MCP server
by utensils
Access NixOS packages, system options, Home Manager, and nix-darwin configs with advanced caching. Explore nix package t
Search and get detailed information about NixOS packages, system options, Home Manager configurations, and nix-darwin options. Works on any system without requiring Nix installation.
NixOS is a community-built MCP server published by utensils that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Access NixOS packages, system options, Home Manager, and nix-darwin configs with advanced caching. Explore nix package t It is categorized under developer tools. This server exposes 18 tools that AI clients can invoke during conversations and coding sessions.
You can install NixOS in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.
MIT
NixOS is released under the MIT license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.
Add new capabilities to Claude beyond text generation
Example
Access external data sources, execute code, interact with tools and services
Transform Claude from chatbot to action-taking agent
Provide Claude with access to relevant context and data
Example
Load project documentation, access knowledge bases, query databases
Get more accurate, context-aware responses
Automate multi-step workflows combining AI and external tools
Example
Research → Summarize → Create document → Send notification
Complete complex tasks end-to-end without manual steps
Share your MCP server with the developer community
According to our notes, NixOS benefits from clear Model Context Protocol framing — fewer ambiguous “AI plugin” claims.
We wired NixOS into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.
NixOS reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.
I recommend NixOS for teams standardizing on MCP; the explainx.ai page compares cleanly with sibling servers.
NixOS is among the better-indexed MCP projects we tried; the explainx.ai summary tracks the official description.
According to our notes, NixOS benefits from clear Model Context Protocol framing — fewer ambiguous “AI plugin” claims.
NixOS is among the better-indexed MCP projects we tried; the explainx.ai summary tracks the official description.
I recommend NixOS for teams standardizing on MCP; the explainx.ai page compares cleanly with sibling servers.
NixOS reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.
Strong directory entry: NixOS surfaces stars and publisher context so we could sanity-check maintenance before adopting.
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🚨 No Nix/NixOS Required! Works on any system - Windows, macOS, Linux. You're just querying APIs.
{
"mcpServers": {
"nixos": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["mcp-nixos"]
}
}
}
{
"mcpServers": {
"nixos": {
"command": "nix",
"args": ["run", "github:utensils/mcp-nixos", "--"]
}
}
}
{
"mcpServers": {
"nixos": {
"command": "docker",
"args": ["run", "--rm", "-i", "ghcr.io/utensils/mcp-nixos"]
}
}
}
Your AI now has access to real NixOS data instead of making things up. You're welcome.
FastMCP supports running this server over HTTP at a URL (the MCP endpoint defaults to /mcp).
# Run an HTTP MCP server at http://127.0.0.1:8000/mcp
MCP_NIXOS_TRANSPORT=http MCP_NIXOS_HOST=127.0.0.1 MCP_NIXOS_PORT=8000 mcp-nixos
STDIO (default):
MCP_NIXOS_TRANSPORT=stdio mcp-nixos
Custom path:
MCP_NIXOS_TRANSPORT=http MCP_NIXOS_PATH=/api/mcp mcp-nixos
Stateless HTTP (disables per-client session state):
MCP_NIXOS_TRANSPORT=http MCP_NIXOS_STATELESS_HTTP=1 mcp-nixos
An MCP server providing accurate, real-time information about:
Just two. We consolidated 17 tools into 2 because your AI's context window isn't infinite.
~1,030 tokens total. That's it. While other MCP servers are hogging your context like it's Black Friday, we're sipping minimalist tea in the corner. Your AI gets NixOS superpowers without the bloat.
