this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2023
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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It all began with Nix software build system and package manager; they needee a way to build, compile software in a reproducible way. That is, if it builds on my machine, it should build on yours too given some constraints. Then they build a whole package repository for such sofware or package definitions, Nixpkgs, that can be build or retrieved using Nix package manager. Nixpkgs grew to be a repository for enabling runnig an GNU Linux OS on it: NixOS. It is declarative in the sense you write what it should contain like packages and behaves like system services. For example, see https://git.sr.ht/~misterio/nix-config.
Atomic in the sense that when you want to change system's configuration or state, everything should suceed in that update, otherwise fails; it is everything or nothing. This enables storing previous and current system revisions, so can rollback to previous state.
Nix plus things like flakes, nix shell, enables a build inviroment akin to containers, but much better, correct, and flexible.
Haskell is just an ecossytem Nixpkgs support.
Cool, thanks.
Is NixOS a general purpose distro, a specialized tool for developers, a toy for distro-hoppers or an unfinished proof-of-concept?
Can it be run like any other Linux desktop system apart from the package manager?
How do you install packages that aren't in its repo?
NixOS is a general purpose distro (I use it on my router, server and laptop, and plan to install it on my phone, it doesn't get any more general purpose). To run packages that aren't in its repo, you write a package yourself. Note that unlike on traditional Linux systems, there's essentially no concept of "installing" packages. Packages are built and put into /nix/store, then you can optionally add them to your system packages or user packages and they will be symlinked to /run/current-system/sw or ~/.nix-profile, but there's nothing preventing you from just using the package without adding it to system/user packages.
Basically all that. The unfinished part IMO is mostly for use in developer use cases, and that some ecosystems like JVM are not as well supported.
Can run yes, given that you have to spend some time learning Nix and NixOS specifics. I do that myself.
You either package the software if it is easy to do so—take a look a at nix-init which eases the process—or use Flatpack, containers, steam-run...
I like that, I'd describe the documentation as a POC. It fits.
May I ask what does .nix files do? I have joined unixporn community,and when I look into the dotfiles of some nix os user,their config are all written in nix rather than .conf or some other prevalent files. Should I learn nix if I want to use nix os? Or can I config my apps such as waybar in a way just like other systems (such as arch)?
Nix files are Nix [function] expressions to declare and set your system; there are many options you can set for example. You just need to learn a few chapters of https://nixcloud.io/tour/ and https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/language/, also modularization using imports.
For user/de configuration, you can either do the usual way or use home-manager.
You should have some understanding of the nix language to use it, but I wouldn't worry too too much.
I would also start by installing nix and home-manager on top of whatever distro you already use. For some config, you need to specify things in nix, but for things in home-manager, for example, you can usually either use nix or point to a toml or conf or whatever file.