nerox9 / nix-tutor

A Nix curriculum

Nix Tutor

This curriculum is an advanced and comprehensive guide for mastering the Nix ecosystem, leveraging project-based peer-learning. It's structured into several topics, each containing detailed projects. Every project must be completed as per the instructions in the subject.md document found in each project folder, along with any supplemental materials provided.

Curriculum Overview 🚀

The Nix Tutor curriculum is segmented into the following topics:

ID	Topic	Description
LT	Language and Tools	Master the Nix language and its diverse tooling.
OS	Operating System	Delve into NixOS, learning system configuration and management.
DR	Derivations	Gain proficiency in building programs with Nix.
FL	Flakes	Explore the innovative Nix tool called flakes.
NM	Nix Modules	Understand and create reusable Nix modules.
DP	Deployment Practices	Learn best practices for deploying applications using Nix.
CI	Continuous Integration	Integrate Nix with CI/CD pipelines for automated workflows.
EC	Ecosystem and Community	Engage with the Nix community and its ecosystem.

General Instructions 📌

• Every project may have prerequisites that must be fulfilled prior to submission.
• Project folders, acting as Git repositories, should contain a subject.md and essential materials.
• Completion is validated through peer review. Disagreements may lead to project rejection, requiring revision and re-evaluation.
• Completion is validated by the reviewer committing to the student's repository (either directly or through a fork and a PR) and changing the value in the file PASSING to yes.
• Projects might encompass multiple exercises, each contributing to the overall learning objectives.
• The use of AI tools such as ChatGPT is discouraged. Use forums, tutorials and documentation to gain the relevant information for best learning results.

Submission 🗳️

Submission instructions. Should be very similar for each project.

• Create a remote Git repository with the name name and commit all the project files including the subject.md.
• Commit a file called EVALS at the root of the repository. Replace with your name and email.

> cat -e EVALS
Firstname Lastname, <email>$

• Submitted files need to be on a branch called main.

Evaluation ⚖️

• Evaluations need to be conducted either in-person or via voice or video connection.
• Evaluator should make sure that the all the instructions are followed and all the requirements met outlined in the subject.
• If the evaluation passes, the evaluator will commit (either directly or via fork/PR) to the EVALS file in the student's repository by adding his/her name and email after the student's like so:

> cat -e EVALS
Firstname Lastname, <email>
---
Firstname Lastname, <email>$

Curriculum 🎓

00: Language and Tools

This module is a deep dive into Nix language fundamentals and tooling.

ID	Project	Prerequisites	Description
LT00	Expressions	None	Learn about Nix expressions and their evaluation processes.
LT01	Repl	LT00	Master the nix-repl for interactive Nix expression development.
LT02	Debugging	LT01	Techniques for debugging complex Nix expressions.
LT03	Advanced Tools	LT02	Explore advanced Nix tools for optimization and efficiency.

01: NixOS Operating System

Learn about building, configuring, and updating a NixOS system.

ID	Project	Prerequisites	Description
OS00	NixOS VM	None	Set up and configure a NixOS virtual machine.
OS01	Configuration	OS00	Develop a comprehensive NixOS configuration.
OS02	Packages	OS01	Manage and customize NixOS packages.
OS03	Programs	OS01	Configure and optimize programs in NixOS.
OS04	Services	OS02, OS03	Manage systemd services within NixOS.
OS05	Overlays	OS02, OS03	Utilize overlays for package modifications.
OS06	Kernel	OS05	Customize kernel configurations and apply patches.

02: Derivations

Focus on packaging software efficiently using Nix derivations.

ID	Project	Prerequisites	Description
DR00	Shell Script	None	Package a simple shell script with Nix.
DR01	C Program	DR00	Create a Nix package for a C program.
DR02	Built-in Derivation	DR01	Employ the built-in derivation function for packaging.
DR03	Tinychess	DR01	Package the program tinychess from Github.
DR04	Rust Program	DR03	Package a Rust application using rustPlatform.
DR05	Python Script	DR03	Develop a Nix package for a Python script.

03: Flakes

Explore the advanced features of Nix flakes for project and system management.

ID	Project	Prerequisites	Description
FL00	Simple Flake	DR00	Create a basic flake for a shell script package.
FL01	Package Tinychess	FL00	Develop a flake for packaging tinychess.
FL02	System Flake	FL00, OS01	Construct a NixOS system flake.
FL03	Multi-system Flake	FL02	Implement a flake suitable for multiple systems.

04: Nix Modules

This module focuses on understanding and creating reusable Nix modules, a key component for scalable and maintainable Nix configurations.

ID	Project	Prerequisites	Description
NM00	Basic Module	None	Introduction to Nix modules, their structure, and basic concepts.
NM01	Module Composition	NM01	Explore how to compose and reuse modules for various environments.
NM02	Advanced Module	NM02	Implement advanced module features like conditionals and assertions.

05: Deployment Practices

This topic covers best practices for deploying applications using Nix, emphasizing reliability, reproducibility, and efficiency.

ID	Project	Prerequisites	Description
DP00	Basic Deployment	None	Fundamental principles of deploying applications with Nix.
DP01	Reproducible Environment	DP00	Techniques to ensure environment reproducibility across deployments.
DP02	Efficient Deployment	DP01	Optimize deployments for performance and resource utilization.
DP03	Automated Deployment	DP02	Automate deployment processes using Nix tooling and scripts.

06: Continuous Integration

Integrating Nix with Continuous Integration (CI/CD) pipelines enhances automated testing and deployment workflows.

ID	Project	Prerequisites	Description
CI00	Basic CI	None	Learn how to integrate Nix with basic CI/CD pipelines.
CI01	CI Advanced Strategies	CI00	Implement advanced CI/CD strategies using Nix.
CI02	Pipeline Optimization	CI01	Optimize CI/CD pipelines for speed and reliability using Nix.
CI03	Multi-platform CI	CI02	Set up CI/CD pipelines for multi-platform builds with Nix.

07: Ecosystem and Community

Engage with the broader Nix community and explore its diverse ecosystem, including tools, libraries, and best practices.

ID	Project	Prerequisites	Description
EC00	Best Practices	None	Study and apply Nix best practices as recommended by the community.
EC01	Contribution to Nix	None	Contribute to the Nix community through projects, documentation, or code.

---

If you want to suggest an improvement, correction or clarification, please don't hesitate to file an issue or create a pull request!