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[-] NostraDavid@programming.dev 3 points 17 hours ago

I don’t need reproducibility to the extent that NixOS provides

Alright, that's fair. As a programmer, I've been having a blast using it - being able to quickly setup my laptops almost the same as my desktop is such a breath of fresh air, then being able to copy over most of my config to a WSL setup to employ nix to get there 90% of the way on a Debian or Ubuntu WSL system is just so nice.

But if you don't need its features, or aren't a programmer, I can very much imagine you'd rather stick to a more stateful system.

[-] matejc@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

I read the article, this is not the first time that people think of Nix/NixOS like so. Its a standard case of wanting to use Nix ecosystem to the fullest, but you do not need to. You need to find the balance for yourself and that is different from person to person. I am using NixOs for about 9 years, and in whole that time I have never felt overwhelmed. People are just different.

[-] epyon22@programming.dev 28 points 2 days ago

I came to the same conclusion. If I have a problem that I know nixos can solve it's useful tool in my belt. But man you try to do anything out side the box the learning curve is massive. Good for those that know but when you only get to tinker a few times a week for a couple hours just getting things to work can be fun at first but gets old very quick.

[-] 0_o7@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 day ago

Okay sure, but that's like trying to use iOS and then saying it's too restrictive. NixOS is pretty clear on what it offers and what it can do.

[-] bitcrafter@programming.dev 18 points 2 days ago

It would seem that Nix has succumbed in this case to its Archenemy.

[-] sxan@midwest.social 3 points 1 day ago
[-] Petter1@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 2 days ago
[-] sxan@midwest.social 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Ok, so preface: this isn't about you. Your comment just coalesced something I've been ruminating about recently.

I wish we, as humans, didn't have this knee-jerk tenancy to make everything a zero-sum competition. Vi vs EMACS. x86 vs ARM. Windows vs Mac vs Linux vs FreeBSD. C vs Go vs Rust vs Clojure vs JavaScript. Arch vs the world.

It really is a zero-sum game, with real consequences. If your favorite distro becomes unpopular enough, it might die, and then you have to give up something you love. Windows winning the OS market for decades meant countless people had to suffer using Windows because the company they worked for mandated it. If I crusade for V(lang) enough, it might become popular enough for jobs to open for it.

The downside is that we're constantly fighting against diversity, and that's bad.

I suffer from this as much as anyone, and I hate that my first impulse is to either tear down "the opposition", which at some point is nearly everyone, or schadenfreude.

"It is not enough that I succeed, but that others should fail." It can't be healthy.

[-] Petter1@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 19 hours ago

You are absolutely right 😇

[-] tisktisk@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago

I feel we've identified a problem quite well, but I'm at more of a loss for a solution-oriented perspective? And also, VI x86 and Gentoo for life!

[-] sxan@midwest.social 2 points 1 day ago

I have no idea! It seems to be the human material. Have you ever heard of a solution? I can be aware of it and resist it, but what I hate is that instinctive, negative impulse, and I don't think wishing it away is going to help.

[-] tisktisk@piefed.social 3 points 1 day ago

Recognize tools for what they are? Just tools that accomplish task(s) Also don't forget how boring life is without some competition to keep the spirit lively

this post was submitted on 04 Aug 2025
66 points (89.3% liked)

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