nixpm

apt-like CLI to manage NixOS packages from the terminal — no more manual editing of config.nix.

nixpm install neovim ripgrep   # like apt install
nixpm remove  htop             # like apt remove
nixpm search  spotify          # search nixpkgs
nixpm list                     # list installed packages

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Why

NixOS is declarative, which is great — but editing config.nix by hand every time you want a new package gets old fast. nixpm wraps that workflow into a single command, handles the rebuild, and keeps a backup in case something goes wrong.

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Install

git clone git@github.com:OpenCz/nixpm.git
cd nixpm
sudo cp nix-pkg.py /usr/local/bin/nixpm
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/nixpm

Requires Python 3.10+ (already on your system if you're on NixOS).

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Usage

Install a package

nixpm install <package>
nixpm install neovim ripgrep bat   # multiple at once

Adds the package(s) to environment.systemPackages in /etc/nixos/config.nix and runs nixos-rebuild switch.

Remove a package

nixpm remove <package>
nixpm rm neovim ripgrep

List installed packages

nixpm list
nixpm ls

Search nixpkgs

nixpm search <term>
nixpm s firefox

Skip the rebuild

nixpm install neovim --no-rebuild

Edits the config without triggering a rebuild. Useful when batching multiple changes.

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How it works

1. Parses the environment.systemPackages block in your config.nix
2. Creates a backup at config.nix.bak before any change
3. Adds / removes the requested packages
4. Asks for confirmation
5. Runs sudo nixos-rebuild switch

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Requirements

• NixOS with a config.nix at /etc/nixos/config.nix
• Python 3.10+
• sudo access