How to install Nix in a Qubes OS AppVM

[solene]

I wrote how to install Nix in a Qube

Solene'% : How to install Nix in a Qubes OS AppVM

[fuel_can]

Nix template is more interesting.

[solene]

I didn’t find any Nix related template even in the community testing repository

[ludovic]

@solene

install Nix in a Qube

I installed Guix OS in a HVM, but in fact it’s more useful in an AppVM, see the unman’s guide:

Install Guix OS in a standalone HVM

I dont use the GUI installer, but here are manual steps. (Change the IP addresses to match your case.) Once you have created your HVM, note the IP address and gateway from qvm-ls -n , or in qube settings. Increase the size of the System disk to 20G Start the HVM from the guix iso. Select the language. Select “Install using the shell based process” You can switch from X to ttys using Ctrl+Shift+Alt+F2. and then switch between ttys using Win+Alt+F? - works for me, ymmv At the prompt, hi…

@fuel_can

Nix template is more interesting.

Nix is a package system, not an OS, so you can adapt the solene’s guide to a dedicated Nix templateVM (by cloning a Debian or Fedora templateVM).

[solene]

I didn’t use Guix foreign for a long time, but using it in an AppVM (non-guix) should be pretty similar to Nix in stand alone right?

Using Nix in a template seems tricky to me, because you may want to provide a pre-filled store in the template, but you may also want to have additional changes in an AppVM, I don’t think the persistent mode allow to merge a template directory + a persistent directory

[solene]

This could be improved soon when the stacking nix store will be available, see Super Colliding Nix Stores - Announcements - NixOS Discourse and my comment Super Colliding Nix Stores - #6 by Solene - Announcements - NixOS Discourse for the use case