Neither is a re-invention of the other; they happen to do things that are partially similar, but also totally different. NixOS uses the /nix/store structure to

Neither is a re-invention of the other; they happen to do things that are partially similar, but also totally different. NixOS uses the /nix/store structure to allow it to pin everything to everything in service of its goal of absolute reproducibility/determinism. GoboLinux restructured the filesystem in order to be "nicer" (very loosely speaking). The result is that (IMO) nix is more technically elegant, and Gobo is a lot friendlier to work with. (I type this from a NixOS machine and with love in my heart for both)