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NixOS (and NixPkgs) is great, but there are still plenty of binary only packages from difficult to build projects like PhantomJS in the ecosystem. It takes a s

NixOS (and NixPkgs) is great, but there are still plenty of binary only packages from difficult to build projects like PhantomJS in the ecosystem. It takes a serious commitment to build complex projects in Nix and maintain them. (edit) An example of binary packages in Nixpkgs: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/development/tools/phantomjs/default.nix https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/developmen...

baroffoos 7y ago
Should you really be installing programs that are impossible to build? Also phantomjs is discontinued.
- swdunlop 7y ago
  That's a great question, but it does not invalidate the point that there is nothing about Nix that states that binary packages cannot and do not happen.
  - nextos 7y ago
    Try for example FHS environments. That should make it possible to install software in a conventional way.
nextos 7y ago
You can also build regular packages, no matter how complicated they are, by spanning an FHS environment. That's sort of a sandbox that simulates a regular Unix environment with whatever dependencies you need in the usual places (/bin, /usr, ...). Of course, you loose some Nix advantages. But it's a great way to get a regular Unix environment for one-off things or desperate cases.