Consider creating Nix Derivation

[Gau-thier]

Hi!

First of all, thanks for this great alternative to docker (especially with the new docker pricing on macOS!), this is working great (for my basic use case)! 🙏🏻

Thanks to nix in my actual project I provide docker and docker-compose to avoid installing Docker desktop on our mac laptops, but we still need to brew install colima. It would be great to also provide colima in our nix-shell!

I tried (and looks like for my basic docker-compose.yaml it is working great) to create by myself the derivation (on my laptop).

Hence, I am wondering if you already consider creating a nix derivation to make colima available on nixpkgs?

Thanks again!

[abiosoft]

@gsebil08 Thanks for the kind words and glad it works for you.

I actually do not know much about Nix and if I may ask, what does Nix offer?

Is this in anyway related to what you're looking for #79?

And if you do know how to go about it, contributions are always welcome.

[dhess]

@gsebil08 I created a derivation that we use. I keep this reasonably up to date:

https://github.com/hackworthltd/hacknix/blob/main/nix/pkgs/colima/default.nix

However, IMO, you should probably make a packaging request on nixpkgs, rather than here.

[Gau-thier]

@dhess thanks for the answer, I got something more "basic" on my side. It looks like I am not the only one who would like to have such a thing 😄.

@abiosoft Quickly, Nix is a "package manager" (Serokell recently published this interesting article).
On my side, I just provide a nix-shell (which is just an other shell) with all necessary tools (docker, stack, fluxctl, jmeter, etc.) and allow every newcomer or new contributor to easily (only need to install nix) have a perfectly working and ready work environment.

@dhess From my point of view, I think it is more accurate/reliable to ask to the current author/owner of a library to manage the nix part. Like that, when a new release is published, they can create the request on nixpkgs instead of relying on fans like us 😄

@abiosoft I would be honored to help you to create the initial package on Nix! But my knowledges are really limited since I am a "basic user" of both colima and nix I do not feel legitimate to do it.

In a first time, I can provide you a sandbox repository, in which one nix and the colima package will be available (and of course with documentation to explain), this will allow you to test if everything is working well (because I only have a basic usage).
Then if you validate this, we could see together to create the packaging request/suggestion on nixpkgs.

Anyway, thanks for your quick answer, I really appreciate!

[abiosoft]

I guess this is now fixed with #89.