+I have been using NixOS for the last 2 years now. +I got introduced to it by friends, who had changed their entire workflow to accommodate it. +I was a bit skeptical at the beginning, tried installing the package manager to my arch install at the time, but didn't fully understand how I was supposed to use it in conjunction with how I was my computer at the time. +However, in the summer of 2023, I decided to take the plunge, and go the full way, with a new install. +Having run this type of setup for two years now, I have to admit it. +NixOS makes certain aspects of using my computer easier.
++As of recent, I have had to change the laptop that I was using. +With Nix as the base, I was able to make it usable, in way faster time than I think I would have been able with an Arch installation. +There are some aspects that make it harder though, since that laptop needed to make sure it worked as intended, such as disabling TLP and patching the kernel. +It also allowed me to resume my work on my current master thesis, since I could just pull the git repo and use nix develop to get all the dependencies for that work in specifics.
++Configuration +
+A friend of mine recently decided to try and do the switch themselves. +He has been an avid Arch fan boy for the last 2 years, since he got mad at Fedora for bricking his install (I genuinely do not understand how that happened). +He has been a bit particular however, refusing to configure software to ensure that he is able to use them anywhere, and to not have to learn esoteric languages for just one program. +I find this very sensible, while I approach it completely differently. +I want software customized to me, for me to act as best as I can within it.
++Anyway, this has lead to some confusion about Nix, and why things are as they are. +For example, how is Git, as defined in Home-Manager, able to configure it as it does? +And that is an implementation detail, but it is quite important for a user of Nix. +Why does Nix gatekeep the most foundational aspect of using Nix according to most users behind an Experimental-feature wall? +Now, I don't have the answers for these, since I am not yet a contributor to Nix, or well versed in the ecosystem, if I am being honest.
++A better introduction +
+A comment was made about the installation guide, about how it is not adequate, and I wouldn't know, I didn't read it when I got NixOS. +Like most of Nix documentation, it is a bit overwhelming and hard to navigate. +I like Arch's install guide, since it is easier to search, and it segments the parts into different pages. +So, if I were to change anything, I would split this up, making sure that they are condensed into small, concrete parts. +An approach of this that I like is mdbook. One could therefore keep the more general structure of the guide, but each subsection is it's own page.
++Another aspect that would change is that an introduction should try to convey one way. +NixOS tries to introduce flakes in the Installing section, but never explaining what it is, or linking further. +Either you introduce a concept, link to more info, or you do not mention it.
++There are also several ways of managing the system that are not a good way of handling NixOS specifically. +Why is the Ad-hoc way of using Nix even introduced, when it goes against the ideals of having a reproducible system? +Why introduce manual user management? +Further, it talks about a lot of different programs that a user may want to install. +This does however not teach the user to actually figure out where to find options. +Why isn't search.nixos.org introduced?
+
+An optimal guide would introduce how to create a system, using the most commonly accepted methods, such as flakes.
+You can introduce flakes as adding the ability to create a lock file like package-lock.json from npm.
+This would then go into creating a functional system, and then a show case of how you can modify it and common fixes for NVIDIA, or similar.
+I am a bit tempted to try and make this, but I also wanna do some own development on packages.