this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2023
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Jump from Arch to NixOS? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by andrew0@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/linux@lemmy.ml
 

As the title implies, should I do it? I love Arch so far, and I can fix most issues that pop out. However, I sometimes wish to start fresh without too much hassle, but I get a feeling NixOS isn't as mature as Arch.

Have any of you used both, and if so, what do you miss from Arch? What are you grateful for in NixOS?

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[–] ancientweasel@social.fossware.space 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

use Arch to manage your system packages and use Nix to manage your user & GUI packages

Brilliant. Thanks.

[–] Laser@feddit.de 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

While I agree it's nice to have access to nixpkgs' packages in other OSs (I've never did this so take the following with a grain of salt), it is my opinion that you're missing out on the biggest features if you don't fully opt for the nix approach.

I wouldn't reduce the nix tools to a package manager. It's a set to interact with the nix language, which primarily is a language to build a system from. You have the biggest advantage when you know that your system only consists of components built from your set of instructions (of course this pulls in a lot of stuff from nixpkgs) because that brings your system closer to reproducibility. It also makes it more consistent.

I am allowed to use Ubuntu or Fedora (I would use the Fedora but they seemed to have fucked it up) at work. I use Arch for personal. This seams like a good way to learn Nix. I am probably never leaving Arch. It's like a member of my family.