NixOS: Difference between revisions

Line 71:

In addition to declarative system configuration, NixOS offers imperative commands to manage ''user specific'' package management. These operations are managed by the <code>nix-env</code> command line tool. The following is a summary of some common operations that can be performed with it:

'''Common <code>nix-env</code> Commands:'''

''Common <code>nix-env</code> Commands:''

{| class="wikitable"

|Searching for packages

Line 91:

==== Channels ====

Nix ''channels'' are mechanisms for distributing Nix expressions alongside the associated binaries for them. Nix channels are automatically updated once a certain tests are passed in Nixpkgs' Hydra instance.

Nix ''channels'' are mechanisms for distributing Nix expressions alongside the associated binaries for them. Official Nix channels are automatically updated once a certain tests are passed in Nixpkgs' Hydra instance. It is also possible to create one's own Nix channels, but here we focus the official channels. A full list of the available official channels is available at [https://nixos.org/channels/ https://nixos.org/channels/], but they can be classified into three main types.

'''Channel Types:'''

''Channel Types:''

{| class="wikitable"

|Stable

Line 107:

| Identical to their normal namesakes, but containing fewer binaries. This means they update faster but require more to be built from source.

|}

NixOS will use the root's channels to update the system wide configuration, and user-specific channels to manage the user environment; this means that you must <code>sudo</code> commands intended to manage the channel your <code>configuration.nix</code> should use. The following are common commands to manage channels on NixOS:

{| class="wikitable"

|Listing current channels

|<code>nix-channel --list</code>

|-

| Adding a primary channel

|<code>nix-channel --add https://nixos.org/channels/channel-name nixos</code>

|-

| Adding other channels

|<code>nix-channel --add https://some.channel/url my-alias</code>

|-

| Remove a channel

|<code>nix-channel --remove channel-alias</code>

|-

| Updating a channel

|<code>nix-channel --update channel-alias</code>

|-

| Updating all channels

|<code>nix-channel --update</code>

|}

Note that after updating channels, one still has to rebuild with <code>nixos-rebuild switch</code>, but one can also run <code>nixos-rebuild switch --upgrade</code> to update channels and rebuild.

== Internals ==

@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
 In addition to declarative system configuration, NixOS offers imperative commands to manage ''user specific'' package management. These operations are managed by the <code>nix-env</code> command line tool. The following is a summary of some common operations that can be performed with it:
-'''Common <code>nix-env</code> Commands:'''
+''Common <code>nix-env</code> Commands:''
 {|  class="wikitable"
 |Searching for packages
@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 ==== Channels ====
-Nix ''channels'' are mechanisms for distributing Nix expressions alongside the associated binaries for them. Nix channels are automatically updated once a certain tests are passed in Nixpkgs' Hydra instance.
+Nix ''channels'' are mechanisms for distributing Nix expressions alongside the associated binaries for them. Official Nix channels are automatically updated once a certain tests are passed in Nixpkgs' Hydra instance. It is also possible to create one's own Nix channels, but here we focus the official channels. A full list of the available official channels is available at [https://nixos.org/channels/ https://nixos.org/channels/], but they can be classified into three main types.
-'''Channel Types:'''
+''Channel Types:''
 {|  class="wikitable"
 |Stable
@@ Line 107: / Line 107: @@
 | Identical to their normal namesakes, but containing fewer binaries. This means they update faster but require more to be built from source.
 |}
+NixOS will use the root's channels to update the system wide configuration, and user-specific channels to manage the user environment; this means that you must <code>sudo</code> commands intended to manage the channel your <code>configuration.nix</code> should use. The following are common commands to manage channels on NixOS:
+{|  class="wikitable"
+|Listing current channels
+|<code>nix-channel --list</code>
+|-
+| Adding a primary channel
+|<code>nix-channel --add https://nixos.org/channels/channel-name nixos</code>
+|-
+| Adding other channels
+|<code>nix-channel --add https://some.channel/url my-alias</code>
+|-
+| Remove a channel
+|<code>nix-channel --remove channel-alias</code>
+|-
+| Updating a channel
+|<code>nix-channel --update channel-alias</code>
+|-
+| Updating all channels
+|<code>nix-channel --update</code>
+|}
+Note that after updating channels, one still has to rebuild with <code>nixos-rebuild switch</code>, but one can also run <code>nixos-rebuild switch --upgrade</code> to update channels and rebuild.
 == Internals ==