|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +title: Frequently Asked Questions |
| 3 | +description: Frequently Asked Questions about Devbox |
| 4 | +--- |
| 5 | + |
| 6 | +This doc contains answers to frequently asked questions about Devbox that are not covered elsewhere in our documentation. If you have a question that isn't covered here, feel free to ask us on our [Discord](https://discord.gg/jetpack-io), or [open an issue](https://github.com/jetpack-io/devbox/issues) on our GitHub repository. |
| 7 | + |
| 8 | +## How does Devbox work? |
| 9 | + |
| 10 | +Devbox generates isolated, reproducible development environments using the [Nix package manager](https://nixos.org/). Devbox uses Nix to install packages, and then creates an isolated shell environment for your project by symlinking the packages you need into your project directory. |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | +## Where does Devbox install my packages? |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | +Devbox and Nix install your packages in the read-only Nix store, usually located at `/nix/store`. Devbox then creates your environment by symlinking the packages you need into the `.devbox` directory in your project. |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +## How do I clean up unused packages from the Nix Store? |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +You can use `devbox run -- nix store gc` to automatically clean up packages that are no longer needed for your projects. |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +## Does Devbox require Docker or Containers to work? |
| 21 | + |
| 22 | +No. Since Devbox uses Nix to install packages and create isolated environments, Docker is not required. If you want to run your Devbox project inside a container, you can generate a Dockerfile or devcontainer.json using the `devbox generate` command. |
| 23 | + |
| 24 | +## What versions of Nix are supported by Devbox? |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +Devbox requires Nix >= 2.12. If Nix is not present on your machine when you first run Devbox, it will automatically try to install the latest supported version for you. |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +## Can I use Devbox with NixOS? |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +Yes! Devbox can be installed on any Linux distribution, including NixOS. You can even install Devbox via Nixpkgs. See the [installation guide](./installing_devbox.mdx) for more details. |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +## A package I installed is missing header files or libraries I need for development. Where do I find them? |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +In order to save space, Devbox and Nix only install the required components of packages by default. Development header files and libraries are often installed in a separate output of the package (usually `dev`), which can be installed using [Flake References](./guides/using_flakes.md). |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +You can learn more about non-default outputs [here](./guides/using_flakes.md#installing-additional-outputs-from-a-flake). |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +## How can I use custom Nix packages or overrides with Devbox? |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | +You can add customized packages to your Devbox environment using our [Flake support](./guides/using_flakes.md). You can use these flakes to modify or override packages from nixpkgs, or to create your own custom packages. |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +## Can I use Devbox if I use [Fish](https://fishshell.com/)? |
| 43 | + |
| 44 | +Yes. In addition to supporting POSIX compliant shells like Zsh and Bash, Devbox also works with Fish. |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +## How can I uninstall Devbox? |
| 47 | + |
| 48 | +To uninstall Devbox: |
| 49 | + |
| 50 | +1. Remove the Devbox launcher using `rm /usr/local/bin/devbox` |
| 51 | +2. Remove the Devbox binaries using `rm -rf ~/.cache/devbox` |
| 52 | +3. Remove your Devbox global config using `rm -rf .local/share/devbox` |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +If you want to uninstall Nix, you will need to follow the instructions in the Nix Documentation: https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/installation/uninstall. |
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