---
name: "nix-env"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "nix-bin"
version: "2.26.3+dfsg-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/nix-env"
---

# nix-env(1)

manipulate or query Nix user environments

## Name

`nix-env` - manipulate or query Nix user environments

## Synopsis

`nix-env` *operation* \[*options*\] \[*arguments…*\] \[`--option` *name* *value*\] \[`--arg` *name* *value*\] \[`--argstr` *name* *value*\] \[{`--file` \| `-f`} *path*\] \[{`--profile` \| `-p`} *path*\] \[`--system-filter` *system*\] \[`--dry-run`\]

## Description

The command `nix-env` is used to manipulate Nix user environments. User environments are sets of software packages available to a user at some point in time. In other words, they are a synthesised view of the programs available in the Nix store. There may be many user environments: different users can have different environments, and individual users can switch between different environments.

`nix-env` takes exactly one *operation* flag which indicates the subcommand to be performed. The following operations are available:

- •

  `--install` ⟨./nix-env/install.md⟩

- •

  `--upgrade` ⟨./nix-env/upgrade.md⟩

- •

  `--uninstall` ⟨./nix-env/uninstall.md⟩

- •

  `--set` ⟨./nix-env/set.md⟩

- •

  `--set-flag` ⟨./nix-env/set-flag.md⟩

- •

  `--query` ⟨./nix-env/query.md⟩

- •

  `--switch-profile` ⟨./nix-env/switch-profile.md⟩

- •

  `--list-generations` ⟨./nix-env/list-generations.md⟩

- •

  `--delete-generations` ⟨./nix-env/delete-generations.md⟩

- •

  `--switch-generation` ⟨./nix-env/switch-generation.md⟩

- •

  `--rollback` ⟨./nix-env/rollback.md⟩

These pages can be viewed offline:

- •

  `man nix-env-<operation>`.

-

  Example: `man nix-env-install`

- •

  `nix-env --help --<operation>`

-

  Example: `nix-env --help --install`

## Package sources

`nix-env` can obtain packages from multiple sources:

- •

  An attribute set of derivations from:

  - •

    The default Nix expression ⟨@docroot@/command-ref/files/default-nix-expression.md⟩ (by default)

  - •

    A Nix file, specified via `--file`

  - •

    A profile ⟨@docroot@/command-ref/files/profiles.md⟩\\c , specified via `--from-profile`

  - •

    A Nix expression that is a function which takes default expression as argument, specified via `--from-expression`

- •

  A store path ⟨@docroot@/store/store-path.md⟩

## Selectors

Several operations, such as `nix-env --query` ⟨./nix-env/query.md⟩ and `nix-env --install` ⟨./nix-env/install.md⟩\\c , take a list of *arguments* that specify the packages on which to operate.

Packages are identified based on a `name` part and a `version` part of a symbolic derivation name ⟨@docroot@/language/derivations.md#attr-name⟩\\c :

- •

  `name`: Everything up to but not including the first dash (`-`) that is *not* followed by a letter.

- •

  `version`: The rest, excluding the separating dash.

  **Example**

  `nix-env` parses the symbolic derivation name `apache-httpd-2.0.48` as:

  ```
  {
    "name": "apache-httpd",
    "version": "2.0.48"
  }
  ```

  **Example**

  `nix-env` parses the symbolic derivation name `firefox.*` as:

  ```
  {
    "name": "firefox.*",
    "version": ""
  }
  ```

The `name` parts of the *arguments* to `nix-env` are treated as extended regular expressions and matched against the `name` parts of derivation names in the package source. The match is case-sensitive. The regular expression can optionally be followed by a dash (`-`) and a version number; if omitted, any version of the package will match. For details on regular expressions, see [**regex**(7)](/regex/7.md) ⟨https://linux.die.net/man/7/regex⟩\\c .

**Example**

Common patterns for finding package names with `nix-env`:

- •

  `firefox`

-

  Matches the package name `firefox` and any version.

- •

  `firefox-32.0`

-

  Matches the package name `firefox` and version `32.0`.

- •

  `gtk\\+`

-

  Matches the package name `gtk+`. The `+` character must be escaped using a backslash (`\`) to prevent it from being interpreted as a quantifier, and the backslash must be escaped in turn with another backslash to ensure that the shell passes it on.

- •

  `.\*`

-

  Matches any package name. This is the default for most commands.

- •

  `'.*zip.*'`

-

  Matches any package name containing the string `zip`. Note the dots: `'*zip*'` does not work, because in a regular expression, the character `*` is interpreted as a quantifier.

- •

  `'.*(firefox|chromium).*'`

-

  Matches any package name containing the strings `firefox` or `chromium`.

## Files

`nix-env` operates on the following files.

{{#include ./files/default-nix-expression.md}}

{{#include ./files/profiles.md}}