Nix Package Manager

A Nix Package Manager is a cross-platform package manager.

• Example(s):
  • nix v2.9.0 (~2022-06-01) [1].
  • …
• See: Dependency Hell, Reproducible Builds, Package Management System, Package Manager, Functional Programming, Cryptographic Hash Function.

---

---

References

2022

• https://github.com/NixOS/nix
  • QUOTE: ... Nix is a powerful package manager for Linux and other Unix systems that makes package management reliable and reproducible. Please refer to the Nix manual for more details. ...

2022

• (Wikipedia, 2022) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nix_package_manager Retrieved:2022-1-25.
  • Nix is a cross-platform package manager that utilizes a purely functional deployment model where software is installed into unique directories generated through cryptographic hashes. It is also the name of the tool's programming language. A package's hash takes into account the dependencies, which is claimed to eliminate dependency hell. This package management model advertises more reliable, reproducible, and portable packages.

    Nix packages are defined through a lazy functional programming language specifically designed for package management. Dependencies are tracked directly in this language through an intermediate format called "derivations". A Nix environment keeps track of references automatically, which allows unused packages to be garbage collected when no other package depends on them. At the cost of greater storage requirements, all upgrades in Nix are guaranteed to be both atomic and capable of efficient roll-back. This also enables multiple users to safely install software on the same system without administrator privileges.

    Nix has full support for Linux and macOS and can safely be installed side by side with an existing package manager.

---