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Separating flake inputs in multiple files (lemmy.blahaj.zone)

submitted 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) by claymorwan@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/nix@programming.dev

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I'm starting to have a lot of flake inputs in my flake.nix file, and it's starting to get really cluttered. I'm wondering if there's a way to separate my inputs into multiple files so it looks cleaner. I've tried to look it up but couldn't really find anything abt it

Edit: Well as it turns out it's not something possible yet, apparently the flake.nix file isn't parsed like regular nix files and doesn't support stuff like import

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[–] algernon@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The way I solved this problem is that I write my flake.nix in a literate-programming style using Org Roam. I have a code block that tangles out into out/flake.nix, which has a <<flake-inputs>> placeholder. I can have any number of code blocks, in any number of Org files that all reference flake-inputs. Thus, my inputs are near other code (& documentation) that uses them, split across dozens of files.

The downside is that you no longer write Nix directly, but have to tangle it out.

[–] claymorwan@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

first time im earing of Org Roam, but i think i kinda understand, do ya got a repo where i can see how u did it im kinda interested

[–] algernon@lemmy.ml 2 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Here's one for my infra, and my first attempt, for my desktop. The latter will eventually merge into the former.

[–] claymorwan@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

o thanks, i'll take a closer look but for what i've seen so far it kinda looks complex I also flake-part mentioned in some of the commits,i remember seeing it a few times and apparently it can modularize flakes or sum like that, can it modularize inputs too outta curiosity

[–] algernon@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

It's complex, because it does a lot of things, and it evolved over the past few years. The basics are very, very simple:

#+begin_src nix :tangle out/flake.nix :noweb no-export :noweb-prefix no :mkdirp t
{
  inputs = {
    <<flake-inputs>>
  };

  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, ... }@inputs: {
    <<flake-outputs>>
  };
}
#+end_src

In some other file, you can then do:

#+begin_src nix :noweb-ref flake-inputs
nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-25.11";
#+end_src

And voila, you now have:

{
  inputs = {
    nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-25.11";
  };

  // ...rest of the flake
}

How you organize your org documents, is entirely up to you. The trick is that this lets you split it up as you see fit, and you are no longer restricted by what the language or any framework built on top of it can provide.

[–] claymorwan@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 weeks ago

o yea now i see better how it works, all i gotta do is learn some emacs stuff and then i should be able to do it, thanks a lot!