Welcome to nix.dev#
nix.dev is the home of official documentation for the Nix ecosystem, it contains:
Series of lessons to get started
Guides to getting things done
Collections of detailed technical descriptions
Explanations of history and ideas in the Nix ecosystem
If you’re new to the Nix ecosystem, begin your journey with First Steps!
What can you do with Nix?#
The following illustrate of what can be achieved with the Nix ecosystem:
Easy installation of software over URLs.
Easy transfer of software environments between computers.
Avoidance of version conflicts with already installed software.
Installing software from source code.
Strong support for software auditability.
Remote builds.
Remote deployments.
Atomic upgrades and rollbacks.
What is the origin of the name “Nix”?#
The name Nix is derived from the Dutch word niks, meaning nothing; build actions do not see anything that has not been explicitly declared as an input.
— Nix: A Safe and Policy-Free System for Software Deployment