NixOS 系列 #1：你为什么要考虑使用 NixOS？
NixOS
![](/data/attachment/album/202303/08/150044jhtdyahoax5ghbxn.jpg)


NixOS……又一个使用不同软件包管理器的发行版？?


好吧，NixOS 是 [高级 Linux 发行版](https://itsfoss.com/advanced-linux-distros/) 之一。


所以如果我写这个，我一定有一个充分的理由，对吗？嗯，有很多！


我已经使用它 3 个月了，它是如此之好，以至于我正在考虑从我一直以来最喜欢的 **Pop!\_OS 切换到 NixOS**。


在本指南中，我将分享 NixOS 在众多 Linux 发行版中脱颖而出的主要特点。


别担心，在我们继续之前，让我告诉你什么是 NixOS：



> 
> 它是一个以 Nix 包管理器为核心的 Linux 发行版，为你省去了在其它的 Linux 发行版上设置 Nix 的麻烦，可以让你充分利用它的优势。由开发 Nix 的同一个团队构建。
> 
> 
> 


### 使用 NixOS 的 6 个理由


NixOS 是一个有趣的从零开始构建的 [独立 Linux 发行版](https://itsfoss.com/independent-linux-distros/)。


每个人都可以通过使用 NixOS 学到很多东西，但**在我看来**，如果你是一个开发人员或计算机科学的学生，NixOS 应该非常合适。


![nix os screenshot with gnome](/data/attachment/album/202303/08/150107bzwx5gvwzkvobn7x.png)


让我告诉你为什么。


#### 1、不易损坏/易于恢复


就其核心而言，NixOS 是为长期使用而构建的。


这并不意味着它像 Debian 那样用多年前的软件包来保证稳定性，而是遵循一种不同的方法。


为了理解 NixOS 为何如此稳定，让我们谈谈用户一般是如何破坏他们的系统的，即“*依赖性问题或软件包冲突*”


在更新系统或安装一个新的软件包时，你一般会面临系统崩溃的风险。主要是因为你的软件包管理器无法满足依赖性，或者安装的软件包与现有系统冲突导致的。


**而 NixOS 有一个非常聪明的方法来处理这个问题。**


你看，每当你升级你的系统或安装一个软件包时，**系统的状态就会被重建**，被称为超过当前的“<ruby> 新世代 <rt>  new generation </rt></ruby>”。


![nix os listing generations via terminal](/data/attachment/album/202303/08/150108rjp3iwscjj100339.png)


因此，如果你在使用新的软件包或更新时遇到任何麻烦，你可以随时回滚到“<ruby> 旧世代 <rt>  old generation </rt></ruby>”，在那里你会找到**系统以前的状态**。


即使系统无法访问，你也能在启动时找到以前几代。


#### 2、可重复性


通过一个配置文件，你可以为其他物理系统创建一个你当前环境的副本。


这个功能给你带来的好处是，你可以使用 Nix 配置文件进行安装和配置。


当你有了适合你的用途的配置文件，将该文件发送到新的系统中，用你的配置文件替换默认的配置文件。就是这么简单！


**重建配置，升级系统，并通过给定的命令进行切换：**



```
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --upgrade

```

你将在几分钟内拥有与你的主机上完全相同的开发环境，并进行复制。


#### 3、轻松回滚


虽然你可能已经从 NixOS 的 “<ruby> 世代 <rt>  generation </rt></ruby>” 特性中得到了灵感。


但还有更多的内容。?️


NixOS 在很大程度上依赖于符号链接。如果这对你来说是一个新概念，请参考下面的指南：



> 
> **[如何在 Linux 中创建符号链接（完整指南）](https://linuxhandbook.com/symbolic-link-linux/)**
> 
> 
> 


一般来说，在其他 Linux 发行版中，当你升级一个软件包时，新的软件包会取代旧的。


但 NixOS 不是这样的。


在 NixOS 中，软件包被隔离并存储在一个单独的目录中，这就是使用符号链接的原因。


每当你升级一个软件包时，**NixOS 会调整符号链接来定位新的软件包，但不会删除旧的**。


因此，如果你面临与新包的冲突，只需切换到旧世代，符号链接有助于定位旧版本的包。?


