Introducing Garuda Nix, a new NixOS-based Linux distribution with the Garuda look and feel

Garuda Linux has officially launched Garuda Nix, transforming what began as a subsystem experiment into a full-fledged NixOS-based distribution. Previously known as the “Garuda Nix Subsystem”, which allowed dual-booting NixOS alongside Garuda Linux via partition subvolumes, the project has now evolved to support standalone NixOS installations. Users can install either the “Mokka” or “Dr460nized” editions through the familiar Calamares graphical installer or via an install-garuda-nix command-line interface, bringing Garuda's signature opinionated settings to NixOS's declarative architecture.

The new release ships with several user-friendly features designed to lower the barrier to entry for NixOS newcomers. These include Chaotic Nyx, Nix's counterpart to the popular Chaotic-AUR, out of the box, along with pre-configured flake setups in /etc/nixos and Garuda-style garuda-* module presets. A standout feature accessible through the CLI is Impermanence support, which wipes non-persisted data on every reboot using either BTRFS snapshots or tmpfs mounting, implementing the immutable infrastructure concept that Garuda's own infrastructure reportedly uses. Daily ISO builds are currently available through Garuda's CI pipeline for early adopters eager to test the distribution.

For those interested in experimenting with NixOS's unique approach to system management, Garuda Nix offers a familiar entry point while preserving the power users expect from the Nix ecosystem. While the developer notes the declarative nature may not suit everyone, they emphasize that once users embrace the paradigm shift, “there is no going back”.