buildRustCrate calls rustc directly, so there is no built-in equivalent of `cargo clippy`. The capLints doc already hints at the existing workaround — overriding the `rust` attribute with a wrapper script that sniffs argv for build_script_build and routes everything else to clippy-driver. That works because clippy-driver IS rustc internally (rustc_driver plus lint passes) and produces compatible rlibs and metadata, but the wrapper is fragile and every downstream reinvents it. Add a `useClippy` boolean (default false) that swaps the lib/bin/test compilation to clippy-driver while keeping plain rustc for build.rs — the same lib-vs-build-script split as extraRustcOptsForBuildRs, since build scripts are typically auto-generated and clippy noise there is not actionable. The clippy-driver binary comes from a new `clippy` parameter, auto-filled from pkgs.clippy by callPackage and overridable alongside `rust` for toolchain bundles that ship their own. Implemented by introducing a RUSTC_DRIVER shell variable in build-crate.nix that lib.sh's build_lib/build_bin consume; the build_script_build path in configure-crate.nix never sees it. Note that the default `capLints = "allow"` cap suppresses clippy lints along with everything else, so `useClippy` is usually paired with `capLints = "warn"` and `-W clippy::*`/`-D warnings` flags via extraRustcOpts. Documented in the manual. Test fixtures cover the three load-bearing properties: a denied clippy lint fails the build (proving clippy-driver ran), the default capLints silences clippy lints just like rustc lints, and an rlib emitted by clippy-driver is link-compatible with a plain-rustc dependent.
Nixpkgs is a collection of over 120,000 software packages that can be installed with the Nix package manager. It also implements NixOS, a purely-functional Linux distribution.
Manuals
- NixOS Manual - how to install, configure, and maintain a purely-functional Linux distribution
- Nixpkgs Manual - contributing to Nixpkgs and using programming-language-specific Nix expressions
- Nix Package Manager Manual - how to write Nix expressions (programs), and how to use Nix command line tools
Community
- Discourse Forum
- Matrix Chat
- Official wiki
- Community-maintained list of ways to get in touch (Discord, Telegram, IRC, etc.)
Other Project Repositories
The sources of all official Nix-related projects are in the NixOS organization on GitHub. Here are some of the main ones:
- Nix - the purely functional package manager
- NixOps - the tool to remotely deploy NixOS machines
- nixos-hardware - NixOS profiles to optimize settings for different hardware
- Nix RFCs - the formal process for making substantial changes to the community
- NixOS homepage - the NixOS.org website
- hydra - our continuous integration system
- NixOS Branding - NixOS branding
Continuous Integration and Distribution
Nixpkgs and NixOS are built and tested by our continuous integration system, Hydra.
- Continuous package builds for unstable/master
- Continuous package builds for the NixOS 25.11 release
- Tests for unstable/master
- Tests for the NixOS 25.11 release
Artifacts successfully built with Hydra are published to cache at https://cache.nixos.org/. When successful build and test criteria are met, the Nixpkgs expressions are distributed via Nix channels.
Contributing
Nixpkgs is among the most active projects on GitHub. While thousands of open issues and pull requests might seem like a lot at first, it helps to consider it in the context of the scope of the project. Nixpkgs describes how to build tens of thousands of pieces of software and implements a Linux distribution. The GitHub Insights page gives a sense of the project activity.
Community contributions are always welcome through GitHub Issues and Pull Requests.
For more information about contributing to the project, please visit the contributing page.
Donations
The infrastructure for NixOS and related projects is maintained by a nonprofit organization, the NixOS Foundation. To ensure the continuity and expansion of the NixOS infrastructure, we are looking for donations to our organization.
You can donate to the NixOS Foundation through SEPA bank transfers or by using Open Collective:
License
Nixpkgs is licensed under the MIT License.
Note
MIT license does not apply to the packages built by Nixpkgs, merely to the files in this repository (the Nix expressions, build scripts, NixOS modules, etc.). It also might not apply to patches included in Nixpkgs, which may be derivative works of the packages to which they apply. The aforementioned artifacts are all covered by the licenses of the respective packages.