#### 4、Nix 包管理器


Nix 包管理器允许你访问超过 80,000 个软件包！不仅仅局限于 Linux，它还可以在 **macOS、WSL2、Docker 等平台**上使用。


而且，软件包的可用性与 AUR 相似，甚至比 AUR 更好，因为你应该在 Nix 包管理器上找到几乎所有的东西（我是认真的）。


例如，我想安装 Librewolf 浏览器，这在大多数 Linux 发行版的默认仓库中是不可用的。


但是，Nix 有它！这意味着你可以依靠 Nix 包管理器来安装几乎所有的软件包。


如果你有先前的 Linux 经验，它也相对容易理解。总而言之，**Nix 包管理器令人印象深刻**！


#### 5、使用同一软件包的多个版本


这对开发者来说可能是至关重要的，有些应用需要特定依赖的旧版本，而有些则需要最新的版本。


而且，正如我前面提到的，Nix 将包安装到一个特定的子目录中，每个包都是隔离的，所以一个包不会干扰另一个包！


在使用 Nix 之前，我使用虚拟机和容器来满足同一软件包的不同依赖性，尤其是 PHP，但 NixOS 为我的工作流程带来了奇迹。


#### 6、无需安装就能测试软件包的能力


你可以使用 [nix-shell](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/command-ref/nix-shell.html)，它通过临时修改 `$PATH` 环境变量来测试一个包。


而且没有任何限制。你能够测试每一个可供安装的软件包！


### NixOS 系列：让我们探索更多！


这是我们 Nix 系列的第一部分，我介绍了使用 NixOS 的原因。我相信更多的 Linux 用户应该去了解它，如果他们还没有了解的话。


在下一部分，我将解释如何在你的虚拟机中安装 NixOS。


? 欢迎在下面的评论中分享关于 NixOS 的其他内容的建议。




---


via: <https://itsfoss.com/why-use-nixos/>


作者：[Sagar Sharma](https://itsfoss.com/author/sagar/) 选题：[lkxed](https://github.com/lkxed/) 译者：[geekpi](https://github.com/geekpi) 校对：[wxy](https://github.com/wxy)


本文由 [LCTT](https://github.com/LCTT/TranslateProject) 原创编译，[Linux中国](https://linux.cn/) 荣誉推出


OK
# Why Should You Use NixOS?

NixOS is an exciting distribution. Let's take a look why you might want to give it a try.

NixOS... Yet another distro that uses a different package manager? **🤯**

Well, NixOS is one of the [advanced Linux distros](https://itsfoss.com/advanced-linux-distros/).

So if I'm writing this, I must have a rock-solid reason, right? Well, there are plenty!

I've been using it for 3 months, and it is so good that I'm considering switching from my all-time favorite **Pop!_OS to NixOS**.

And in this guide, I will share the key features of NixOS, making it stand out from the stack of Linux distros.

Fret not; before we move on, let me tell you what NixOS is:

It is a Linux distribution that uses the Nix package manager at its core to save you the trouble from setting it up on a different Linux distribution and letting you make the most out of Nix. Built by the same team that developed Nix.

## 6 Reasons to Use NixOS

NixOS is an interesting [independent Linux distro](https://itsfoss.com/independent-linux-distros/) built from scratch.

Everyone can learn a lot by using NixOS, but **in my opinion**, if you are a developer or a computer science student, NixOS should fit perfectly.

![nix os screenshot with gnome](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/02/nix-os-gnome.png)

Let me tell you why.

### 1. Does Not Break Easily / Easy to Recover

By its core, NixOS is built to last long.

This does not mean that it ships with years-old packages like Debian does for stability but it follows a different approach.

To understand how NixOS is so stable, let's talk about how users generally break their system, i.e, "*dependency issues or package conflicts*"

You will generally face a significant system crash when updating your system or installing a new package. Mainly because your package manager could not satisfy the dependency or the installed package conflicts with the existing system.

