[lillecarl]

NixOS has this feature, though you will have to rewrite parts of your configuration if you're using bleeding edge/nonstandard stuff.

I run automatic updates nightly, sometimes when I get back to the machine it's in init waiting for me to input my ZFS password.

NixOS is the last system you install, which is really nice. It's the Linux dist I've run the longest consecutive at home.

[anotherevan]

I'm on Arch now, but definitely have Nixos on my radar to try out some day. Looks like a fairly steep learning curve though (as was Arch, really).

[lillecarl]

If I were to install a Linux distro for my father again I would probably use NixOS, because he won't be installing packages, and then just maintaining the config file, automatic upgrades and killing older generations just works. Staying with stable and possibly having to patch the config sligtly (to fix upgrades) every 6m.

The learning curve is higher once you wanna start building software that isn't packaged already, that's when you'll have to learn to write nix expressions.

I've been planning to package FRRouting for NixOS, It'd be the perfect OS for a router, atomic forward and backwards rolls. (Except for user data, but that could be solved with ZFS snapshots, NixOS makes it VERY easy to use ZOL).

Nix is super unique, you can set up your own Hydra (the Nix build bot), run your own package cache, fork and maintain your own stuff. It's really more like working with code than maintaining a system.

Another great thing is that with Nix, once a problem is solved once, It's solved forever (Since literally everything defining your system is under version control).

I love it, but i wish to learn the Nix language proper and contribute back.