NixBox

A NixOS TUI package manager. Search a nixpkgs channel, pick a package, and NixBox writes it into your flake/home-manager config and runs the rebuild — all without leaving the terminal.

What it does

• Live search against nix search --json over a configurable flake input (default nixpkgs).
• Maintains a managed file (nixbox-packages.nix) in your NixOS config dir. NixBox owns this file end-to-end; it never edits hand-written config.
• On select, appends the package, writes the file, then runs home-manager switch or sudo nixos-rebuild switch and streams the output into the TUI.
• Toggle target (home-manager / nixos) with Tab. Setting persists in ~/.config/nixbox/settings.json.

Wiring the managed file

Add a single import to your existing config so NixBox's file is picked up.

For home-manager (~/.config/nixos/home.nix or wherever your home config lives):

{
  imports = [ ./nixbox-packages.nix ];
}

For NixOS system (/etc/nixos/configuration.nix):

{
  imports = [ ./nixbox-packages.nix ];
}

After that, NixBox manages the package list inside nixbox-packages.nix between the # nixbox:packages:start / # nixbox:packages:end markers. Adjust nothing else in the file.

Build

nix build           # via the flake
# or
cargo build --release

Run

nix run            # via the flake
# or
./target/release/nixbox

Test VM

A throwaway NixOS QEMU VM is exposed as a flake output, so you can exercise the rebuild flow without touching your host config.

nix run .#vm

That builds nixbox from the current source tree, builds a NixOS VM that bundles it, and launches QEMU in -nographic mode. The MOTD inside the VM tells you how to wire /etc/nixos/configuration.nix for the NixOS-target test or ~/.config/home-manager/home.nix for the home-manager-target test. User is tester (passwordless sudo, auto-login on tty1). sudo poweroff shuts it down.

To rebuild only the VM image without launching:

nix build .#vm
./result/bin/run-nixbox-vm-vm

Layout

Cargo workspace:

• crates/nixbox — binary entrypoint
• crates/nixbox-tui — ratatui app, search/build views
• crates/nixbox-nix — nix search wrapper, managed file writer, rebuild runner
• crates/nixbox-config — persisted user settings (channel, target, paths)

Keys