There’s purity of design/implementation and there’s usage. Often these are inversely related.

I like nix - it’s probably the right direction, but just compare the UX to Docker. Comparatively Docker absolutely nailed it.

In many ways I agree with you.

Just like Visual Basic 6, it's super-easy to get started with a Dockerfile, but nigh-on impossible to create a quality result with it.

There are similarities in the implementation as well, specifically around content addressable storage and layers.

Nix needs reproducible builds as well, which is a limiting factor. What’s nice about Docker is that it’s flexible enough to actually get stuff done.

> Nix needs reproducible builds as well, which is a limiting factor.

It doesn't have to be, Nix lets you choose your level of purity and it can build docker containers.

There are a variety of "overlays" springing up for Nix that might become what docker did for lxc containers:

- devenv

- devbox

- others i'm forgetting