NixOS

at Chemnitzer Linuxtage 2025

In Chemnitz - European Capital of Culture 2025

Reproducible. Declarative. Reliable.

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Chemnitz 2025

European Capital of Culture

Join us in celebrating Chemnitz as the European Capital of Culture 2025! The city's industrial heritage and modern technological innovation make it the perfect backdrop for our NixOS exhibition.

Our stand at Chemnitzer Linuxtage connects the reproducible nature of NixOS with Chemnitz's theme of "C the Unseen" - revealing the hidden potential of both the city and modern Linux distributions.

Learn about Chemnitz 2025
Chemnitz Theaterplatz at Night
Theaterplatz at Night, Chemnitz

About NixOS

The purely functional Linux distribution

Reproducible

NixOS builds packages in isolation from each other. This ensures that they are reproducible and don't have undeclared dependencies.

Declarative

Express your entire system configuration in Nix language, making it easy to replicate and share configurations.

Reliable

Atomic upgrades and rollbacks make your system reliable. If a new configuration doesn't work, you can always roll back.

The Nix Store

The Nix store is where Nix keeps all of its packages. Each package is stored in a directory with a name that includes a cryptographic hash of all inputs used to build it.

This unique approach ensures:

  • Multiple versions of packages can coexist
  • Dependencies are explicitly tracked
  • Builds are reproducible
  • Garbage collection of unused packages
Learn More
terminal

$ ls -la /nix/store | head

drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 264 Mar 21 10:23 .

drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 96 Mar 21 10:23 ..

-r--r--r-- 1 root root 1825 Jan 1 1970 0i2jd68mp5v58fbz6x7k7r2kvcwc4pf2-glibc-2.37-8

-r--r--r-- 1 root root 1782 Jan 1 1970 0ifcw2yzhjpx8ijsnxg6rl1qvcwrr8qv-libxcb-1.15

$ nix-store --query --references /nix/store/d74f8z9a1j7ylk1xjk4as3cwny9xrwsc-firefox-115.6.0

/nix/store/9df65igwjmf8wbqf6j2vzxf8zif5dh8f-glibc-2.37-8

/nix/store/dsd5gz46hdbdk2rfdimqddhq6m8m8fqs-gtk+-3.24.38

$ _

The Nix Language

The Nix language is a pure, lazy, functional language designed specifically for package management. It allows you to describe packages and their dependencies in a declarative way.

Key features include:

  • Lazy evaluation
  • Pure functions
  • Built-in support for paths
  • Powerful string interpolation
Explore the Language
configuration.nix
{ config, pkgs, ... }:

{
  # System packages
  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
    vim
    git
    firefox
    vscode
  ];

  # Enable some services
  services.xserver = {
    enable = true;
    displayManager.gdm.enable = true;
    desktopManager.gnome.enable = true;
  };

  # User configuration
  users.users.demo = {
    isNormalUser = true;
    extraGroups = [ "wheel" "networkmanager" ];
    packages = with pkgs; [
      thunderbird
      libreoffice
    ];
  };
}

NixOS MicroVMs

NixOS MicroVMs provide lightweight, isolated virtual machines that start in seconds. They're perfect for development environments, testing, and running services in isolation.

Benefits include:

  • Fast startup times
  • Minimal resource overhead
  • Declarative configuration
  • Secure isolation
Explore MicroVMs
Host NixOS System
Web Server
Database
Dev Environment

Event Schedule

Join us for exciting talks and workshops

10:00 - 11:00

Introduction to NixOS

by Julia Schmidt

A beginner-friendly introduction to NixOS and its core concepts, with examples of how NixOS is used in Chemnitz's tech community.

Beginners Hörsaal 1
11:30 - 12:30

The Nix Language Deep Dive

by Thomas Weber

Explore the Nix language features and learn how to write efficient expressions.

Intermediate Hörsaal 2
13:30 - 14:30

Hands-on Workshop: Your First NixOS Configuration

by Maria Müller

Bring your laptop and learn how to set up and configure NixOS from scratch.

Workshop Seminarraum 3
15:00 - 16:00

NixOS in Production: Case Studies

by Robert Fischer

Real-world examples of organizations using NixOS in production environments.

Advanced Hörsaal 1
16:30 - 17:30

Panel Discussion: The Future of NixOS

with Community Leaders

Join core contributors to discuss upcoming features and the roadmap for NixOS.

Panel Audimax
10:00 - 11:00

NixOS MicroVMs: Lightweight Virtualization

by Andreas Bauer

Learn how to set up and manage lightweight virtual machines with NixOS, with a special focus on applications for Chemnitz's industrial automation sector.

Intermediate Hörsaal 2
11:30 - 12:30

Nix Flakes: The Future of Reproducible Development

by Sophia Krause

Discover how Nix Flakes improve reproducibility and dependency management.

Advanced Hörsaal 1
13:30 - 14:30

Workshop: Creating Custom NixOS Modules

by David Hoffmann

Learn how to create reusable NixOS modules to extend system functionality.

Workshop Seminarraum 3
15:00 - 16:00

NixOS for DevOps: Infrastructure as Code

by Lisa Wagner

How to use NixOS to create reproducible infrastructure deployments.

Intermediate Hörsaal 2
16:30 - 17:30

Closing Keynote: NixOS and Chemnitz - Innovation Through Reproducibility

by Prof. Dr. Martin Schulz, TU Chemnitz

A look at the growing ecosystem around NixOS and how it aligns with Chemnitz's industrial heritage and future as a hub for technological innovation.

Keynote Audimax

Resources

Helpful links for beginners and experts

For Beginners

For Experts

Visit Our Stand

Come say hello at Chemnitzer Linuxtage 2025

Stand Information

Stand #42, Zentrales Hörsaal- und Seminar-Gebäude

March 15-16, 2025

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

nixos@chemnitzer-linuxtage.de

Connect With Us

Venue Location

Zentrales Hörsaal- und Seminar-Gebäude
Technische Universität Chemnitz
Reichenhainer Straße 90
09126 Chemnitz, Germany

GPS: 50°48'48.931" N, 12°55'47.154" O

You found a secret!

The Konami Code works everywhere, even in NixOS!

{ config, pkgs, ... }:
{
  nixpkgs.config.allowUnfree = true;
  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [ 
    retroarch 
  ];
}

❄️ Nix Flake Secret! ❄️

You've discovered the power of Nix Flakes!

nix run nixpkgs#cowsay -- "Moo, I'm a reproducible cow!"

Terminal Wizard!

You've unlocked the secret NixOS command:

$ sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#secret

building the system configuration...

🎉 Congratulations! You've activated developer mode! 🎉