Cleaner interface for Nix operations — builds, switches, and garbage collection with readable output.
Switching Configuration
Build and activate a configuration:
nh os switch path:. # NixOS — build and activate
nh os test path:. # Build and test (rollback after timeout)
nh os build path:. # Build only, don't activate
nh os boot path:. # Make it the boot default without activating
Home Manager:
nh home switch path:. # Build and activate Home Manager config
nh home build path:. # Build only
macOS with nix-darwin:
nh darwin switch path:. # Build and activate darwin config
Path inference works — nh os switch uses the local flake.nix in the current directory. Prefix remote paths with path: to include untracked files.
Maintenance & Cleanup
Clean the Nix store and old generations:
nh clean all --keep-since 7d # Remove profiles older than 7 days
nh clean user --keep 5 # Keep last 5 user profiles
nh clean all # Full garbage collection
Searching & Updating
Search available packages:
nh search ripgrep # Search by name or description
Update flake inputs before building:
nh os switch --update path:. # Update inputs, then build and switch
Common Options
--dry— show what would happen without making changes--ask— ask for confirmation (avoid in headless/automated scripts)