Hi everyone!

I saw that NixOS is getting popularity recently. I really have no idea why and how this OS works. Can you guys help me understanding all of this ?

Thanks !

  • Veritas@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    The increasing popularity of NixOS can be attributed to several factors that make it stand out among other Linux distributions. Some of the key reasons why people are switching to NixOS include:

    1. Reproducibility: NixOS allows for reproducible builds and deployments, ensuring that the same code will produce the same output across different environments[1][2].

    2. Easy rollbacks: NixOS has built-in rollbacks, which means that if a configuration change causes the system to be unbootable, it is easy to roll back to a previous working install[1][3].

    3. Nix package manager: NixOS uses the Nix package manager, which simplifies package management and system configuration[1].

    4. Multiple versions of the same package: NixOS allows users to have multiple versions of the same package installed, which can be useful for testing and development purposes[1].

    5. Stability: NixOS is considered a very stable platform compared to other Linux distributions, such as Arch Linux[3].

    6. Declarative configuration: NixOS uses a declarative configuration approach, which offers benefits over the imperative approach used by more traditional operating systems[4].

    In addition to these features, the recent introduction of the open-source platform flox has made it easier for developers and enterprises to adopt NixOS. Flox expands on Nix’s unique approach to package management and system configuration, providing convenience, collaboration, and control throughout the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) [5]. This has led to an increase in the adoption of NixOS among developers and enterprises.

    Overall, NixOS offers a combination of stability, reproducibility, and flexibility that appeals to developers and users who want a reliable and customizable Linux distribution.

    Citations:

    [1] https://itsfoss.com/why-use-nixos/

    [2] https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/07/flox-raises-27m-to-bring-nix-to-more-developers/

    [3] https://ramsdenj.com/2017/06/19/switching-to-nixos-from-arch-linux.html

    [4] https://www.anthes.is/nixos-pros-cons.html

    [5] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/flox-raises-27-million-introduces-140100442.html

    • Arthur Besse@lemmy.mlM
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      1 year ago

      this comment reads suspiciously like it was written by an LLM (eg ChatGPT). was it? please don’t do that!

        • RosalynKirk@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          If OP wanted a response from an LLM, they would have typed their question into an LLM. The least you could do is label it as such.

          • Veritas@lemmy.ml
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            1 year ago

            I use an LLM to edit everything I write. Does this mean I have to label everything as LLM-generated? Although I am the one doing the job, in the end, I’m just copy-pasting the output from the LLM.

            • 20gramsWrench@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              1 year ago

              Rule or not, it’s pretty lame, look at the size of your post compared to how much info it gives, had you copied a article from some basic linux news stite, it would have given mostly the same output, now think about what linking a page to an article about nixos as a response to op trying to start a conversation about it would look like, rude.

            • Zamboniman@lemmy.ca
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              1 year ago

              I use an LLM to edit everything I write.

              May I invite you to consider the pitfalls of such an approach?

              Does this mean I have to label everything as LLM-generated?

              Yes, that would be reasonable imo

              • fruitywelsh@lemmy.ml
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                1 year ago

                I’ll type things up and ask an LLM like petals or open assistant to phrase it in new or clearer way. Hit or miss, but sometimes it helps.

              • Veritas@lemmy.ml
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                1 year ago

                Why don’t you label your name in every answer, so we can check if you are hallucinating or making things up?

                • AgreeableLandscape@lemmy.mlM
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                  1 year ago

                  Why don’t you label your name in every answer

                  You mean like a username that is listed in the header of every post and comment?

        • Arthur Besse@lemmy.mlM
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          1 year ago

          thanks for clarifying. i’m deleting your generated comment per rule 4 (spamming) as well as two other generated comments you posted elsewhere; if another admin wants to undelete any of these i would be surprised.

          please do not post LLM-generated comments without clearly labeling them as such. imo this is common sense, and doesn’t need its own rule, rule 4 is sufficient.

        • AgreeableLandscape@lemmy.mlM
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          1 year ago

          The admins did not remove the comment, a community mod did. Mods can impose further restrictions on their communities on top of instance wide rules (within reason of course), including banning LLMs. Lemmy.ml at least does not have a blanket ban on LLMs, but generally it’s expected that, 1, you should not post LLMs excessively, we mainly want to host discussions by humans, 2, you should disclose it’s from an LLM and which one it’s from, and preferably add to what it says with your own comments or analysis. If it’s a mix of LLM and your own writing, say so at the start of the comment, but if the community directly disallows LLMs then you shouldn’t post it there at all.

        • Arthur Besse@lemmy.mlM
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          1 year ago

          Do LLMs give citations?

          do they ever!

          (The citations in this comment appear to be all real links about NixOS, but they are not particularly relevant to the places in the comment where they’re cited.)

    • NathanUp@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      I would love to have #4 on Arch / EndeavourOS.I recently had my Scribus install (SVN from the AUR) break due to Arch moving to some newer library. There really isn’t an easy way to solve this AFAIK.