Experimental package management with Nix and NixOS
Generation Handling
Creating many generations can waste large amounts of file space. The utility that handles this is problem is nix-env
, but you should use the wrapper nix-collect-garbage
. nix-collect-garbage
has the standard delete option that takes away all old generations. You can do this manually, but more useful is the --delete-older-than
option. You should set this as a regular script:
nix-collect-garbage --delete-older-than 10d
Using Nix in the Cloud
Nix is not supported by many cloud companies, but many still provide ISO options. NixOS has a page describing which ones are friendly and which ones you can still get started on. The procedure is similar, though getting the disks created is a bit of a chore when full support is not included. The list of services is available at the project website [4].
Conclusion
Nix is very powerful tool for handling diverse configurations. Many developers appreciate the ease at which they can just run the Nix shell and have all dependencies correctly configured every time. Ordinary users will appreciate the power of rollbacks and the possibility to run old software without bending over backwards.
Infos
- NixOS: https://nixos.org/
- Teensy development on NixOS: https://rzetterberg.github.io/teensy-development-on-nixos.html
- NixOS package search: https://search.nixos.org
- NixOS-friendly cloud hosts: https://nixos.wiki/wiki/NixOS_friendly_hosters
« Previous 1 2 3
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.