**And NixOS has a very smart way of handling this issue.**

See, whenever you upgrade your system or install a package, the **system state is rebuilt**, termed as a "**new generation**" over the current.

![nix os listing generations via terminal](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/02/nix-os-generations.png)

So if you face any trouble using the new package or update, you can always roll back to the old generation, where you will find the **previous state of the system.**

Even if the system is inaccessible, you will find the previous generations available at boot time.

### 2. Reproducibility

With one config file, you can create a replica of your current environment for other physical systems.

To benefit from this feature, you can use the Nix config file for installation and configuration purposes.

Once you have the config file that fits your purpose, send that file to the fresh install and replace the default config file with yours. It is that easy!

**Rebuild the config, upgrade the system, and make a switch by the given command:**

`sudo nixos-rebuild switch --upgrade`


And you will have the exact development environment that you had on your main machine replicated in a few minutes.

### 3. Easy Rollbacks

While you already may have got the idea from NixOS's feature of "**Generations**".

There's more to it. **🕵️**

NixOS heavily relies on symlinks (for good). If it is a new concept to you, refer to the guide below:

[How to Create Symbolic Links in Linux [Complete Guide]This detailed tutorial tells you what are symbolic links, how to create a symbolic links and other important things associated with symlinks.](https://linuxhandbook.com/symbolic-link-linux/)![](https://linuxhandbook.com/content/images/2020/06/Symbolic-Links-Linux.jpg)


![](https://linuxhandbook.com/content/images/2020/06/Symbolic-Links-Linux.jpg)

Typically, with other Linux distros, when you upgrade a package, the new package replaces the old one.

But that's not the case with NixOS.

In NixOS, packages are isolated and stored inside a unique directory, and that is where the use of symbolic links comes in.

Whenever you upgrade a package, the **NixOS will tune the symbolic link to locate the new package but won't remove the old one**.

So if you face conflicts with the new package, just switch to the old generations, and symbolic links help locate the old version of a package. 😌

### 4. Nix package manager

The Nix package manager allows you to access more than 80,000 packages! Not just limited to Linux; it also works on **macOS, WSL2, Docker, and more platforms.**

And the availability of packages is similar to or even better than AUR as you should find almost everything (I mean it) on the Nix package manager.

For instance, I wanted to install the Librewolf browser, which is not available in the default repository of most Linux distros.

But Nix had it! This means you can rely on the Nix package manager for almost every package.

It is also relatively easy to understand if you have prior Linux experience. In a nutshell, **the Nix package manager is impressive!**

### 5. Use multiple versions of the same package

This can be crucial for developers, where some applications demand the old version of a specific dependency, whereas some require the latest one.

And as I mentioned earlier, nix installs packages to a specific sub-directory, and every package is isolated so one won't interfere with another!

Before using Nix, I used VMs and containers to meet different dependencies for the same package, especially with PHP, but NixOS did wonders for my workflow.

**Suggested Read 📖**

[Downgrading a Package via apt-get in Ubuntu and DebianYes! That’s totally possible. You can downgrade a recently updated package using the apt command in Ubuntu and Debian based distros. Here’s how to do that.](https://itsfoss.com/downgrade-apt-package/)![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/02/downgrade-packages-via-apt-get.png)


![](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/2023/02/downgrade-packages-via-apt-get.png)

### 6. Ability to test packages without installation

You can use the [nix-shell](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/command-ref/nix-shell.html), which will temporarily modify the $PATH environment variable and be used to test a package temporarily.

And there is no limitation. You are allowed to test every package that is available for installation!

## NixOS Series: Let's Explore More!

This was the first part of our Nix series, where I covered the reasons to use NixOS. I believe more Linux users should get to learn about it if they do not already.

In the next part, I will explain how to install NixOS in your VM. Stay tuned to our social media or RSS feed to read when we publish that.

💬 *Feel free to share suggestions on what else we should cover about NixOS in the comments below.*