It’s a somewhat immutable distro, that is however fully configurable.
The configuration is all in one place. No more changing a bunch of files in /etc, some in /lib, etc, and having to remember all files you’ve changed.
You can easily recreate your system from your configuration or boot to older configuration.
You can easily open shells with different programs available. Very useful for development, when you need a reproducible environment with the project’s specific dependencies.
Very hard to learn, but if you have learned it well, a lot of things become easier than in other distros.
/nix/store is immutable. But there are some files in other places like /etc and /var that are mutable. Also I (or a malicious executable) could, in theory, delete store symlinks and replace them with mutable files. Impermanence helps, but you’ll still want some mutable state.
Fully immutable systems have everything outside of /home read-only. NixOS is not one of them.
I don’t really get the malicious software point though. All immutable distros have a mechanism for changing, after all they need to be updated. If a malicious executable has root access, which is what you need to change symlinks on NixOS (I know services often get their own user, but unless modified, only root has access to those users), then these malicious executables could also leverage whatever mechanism for change other immutable distros have, to do malicious things, no?
Though I do agree with you, now, that NixOS isn’t immutable.
There are ways to secure the update process. For example, you can enable secure boot and store your secure boot keys encrypted (or on a smart card). Then (if a full chain of trust is implemented) to update your system, you’d need to enter the private key password (or insert the smart card), and a root-access executable couldn’t to that automatically.
I think it can in theory, but there will be some problems. But most likely Silverblue or something else would have its own problems trying to implement something like that - I don’t have any experience with them and don’t know how they’d compare.
The control and deterministic nature of it is amazing. I have a git repo for all of my machines entire config. I have no fear that installing something will break or make things that would require blowing away and reinstalling. Also blowing away and reinstalling is no big deal, as is building new boxes. It has a high bar for learning to use it effectively, but the view is worth climbing the mountain.
How configurable is the build process for individual applications? I run Gentoo, have all my config files stored in a git repo which includes the defaults supplied to any application’d configure/make/make install steps.
What makes NixOS standout?
It’s a somewhat immutable distro, that is however fully configurable.
/etc, some in/lib, etc, and having to remember all files you’ve changed.NixOS is an immutable distro. Immutability is binary, it either is, or it isn’t.
/nix/storeis immutable. But there are some files in other places like/etcand/varthat are mutable. Also I (or a malicious executable) could, in theory, delete store symlinks and replace them with mutable files. Impermanence helps, but you’ll still want some mutable state.Fully immutable systems have everything outside of
/homeread-only. NixOS is not one of them.I see.
I don’t really get the malicious software point though. All immutable distros have a mechanism for changing, after all they need to be updated. If a malicious executable has root access, which is what you need to change symlinks on NixOS (I know services often get their own user, but unless modified, only root has access to those users), then these malicious executables could also leverage whatever mechanism for change other immutable distros have, to do malicious things, no?
Though I do agree with you, now, that NixOS isn’t immutable.
There are ways to secure the update process. For example, you can enable secure boot and store your secure boot keys encrypted (or on a smart card). Then (if a full chain of trust is implemented) to update your system, you’d need to enter the private key password (or insert the smart card), and a root-access executable couldn’t to that automatically.
Yeah, but do other distros do this though? Not that I’m aware.
And surely the same could be done to NixOS, no?
I think it can in theory, but there will be some problems. But most likely Silverblue or something else would have its own problems trying to implement something like that - I don’t have any experience with them and don’t know how they’d compare.
The control and deterministic nature of it is amazing. I have a git repo for all of my machines entire config. I have no fear that installing something will break or make things that would require blowing away and reinstalling. Also blowing away and reinstalling is no big deal, as is building new boxes. It has a high bar for learning to use it effectively, but the view is worth climbing the mountain.
How configurable is the build process for individual applications? I run Gentoo, have all my config files stored in a git repo which includes the defaults supplied to any application’d configure/make/make install steps.