antono Search Nix Options with Manix
Overview
Manix is a fast CLI for searching NixOS options, Home Manager options, nixpkgs docs, and lib functions. Replaces web search for Nix documentation.
Repository: https://github.com/nix-community/manix
When to Use
- Editing
.nixfiles and need option descriptions or types - Working on flakes and need to understand
mkDerivation,libfunctions - Configuring Home Manager (
home.nix) and need option details - Configuring NixOS (
configuration.nix) and need type/default/example - Searching for nixpkgs packages or
libfunction signatures
When NOT to use: For package installation (use nix search), for building
(use nix build)
Quick Reference
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Search all sources | manix <query> |
| Exact match | manix --strict <option.path> |
| NixOS options only | manix <term> --source nixos_options |
| nixpkgs packages | manix <term> --source nixpkgs_tree |
| nixpkgs lib functions | manix <term> (searches nixpkgs by default) |
| Refresh cache | manix --update-cache <query> |
Usage
Basic Search
manix "firewall" # substring match across all sources
manix networking.firewall # finds NixOS options
manix mapAttrs # finds lib.mapAttrs in nixpkgs
Output shows: option path, description, type, default.
Source Filtering (QUERY comes FIRST)
# NixOS configuration work
manix services.openssh --source nixos_options
# nixpkgs package search
manix "git" --source nixpkgs_tree
# Search multiple sources
manix "networking" --source nixos_options --source nixpkgs_tree
Valid sources: nixos_options, nixpkgs_tree, nixpkgs_comments, nd_options
Note: hm_options requires Home Manager channel configured. nixpkgs_doc cache often empty - use default search instead.
Strict Mode
After finding the exact attribute path:
manix --strict networking.firewall.enable
Prevents false positives in automation.
Cache Management
manix --update-cache "query" # refresh cache for query type
Cache location: ~/.cache/manix/
Note: --update-cache requires a query argument (not standalone).
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
Searching lib.mkDerivation |
Use manix mkDerivation (it's in nixpkgs_doc) |
| Using web search for Nix options | Use manix directly |
| Not filtering sources | Add --source to narrow results |
| Expecting JSON output | manix outputs text, parse by ─── separators |
Limitations
nixvim Options
Manix does NOT natively support searching nixvim options.
Workaround: Enable man page generation in nixvim config:
programs.nixvim = {
enable = true;
enableMan = true; # Generates man pages for nixvim options
};
After rebuilding, try: manix <nixvim-option> (may work with generated man pages).
Better alternative: Use nixvim's Option Search in the docs sidebar.
Installation
Available in nixpkgs (unstable):
nix-env -f '<nixpkgs>' -iA manix
# or
nix run github:nix-community/manix
Add to NixOS: environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.manix ]; Add to Home
Manager: home.packages = [ pkgs.manix ];