nex

Package manager for nix-darwin + homebrew. nex.styrene.io

Quick Start

# Install nex
curl -fsSL https://nex.styrene.io/install.sh | sh

# Bootstrap nix-darwin + homebrew on a fresh Mac
nex init

# Start using it
nex install htop

Or clone an existing config: nex init --from https://github.com/your-org/macos-nix

Usage

nex init                      # Bootstrap nix + homebrew + nix-darwin config
nex install htop              # Install (auto-resolves nix vs cask vs brew)
nex install --cask slack      # Force Homebrew cask (GUI app)
nex install --brew rustup     # Force Homebrew formula
nex install --nix htop        # Force Nix (skip resolution)
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>

How It Works

nex install slack checks nixpkgs and Homebrew, compares versions, detects GUI apps vs CLI tools, and recommends the right source:

  slack found in multiple sources:

     nixpkgs         4.41.97
  *  brew cask       4.42.3

  recommended: GUI app — cask is 4.42.3 (nix has 4.41.97), with native .app bundle

For CLI tools found only in nixpkgs, it just installs — no prompt needed.

Every edit is backed up before darwin-rebuild switch. If the build fails, your config is restored automatically.

Installation

curl -fsSL https://nex.styrene.io/install.sh | sh   # auto-detects best method
cargo install nex-pkg                                # from crates.io
nix profile install github:styrene-lab/nex           # from flake

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