Build with Nix Env

You can set up a reproducible development environment using Nix. This approach ensures consistency across different development machines and simplifies dependency management.

Installing Nix

If you don't have Nix installed, install it with:

# Multi-user installation (recommended for Linux/macOS)
sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install) --daemon

# Single-user installation
sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install) --no-daemon

For more details, see the official Nix installation guide.

Setup with Nix Flakes

The project uses Nix Flakes for development environment management.

Enable Flakes

Add to ~/.config/nix/nix.conf (or /etc/nix/nix.conf):

experimental-features = nix-command flakes

Enter Development Shell

cd noir
nix develop

This will automatically set up Crystal, shards, and all dependencies.

Alternative: Using Docker with Nix

For a completely isolated environment, you can use Docker:

docker run -it --rm -v $(pwd):/workspace -w /workspace nixos/nix bash

Inside the container, activate the development environment:

nix develop

This will set up all the necessary dependencies and tools for developing Noir in an isolated, reproducible environment.

Updating Dependencies

When you update the shard.yml file (adding, removing, or updating dependencies), you must also regenerate the shards.nix file. This ensures that the Nix environment stays in sync with your project dependencies.

To update shards.nix after modifying shard.yml:

nix-shell -p crystal2nix --run crystal2nix

This command uses the crystal2nix tool to automatically generate the shards.nix file based on your shard.yml configuration.

Benefits

• Reproducibility: Same environment across all machines
• Isolation: No interference with system-wide dependencies
• Consistency: Ensures all team members use the same tool versions
• Easy Setup: Single command to get started

Next Steps

Once your Nix environment is set up, you can proceed with the standard build and test procedures.