using NIX - the package manager on Arch Linux or Gopi OS
👤 SUVANKAR SARKAR •
📅 April 5, 2026 •
👁️ 224 views
• 🔄 Updated May 20, 2026
# **Using NIX - The Package Manager on Arch Linux or Gopi OS**
## **TL;DR**
NIX will work smoothly using the `nix profile` including GUI applications
## **Simple Idea of NIX - The Package Manager & How To Use**
| Use Case | Command | Persistence | Scope |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal, persistent install | `nix profile add` | Yes | User Profile/Desktop Menu |
| Quick, temporary usage | `nix shell` | No | Current Terminal Session |
| System-wide config | `home-manager switch` | Yes | System/User-wide Declarative |
## **On a Fresh Install of GOPIOS**
```
sudo systemctl enable nix-daemon
sudo systemctl start nix-daemon
sudo chmod -R 0755 /nix
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /nix
nix-channel --add https://nixos.org/channels/nixos-25.11 nixos
echo "experimental-features = nix-command flakes" | sudo tee -a /etc/nix/nix.conf
nix profile add nixpkgs#chromium
nix profile add github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable#atop
nix search nixpkgs ollama
nix profile remove chromium
nix-collect-garbage
```
`nix profile add nixpkgs#gimp` - will work smoothly, but `nix profile add nixpkgs#google-chrome` may have issues.
### **Useful Links & Commands**
<https://channels.nixos.org/>
`nix-channel --list`
`nix-channel --add https://nixos.org/channels/channel-name nixos`
### **Common Profile Commands**
```
nix profile list
nix profile add nixpkgs#chromium
nix profile add nixpkgs#python39
nix profile add nixpkgs#python311
nix profile upgrade --all
nix profile upgrade chromium
nix profile list
nix profile remove nixpkgs#chromium
nix-collect-garbage
```
### **To Make GUI App Icon Available**
```
export XDG_DATA_DIRS="$HOME/.nix-profile/share:${XDG_DATA_DIRS}"
sudo update-desktop-database ~/.nix-profile/share/applications
find ${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-$HOME/.cache}/**/qmlcache -type f -delete
```
# **🏠 What Home Manager Is**
**Home Manager** is a tool in the Nix ecosystem that lets you manage your **user-level configuration** declaratively—things like shell settings, dotfiles, graphical apps, services, fonts, and more—all through Nix.
Home Manager (HM):
Uses **Nix** to declare and reproduce your user environment.
Works on **NixOS**, **macOS**, and **other Linux distros** (via "standalone mode").
Manages:
Dotfiles (`.zshrc`, `.bashrc`, `.gitconfig`, etc.)
CLI programs (zsh, fish, neovim, git, tmux…)
GUI apps (Firefox, Alacritty, Kitty…)
User services (systemd user units)
Environment variables
Packages (per-user installation)
# **🚀 Installing Home Manager**
## **Option A: On NixOS (recommended)**
Add Home Manager as a NixOS module:
`/etc/nixos/configuration.nix`:
```
{ config, pkgs, ... }: {
imports = [];
home-manager.users.yourusername = { pkgs, ... }: {
home.stateVersion = "24.05"; # adjust to your HM version
programs.zsh.enable = true;
home.packages = [ pkgs.htop pkgs.neovim ];
};
}
```
Then:
```
sudo nixos-rebuild switch
```
## **Option B: On macOS or non-NixOS Linux**
Standalone installation:
```
nix-shell -p nixFlakes --run "true" # optional
nix run home-manager/master -- init --switch
```
This creates: `~/.config/home-manager/home.nix`
# **📝 Example** `home.nix` **(Simple and Useful)**
```
{ config, pkgs, ... }: {
home.username = "alice";
home.homeDirectory = "/home/alice";
home.stateVersion = "24.05";
programs.zsh = {
enable = true;
plugins = [
{ name = "zsh-autosuggestions"; src = pkgs.zsh-autosuggestions; }
{ name = "zsh-syntax-highlighting"; src = pkgs.zsh-syntax-highlighting; }
];
shellAliases = {
ll = "ls -l";
gs = "git status";
};
};
programs.git = {
enable = true;
userName = "Alice Example";
userEmail = "[email protected]";
};
home.packages = with pkgs; [
neovim
htop
ripgrep
fd
];
}
```
Apply the config:
```
home-manager switch
```
# **🧩 How Home Manager Works**
It generates symlinks in your home directory pointing to the Nix store.
