Garn, a TypeScript-based Nix front end

  import * as garn from "https://garn.io/ts/v0.0.14/mod.ts";
  import * as pkgs from "https://garn.io/ts/v0.0.14/nixpkgs.ts";

  export const main: garn.Executable = garn.shell`${pkgs.jq}/bin/jq --version`;

But yeah, I completely agree with the sentiment here. This is a rather cumbersome syntax to support a use-case that we don't even have examples for. So clearly the normal usage shouldn't force you to use template strings.

Nix truly is a game changer, but the UX is not getting better in any meaningful way. I do think it will be a fantastic foundation for an abstraction layer on top.

Note: for anyone else trying Nix but bouncing off of it (especially flakes), Home Manager is where I'd recommend starting.

It lets you declaratively manage all your packages, home files, shell configs etc from inside a single text file, using Nix derivations. Without having to deal with much Nix language or its shell interface

Each time learning a little bit more.

Then just used nix-darwin as a Homebrew replacement for a while.

Then adopted Home Manager. Spent a day learning the Nix language, finally.

Tried flakes, couldn’t figure it out. Tried again later, cargo culting someone else’s config. Learnt the language again. Rewrote their config from scratch, from first principles, testing inside VMs.

This is where I’m at now. Don’t spend much time on it any more, just periodically add a package or tweak my config.

Works well enough for me now. And I basically never experience “everything broken after Homebrew update” any more.