Exploring NixOS 23.05 'Stoat': A comprehensive look at the upgrades and new additions

NixOS 23.05, code-named "Stoat," has made its debut, bringing with it a range of updated components and exciting new features. Powered by the Linux 6.1 LTS kernel series, this release offers enhanced hardware support compared to its predecessor, which utilized the Linux 5.15 LTS kernel series. Notably, NixOS 23.05 introduces support for the latest GNOME 44 and KDE Plasma 5.27 LTS desktop environment series as the default options in live environments.

Additionally, the Cinnamon 5.6 desktop environment is now available for installation on NixOS 23.05, further expanding the choices for users. The release also features systemd 253.1 as the default init system, and users are advised to employ "nixos-rebuild boot and reboot" in specific scenarios instead of "nixos-rebuild switch."

Among the new services included in NixOS 23.05 are the hyprland dynamic tiling Wayland compositor, the gmediarender headless UPnP/DLNA renderer, and the Budgie desktop environment. Furthermore, the nixos-rebuild tool has been enhanced with a "--specialisation" option, allowing users to modify specialization in switch and test commands. The Python implementation has also been updated in accordance with PEP 668, providing more informative feedback when executing "pip install" system-wide.

NixOS 23.05 brings several improvements under the hood as well. The release enables the boot.bootspec.enable internal option by default and constructs the libxcrypt password hashing library without support for non-strong algorithms. Furthermore, NixOS 23.05 offers users the option to install the elementary OS Pantheon desktop environment, utilizing Mutter 43 and gnome-settings-daemon 43 as the default components.

The release is available in three editions: GNOME, KDE Plasma, and Minimal, catering to 64-bit, AArch64 (ARM64), and 32-bit architectures. Support for NixOS 23.05 will be provided until the end of December 2023, ensuring users have ample time to make the most of the new release and plan their future upgrades accordingly.