Channel branches: Difference between revisions

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* Stable vs unstable:

** '''Stable channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.05</code>) only provide conservative updates for fixing bugs and security vulnerabilities, but do not receive major updates after the initial release. New stable channels are released every six months.

** '''Stable channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.11</code>) only provide conservative updates for fixing bugs and security vulnerabilities, but do not receive major updates after the initial release. New stable channels are released every six months.

** '''Unstable channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-unstable</code>, <code>nixpkgs-unstable</code>) follow the <code>master</code> branch of Nixpkgs, delivering the latest tested updates on a rolling basis.

* Large vs small:

** '''Large channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.05</code>, <code>nixos-unstable</code>) are updated only after Hydra has finished building the full breadth of Nixpkgs.

** '''Large channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.11</code>, <code>nixos-unstable</code>) are updated only after Hydra has finished building the full breadth of Nixpkgs.

** '''Small channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.05-small</code>, <code>nixos-unstable-small</code>) are identical to large channels, but are updated as soon as Hydra has finished building a defined set of commonly-used packages. Thus, users following these channels will get faster updates but may need to build any packages they use from outside the defined set themselves. These channels are intended to be used for server setups, for example.

** '''Small channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.11-small</code>, <code>nixos-unstable-small</code>) are identical to large channels, but are updated as soon as Hydra has finished building a defined set of commonly-used packages. Thus, users following these channels will get faster updates but may need to build any packages they use from outside the defined set themselves. These channels are intended to be used for server setups, for example.

For most users, a stable/large channel is recommended.

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== Using channel branches with flakes ==

Although [[Flakes]] do not make use of traditional Nix channels, they can still reference the same channel branches by specifying them in the flake’s inputs. These branches, such as <code>nixos-25.05</code> or <code>nixos-unstable</code>, correspond to named references within the Nixpkgs repository and serve a similar role in selecting which version of Nixpkgs or other inputs to use.

Although [[Flakes]] do not make use of traditional Nix channels, they can still reference the same channel branches by specifying them in the flake’s inputs. These branches, such as <code>nixos-25.11</code> or <code>nixos-unstable</code>, correspond to named references within the Nixpkgs repository and serve a similar role in selecting which version of Nixpkgs or other inputs to use.

A simple example of defining channel branches in a flake:

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{

inputs = {

nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-25.05";

nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-25.11";

nixpkgs-unstable.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";

};

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 * Stable vs unstable:
-** '''Stable channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.05</code>) only provide conservative updates for fixing bugs and security vulnerabilities, but do not receive major updates after the initial release. New stable channels are released every six months.
+** '''Stable channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.11</code>) only provide conservative updates for fixing bugs and security vulnerabilities, but do not receive major updates after the initial release. New stable channels are released every six months.
 ** '''Unstable channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-unstable</code>, <code>nixpkgs-unstable</code>) follow the <code>master</code> branch of Nixpkgs, delivering the latest tested updates on a rolling basis.
 * Large vs small:
-** '''Large channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.05</code>, <code>nixos-unstable</code>) are updated only after Hydra has finished building the full breadth of Nixpkgs.
+** '''Large channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.11</code>, <code>nixos-unstable</code>) are updated only after Hydra has finished building the full breadth of Nixpkgs.
-** '''Small channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.05-small</code>, <code>nixos-unstable-small</code>) are identical to large channels, but are updated as soon as Hydra has finished building a defined set of commonly-used packages. Thus, users following these channels will get faster updates but may need to build any packages they use from outside the defined set themselves. These channels are intended to be used for server setups, for example.
+** '''Small channels''' (e.g. <code>nixos-25.11-small</code>, <code>nixos-unstable-small</code>) are identical to large channels, but are updated as soon as Hydra has finished building a defined set of commonly-used packages. Thus, users following these channels will get faster updates but may need to build any packages they use from outside the defined set themselves. These channels are intended to be used for server setups, for example.
 For most users, a stable/large channel is recommended.
@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 == Using channel branches with flakes ==
-Although [[Flakes]] do not make use of traditional Nix channels, they can still reference the same channel branches by specifying them in the flake’s inputs. These branches, such as <code>nixos-25.05</code> or <code>nixos-unstable</code>, correspond to named references within the Nixpkgs repository and serve a similar role in selecting which version of Nixpkgs or other inputs to use.
+Although [[Flakes]] do not make use of traditional Nix channels, they can still reference the same channel branches by specifying them in the flake’s inputs. These branches, such as <code>nixos-25.11</code> or <code>nixos-unstable</code>, correspond to named references within the Nixpkgs repository and serve a similar role in selecting which version of Nixpkgs or other inputs to use.
 A simple example of defining channel branches in a flake:
@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 {
    inputs = {
-     nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-25.05";
+     nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-25.11";
      nixpkgs-unstable.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
    };