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NimPak User Guide

Welcome to NimPak, the next-generation unified package manager for NexusOS. NimPak provides a single, consistent interface for managing binary packages, applications, and containers, all backed by a powerful Content-Addressable Storage (CAS) system.

🚀 Getting Started

Installation

NimPak is included by default in NexusOS. For other Linux distributions, you can install it via the bootstrap script:

curl -sSL https://get.nexusos.io/nimpak | sudo bash

Basic Usage

The nip command is your main entry point.

nip help

📦 Package Formats

NimPak supports three distinct package formats, all stored in the same unified CAS:

1. NPK (Nexus Package Kit)

Binary packages for system libraries and tools. Similar to .deb or .rpm but atomic and deduplicated.

# Install a package
nip npk install nginx-1.24.0.npk

# List installed packages
nip npk list

# Remove a package
nip npk remove nginx

2. NIP (Nexus Application Bundle)

Self-contained applications with all dependencies. Similar to .app or Flatpak.

# Install an application
nip app install firefox.nip

# Run an application
nip app run firefox

# List applications
nip app list

3. NEXTER (Nexus Container)

Lightweight, secure containers for isolated environments.

# Create a container
nip nexter create dev-env --type=user

# Start a container
nip nexter start dev-env

# Enter container
nip nexter exec dev-env bash

💾 Unified Storage (CAS)

NimPak uses a Content-Addressable Storage (CAS) system located at ~/.local/share/nexus/cas.

Deduplication: Identical files are stored only once, regardless of how many packages use them.
Integrity: Every file is verified by its cryptographic hash (XXH3/BLAKE3).
Atomicity: Updates are atomic; no broken partial states.

You can inspect the CAS directly:

nip cas stats
nip cas list

Garbage Collection

To free up space from unused packages or old versions:

nip gc run

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Package not found"

Ensure you have the correct package file or URL.
Check your network connection.

"Permission denied"

System packages require root privileges (sudo nip ...).
User packages/containers do not.

"CAS corruption detected"

Run nip cas verify to check integrity.
If errors are found, run nip gc run --force to clean up invalid objects.

FAQ

Q: How is this different from Flatpak? A: NimPak unifies system packages, apps, and containers in one storage layer, offering superior deduplication and a single tool for all needs.

Q: Can I use NimPak on Ubuntu/Fedora? A: Yes, NimPak is designed to be distro-agnostic.

Q: Where are my applications installed? A: Applications are linked in ~/.local/share/nexus/nips, but the actual data resides in the CAS.

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