Skills Guide

Upgrade NixOS to New Release

VerifiedCaution

Upgrades NixOS to a new stable release by updating version-pinned flake inputs (e.g., nixpkgs, home-manager) and handling breaking changes. It researches breaking changes for the target release, creates an upgrade plan, and executes the upgrade with verification. Use this when moving from one NixOS release to the next, not for minor flake.lock updates.

Download and use
Sby Skills Guide Bot
DevOpsIntermediate
6/2/2026
Claude Code
#nixos#upgrade#system-administration#nix-flake#release-upgrade

Recommended for

Backend developerClaude CodeDevOps engineerGit automation

Automated summary

Upgrades NixOS to a new stable release version by updating version-pinned flake inputs and handling breaking changes.

Strengths

  • Automates research of breaking changes and release notes.
  • Provides a structured upgrade plan with clear steps.
  • Lists specific files and commands for safe upgrade.
  • Includes easy-to-follow rollback instructions.

Limitations

  • Requires user to manually review and approve the plan.
  • Only works with flake-based NixOS configurations.
  • Does not handle non-NixOS package upgrades outside the system.
When to use it

When you need to upgrade NixOS to a new stable release and want to ensure breaking changes are addressed systematically.

When not to use it

When you only need to update flake.lock within the same release or upgrade individual packages without a system version change.

Security analysis

Caution
Quality score90/100

The skill performs NixOS release upgrades using bash commands that alter the system (just switch, nixos-rebuild switch). While it includes a safe check step (just check) and rollback instructions, these are powerful operations that could cause breakage if misapplied. No data exfiltration or obfuscation is present.

Findings
  • •Uses just switch to apply system upgrades without explicit user confirmation per step; could break system if incorrect versions are used, though a check step is included.
How this analysis is made

Examples

Upgrade to NixOS 25.11
Upgrade NixOS to version 25.11
Update NixOS release
Upgrade my NixOS system to the new release
Release upgrade with research
I want to move from NixOS 25.05 to 25.11, please help me check breaking changes and create a plan.

name: upgrade-nixos description: | This skill upgrades NixOS to a new release version (e.g., 25.05 → 25.11). Triggers: "upgrade nixos", "upgrade to new release", "update nixos version", "move to nixos 25.11", "nixos release upgrade", "upgrade system version". Researches breaking changes, updates flake inputs, guides through upgrade. Not for flake.lock updates within same release (use upgrade-flake for that).

Upgrade NixOS Release

Upgrade NixOS to a new stable release version. This involves updating version-pinned flake inputs and handling any breaking changes.

Process

  1. Check current state

    nixos-version
nix --version

  2. Identify version-pinned inputs in flake/flake.nix that need updating:

    • nixpkgs (e.g., nixos-25.05 → nixos-25.11)
    • home-manager (e.g., release-25.05 → release-25.11)
    • nix-darwin (e.g., nix-darwin-25.05 → nix-darwin-25.11)
    • stylix (e.g., release-25.05 → release-25.11)

  3. Research the target release

    • Use web search to find the latest stable NixOS release
    • Check release notes for breaking changes relevant to this config
    • Verify release branches exist for home-manager, stylix, nix-darwin

  4. Identify breaking changes that affect this config:

    • Scan modules for services/packages that might be affected
    • Key areas: Hyprland, Docker, Steam, Secure Boot, impermanence

  5. Create upgrade plan (use creating-plans skill):

    • Save to thoughts/shared/issues/NN-nixos-<version>-upgrade/plan.md
    • Include exact file changes with line numbers
    • Include verification commands
    • Include rollback instructions

  6. Execute upgrade (when user is ready):

    # Edit flake/flake.nix with new versions
just update        # Update flake.lock
just check         # Build without applying (safe)
just switch        # Apply the upgrade

  7. Post-upgrade verification:

    nixos-version
nix --version
docker --version
systemctl status docker tailscaled
hyprctl version

What stays pinned (don't change)

  • lanzaboote - explicit version pin (e.g., v0.4.2), not tied to NixOS releases
  • nixpkgs-unstable - always tracks unstable
  • Inputs that follow nixpkgs - automatically updated

Rollback

Print out the instructions to:

sudo nixos-rebuild switch --rollback
git checkout flake/flake.nix flake/flake.lock

$ARGUMENTS

From the file to a first result

The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.

View the source and supporting files

This download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.

1. Download the file

Download SKILL.md

From the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.

Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.

mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu/download' --output '.skill-downloads/upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu/SKILL.md'

2. Check prerequisites

Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.

No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.

The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.

3. Load the skill

After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.

Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/upgrade-nixos' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu' '.claude/skills/upgrade-nixos'

OpenSkills

OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.

Official OpenSkills installation
openskills install './.skill-downloads/upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu'

openskills read 'upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu'

Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.

For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.

openskills sync

Manual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.

4. Try a first task

Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:

Read .skill-downloads/upgrade-nixos-to-new-release-mm5t89fu/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.

Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.

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