# Concept: use any package version
**URL:** https://discourse.nixos.org/t/concept-use-any-package-version/6515
**Category:** Development
**Created:** [April 1, 2020, 1:47am UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/concept-use-any-package-version/6515 "2020-04-01T01:47:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@felipelalli](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/felipelalli)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2025, 10:33pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/concept-use-any-package-version/6515/42 "2025-07-02T22:33:24Z")
This is a **must have** feature. Today I need to resort to countless workarounds to work with specific versions. There should be an easier way.
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### Author:  [@vic](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/vic)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2025, 11:00pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/concept-use-any-package-version/6515/43 "2025-07-02T23:00:04Z")
> [@felipelalli](#):
>
> There should be an easier way.
Maybe my [nix-versions](https://nix-versions.alwaysdata.net/) project can help. I’m using it -the reason I created it- is to have some packages fixed to known “stable” version ranges. I hope it can be of help to you as well.
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### Author:  [@felipelalli](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/felipelalli)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2025, 11:09pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/concept-use-any-package-version/6515/44 "2025-07-02T23:09:47Z")
Amazing. Thank you. 🤠
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### Author:  [@jeff-hykin](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/jeff-hykin)
#### Post date: [July 26, 2025, 1:42pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/concept-use-any-package-version/6515/45 "2025-07-26T13:42:39Z")
I’m so glad to see this.
For the most part, it looks like a more professional version of my tool. I love that channel support is there, but optional.
I do wish:
- there was a --install method (I’m usually searching for a version to install, not just to look at a commit hash, why make me type it all out)
- there was a way to output a nix-code example (nix shell or nix flake). Having a “not sure how to use these? Run --explain” would go a long way towards making nix more user friendly. Many people trying to install a specific version are new to nix.
If you add those let me know and I’ll edit the readme of my cli-search to point to yours, and just archive my whole project.
Edit:
Your flake generator tool looks great, I’ll have to look into it.
Also this statement on the website is hilarious and great “The nix-versions tool-manager is so simple that it does not exist.”
[Previous page](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/concept-use-any-package-version/6515.md?page=2)