nex

Package manager UX for nix-darwin + homebrew.

Overview

nex wraps the declarative nix-darwin workflow with imperative commands. Instead of editing .nix files and running darwin-rebuild switch manually, you run nex install htop and it handles the file edit, validation, rebuild, and rollback on failure.

Usage

nex install htop              # Nix package (default)
nex install --cask slack      # Homebrew cask (GUI app)
nex install --brew rustup     # Homebrew formula
nex remove htop               # Remove from wherever it's declared
nex search "http"             # Search nixpkgs
nex list                      # Show all declared packages
nex update                    # Update flake inputs + switch
nex switch                    # Rebuild and activate
nex rollback                  # Revert to previous generation
nex try htop                  # Ephemeral nix shell (no install)
nex diff                      # Preview what would change
nex gc                        # Garbage collect nix store

Global flags: --dry-run, --repo <path>, --hostname <name>

Installation

cargo install nex-pkg       # from crates.io
# or
cargo install --path .      # from source

Configuration

nex auto-discovers the nix-darwin repo by walking up from CWD or checking well-known paths. Override with:

• NEX_REPO environment variable
• --repo flag
• ~/.config/nex/config.toml:

  repo_path = "/path/to/macos-nix"
  hostname = "My-MacBook"
  

Development

just validate   # format-check + lint + test
just test       # cargo test
just lint       # cargo clippy
just build      # debug build

License

MIT OR Apache-2.0