nix - Unified Query ToolOne tool to rule them all:
nix(action, query, source, type, channel, limit)
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
search | Search packages, options, programs, or flakes |
info | Get detailed info about a package or option |
stats | Get counts and categories |
options | Browse Home Manager/Darwin options by prefix |
channels | List available NixOS channels |
flake-inputs | Explore local flake inputs from Nix store |
cache | Check binary cache status for packages |
| Source | What it queries |
|---|---|
nixos | Packages, options, programs |
home-manager | Home Manager options |
darwin | nix-darwin options |
flakes | Community flakes (search.nixos.org) |
flakehub | FlakeHub registry (flakehub.com) |
nixvim | Nixvim Neovim configuration options |
noogle | Nix function signatures and docs (noogle.dev) |
wiki | NixOS Wiki articles (wiki.nixos.org) |
nix-dev | Official Nix documentation (nix.dev) |
nixhub | Package metadata and store paths (nixhub.io) |
Examples:
# Search NixOS packages
nix(action="search", query="firefox", source="nixos", type="packages")
# Get package info
nix(action="info", query="firefox", source="nixos", type="package")
# Search Home Manager options
nix(action="search", query="git", source="home-manager")
# Browse darwin options
nix(action="options", source="darwin", query="system.defaults")
# Search Nixvim options
nix(action="search", query="telescope", source="nixvim")
# Get Nixvim option info
nix(action="info", query="plugins.telescope.enable", source="nixvim")
# Search FlakeHub
nix(action="search", query="nixpkgs", source="flakehub")
# Get FlakeHub flake info
nix(action="info", query="NixOS/nixpkgs", source="flakehub")
# Search Noogle for Nix functions
nix(action="search", query="mapAttrs", source="noogle")
# Get Noogle function info
nix(action="info", query="lib.attrsets.mapAttrs", source="noogle")
# Browse Noogle function categories
nix(action="options", source="noogle", query="lib.strings")
# Search NixOS Wiki
nix(action="search", query="nvidia", source="wiki")
# Get Wiki page info
nix(action="info", query="Flakes", source="wiki")
# Search nix.dev documentation
nix(action="search", query="packaging tutorial", source="nix-dev")
# Search NixHub for package metadata
nix(action="search", query="nodejs", source="nixhub")
# Get detailed package info from NixHub (license, homepage, store paths)
nix(action="info", query="python", source="nixhub")
# Check binary cache status
nix(action="cache", query="hello")
# Check cache for specific version
nix(action="cache", query="python", version="3.12.0")
# Check cache for specific system
nix(action="cache", query="firefox", system="x86_64-linux")
# Get stats
nix(action="stats", source="nixos", channel="stable")
# List local flake inputs (requires Nix)
nix(action="flake-inputs", type="list")
# Browse files in a flake input
nix(action="flake-inputs", type="ls", query="nixpkgs:pkgs/by-name")
# Read a file from a flake input
nix(action="flake-inputs", type="read", query="nixpkgs:flake.nix")
nix_versions - Package Version HistoryFind historical versions with nixpkgs commit hashes. Output includes:
nix_versions(package, version, limit)
Examples:
# List recent versions with metadata
nix_versions(package="python", limit=5)
# Find specific version
nix_versions(package="nodejs", version="20.0.0")
You DON'T need Nix installed. This runs anywhere Python runs.
# Run directly (no install)
uvx mcp-nixos
# Or install
pip install mcp-nixos
For Nix users:
nix run github:utensils/mcp-nixos
nix profile install github:utensils/mcp-nixos
mcp-nixos is available in nixpkgs:
# NixOS (configuration.nix)
environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.mcp-nixos ];
# Home Manager (home.nix)
home.packages = [ pkgs.mcp-nixos ];
# nix-darwin (darwin-configuration.nix)
environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.mcp-nixos ];
Or use the flake directly with the provided overlay:
# flake.nix
{
inputs = {
nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
mcp-nixos.url = "github:utensils/mcp-nixos";
};
outputs = { self, nixpkgs, mcp-nixos, ... }: {
# Example: NixOS configuration
nixosConfigurations.myhost = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
system = "x86_64-linux";
modules = [{
nixpkgs.overlays = [ mcp-nixos.overlays.default ];
environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.mcp-nixos ];
}];
};
# Example: Home Manager standalone
homeConfigurations.myuser = home-manager.lib.homeManagerConfiguration {
pkgs = import nixpkgs {
system = "x86_64-linux";
overlays = [ mcp-nixos.overlays.default ];
};
modules = [{
home.packages = [ pkgs.mcp-nixos ];
}];
};
};
}
nix develop # Enter dev shell
nix build # Build package
pytest tests/ # Run tests
ruff check . # Lint
ruff format . # Format
mypy mcp_nixos/ # Type check
Prerequisites
Time Estimate
15-60 minutes depending on server complexity
Steps
Troubleshooting
✓ Do
✗ Don't
💡 Pro Tips
Architecture
Model Context Protocol standardizes how AI hosts (Claude, Cursor) communicate with external tools and data sources through server implementations.
Protocols
Compatibility
✓ Use when
Use when you need Claude to access external data, execute actions, or integrate with tools. Best for extending AI capabilities beyond conversation.
✗ Avoid when
Avoid when native integrations exist (use official APIs directly), for real-time critical systems, or when security/compliance requires zero external dependencies.