NixOS Workflows

Purpose

This document describes NixOS system management integration in the NeoVim configuration, including system rebuilding, package management, development environments, and Nix language support.

NixOS Management Commands

System Operations

The configuration provides convenient keybindings for common NixOS operations:

Key	Command	Description
`<leader>nr`	Rebuild system	`sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .`
`<leader>nh`	Apply home-manager	`home-manager switch --flake .`
`<leader>nu`	Update dependencies	`nix flake update`
`<leader>ng`	Garbage collection	`nix-collect-garbage -d`
`<leader>nd`	Development shell	`nix develop`

Configuration: lua/neotex/plugins/editor/which-key.lua (NixOS management section)

Rebuild Workflow

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Edit Nix Configuration              │
│ • Modify /etc/nixos/configuration.nix│
│ • Update flake.nix                  │
│ • Edit home-manager config          │
└────────────┬────────────────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Rebuild System                      │
│ <leader>nr                          │
│ • Evaluates configuration           │
│ • Builds new system                 │
│ • Activates new generation          │
└────────────┬────────────────────────┘
             │
             ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Verify Changes                      │
│ • Check services: systemctl status  │
│ • Verify packages: which [command]  │
│ • Rollback if needed: <leader>nr    │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Package Management

Finding Packages

Web Resources:

Key	Action	URL
`<leader>np`	Open NixOS packages	https://search.nixos.org/packages
`<leader>nm`	Open MyNixOS	https://mynixos.com

Command Line Search:

# Search for package
nix search nixpkgs [package-name]

# Show package details
nix-env -qa --description [package-name]

# Check if package exists in current channel
nix-env -qaP | grep [package-name]

Installing Packages

System-Wide Installation:

Add package to /etc/nixos/configuration.nix:

environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
  git
  neovim
  ripgrep
];

Rebuild system: <leader>nr

User-Level Installation (Home Manager):

Add to home.nix or equivalent:

home.packages = with pkgs; [
  fzf
  fd
];

Apply changes: <leader>nh

Temporary Installation:

# Install for current session
nix-shell -p [package-name]

# Use package immediately
nix run nixpkgs#[package-name]

Flake Management

Flake Structure

Typical Nix flake organization:

flake.nix              # Main flake configuration
├── inputs             # Dependencies (nixpkgs, home-manager, etc.)
├── outputs            # System configurations
│   ├── nixosConfigurations
│   └── homeConfigurations
└── flake.lock         # Lock file with exact versions

Updating Flakes

Update All Inputs:

" In NeoVim
<leader>nu

This runs nix flake update which:

Checks all flake inputs for updates
Updates flake.lock with new versions
Does not activate changes (requires rebuild)

Update Specific Input:

nix flake lock --update-input nixpkgs

After Update:

Review changes in flake.lock
Rebuild to apply: <leader>nr
Rollback if issues: sudo nixos-rebuild switch --rollback

Development Environments

Nix Development Shell

Enter project-specific development environment:

" In NeoVim
<leader>nd

This runs nix develop, which:

Reads flake.nix or shell.nix in current directory
Provides specified packages and environment variables
Enters shell with development tools available

Common Development Patterns

Python Development:

# shell.nix or flake.nix devShell
{
  buildInputs = with pkgs; [
    python311
    python311Packages.pip
    python311Packages.virtualenv
  ];
}

Rust Development:

{
  buildInputs = with pkgs; [
    rustc
    cargo
    rust-analyzer
  ];
}

Node.js Development:

{
  buildInputs = with pkgs; [
    nodejs_20
    nodePackages.npm
  ];
}

Project Setup

Create flake.nix in project root:

{
  description = "Project development environment";

  inputs = {
    nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
  };

  outputs = { self, nixpkgs }:
    let
      system = "x86_64-linux";
      pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system};
    in {
      devShells.${system}.default = pkgs.mkShell {
        buildInputs = with pkgs; [
          # Add development dependencies here
        ];
      };
    };
}

Enter environment: <leader>nd
Work on project with available tools
Exit: exit or Ctrl-D

Nix Language Support

Tree-sitter Nix Highlighting

Syntax highlighting for Nix files is provided by Tree-sitter:

Language: Nix expression language
File Types: .nix files
Features: Syntax highlighting, indentation, folding

Configuration: Automatic through nvim-treesitter with Nix parser

LSP for Nix

While not currently configured by default, LSP support can be added:

Available LSP Servers:

nil: Nix language server
rnix-lsp: Nix language server (older)

To Enable:

Install LSP server: Add to system packages
Configure in lspconfig.lua:
```
lspconfig.nil_ls.setup({})
```
Restart NeoVim

Garbage Collection

Manual Cleanup

" In NeoVim
<leader>ng

This runs nix-collect-garbage -d, which:

