Considering nix on macOS

Stop the madness: Let's not go down this rabbit hole

I have known about nix and nixOS for a long, long time.  Eelco Dolstra was still a graduate student when I first took it for a spin.  It was cool; but I didn't need its features because I am not a developer.  port (macports.org) does everything I need.

Traffic Light: RED, STOP DO NOT PROCEED

Cons: 

instrusive, potentially irreversible changes?!?

complexity = steep learning curve.

creates giant (5GB+) separate volume to hold repository!

tiny community = good luck finding info

 

Pros: 

nix shell (shell with deps)

goodbye to docker containers to isolate dependencies and packages

 

General Purpose Nix Config for macOS + NixOS

https://github.com/dustinlyons/nixos-config?tab=readme-ov-file#general-purpose-nix-config-for-macos--nixos

A graphical installer for Nix

Determinate Systems

https://determinate.systems › posts › graphical-nix-installer

 

DeterminateSystems/nix-installer

 

https://determinate.systems/posts/graphical-nix-installer/

Setting up Nix on macOS

zero-to-nix.com

 

6nok.org

How Fatih uses Nix on macOS

read more at the end

 

Ian Henry: blog posts on Nix

 

Upgrade your Development Environments with Devbox

Alan Norbauer

https://alan.norbauer.com › articles › devbox-intro

https://github.com/dustinlyons/nixos-config/discussions/11

Explore using Nix instead of Homebrew

 

Explore using Nix instead of Homebrew.

https://wickedchicken.github.io/post/macos-nix-setup/

 Moving from Homebrew to Nix Package Manager

https://dev.to/louy2/use-nix-on-macos-as-a-homebrew-user-22d

Not recommended, use it on Debian

Switching from Homebrew to Nix - ErrRight

Visiting Nix package manager and Rocket

Nix, NixOS, Rust

An enthusiast gives it a spin+ 

I used to visit NixOS once a year; I did it every year from 2010-12 then stopped.  Things have progressed immensely but I don't have a home application for what NixOS does.  If you don't have need of a reliably reproducible system its like trying to drive a zamboni wrapped in plastic wrap.  And why it's not.  There's a live cd give it a whirl.

 How refreshing to discover Xe and her website.  Here's how she uses Nix (package manager) and NixOS:

 I have the configuration for my shell, emacs, my window manager and just about every program I use on a regular basis defined in their own NixOS modules so I can pick and choose things for new machines.

  Xe 

As an example of devotion to NixOS see the highly entertaining: ianthehenry.com

I am going to try to replicate Xe's example on the Windfall System.