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The '''Core Nix Ecosystem''' is a collection of technologies designed to reproducibly build and declaratively configure and manage packages and systems as well as their dependencies. It achieves this by translating the functional paradigm from the program to the system domain by utilizing a dynamic, functional and lazy DSL called the [[Overview of the Nix Language|Nix Language]] for specifying reproducible builds.  


The ''Nix Ecosystem'' is a collection of technologies built around the [[Nix Package Manager]], which uses a purely functional packaging language called the [[Nix Expression Language]] to specify reproducible build processes. Nix stores the results into hashed addresses, allowing multiple versions of the same package to live side by side. This allowed the creation of [[NixOS]], a Linux distribution with ''all'' components built by Nix, and thus supporting reproducible and declarative system-wide configuration management as well as atomic upgrades and rollbacks. A community maintained package repository called [[Nixpkgs]] is the largest Nix package repository, and also hosts NixOS packages (known as modules). In addition to these the community developed [[NixOps]], a Nix based deployment and provisioning tool, and [[Hydra]], a Nix based continuous build system.
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In addition there are many other [[applications]] ('''''Extended Nix Ecosystem)''''' developed by the Nix community, utilizing and supporting these core technologies.  


== The Nix Package Manager & Expression Language ==
== Official ecosystem == <!--T:3-->


''Nix expressions'' are pure functions taking dependencies as arguments and producing ''derivation'' specifying a reproducible build environment for the package. The package is then built the ''Nix store'', receiving a unique address specified by a cryptographic hash of the build's dependency graph followed by the package name and version, for example <code>/nix/store/nawl092prjblbhvv16kxxbk6j9gkgcqm-git-2.14.1</code>. This allows Nix to simultaneously install different versions of the same package, and even different builds of the same version, for example variants built with different compilers.
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{| class="wikitable"
|+ Core Components of the Nix Ecosystem
|-
! Component
! Manual
! Description
! Use
! License
|-
| [[NixOS]]
| [https://nixos.org/nixos/manual/ NixOS Manual]
| A Linux distribution with ''all'' components built by Nix, and thus supporting reproducible and declarative system-wide configuration management as well as atomic upgrades and rollbacks.
| Declaratively configure desktops, servers & clusters
| MIT
|-
| [[Nixpkgs]]
| [https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual/ Nixpkgs Manual]
| The largest community maintained Nix package and NixOS module repository; standard releases of NixOS are hosted here.
| Share Nix packages & NixOS modules
| MIT
|-
| [[Hydra]]
| [https://nixos.org/hydra/manual/ Hydra Manual]
| A Nix based continuous build system.
| CI build farms
| GPL-3.0
|-
| [[Nix]]
| [https://nixos.org/nix/manual/ Nix Manual]
| A package manager that parses Nix expressions specifying reproducible build, putting the result in a store address with a hash of the dependency tree, sidestepping dependency hell and supporting multiversion installs and rollbacks.
| Reproducible builds & package management in Linux & Darwin
| LGPL-2.1
|}


== NixOS ==
<!--T:5-->
{| style="max-width: 36rem; margin: auto;"
|+'''The NixOS core ecosystem stack'''
|style="text-align: center; border: 1px solid #ddd; background: #fafafa; padding: 1.6rem" width="2%"|
<div style="font-size: 1.3em; font-weight: bold">NixOS</div>
A Linux distribution and configuration system built using Nixpkgs
!
|-
|style="text-align: center; border: 1px solid #ddd; background: #fafafa; padding: 1.6rem" width="2%"|
<div style="font-size: 1.3em; font-weight: bold">Nixpkgs</div>
A large, community-maintained repository of packages
|style="text-align: center; border: 1px solid #ddd; background: #fafafa; padding: 1.6rem" width="2%"|
<div style="font-size: 1.3em; font-weight: bold">Hydra</div>
A continuous build system built on Nix
|-
|style="text-align: center; border: 1px solid #ddd; background: #fafafa; padding: 1.6rem" width="2%" colspan="2"|
<div style="font-size: 1.3em; font-weight: bold">Nix</div>
A pure and functional build system
|}


== Nixpkgs ==
<!--T:6-->
== Usage of NixOS ==
Users install the ''NixOS'' distribution on their computers just as any other Linux distribution. They read about packages to install and configuration options in ''Nixpgs'' via https://search.nixos.org and this wiki. They use the ''Nix'' language to declaratively describe in a text file what software packages should be installed and how the system should be configured. They run 2 command line programs in a terminal to transform the system into the described system. They use the system as any other Linux system.


== NixOps ==
<!--T:7-->
== Development of NixOS ==
Developers of ''NixOS'' mainly work on ''Nixpkgs'' to describe in text files in ''Nix'' language how software packages should be build. After peer review these changes are integrated in ''Nixpkgs''. Some of these packages are pre built on ''Hydra'' to reduce the update time for ''NixOS'' users.


== Hydra ==


== Other applications ==
<!--T:8-->
 
[[Category:Pedias]]
[[Category:Discussion]]
[[Category:NixOS]]
[[Category:Ecosystem]]
[[Category:nix]]
[[Category:Incomplete]]
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Latest revision as of 13:27, 12 July 2024

Other languages:

The Core Nix Ecosystem is a collection of technologies designed to reproducibly build and declaratively configure and manage packages and systems as well as their dependencies. It achieves this by translating the functional paradigm from the program to the system domain by utilizing a dynamic, functional and lazy DSL called the Nix Language for specifying reproducible builds.

In addition there are many other applications (Extended Nix Ecosystem) developed by the Nix community, utilizing and supporting these core technologies.

Official ecosystem

Core Components of the Nix Ecosystem
Component Manual Description Use License
NixOS NixOS Manual A Linux distribution with all components built by Nix, and thus supporting reproducible and declarative system-wide configuration management as well as atomic upgrades and rollbacks. Declaratively configure desktops, servers & clusters MIT
Nixpkgs Nixpkgs Manual The largest community maintained Nix package and NixOS module repository; standard releases of NixOS are hosted here. Share Nix packages & NixOS modules MIT
Hydra Hydra Manual A Nix based continuous build system. CI build farms GPL-3.0
Nix Nix Manual A package manager that parses Nix expressions specifying reproducible build, putting the result in a store address with a hash of the dependency tree, sidestepping dependency hell and supporting multiversion installs and rollbacks. Reproducible builds & package management in Linux & Darwin LGPL-2.1
The NixOS core ecosystem stack
NixOS

A Linux distribution and configuration system built using Nixpkgs

Nixpkgs

A large, community-maintained repository of packages

Hydra

A continuous build system built on Nix

Nix

A pure and functional build system

Usage of NixOS

Users install the NixOS distribution on their computers just as any other Linux distribution. They read about packages to install and configuration options in Nixpgs via https://search.nixos.org and this wiki. They use the Nix language to declaratively describe in a text file what software packages should be installed and how the system should be configured. They run 2 command line programs in a terminal to transform the system into the described system. They use the system as any other Linux system.

Development of NixOS

Developers of NixOS mainly work on Nixpkgs to describe in text files in Nix language how software packages should be build. After peer review these changes are integrated in Nixpkgs. Some of these packages are pre built on Hydra to reduce the update time for NixOS users.

Retrieved from "https://wiki.nixos.org/w/index.php?title=Nix_ecosystem&oldid=13995"