https://github.com/danielrolls/shellify

Quickly generate shell.nix files once you have a working shell
https://github.com/danielrolls/shellify

nix nix-shell nixos utility

Last synced: 2 months ago
JSON representation

Quickly generate shell.nix files once you have a working shell

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/danielrolls/shellify
• Owner: danielrolls
• License: apache-2.0
• Created: 2023-03-23T17:02:36.000Z (almost 2 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2024-10-26T22:24:45.000Z (3 months ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-10-28T00:42:14.453Z (3 months ago)
• Topics: nix, nix-shell, nixos, utility
• Language: Haskell
• Homepage:
• Size: 1.4 MB
• Stars: 19
• Watchers: 3
• Forks: 1
• Open Issues: 1
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
  • Contributing: CONTRIBUTING.md
  • License: LICENSE

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README

        
# Shellify

[![Hackage](https://img.shields.io/badge/hackage-shellify-brightgreen.svg)](http://hackage.haskell.org/package/shellify)

Want to quicky get something to build and to have it reproducable and sharable? With [`nix`](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/command-ref/nix-shell.html) it is easy to quickly add dependencies to get something to build. It's also easy to work quickly and iteratively. With this tool, once you're done you can save a `shell.nix` so that you and anybody else can quickly and instantly rebuild with an identical environment with all the same dependencies. Just swap out `nix-shell` or `nix` for `nix-shellify` to create the necessary `shell.nix` in the local directory. It makes saving a basic working `shell.nix` almost instant. Take a look at the short examples below to see the workflow.

## Prerequisites

This utility assumes [nix is installed](https://nixos.org/download.html).

## Example usage without flakes

![Interactive demo showing how to use shellify with flakes](docs/legacy-nix-demo.gif)

I want to run a program called `foo`. When I run `./foo` it complains I don't have python. So I run `nix-shell -p python` and try running `./foo` again.

Now it complains I don't have asciidoc so I come out of the shell and edit the last command to add asciidoc by running `nix-shell -p python asciidoc`. Now it works.

I exit my shell and change `nix-shell -p python asciidoc` to `nix-shellify -p python asciidoc`. It then creates a `shell.nix` which I keep next to foo. It looks like this:

```nix

{ pkgs ? import  {} }:

pkgs.mkShell {

  buildInputs = [

    pkgs.asciidoc

    pkgs.python

  ];

}

```

Now I can just type `nix-shell` and I have what I need to run foo. I can share and everybody else can run foo too without the same search. They also don't need to run it in a conatainer or VM or to maintain depenencies on their system themself. 

## Example usage with flakes

![Interactive demo showing how to use shellify with flakes](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/50051176/258610444-6e848fa4-a675-4aa3-b3b6-d099605bc4b7.gif)

I want to run something called `foo`. When I run `./foo` it complains I don't have python. So I run `nixshell nixpkgs#python` and try running `./foo` again.

Now it complains I didn't have asciidoc so I come out of the shell and edit the last command to add asciideoc by running `nix shell nixpkgs#python nixpkgs#asciidoc`. Now it works.

I exit my shell and change `nix shell nixpkgs#python nixpkgs#asciidoc` to `nix-shellify shell nixpkgs#python nixpkgs#asciidoc`. I do this by quickly extending `nix` to `nix-shellify` using tab completion. It then creates a `flake.nix` and `shell.nix` which I commit in git next to foo. Now I can just type `nix develop` and I have what I need to run foo. I can share and everybody else can quickly run foo too with the same environment. I can also go on to modify my nix files e.g. to run as an app or run an initialisation command when starting the shell.