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Nix Setup ​

Fedimint uses Nix for building, CI, and managing the development environment.

TIP

Only Nix (the language & package manager) is needed. You do not need to install NixOS (the Linux distribution). Nix can be installed on most Linux distributions and macOS.

While it is technically possible to develop without Nix, it is highly recommended as it ensures a consistent and reproducible environment for all developers, matching the CI environment.

Install Nix ​

You have two main options to install Nix:

This is a modern, opinionated installer that sets up everything ensuring a smooth experience.

Determinate Systems Nix Installer

Option 2. The Official Installer ​

Download Nix / NixOS

After installation, verify it:

bash
nix --version
# Example output: nix (Nix) 2.18.1

Enable Flakes ​

If you used the Determinate Nix Installer, flakes are likely already enabled.

If you used the Official Installer, you may need to enable flakes manually. Edit ~/.config/nix/nix.conf or /etc/nix/nix.conf and add:

ini
experimental-features = nix-command flakes

If you encounter issues, don't forget to restart the nix-daemon.

Development Shell ​

Once Nix is set up, you can enter the project's development environment.

bash
nix develop

This command will download all necessary dependencies and tools (Rust, Node.js, etc.) and drop you into a shell where they are available in your path.

INFO

The first time you run nix develop, it may take a significant amount of time to download and cache all dependencies. Subsequent runs will be instant.

Using a Custom Shell ​

By default nix develop uses a bash shell. If you prefer to use your own shell (like zsh or fish), you can run:

bash
nix develop -c zsh

Note: All development commands (building, testing, generating code) should be run inside this nix develop shell to ensure you are using the correct versions of all tools.