2023-10-26 23:26:59 -04:00
(direnv)=
2023-10-09 14:37:21 -04:00
# Automatic environment activation with `direnv`
Instead of manually activating the environment for each project, you can reload a [declarative shell ](declarative-reproducible-envs ) every time you enter the project's directory or change the `shell.nix` inside it.
1. [Make nix-direnv available ](https://github.com/nix-community/nix-direnv )
2. [Hook it into your shell ](https://direnv.net/docs/hook.html )
For example, write a `shell.nix` with the following contents:
```nix
let
nixpkgs = fetchTarball "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/tarball/nixos-22.11";
pkgs = import nixpkgs { config = {}; overlays = []; };
in
pkgs.mkShell {
packages = with pkgs; [
hello
];
}
```
From the top-level directory of your project run:
```shell-session
$ echo "use nix" > .envrc & & direnv allow
```
The next time you launch your terminal and enter the top-level directory of your project, `direnv` will automatically launch the shell defined in `shell.nix`
```shell-session
$ cd myproject
$ which hello
/nix/store/1gxz5nfzfnhyxjdyzi04r86sh61y4i00-hello-2.12.1/bin/hello
```
`direnv` will also check for changes to the `shell.nix` file.
Make the following addition:
```diff
let
nixpkgs = fetchTarball "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/tarball/nixos-22.11";
pkgs = import nixpkgs { config = {}; overlays = []; };
in
pkgs.mkShell {
packages = with pkgs; [
hello
];
+
+ shellHook = ''
+ hello
+ '';
}
```
The running environment should reload itself after the first interaction (run any command or press `Enter` ).
```shell-session
Hello, world!
```