Nixos Local

NixOS/Nix Local Wiki

Use the local official NixOS/Nix documentation corpus before web sources.

Setup requirement

This skill requires the local documentation corpus at:

~/.nixoswiki

If the corpus is missing or empty, tell the user to run:

/nixoswiki-local-setup

The setup command is designed to be idempotent and minimal: shallow, sparse, blob-filtered Git checkouts with common images/binaries excluded.

After package/corpus changes, verify local behavior with /nixoswiki-smoke-test or nixoswiki_smoke_test({ maxSearchResults: 5 }).

Required workflow

1. Classify the question: Nix command, flake workflow, Nix language, NixOS module/option, nixpkgs packaging/overlay, or store/cache/daemon/profile issue.
2. Start with nixoswiki_search({ query, limit: 5, includeSnippets: false }) for NixOS/Nix issues.
3. Use nixoswiki_sections({ page, maxSections: 40-80 }) when the right page is found but the relevant heading is unclear.
4. Prefer exact nixoswiki_extract({ page, section, maxChars: 4000-8000, maxSections: 2-5 }) for final citations.
5. Use query extraction only for exploration, then switch to exact section names when possible.
6. Use nixoswiki_read only when broad page context is needed.
7. Use nixoswiki_related when the issue spans linked topics.
8. Run read-only local diagnostics when system/project evidence is relevant.
9. Compare documentation guidance with observed local state.
10. Cite local paths and section names in final answers.
11. Ask before destructive or user-facing changes.

Source priority

1. Local official NixOS/Nix corpus via nixoswiki_* tools.
2. Local project/system evidence relevant to the user's current environment.
3. Official online NixOS/Nix documentation only when local docs are missing, stale, or insufficient.
4. Other sources only when necessary and clearly labeled.

Local source selection

Use references/source-map.md when choosing which official corpus to trust first:

• ~/.nixoswiki/nix/ for Nix CLI, Nix language, store, daemon, and nix.conf behavior.
• ~/.nixoswiki/nixpkgs/ for NixOS modules/options and nixpkgs packaging/overlays/stdenv.
• ~/.nixoswiki/nix.dev/ for tutorials, learning paths, and practical examples.

For flakes, combine NixOS/nix command semantics with NixOS/nix.dev practical workflow guidance when available. For generated NixOS option pages that are absent from the sparse corpus, use the closest manual section locally and check official online docs if exact option semantics are needed.

Read-only diagnostics examples

Use these only when relevant and available on the current system:

nix --version
nix flake metadata --no-write-lock-file .
nix flake check --no-build .
nix eval --raw nixpkgs#hello.name
rg "services\.|environment\.systemPackages|programs\." .

Do not assume the user is on NixOS. If nix is absent, rely on local docs and project files instead of attempting package installation. Load references/non-nixos-host-policy.md when host assumptions matter.

Avoid mutation without explicit approval:

nixos-rebuild switch
nix profile install
nix-env -iA
rm -rf /nix/store

Token/output discipline

• Prefer search -> sections -> exact section extract for final answers.
• Keep search limits small (limit: 5-10) and snippets off unless needed.
• Use maxSections around 2-5 and maxChars around 4000-8000 for focused extracts.
• If omittedSectionCount or truncated: true affects confidence, say so explicitly.
• If the sparse corpus lacks generated command/option reference pages, say that confidence is lower and verify with official online docs when necessary.

Tool usage

• nixoswiki_search({ query, limit, includeSnippets }): find candidate pages; snippets default off.
• nixoswiki_sections({ page, maxSections }): inspect headings before extracting from large pages.
• nixoswiki_extract({ page, section, maxChars, maxSections }): retrieve focused exact sections; best for final answers.
• nixoswiki_extract({ page, query, maxChars, maxSections }): retrieve query-relevant sections; best for exploration.
• nixoswiki_read({ page, maxChars }): retrieve broad page text; use sparingly.
• nixoswiki_related({ page, limit }): discover linked local pages.
• nixoswiki_smoke_test({ maxSearchResults }): verify parser/search/extract/read behavior after package or corpus updates.

Citation format

Use local source citations like:

Sources:
- ~/.nixoswiki/nixpkgs/nixos/doc/manual/configuration/configuration.md — Relevant section
- ~/.nixoswiki/nix.dev/source/tutorials/first-steps/index.md — Relevant section

See references:

• references/troubleshooting-policy.md
• references/safety-rules.md
• references/query-expansions.md
• references/source-map.md
• references/non-nixos-host-policy.md