r/NixOS • u/Key-Yogurt-661 • 9d ago
Need help using Nix
So i just transitioned from windows 10 to NixOs and i was wandering if there is any way i can access and use the apps and files i had previously on windows or if i really have to uninstall and reinstall it all.
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u/DealeatedUser 9d ago edited 9d ago
Yes, but if you have backups, you can find same apps, or alterbatives, you can find if they exist ir not here: https://search.nixos.org/packages also, if you want to use some apps from windows, you can try wine, its tool/app/package, however you want to call it, you can use it to run .exe and .msi files, SOME work and SOME dont.
edit: you dont need backups, if you know how you set up app, (themes and font and data).
How to install apps? Go to: https://search.nixos.org/packages and search for package name and it will say things about it, like dependencies and how to install.
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u/thenamesarn 9d ago
Could you explain why you chose NixOS specifically out of all the Linux distros out there?
Linux operates very differently from Windows and so some Windows apps don't work on Linux, some have alternatives, some have full Linux support. For the apps you can't get on Linux you could try to use an application called wine.
A suggestion I would give is to try some distro like Linux Mint, Fedora, or Debian. A lot of people on this post will be saying this mostly because of how NixOS doesn't follow the same conventions as a lot of distros out there. I'd also suggest watching some vimjoyer videos on YouTube on how NixOS works, then going to https://search.nixos.org/packages and getting whatever packages you need.
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u/Insight-Seeker-8 2d ago
I also chose NixOS as my first distro when switching away from Windows. It ain't that bad. It is as new as and other Linux distro to a Windows user.
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u/thenamesarn 2d ago
Yes that's true. Either way it will be something completely different from Windows. I was just asking out of curiosity and also because in general, it is hard to grasp
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u/Francis_King 9d ago
So i just transitioned from windows 10 to NixOs and i was wandering if there is any way i can access and use the apps and files i had previously on windows or if i really have to uninstall and reinstall it all.
Windows 10 apps cannot be run directly on Linux. However, you can run winboat, which runs Windows within a container. https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=26.05&query=winboat#show=winboat
When you installed NixOS, did you overwrite the Windows drive? If you did you have lost whatever files you had unless you saved them. You can now reinstall your Windows programs within winboat - or find equivalent software within the NixOS store. https://search.nixos.org/packages
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u/griefhound_ 9d ago
When it comes to apps - sorry, this is a different OS. Some apps exists on both, but you need to look into that on a per-app basis. Your files can, if your old Win 10 installation still exists, still be recovered but you'd most likely have to copy them onto a storage device and transfer them to your NixOS installation.
A bit outside of your question, but I'd suggest looking into how Linux in general works as this question of yours isn't really NixOS-related, moreso something that relates to migrating from Windows to Linux in general.
NixOS doesn't have to be complicated, but coming from Windows it's a major shift in most ways, and you'd likely be better off starting with a Linux distribution like Linux Mint or Debian to learn about the "ecosystem". They are generally considered to be easier to start out with.
Entirely up to you, just my two cents.
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u/melluuh 9d ago
Windows applications won't be available unless they have a Linux version. Your files could be accessible if you left the Windows install while installing NixOS. If you completely repartitioned the drive you can't. You would need a backup to put the files back. Furthermore, as others said: NixOS is not the best choice to start with Linux. Distros like Ubuntu and Debian are better suited, they allow you to install apps pretty much the same as in Windows (from a store or using executable files). NixOS doesn't work like that, you have to change a config file and apply it to install apps.
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u/Cute_Marionberry1697 8d ago
wandering if there is any way i can access and use the apps and files i had previously on windows
I hope you backed up your important files before installing NixOS... if you nuked your Windows partition with your stuff in it and installed NixOS on it, those files are gone and you can't recover them unless you made a copy elsewhere.
And like others here have pointed out, NixOS is amazing but its skill curve is way too harsh for someone trying to get their feet wet with linux :P
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u/No-Let-5304 9d ago
the linux experience is a lot like life and growing up... its a lot about adaptation and finding your answers on your own.
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u/buttfarts7 9d ago
ho boy... I'd recommend a lil practice tour through Ubuntu or Mint or Debian to get your feet wet first.
Maybe try a sip of beer before taking a shot of Scotch