Nix for Everyday Development
Eliminate broken environments and 'works on my machine' headaches using Nix. Learn to spin up disposable tools, declare shared project developer shells, and lock dependencies with absolute reproducibility.
Like Duolingo, but for Nix for Everyday Development. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
A short one: 12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes end to end, roughly 5 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Instant and Isolated Environments and The Reproducibility Engine. It starts from scratch.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Nix for Everyday Development
- nix-shell -p <package> drops you into a temporary shell where the requested tool is immediately available
- Running tools inside a temporary Nix shell does not install them globally or require system-level install scripts
- Temporary Nix environments keep your base operating system clean
- Exiting a nix-shell restores your original PATH and environment variables immediately
- Tools run via nix-shell do not register background daemons or scatter configuration files into your system directories
- Nix stores all packages separately in /nix/store rather than standard system paths like /usr/bin
- Nix dependencies never overwrite or conflict with packages installed by system managers like apt, dnf, or Homebrew
- Different versions of the same tool can be tested independently simply by specifying the version package in nix-shell
- You do not need language-specific version managers like nvm or pyenv to test alternate tool versions side by side
- Exiting the shell instantly drops you back to your regular environment
- Packages used in a nix-shell remain cached in /nix/store after exit so repeated launches are fast
- Running the garbage collector (nix-collect-garbage) removes unreferenced packages to recover disk space
- A declarative Nix file checked into Git contains the entire project recipe
- Entering the Nix shell (such as with nix-shell or nix develop) fetches and links all necessary packages in one step
- Other contributors get an identical shell without having to install tools across their whole system
- Procedural bash scripts run command by command, leaving partial changes behind if one step crashes
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Nix for Everyday Development the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
What happens when you run nix-shell -p imagemagick in your terminal?
Get it right to open this lesson and 11 more in the app.
How to learn Nix for Everyday Development, step by step
Go in order. 12 short levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Instant and Isolated Environments
- Running Ephemeral Tools Without System Clutter
- Declaring Project Environments as Code
- 2
The Reproducibility Engine
- How the Nix Store Eliminates Dependency Conflicts
- Locking Environments with Flakes
2 sections · 4 units · 12 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Nix for Everyday Development
How do I learn Nix for Everyday Development?
Go in order: start with Instant and Isolated Environments, then The Reproducibility Engine. On Tomo that's 12 short levels, about 24 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Nix for Everyday Development?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Nix for Everyday Development is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Nix for Everyday Development course free?
Yes. Nix for Everyday Development is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Nix for Everyday Development?
12 levels across 2 sections, about 24 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Nix for Everyday Development?
No. It's pitched at a beginner level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Nix for Everyday Development is taught in the Bestie style: your friend who just gets it. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Nix for Everyday Development today.
Download Tomo, search Nix for Everyday Development, and play your first lesson in under a minute.