Overview of the NixOS Linux distribution: Difference between revisions

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-[https://nixos.org/ NixOS] is a Linux distribution based on the [[Nix Package Manager]]. It supports reproducible and declarative system-wide configuration management as well as atomic upgrades and rollbacks. Alongside this declarative operation mode, NixOS supports imperative package and user management. In NixOS, all components of the distribution - including the kernel, system packages and configuration files - are built by [[Nix Package Manager|Nix]] from purely functional [[Nix Expression Language|Nix Expressions]]. Since Nix supports binary caching, this provides a convenient compromise between source-based and binary approaches, allowing the use of a binaries for standard components and custom built packages and modules when needed. Stable NixOS releases are delivered biannually, with the latest stable version being 17.03. NixOS was created by Eelco Dolstra and Armijn Hemel, and initially released in 2003. It is community developed and maintained under the stewardship of the [https://nixos.org/nixos/foundation.html NixOS Foundation].
+[https://nixos.org/ NixOS] is a Linux distribution based on the [[Nix package manager]]. It supports reproducible and declarative system-wide configuration management as well as atomic upgrades and rollbacks. Alongside this declarative operation mode, NixOS supports imperative package and user management. In NixOS, all components of the distribution - including the kernel, system packages and configuration files - are built by [[Nix Package Manager|Nix]] from purely functional [[Nix Expression Language|Nix Expressions]]. Since Nix supports binary caching, this provides a convenient compromise between source-based and binary approaches, allowing the use of a binaries for standard components and custom built packages and modules when needed. Stable NixOS releases are delivered biannually, with the latest stable version being 17.03. NixOS was created by Eelco Dolstra and Armijn Hemel, and initially released in 2003. It is community developed and maintained under the stewardship of the [https://nixos.org/nixos/foundation.html NixOS Foundation].
 == Usage ==
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 === Nix Store ===
+Nix parses ''Nix expressions'' written in the [[Nix expression language]]; these 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.
 === Profiles ===