Removes old generations
Deletes unused store paths
Frees disk space

Effect: Removes previous system generations, making rollback impossible

Automatic Cleanup

Configure automatic garbage collection in /etc/nixos/configuration.nix:

nix.gc = {
  automatic = true;
  dates = "weekly";
  options = "--delete-older-than 30d";
};

Storage Management

Check Disk Usage:

# Show Nix store size
du -sh /nix/store

# Show generations
nix-env --list-generations

# Delete specific generation
nix-env --delete-generations [number]

Optimize Store:

# Remove duplicate files
nix-store --optimise

System Rollback

If a rebuild causes issues, rollback to previous generation:

Command Line:

# Rollback to previous generation
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --rollback

# List available generations
nix-env --list-generations --profile /nix/var/nix/profiles/system

# Boot specific generation
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --switch-generation [number]

Boot Menu:

Reboot system
Select "NixOS - [previous generation]" in GRUB
System boots with previous configuration

Configuration Workflow

Typical Development Cycle

Edit Configuration
- Open /etc/nixos/configuration.nix or flake.nix
- Make changes (add packages, modify services, etc.)
- Save file
Test Build (optional)
```
nixos-rebuild test --flake .
```
This activates changes without making boot default
Apply Changes
```
<leader>nr
```
Rebuilds and makes changes permanent
Verify
- Check that services work: systemctl status [service]
- Verify packages available: which [command]
- Test functionality
Rollback if Needed
```
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --rollback
```

Home Manager Workflow

For user-specific configuration:

Edit home.nix or equivalent
Apply: <leader>nh
Verify: Check that dotfiles and packages updated
Rollback: home-manager generations and select previous

Integration with NeoVim

NixOS-Specific Considerations

Plugin Installation:

Plugins managed through lazy.nvim, not system packages
LSP servers can be system-wide (via Nix) or Mason-installed

Path Configuration:

NixOS uses /nix/store/ for packages
System paths configured in /etc/nixos/configuration.nix
User paths configured through home-manager

Environment Variables:

Set in NixOS configuration for system-wide effect
Set in home.nix for user-specific settings

Configuration Management

This NeoVim configuration can be managed through Nix:

Option 1: System Package:

environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
  neovim
];

Option 2: Home Manager:

programs.neovim = {
  enable = true;
  # Additional configuration here
};

Option 3: Manual Installation (current approach):

NeoVim installed through Nix
Configuration in ~/.config/nvim/
Managed separately from NixOS configuration

Quick Reference

Common Commands

Operation	Keybinding	Command
System rebuild	`<leader>nr`	`sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .`
Home-manager	`<leader>nh`	`home-manager switch --flake .`
Update flake	`<leader>nu`	`nix flake update`
Dev shell	`<leader>nd`	`nix develop`
Garbage collect	`<leader>ng`	`nix-collect-garbage -d`
Package search	`<leader>np`	Opens https://search.nixos.org

File Locations

Purpose	Path
System config	`/etc/nixos/configuration.nix`
Flake config	`/etc/nixos/flake.nix`
Home config	`~/.config/home-manager/home.nix`
Store	`/nix/store/`
Profiles	`/nix/var/nix/profiles/`

Notes

NixOS integration provides:

Declarative system configuration: Reproducible system state
Easy rollback: Previous generations always available
Development environments: Project-specific tool versions
Package management: Consistent package versions across system

These workflows integrate NixOS system management directly into the NeoVim editing experience, reducing context switching between editor and terminal.

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NixOS Workflows

Purpose

NixOS Management Commands

System Operations

Rebuild Workflow

Package Management

Finding Packages

Installing Packages

Flake Management

Flake Structure

Updating Flakes

Development Environments

Nix Development Shell

Common Development Patterns

Project Setup

Nix Language Support

Tree-sitter Nix Highlighting

LSP for Nix

Garbage Collection

Manual Cleanup

Automatic Cleanup

Storage Management

System Rollback

Configuration Workflow

Typical Development Cycle

Home Manager Workflow

Integration with NeoVim

NixOS-Specific Considerations

Configuration Management

Quick Reference

Common Commands

File Locations

Related Documentation

Notes

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NIX_WORKFLOWS.md

Latest commit

History

NIX_WORKFLOWS.md

File metadata and controls

NixOS Workflows

Purpose

NixOS Management Commands

System Operations

Rebuild Workflow

Package Management

Finding Packages

Installing Packages

Flake Management

Flake Structure

Updating Flakes

Development Environments

Nix Development Shell

Common Development Patterns

Project Setup

Nix Language Support

Tree-sitter Nix Highlighting

LSP for Nix

Garbage Collection

Manual Cleanup

Automatic Cleanup

Storage Management

System Rollback

Configuration Workflow

Typical Development Cycle

Home Manager Workflow

Integration with NeoVim

NixOS-Specific Considerations

Configuration Management

Quick Reference

Common Commands

File Locations

Related Documentation

Notes