# NixOS, Flakes packages from unstable

**URL:** https://discourse.nixos.org/t/nixos-flakes-packages-from-unstable/63582
**Category:** Help
**Created:** [April 28, 2025, 11:00am UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/nixos-flakes-packages-from-unstable/63582 "2025-04-28T11:00:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 4

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### Author: ![robsliwi](https://discourse.nixos.org/user_avatar/discourse.nixos.org/robsliwi/32/31820_2.png) [@robsliwi](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/robsliwi)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2025, 11:41am UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/nixos-flakes-packages-from-unstable/63582/4 "2025-04-28T11:41:45Z")

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> [@dR3b](#):
>
> ```auto
> specialArgs = {
> inherit nixpkgs-unstable;
> };
> 
> ```

This one is passing `nixpkgs-unstable` through the modules, on the other side you’re expecting `pkgs-unstable` as an attribute:

> [@dR3b](#):
>
> ```auto
> {
> config,
> lib,
> pkgs,
> pkgs-unstable,
> ...
> }: {
> # cut here: -----&<-----
> }
> 
> ```

Now you have basically two options: change the name of the attribute/parameter in both configuration and packages.nix or pass `pkgs-unstable` in the specialArgs.

And the following is worth a read: [Mixing stable and unstable packages on flake-based NixOS system - #4 by waffle8946](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/mixing-stable-and-unstable-packages-on-flake-based-nixos-system/50351/4)

Does it help somehow? 🙂

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/nixos-flakes-packages-from-unstable/63582)._