nix-config VS HomeBrew

> I tried to install NixOS using the live cd last week in a Hyper-V VM, but it failed to get anywhere due to SquashFS errors.

Heh, that reminds me of installing NixOS back around 2014. I didn't have any way to physically boot off the install CD; so I ran it in qemu, using my real /dev/sda as the "virtual" hard drive (which I'd already partitioned). Thankfully there was no interference with the host system (Trisquel).

I'm still using (and evolved version of) the same NixOS config to this day; it still contains the following comment ( https://github.com/Warbo/nix-config/blob/master/nixos/machin... ):

  trace "FIXME: Which modules are artefacts of using QEMU to install?"

Where nixpkgs2105 is a pinned revision of the Nixpkgs repo, defined in another overlay. My current Nix config has pinned Nixpkgs versions going back to 2016. For example, here's a bunch of such overrides:

https://github.com/Warbo/nix-config/blob/master/overrides/fi...

At the moment I'm using niv to manage the pinned Nixpkgs versions (the 'repoXXXX' entries):

https://github.com/Warbo/nix-helpers/blob/master/nix/sources...

`nix-env` is an imperative command, whilst writing a .nix file is declarative. In particular, the latter can be managed using git.

For example, here's a system-wide config dating back to Feb 2015: https://github.com/Warbo/nix-config

(That's actually a NixOS config; my macOS config is in a private repo, but it imports that repo to define its "one big system package")

> I'd like to see other configs from nix users too if you're still here!

Here's mine https://github.com/warbo/nix-config

I've used Nix/NixOS for about 8 years, but not delved into flakes yet.

Homebrew - The Missing Package Manager for macOS (or Linux)

Homebrew is a highly popular package manager on macOS and Linux systems, enabling users to easily install, update, and uninstall command-line tools and applications. Its design philosophy focuses on simplifying the software installation process on macOS, eliminating the need for manual downloads and compilations of software packages.

Homebrew - package manager for linux-based OSs.

Package Manager: Homebrew

Hopping from one distro to another with a different package manager might require some time to adapt. Using a package manager that can be installed on most distro is one way to help you get to work faster. Flatpak is one of them; other alternative are Snap, Nix or Homebrew. Flatpak is a good starter, and if you have a bunch of free time, I suggest trying Nix.

Are you using SQLite that ships with macOS, or SQLite installed from homebrew?

I had a different problem in the past with the SQLite that ships with macOS, and have been using SQLite from homebrew since.

So if it’s the one that comes with macOS that gives you this problem that you are having, try using SQLite from homebrew instead.

https://brew.sh/

Before we begin, make sure you have Homebrew installed on your Mac. Homebrew is a package manager that makes it easy to install software and dependencies. You can install Homebrew by following the instructions on their website: https://brew.sh/

I’m on MacOS and erlang.org, elixir-lang.org, and postgresql.org all suggest installation via Homebrew, which is a very popular package manager for MacOS.

I have always either installed Node from the installer provided by the Nodejs website or, via Brew in macOS. I have also used nvm in the past but did not know that there was a best practice to guide us.

A running Rails application needs a database to connect to. You may already have your database of choice installed, but if not, I recommend PostgreSQL, or Postgres for short. On a Mac, probably the easiest way to install it is with Posrgres.app. Another option, the one I prefer, is to use Homebrew. With Homebrew installed, this command will install PostgreSQL version 16 along with libpq: