This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/nixos by /u/mattsturgeon on 2023-10-09 15:04:28.
The FAQ on hlissner’s nix config is a work of art and is truly hilarious. Also great advice for anyone who asks “should I use nix?”
Should I use NixOS?
Short answer: no.
Long answer: no really. Don’t.
Long long answer: I’m not kidding. Don’t.
Unsigned long long answer: Alright alright. Here’s why not:
Its learning curve is steep.
You will trial and error your way to enlightenment, if you survive long enough.
NixOS is unlike other Linux distros. Your issues will be unique and difficult to google.
If the words “declarative”, “generational”, and “immutable” don’t make you fully erect, you’re considering NixOS for the wrong reasons.
The overhead of managing a NixOS config will rarely pay for itself with fewer than 3 systems (perhaps another distro with nix on top would suit you better?).
Official documentation for Nix(OS) is vast, but shallow.
Unofficial resources and example configs are sparse and tend to be either too simple or too complex (or outdated).
The Nix language is obtuse and its toolchain is unintuitive. This is made infinitely worse if you’ve never touched the shell or a functional language before, but you’ll need to learn it to do even a fraction of what makes NixOS worth all the trouble.
A decent grasp of Linux and its ecosystem is a must, if only to distinguish Nix(OS) issues from Linux (or upstream) issues – as well as to debug them or report them to the correct authority (and coherently).
If you need somebody else to tell you whether or not you need NixOS, you don’t need NixOS.
If none of this has deterred you, then you didn’t need my advice in the first place. Stop procrastinating and try NixOS!