# Preferred way to install Nix packages? **URL:** \ **Category:** Bluefin\ **Created:** [March 3, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736 "2024-03-03T14:38:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pauldoo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/universal-blue.discourse.group/pauldoo/32/892_2.png) [@pauldoo](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/u/pauldoo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736/1 "2024-03-03T14:38:15Z")
What is the preferred way to get Nix packages working on Bluefin? I believe the Determinate Systems installer works, but I wonder if there’s another approach I should consider. Is it pre-included in any of the ublue images that I’ve missed? ( I see that brew is pre-included… ) ---
**Author:** ![Red](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/universal-blue.discourse.group/red/32/878_2.png) [@Red](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/u/Red)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2024, 2:52pm UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736/2 "2024-03-03T14:52:39Z")
I used determinate systems installer, then setup fleek for a bit easier setup, might decide to eject fleek later on. It will be nice if the justfile contains a prebuild setup of nix that can setup these things at once. ---
**Author:** ![pauldoo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/universal-blue.discourse.group/pauldoo/32/892_2.png) [@pauldoo](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/u/pauldoo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 9:59pm UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736/3 "2024-03-11T21:59:51Z")
I got round to attempting to use the Determinate Systems installer today, but unfortunately it wasn’t 100% successful for me. I think most of the installation is there, but hooks into my shell weren’t configured properly. I created an item on their issue tracker: [Installer emits a warning when installing on Bluefin, and doesn’t configure shell hooks #889](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-installer/issues/889) Sharing here incase anyone from the Bluefin side has any insight, or runs into the same problem. ---
**Author:** ![BlueBox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BlueBox](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/u/BlueBox)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 1:56am UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736/4 "2024-06-18T01:56:28Z")
(Silverblue user) As far as I’ve seen, the Determinate Systems Installer has been the only straightforward way to have a Nix setup on an OSTree system. ~~It would be nice to have official support, but I don’t imagine there’s enough demand from the Bluefin userbase.~~ Just saw that [support was removed due to SELinux issues](https://github.com/ublue-os/bluefin/pull/925). Although, it may be more on Nix to have OSTree supported in their official installer. ---
**Author:** ![storopoli](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/universal-blue.discourse.group/storopoli/32/1674_2.png) [@storopoli](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/u/storopoli)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 9:20am UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736/5 "2024-06-18T09:20:06Z")
Nix install using determinate systems works still flawless for me and my current nix setup is still fully operational. ---
**Author:** ![stego](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/universal-blue.discourse.group/stego/32/866_2.png) [@stego](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/u/stego)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736/6 "2024-06-25T16:28:36Z")
I’m following this thread with interest. How do you install [the determinate platform](https://install.determinate.systems/)? Do you install the nix package manager on the host in your home directory? Or do you install it into a distrobox? Or something else? I haven’t used the nix package manager before, but I’m curious about it. ---
**Author:** ![storopoli](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/universal-blue.discourse.group/storopoli/32/1674_2.png) [@storopoli](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/u/storopoli)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 4:44pm UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736/7 "2024-06-25T16:44:56Z")
Just do in your terminal: ```bash curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -L \ https://install.determinate.systems/nix | sh -s -- install ``` it should work. ---
**Author:** ![stego](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/universal-blue.discourse.group/stego/32/866_2.png) [@stego](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/u/stego)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 5:33am UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736/8 "2024-06-26T05:33:44Z")
> [@storopoli](#): > > Just do in your terminal: Thanks. In which directory are the packages installed? ---
**Author:** ![storopoli](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/universal-blue.discourse.group/storopoli/32/1674_2.png) [@storopoli](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/u/storopoli)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 7:55am UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736/9 "2024-06-26T07:55:41Z")
In the `/nix/store`. If you are not familiar with Nix, I’d highly recommend to check [https://nix.dev](https://nix.dev) ---
**Author:** ![stego](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/universal-blue.discourse.group/stego/32/866_2.png) [@stego](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/u/stego)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 4:46pm UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736/10 "2024-06-26T16:46:32Z")
> [@storopoli](#): > > In the `/nix/store`. Which means that it modifies the directory tree at file system root. This is fine from a technical perspective, but I wonder if I could choose another location, because Bluefin has a very clean `/` directory. Do you think there will be any problems if I move `/nix/store/` to `/var/local/nix/store` and create a symlink `/nix -> /var/local/nix`? Or is there some other way to specify an installation directory? ---
**Author:** ![storopoli](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/universal-blue.discourse.group/storopoli/32/1674_2.png) [@storopoli](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/u/storopoli)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2024, 5:01pm UTC](https://universal-blue.discourse.group/t/preferred-way-to-install-nix-packages/736/11 "2024-06-26T17:01:02Z")
Yes, you can specify a bunch of options. Please check the repo [GitHub - DeterminateSystems/nix-installer: Install Nix and flakes with the fast and reliable Determinate Nix Installer, with over 2 million installs.](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-installer) and open an issue if necessary. I just replied to you saying what I did and, for my use case, it works. All the `nix` commands works, flakes, etc. I just copy pasted (of course verifying first) the thing into my terminal. Now if you are worried about other things, you should maybe use nix in a distrobox or find other solutions.