For example, docs I've referenced in the past are here: https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#sec-declarative-pac...
It says to run:
nix-env -iA nixpkgs.myPackages
- If you want the package just for now and probably not later use `nix-shell -p`
- If you always need the package for a specific project add it to `shell.nix` (`flake.nix`) of that project.
- If you need the package globally use home-manager, nix-darwin, NixOS
All I want is a way to say "I want jq, kubectl, and terraform installed" and have it available globally. Not for specific projects or anything like that.
Right now I maintain a makefile that installs everything for me using `nix profile`:
https://github.com/sontek/homies/blob/master/justfile#L14-L2...
Which almost exactly like I want. Only issue is sometimes a new hash is generated (which I don't understand.. maybe a config update in the repos?) and the makefile can't run anymore:
error: packages '/nix/store/y65pp5hipid0fzxl1z7xjxdk4h9jwfw7-exa-0.10.1/bin/exa' and '/nix/store/gy0bqcs9mcan8af47wakdylhal67dpy4-exa-0.10.1/bin/exa' have the same priority 5; use 'nix-env --set-flag priority NUMBER INSTALLED_PKGNAME' to change the priority of one of the conflicting packages (0 being the highest priority)
Unfortunately, it is quite possible to get difficult to understand errors when working with Home Manager, such as infinite loops with no clear source reference. You should therefore be comfortable using the Nix language and the various tools in the Nix ecosystem. Reading through the Nix Pills document is a good way to familiarize yourself with them.
Yeah, to be honest familiarity with the NixOS module system doesn't hurt for home-manager. For me it was worth it but I was also just interested in Nix enough to read through the Nix-pills, etc.
Maybe given some time Nix will be polished enough that a smaller time investment will be enough.
Another thing: Yes, even if customizing your home-manager config could lead to hard to debug errors, once it works it is hard to brick and it will most likely work on new Laptops, colleagues machines, ...
That's why for my small at work my colleagues don't have to be as deep into Nix as I am but they can still benefit from the changes I am introducing in a pretty "safe" way.