enough there's microvm.nix which is pretty much the same in difficulty /complexity, but runs inside a very slim and lightweight VM with stronger isolation than a container
- cpuguy83 6mo ago
  You mean like https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/NixOS_Containers https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/NixOS_Containers ?
  - whazor 6mo ago
    There is also https://microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/ https://microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/ if you want increased isolation.
nullbyte808 6mo ago
I almost switched back to Fedora Bazzite to get a working gamescope, but realized I can get HDR in sway and its actually more stable than Valve's mess of gamescope. Even though I have to use "--unsupported-gpu" flag, my Nvidia card works wonders in Sway, where as gamescope gives me a blinking cursor and segfaults.

by DHolzer 6mo ago

laserbeam 6mo ago

Can you share some good examples of how you use nix shells with python for one off scripts? I am still figuring out how python interacts with nixos :(

squiggleblaz 6mo ago
Not the greatest fan of python, but when I've got to run a python script, I do `nix-shell -p 'python3.withPackages (ps: [ps.requests])' --command 'python3 your-script.py'` Note that there is one argument to -p and one argument to --command -- both are quoted. The argument to -p is a nix expression that will provide a python3 command, referring to a python3 with the requests package. The argument to --command is a bash script that will run python3 with the argument "your-script.py" i.e. it will run your-script.py with the python3 that has the requests package. I think there's ways you can autoderive a python3 with specific packages from python dependency files, but I can't help you there. I do find AI to be reasonably helpful for answering questions like this: it just might sometimes require a bit of help that you want to understand the answer rather than receive a perfect packaged shell.nix file.
codethief 6mo ago
Do you have to figure this out? Sure, it's nice and "pure" if everything is configured through Nix but there is something to be said about being pragmatic. Personally, I just enabled nix-ld[0] and use uv to install and handle my Python versions and package dependencies. Much, much easier. [0]: https://mynixos.com/nixpkgs/option/programs.nix-ld.enable https://mynixos.com/nixpkgs/option/programs.nix-ld.enable
- perrygeo 6mo ago
  Easier and largely compatible with the rest of the world. Solving problems with "If we all switched to NixOS..." is a non-starter in most organizations. My rule of thumb: keep a strict separation between my projects (which change constantly) and my operating system (which I set up once and periodically update). Any hard nix dependency inside the project is a failure of abstraction IMO. Collaborating with people on other operating systems isn't optional! In practice this means using language-specific package management (uv, cargo, etc) and ignoring the nix way.

stephen_cagle 6mo ago

Have you heard of any good projects for running isolated containers in NixOS that are cheaply derived from your own NixOS config? Because that is what I want. I want a computer where I can basically install every non stock app in its own little world, where it thinks "huh, that is interesting, I seem to be the only app installed on this system". Basically, I want to be able to run completely unverified code off of the internet on my local machine, and know that the worst thing it can possibly due is trash its own container. I feel like NixOS, is one path toward getting to that future.

woleium 6mo ago
sounds like you want qubes os https://www.qubes-os.org/ https://www.qubes-os.org/
bpavuk 6mo ago
depends whether you consider rootless Docker "cheap". I tried running ZeroClaw in a Nix-derived Docker (spoiler - it was a bad idea to use ZeroClaw at all since the harness is very buggy) and there is still a potential for container escape zero-days, but that's the best I've found. also, Nix's own containerization is not as hermetic as Docker; they warn about that in docs
gallexme 6mo ago
If containers are safe enough for ur use case then just use nixos containers they just a few more lines to setup in a regular nixos config If it isn't enough there's microvm.nix which is pretty much the same in difficulty /complexity, but runs inside a very slim and lightweight VM with stronger isolation than a container
cpuguy83 6mo ago
You mean like https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/NixOS_Containers https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/NixOS_Containers ?
- whazor 6mo ago
  There is also https://microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/ https://microvm-nix.github.io/microvm.nix/ if you want increased isolation.

nullbyte808 6mo ago

I almost switched back to Fedora Bazzite to get a working gamescope, but realized I can get HDR in sway and its actually more stable than Valve's mess of gamescope. Even though I have to use "--unsupported-gpu" flag, my Nvidia card works wonders in Sway, where as gamescope gives me a blinking cursor and segfaults.