edit How to install NixOS from linux

You already have a running linux and a functional grub on your primary partition and you don't want to waste a CD-R as you feel that you really don't need to?

Right. We also assume that you have a "spare" partition where to install NixOS ready.

to simplyfy:

/dev/sda1  : your boot partition, containing already working grub

/dev/sda2  : your linux root partition, containing your currently working OS

/dev/sda3  : your spare partition to where you will install NixOS

the_iso  : the nixos livecd iso

~/some_dir : directory where "the_iso" is (loop) mounted

/boot  : the boot directory, where grub is installed (/dev/sda1 and /dev/sda2 *can* be the same partition!)

  • obtain the ISO "the_iso"
  • mount -o loop "the_iso" "~/some_dir"
  • (mount the /boot partition, containing your working grub)
  • cp some_dir/boot/bzImage /boot/nixos-livecd-bzImage
  • cp some_dir/boot/initrd /boot/nixos-livecd-initrd
  • cp some_dir/nix-store.squashfs /nix-store.squashfs
  • edit /boot/grub/menu.lst (or equivalent)
  • add these lines (look in "~/some_dir" for the exact init path): 
 title NixOS LiveCD
 kernel /nixos-livecd-bzImage init=/nix/store/0bkyc0rk56amglvas0kfsbq3zwp47yam-system/init root=/dev/sda2 splash=verbose vga=0x317
 initrd /nixos-livecd-initrd
  • save
  • umount /dev/sda1
  • reboot and choose "NixOS LiveCD" from the grub list
Retrieved from "http://nixos.org/wiki/How_to_install_NixOS_from_linux"