NixOS

NixOS is a Linux distribution based on the Nix package manager, developed by the NixOS Foundation. According to the vendor, NixOS offers a declarative and reproducible approach to system configuration and package management. It is targeted at small to large enterprises in various professions and industries, including software development, system administration, DevOps, IT operations, and research and development.

Key Features

Reproducible Builds: According to the vendor, Nix ensures reproducible builds by isolating packages from each other, eliminating undeclared dependencies. This is said to provide consistent and reliable results across different machines.

Declarative Configuration: NixOS allows for declarative system configuration, making it easy to share and reproduce system setups. The vendor claims that system configurations are written in a concise and human-readable syntax, enabling easy maintenance and version control.

Reliable Package Management: The vendor states that Nix ensures reliable package management by preventing the installation or upgrade of one package from breaking other packages. It also allows for rollbacks to previous package versions and prevents inconsistent states during upgrades.

Wide Selection of Packages: Nixpkgs, the Nix Packages collection, is claimed to offer over 80,000 packages for the Nix package manager. According to the vendor, users have access to a vast repository of software, libraries, and tools to meet their development and operational needs.

Always Working Development Environment: According to the vendor, Nix provides developers with a complete and consistent development environment. It aims to eliminate the hassle of managing dependencies, allowing developers to focus on their work without installation issues.

One Tool, Multiple Languages: The vendor claims that Nix supports multiple programming languages, providing a unified approach to building and managing dependencies. Developers can supposedly use Nix to create development environments for various languages, simplifying cross-team collaboration.

Continuous Integration for Free: According to the vendor, Nix allows developers to use their development environment as their continuous integration environment. It is said that the same environment used for development can be easily replicated for automated testing and continuous integration pipelines.

Minimal Docker Images: The vendor states that Nix can build Docker images, resulting in smaller and more efficient images. It is claimed that Nix ensures only the necessary dependencies are included, optimizing the size and performance of Docker images.

Declarative Cloud Images: According to the vendor, Nix can be used to build and configure cloud images, such as those for Amazon EC2. Cloud images can supposedly be defined in a declarative manner, making it easier to reproduce and manage infrastructure setups.

Test Your Configurations: Nix provides tools for testing NixOS configurations, according to the vendor. This allows developers to validate their system setups, catch errors, and ensure system reliability.