https://github.com/zhaofengli/nix-homebrew
Homebrew installation manager for nix-darwin
https://github.com/zhaofengli/nix-homebrew
Last synced: 18 days ago
JSON representation
Homebrew installation manager for nix-darwin
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/zhaofengli/nix-homebrew
- Owner: zhaofengli
- License: mit
- Created: 2023-07-01T08:21:08.000Z (almost 2 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-03-29T20:34:06.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-04-12T00:13:26.733Z (18 days ago)
- Language: Nix
- Size: 70.3 KB
- Stars: 420
- Watchers: 6
- Forks: 25
- Open Issues: 27
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
- awesome-starred - zhaofengli/nix-homebrew - Homebrew installation manager for nix-darwin (Nix)
README
# nix-homebrew
`nix-homebrew` manages Homebrew installations on macOS using [nix-darwin](https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin).
It pins the Homebrew version and optionally allows for declarative specification of taps.
`nix-homebrew` only installs Homebrew itself and does not manage any package installed by it.
For declarative formula/cask management, use the [`homebrew.*` options](https://daiderd.com/nix-darwin/manual/index.html#opt-homebrew.enable) in nix-darwin which work well in tandem with `nix-homebrew`.
## Quick Start
First of all, you must have [nix-darwin](https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin) configured already.
Add the following to your Flake inputs:
```nix
{
inputs = {
nix-homebrew.url = "github:zhaofengli-wip/nix-homebrew";
# Optional: Declarative tap management
homebrew-core = {
url = "github:homebrew/homebrew-core";
flake = false;
};
homebrew-cask = {
url = "github:homebrew/homebrew-cask";
flake = false;
};
# (...)
};
}
```
### A. New Installation
If you haven't installed Homebrew before, use the following configuration:
```nix
{
output = { self, nixpkgs, darwin, nix-homebrew, homebrew-core, homebrew-cask, ... }: {
darwinConfigurations.macbook = {
# (...)
modules = [
nix-homebrew.darwinModules.nix-homebrew
{
nix-homebrew = {
# Install Homebrew under the default prefix
enable = true;
# Apple Silicon Only: Also install Homebrew under the default Intel prefix for Rosetta 2
enableRosetta = true;
# User owning the Homebrew prefix
user = "yourname";
# Optional: Declarative tap management
taps = {
"homebrew/homebrew-core" = homebrew-core;
"homebrew/homebrew-cask" = homebrew-cask;
};
# Optional: Enable fully-declarative tap management
#
# With mutableTaps disabled, taps can no longer be added imperatively with `brew tap`.
mutableTaps = false;
};
}
];
};
};
}
```
Once activated, a unified `brew` launcher will be created under `/run/current-system/sw/bin` that automatically selects the correct Homebrew prefix to use based on the architecture.
Run `arch -x86_64 brew` to install X86-64 packages through Rosetta 2.
With `nix-homebrew.mutableTaps = false`, taps can be removed by deleting the corresponding attribute in `nix-homebrew.taps` and activating the new configuration.
### B. Existing Homebrew Installation
If you've already installed Homebrew with the official script, you can let `nix-homebrew` automatically migrate it:
```nix
{
output = { self, darwin, nix-homebrew, ... }: {
darwinConfigurations.macbook = {
# (...)
modules = [
nix-homebrew.darwinModules.nix-homebrew
{
nix-homebrew = {
# Install Homebrew under the default prefix
enable = true;
# Apple Silicon Only: Also install Homebrew under the default Intel prefix for Rosetta 2
enableRosetta = true;
# User owning the Homebrew prefix
user = "yourname";
# Automatically migrate existing Homebrew installations
autoMigrate = true;
};
}
];
};
};
}
```
## Non-Standard Prefixes
Extra prefixes may be configured:
```nix
{
nix-homebrew.prefixes = {
"/some/prefix" = {
library = "/some/prefix/Library";
taps = {
# ...
};
};
};
}
```
Note that with a non-standard prefix, you will no longer be able to use most bottles (prebuilt packages).
## Declarative Taps
In Homebrew, the repo part of all taps always have `homebrew-` prepended.
- https://docs.brew.sh/Taps
- https://docs.brew.sh/Interesting-Taps-and-Forks
`brew tap /` makes a clone of the repository at `https://github.com//homebrew-` into `$(brew --repository)/Library/Taps`.
When declaring taps, please ensure to name the key as a unique folder starting with `homebrew-`, e.g.:
```diff
nix-homebrew.taps = {
- "mtslzr/marmaduke-chromium" = inputs.marmaduke-chromium;
+ "mtslzr/homebrew-marmaduke-chromium" = inputs.marmaduke-chromium;
```
The exact GitHub `/` should almost always work.