Input Management NixOS System Rebuild
Nix / NixOS Cheatsheet Flakes Rebuild system and acti-
vate
nixos-rebuild switch
Init flake project nix flake init
Init flake-parts nix flake init -t github:hercules-ci/ Rebuild system and activa-
flake-parts te for now without upda- nixos-rebuild test
Most Important Documentation Links project
ting bootloader
Update flake in-
nix flake update
Nix Docs (Tool, Language) https://nixos.org/manual/nix puts
Rebuild w/o activating, but
nixos-rebuild boot
Update and com- update bootloader
nix flake update --commit-lock-file
Nixpkgs (Packaging, prog https://nixos.org/manual/ mit lock file
langs, library) nixos-rebuild switch
nixpkgs Update specific Rollback
nix flake lock --update-input <name> --rollback
input
NixOS https://nixos.org/manual/nixos nixos-rebuild switch
Niv (Pre Flakes) Build on host a, deploy to --build-host a
Nixpkgs package and NixOS Install Niv Files niv init host b, authorize with sudo --target-host b
module search engine
https://search.nixos.org --use-remote-sudo
Add GitHub Re-
niv add <github-owner>/<reponame>
pository
Imperative Package Management Note: nixos-rebuild expects a flake /etc/nixos/flake.nix to
Update inputs niv update exist, and within that flake, a nixosConfiguration attribute
Update package list apt update happens automatically with the hostname of the current system.
Update specific
niv update <name>
input
apt search nix search nixpkgs
Search
<pkgname> <pkgname> Switch branch/
niv update <name> -b <gitref>
Garbage Collection
tag of input
apt install nix profile install Collect unreferenced nix
Install nix-collect-garbage
<pkgname> nixpkgs#<pkgname> store paths
nix profile upgrade
Flake References
Upgrade installed apt upgrade Also collect old profile/
'.*' Flake in current Directory . nix-collect-garbage -d
system generations
List installed dpkg -l nix profile list Local path [path:]/path/to/repo
nix-collect-garbage --max-
HTTPS URL to flake tarball https://host/flake.tar.gz Only delete up to 50GB
apt remove nix profile remove freed 50G
Remove
<pkgname> <list-number> Git Repo via HTTPS git+https://host/repo
- nix profile rollback Find and link identical files nix-store --optimise
Rollback Git Repo via SSH git+ssh://git@host/repo
GitHub Repo github:owner/repo Print all GC roots nix-store --gc --print-roots
Per-Project Shells git+ssh://git@host/re-
nix shell nixpkgs#pkg1 Specific Branch/Tag
po?ref=abc123
or
Ad-hoc shell with packages
nix shell
nixpkgs#{pkg1,pkg2} Nix REPL
Project-shell with flake nix develop Start Nix REPL nix repl
Project-shell with shell.nix or Load local Flake :lf .
nix-shell
default.nix file Build derivation :b attribute.with.derivation
Build & Install derivation :i attribute.with.derivation
Building Packages Fully print expression :p some.expression
Build default.nix or default pkg Show documentation of
nix build :doc builtins.listToAttrs
from flake builtin function
Professional Nix & NixOS Trainings
Build specific attributes (flakes) nix build .#pkg1 .#pkg2 Show REPL help :?
https://nixcademy.com/
let
let f = set@{ x, … }: x + set.y;
Full attribute set match
Nix Language Cheat Sheet Reference attribute keys in
s = { x = { y = 1; }; };
(potential anti-pattern)
in
f { x = 1; y = 2; }
s.x.y # ⇒ returns 1 # ⇒ returns 3
let let
Most Important Documentation Links Reference optional attribute set = { x = 1; }; f = x: if x == 0
Nix builtins.* func- https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/ keys in then 0
Recursive function calls itself
tions language/builtins set.y or 2 # ⇒ returns 2 else x + f (x -1);
in
Nixpkgs function library https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs Note: Variable assignments exist only in 3 places: attribute f 3 # ⇒ returns 6
sets, let-in blocks, nix REPL
Nixpkgs function search
https://noogle.dev
engine [ 1 2 ] ++ [ 3 4 ] Other Special Syntax
List concatenation
# ⇒ returns [ 1 2 3 4 ]
let
Types let x = 1; in { inherit x; } x = "bar";
String "this is a string" Inherit same as String interpolation in
let x = 1; in { x = x; } "foo ${x} baz"
'' # ⇒ returns "foo bar baz"
Multi-line String foo
bar let x = { y = 1; };
(double single-quotes) "this is \${masked}"
'' in { inherit (x) y; } Masking ${...}
Inherit from scope same as # ⇒ returns "this is ${masked}"
Boolean true, false let x = { y = 1; };
in { y = x.y; } Masking ${...} in
Null null
double single-quote ''this is ''${masked}''
Integer 123, -123 strings
let
Float 3.14 set = { x = 1; y = 2; }; Paths (Copied to nix /an/absolute/path
With-expressions
in store when referen- ./a/relative/path
/an/absolute/path (potential anti-pattern) with set; ced) ./../dir/up/and/down
Path ./a/relative/path
x + y # ⇒ returns 3
./../dir/up/and/down
let
Simple attribute set { a = 1; b = 2; } Key from variable in x = "key";
Nested attribute set { a = 1; b = { c = 3; d = 4; }; } Functions attribute set in
{ ${x} = "value"; }
Recursive attribute set Simple function as in Python: let
rec { x = 1; y = x + 1; }
(potential anti-pattern) f = x: x + 1;
def f(x): in Special Builtin Functions
List [ 3 2.0 "one" null ] f 1 # ⇒ returns 2
return x + 1 Import file and return import ./some/file.nix
expression
Syntax Function with 2 parameters
let assert 1 + 1 == 2; 10
as in Python: Assertion
# a single-line comment f = x: y: x + y; # ⇒ returns 10 without error
Comment in
/* a multi-line comment */ def f(x, y): f 1 2 # ⇒ returns 3 Abort evaluation with abort "this describes the error"
If-then-else if x > 3 then 10 else -10 return x + y error
let let Throw an exception throw "this describes the exception"
x = 1; f = { x, y }: x + y; when referenced
Function with named para-
Local variables y = 2; in
in meters f { x = 1; y = 2; }
x + y # ⇒ returns 3 # ⇒ returns 3
{ x = 1; } // { y = 2; } let
f = { x, y, … }: x + y;
Attribute set # ⇒ returns { x = 1; y = 2;} Match specific parameters,
in
update operator // { x = 1; } // { x = 2; } ignore others f { x=1; y=2; z=10; }
# ⇒ returns { x = 2; }
# ⇒ returns 3
let let
Attribute set set = { x = 1; }; f = { x, y ? 2 }: x + y;
in Function with default values
has-operator in Professional Nix & NixOS Trainings
set ? x # ⇒ returns true f { x=1; } # ⇒ returns 3
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