# Nix and Dagger

Whenever I do a presentation or demo about Dagger, people always seem to notice two things:

- which flavor of Neovim I use
- and the fact that I use Nix alongside Dagger

Seeing Nix and Dagger being used together is often surprising to people because they aim to
solve similar challenges in the context of software development, but they actually work quite well together.

## What is Nix?

Nix is a powerful tool that brings a unique perspective to the world of software deployment and package management.
At its core, Nix is four things:

1. A functional programming language
2. A build system
3. A package manager
4. A Linux operating system

At first glance, Nix can appear somewhat intimidating. The depth and breadth of its functionality,
from its functional programming language to the complete Linux operating system, might seem like a lot to take on.
However, the beauty of Nix is that it doesn't demand an all-or-nothing commitment.
It's entirely possible to adopt elements of the Nix ecosystem selectively, tailored to your specific use case.
This is particularly true when considering Nix for development environments.

As a package manager, Nix is an excellent tool for creating these environments.
It manages the software dependencies across your local development machine, CI servers, staging, and even production,
ensuring that they all have the exact same versions of the necessary software packages.
Unlike other package managers, Nix supports macOS in addition to Linux-based operating systems,
making Nix an optimal solution for development environments that require cross-operating system support.

For users who find Nix challenging to learn or are hesitant about investing time in mastering a new language, there's good news:
you don't have to learn the Nix language to configure your development environments.
Tools like [devenv](https://devenv.sh/) are available that allow you to work with Nix without directly dealing with the language itself.
These tools let you specify your environment configuration in a format you're already familiar with, such as YAML.

In conclusion, while Nix may present a steep learning curve initially,
its effectiveness as a solution for crafting robust development environments is well-established and recognized.
Additionally, the advent of user-friendly tools designed to simplify Nix usage is facilitating its adoption among a wider range of users.
Consequently, the power of Nix is progressively becoming accessible to more individuals,
reinforcing its reputation as a formidable tool in the software development toolkit.

If you're looking to dive deeper into Nix, there's an array of learning materials and tools at your disposal:

- official [Nix manual](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/): comprehensive documentation about the Nix package manager
- [Nix Pills](https://nixos.org/guides/nix-pills/): bite-sized lessons to gradually understand the Nix ecosystem
- [Nix by Example](https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Nix_by_Example): a beginner-friendly, interactive tutorial that walks you through real-world examples
- [Zero to Nix](https://zero-to-nix.com/): a website dedicated to getting you started with Nix from scratch, with a focus on practical examples

The [Nix subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/NixOS/) and [Nix community on Discourse](https://discourse.nixos.org/) can also be invaluable for asking questions and learning from experienced users.

Remember, like any new language or tool, proficiency with Nix comes with time and practice.
Embrace the journey and enjoy the learning process.

## What is Dagger?

TODO: either explain what Dagger is OR explain how it approaches the portable development environment challenge.

## Similarities

Both Nix and Dagger share a common goal: portable developer tooling.
They aim to ensure developers have the same tools and dependencies across different environments—be it development, CI, or production.
This level of consistency not only eliminates 'it works on my machine' issues but also promotes a smoother,
more reliable software development process.

Nix and Dagger embrace different strategies to realize this goal, but they essentially offer the same benefits:
ensuring consistent environments and promoting a more streamlined software engineering pipeline.

## Differences

Nix excels in creating reproducible development, build, and deployment environments,
contributing to all stages of the software engineering pipeline.
From local development machines to production servers, Nix can manage all software dependencies consistently,
ensuring that your code runs exactly as intended, regardless of where it's deployed.

Dagger, on the other hand, shines in build pipelines.
It allows users to write their pipelines in code and then run them anywhere.

This isn't to say that Dagger falls short in creating a reproducible environment, but Nix offers a more seamless strategy for this purpose.
On the other hand, while Nix excels in its own areas, it isn't ideally tailored for constructing traditional CI/CD pipelines.

## Combining the two

While Nix and Dagger each have their respective strengths,
they can also complement each other for an even more robust software engineering pipeline.
The portability of Nix, combined with the declarative nature of Dagger, can create a harmonized, reliable, and efficient development process.

For instance, you could use Nix to manage software dependencies across your development environments, including Dagger itself.
Simultaneously, you could use Dagger to define your build pipelines and maintain consistency during the build process.
This way, you leverage the best of both tools, ultimately creating an environment that offers high reliability,
minimizes errors, and enhances Developer Experience (DX).

In conclusion, while Nix and Dagger take different approaches to portable developer tooling, they both share a common goal:
to improve the reliability and consistency of the software engineering pipeline.
By leveraging the strengths of each tool and using them in tandem, you can create a robust, efficient,
and transparent software development process.