# DeterminateSystems/nix-installer

Install Nix and flakes with the fast and reliable Determinate Nix Installer, with over 7 million installs.

Repository: https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-installer
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/nix-installer
Homepage: https://determinate.systems
Language: Rust
License: LGPL-2.1
License Family: copyleft
Topics: installer, nix, docker, linux, macos, podman, wsl, wsl2, fedora, ostree, selinux, silverblue
Last push: 2026-08-23T00:03:14+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 95/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:39:23.370411+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 86, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 1461, "days_push": 11, "days_rel": 12, "gap_med": 5, "n_releases_24m": 94}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 3677, forks 101 (observed 2026-08-28T04:08:13.641175+00:00)

## What it is
Determinate Nix Installer is a Rust-based CLI tool that installs Determinate Nix (or upstream Nix) reliably across macOS, Linux, WSL2, containers, and CI environments. It supports multi-user and root-only installs, clean uninstallation, and survives macOS upgrades.

## Use cases
- install nix on macos
- install nix on linux with flakes enabled
- set up nix in github actions ci
- install nix in a docker or podman container
- install nix on wsl2
- uninstall nix cleanly
- deploy nix across a fleet via mdm

## When to choose
- you want the most reliable, widely used Nix installer across many platforms
- you need Nix with flakes enabled by default
- you're setting up Nix in CI like GitHub Actions or GitLab
- you need SELinux, Steam Deck, or container support
- you want a clean one-command uninstall

## When to avoid
- you only want upstream Nix after January 2026 when that option is removed
- you're on NixOS, which manages Nix natively
- you need a graphical installer on macOS (use the Determinate macOS package instead)
- you require only fully upstream, vendor-neutral tooling

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: stable
- function: cli, developer-tools, deployment, package-manager, configuration-management
- domain: developer-tools
- platform: windows, cli, cross-platform
- tags: nix, nix-installer, flakes, wsl2, steam-deck, podman, selinux, rust, installer, devops, command-line, automation, linux, macos, docker

## Member repositories
- DeterminateSystems/nix-installer (main) score 95

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:13.641175+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T18:31:15.202802+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-installer (fetched 2026-08-28T04:08:13.641175+00:00, sha dde49f596519)
  - homepage: https://determinate.systems (fetched 2026-08-29T09:25:19.725261+00:00, sha b1f29d557505)
  - site_page: https://determinate.systems/solutions/mdm-installation (fetched 2026-08-29T09:25:19.735071+00:00, sha c9abf8631c28)
  - site_page: https://docs.determinate.systems (fetched 2026-08-29T09:25:19.737404+00:00, sha 633b0845a723)
  - site_page: https://determinate.systems/about (fetched 2026-08-29T09:25:19.739333+00:00, sha f06375ed425f)
  - site_page: https://docs.determinate.systems/getting-started (fetched 2026-08-29T09:25:19.741115+00:00, sha b1a0000b34e7)
  - registry_crates: https://crates.io/api/v1/crates/nix-installer (fetched 2026-08-29T09:25:19.746709+00:00, sha 990e2949752f)
  - site_page: https://determinate.systems/blog/changelog-determinate-nix-3-22-2 (fetched 2026-08-29T09:25:19.742951+00:00, sha 11aad4053703)
  - site_page: https://determinate.systems/blog/categories/changelog (fetched 2026-08-29T09:25:19.744850+00:00, sha b55b0675a9a9)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.