How to install specific package

Help
1

I want to install blender not the latest package because it’s not compatible with my machine. (GPU)

now how do I find what packages are available and how do I install that exact package? that I want?

2

What do you mean its not compatible with your GPU?

Though the general flow to find older versions is to skim the [nixpkgs GitHub Repository](GitHub - NixOS/nixpkgs: Nix Packages collection & NixOS] for a suitable version aund using builtin fetchers, pinning tools or flake inputs to get that commit.

Then you “instantiate” it like this:

let blenderPkgs = import … { }; in …

Where the first ellipsis depends on how exactly you retrieve the nixpkgs snapshot.

After that you use this to get the actual package, either as part of a modules package option or in environment.systemPackages like this: blenderPkgs.blender.

Please be aware that by going back too far, you might run into GLIBC compatibility issues between blender and the impure graphic drivers on your system.

1 Like
3

so like this:

  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
        vim
        wget
        git
        brave
        let blender = import … {<package name> }; in
        ardour
        vscode
        gimp
        musescore
        discord
        libreoffice
        gnome-commander
        cryptsetup
        kodi
        home-manager
  ];

sorry I’m clueless.

4

No, you can not use a let there.

More like this:

environment.systemPackages = let blenderPkgs = import … { }; in with pkgs; [
  blenderPkgs.blender
  # other packages, ommited for brevity
];
1 Like
5

and … is where I put in package name.

6

No, the fetched nixpkgs.

7

this is hard:

versions

so how should my conf look like?

  environment.systemPackages = let blenderPkgs = import (builtins.fetchGit {
                        # Descriptive name to make the store path easier to identify
                        name = "3.6.5";
                        url = "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/";
                        ref = "refs/heads/nixos-25.05";
                        rev = "ae5fe741ba9acade281a9185139e3922811c9696";
                }) {} with pkgs; [
        vim # Do not forget to add an editor to edit configuration.nix! The Nano editor is also installed by >
        wget
        git
        brave
        blenderPkgs.blender
        ardour
        vscode
        gimp
        musescore
        discord
        libreoffice
        gnome-commander
        cryptsetup
        kodi
        home-manager
  ];
8

Add it just same line with other packages. If you have Nvidia you need to use blender override with cuda support and Nvidia need to be set and running too

(blender.override { cudaSupport = true; })
    cudaPackages.cuda_cudart
    cudaPackages.cuda_nvcc
    cudaPackages.cudnn

This how I have blender so it won’t build cuda to all only where it is needed

9

so like this:

  environment.systemPackages = let blenderPkgs = import (builtins.fetchGit {
                        # Descriptive name to make the store path easier to identify
                        name = "3.6.5";
                        url = "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/";
                        ref = "refs/heads/nixos-25.05";
                        rev = "ae5fe741ba9acade281a9185139e3922811c9696";
                }) {} with pkgs; [
        vim # Do not forget to add an editor to edit configuration.nix! The Nano editor is also installed by >
        wget
        git
        brave
        (blenderPkgs.blender.override{ cudaSupport = true })
        cudaPackages.cuda_cudart
        cudaPackages.cuda_nvcc
        cudaPackages.cudnn
        ardour
        vscode

??

10

Yes if you have Nvidia and it is running and working that is for Nvidia with cuda to use blender

11

is this normal it’s rebuilding for more than 2 hours now.

12

What does it say it is building? It may need to build blender from source with NVIDIA CUDA support if it is not cached somewhere else.

13

yes building blender and cuda it takes time, but less than building all with cuda

1 Like