All changes are atomic and versioned.
You can roll back configurations via:
```
home-manager rollback
```
Per-user packages go into: `~/.nix-profile`
# **🔧 Using Flakes with Home Manager (Modern Setup)**
`flake.nix`:
```
{
description = "Home Manager config";
inputs = {
nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-24.05";
home-manager.url = "github:nix-community/home-manager";
home-manager.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
};
outputs = { self, nixpkgs, home-manager, ... }: {
homeConfigurations.alice = home-manager.lib.homeManagerConfiguration {
pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.x86_64-linux;
modules = [ ./home.nix ];
};
};
}
```
Apply:
```
home-manager switch --flake .#alice
```
# **❓ Want Help Creating a Config?**
If you want, I can help you:
Generate a full starter Home Manager config
Convert your dotfiles to Home Manager
Set up Home Manager with flakes
Use Home Manager on NixOS vs non-NixOS
Add specific programs (i3, Hyprland, tmux, neovim, etc.)
Home-manager without flake is recommended for simplicity.
# **✅ Is Home Manager Without Flakes Recommended?**
**Short answer:** Yes, Home Manager *without flakes* is still supported and stable, and many users run it this way—but **flakes are now generally recommended** for new setups because they give better reproducibility and consistency.
## **👍 Pros of Traditional (Non-Flake) Home Manager**
Simpler for beginners.
No flake features required.
Works the same on all systems (NixOS, macOS, Linux).
No need to learn the flake.lock mechanism yet.
## **👎 Cons**
Harder to pin Nixpkgs and Home Manager versions.
Less reproducible.
Most modern guides use flakes, so examples need adapting.
As a result, many people see non-flake HM as **fine but legacy-ish**.
# **📘 Example Non-Flake Home Manager Setup**
### `~/.config/home-manager/home.nix`
```
{ config, pkgs, ... }: {
home.username = "alice";
home.homeDirectory = "/home/alice";
home.stateVersion = "24.05";
programs.zsh.enable = true;
home.packages = [ pkgs.htop pkgs.neovim ];
}
```
Apply:
```
home-manager switch
```
# **💡 Recommendation (Practical)**
**If you're starting from scratch → Use flakes.**
**If you already have a working non-flake setup → No need to migrate unless you want reproducibility or advanced features.**
# **✅ Setting Up Home Manager with Flakes on GOPIOS (Arch-based)**
## **1. Install Nix (with flakes enabled)**
GOPIOS/Arch already has `nix` available.
### **Install Nix:**
```
sudo pacman -S nix
```
### **Enable Nix daemon:**
```
sudo systemctl enable --now nix-daemon.service
```
### **Enable flakes + nix-command globally:**
Create: `/etc/nix/nix.conf`
Add:
```
experimental-features = nix-command flakes
```
Restart nix-daemon:
```
sudo systemctl restart nix-daemon.service
```
## **2. Install Home Manager (Flake Version)**
Run:
```
nix run home-manager/master -- init --switch
```
This creates:
```
~/.config/home-manager/flake.nix
~/.config/home-manager/home.nix
```
Your home manager is now flake-based by default.
## **3. Edit Your Home Manager Flake**
Open: `~/.config/home-manager/flake.nix`
Minimal version:
```
{
description = "My Home Manager config";
inputs = {
nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-24.05";
home-manager.url = "github:nix-community/home-manager";
home-manager.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
};
outputs = { self, nixpkgs, home-manager, ... }:
let
system = "x86_64-linux";
in {
homeConfigurations.user = home-manager.lib.homeManagerConfiguration {
inherit system;
homeDirectory = "/home/user";
username = "user";
modules = [ ./home.nix ];
};
};
}
```
Replace:
`user` with your username
correct home path
## **4. Edit** `home.nix` **(Your Actual Config)**
`~/.config/home-manager/home.nix`
Example minimal config:
```
{ config, pkgs, ... }: {
home.stateVersion = "24.05";
programs.zsh.enable = true;
home.packages = with pkgs; [
neovim
htop
];
}
```
## **5. Apply Your Config**
From the directory:
```
cd ~/.config/home-manager
```
Switch:
```
home-manager switch --flake .#user
```
(Replace `user` with your username.)
# **🎉 Done!**
You now have:
✔ Home Manager
✔ Using flakes
✔ On GOPIOS/Arch
✔ With a clean, minimal, modern setup
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