Help migrating over to Nix

[nikitavoloboev]

Help migrating over to Nix

[nikitavoloboev]

would you recommend migrating ... is it worth it?

I'd say it's worth learning Nix for sure. I use both Nix and brew currently but most of the packages I install with Nix declaratively.

I've found the documentation very hard to understand

You're not alone 😅 I haven't finished the entire documentation myself but I would recommend joining #nixos group on Freenode (it's very active).

do you have any tips for someone on a Mac to help them get started/install Nix/install packages using Nix?

I have an article I plan to release hopefully soon that targets that (Introduction to Nix on macOS).

[jletey]

I'd say it's worth learning Nix for sure. I use both Nix and brew currently but most of the packages I install with Nix declaratively.

I just installed Nix to my system. What's would you say is next for getting started? Could you explain to me why nix-darwin or home-manager is needed (from your dotfiles)?

I have an article I plan to release hopefully soon that targets that (Introduction to Nix on macOS).

Great! Looking forward to it!

[nikitavoloboev]

nix-darwin

Lets me specify in Nix my macOS configuration (packages to install + other stuff).

I don't use home-manager currently.

[jletey]

Lets me specify in Nix my macOS configuration (packages to install + other stuff).

I see ... and how exactly is this different from simply just installing packages via Nix

[nikitavoloboev]

how exactly is this different from simply just installing packages via Nix

With brew you do brew install <package>.

In nix you can do the same with nix-env -f '<nixpkgs>' -iA <package>

But alternatively you can write the state you want your macOS to be in (packages installed, config) in a .nix file(s), in my case it's one darwin.nix file.

Then you apply the configuration on the system. With darwin-rebuild switch in nix-darwin case. And you have your macOS in the state defined by nix. Nix can do a lot more though, I am still learning.

[jletey]

Wow ... that's extremely useful ... I think I'll give Nix a try ... I'll slowly start transitioning all of my configurations over to Nix

One last question:

In nix you can do the same with nix-env -f '<nixpkgs>' -iA <package>

With nix-darwin, do you still run the above command to install packages, or do you run something else?

[nikitavoloboev]

With nix-darwin, do you still run the above command to install packages

You can run this command without nix-darwin. This is 'install a package' command provided by Nix.

[jletey]

I see! Also, do you have your nix configurations aliased? Or how do you set your nix configuration files to inside your dotfiles?

[nikitavoloboev]

do you have your nix configurations aliased

I have the file + a shell always open so I can edit the file and run darwin-rebuild switch in my right split.

[jletey]

Got it ... but I was asking exactly how you tell nix-darwin that your configuration is at ~/dotfiles/nix/darwin.nix ... cause it told me that my configuration is at .nixpkgs/darwin-configuration.nix

[nikitavoloboev]

I don't remember the command I ran for that. I asked in #nix-darwin Freenode group. Should have documented it. 😞

[jletey]

Bummer ... anyways, thanks for the help! Also, my iTerm looks different than yours, do you mind posting your com.googlecode.iterm2.plist (you can tell iTerm where to save the file in preferences)

[nikitavoloboev]

https://transfer.sh/OuLKE/com.googlecode.iterm2.plist

[jletey]

Thanks!

[nikitavoloboev]

@johnletey Was just released https://www.softinio.com/post/moving-from-homebrew-to-nix-package-manager/ :)

[jletey]

@nikitavoloboev Thanks so much ... reading now