# nixpkgs-search

Search [nixpkgs](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs) from your terminal, using the same Elasticsearch backend that powers [search.nixos.org](https://search.nixos.org). Results are piped through `fzf` for fuzzy selection with a live preview of package metadata.

## Usage

```sh
nixpkgs-search ripgrep
nixpkgs-search --channel 24.11 firefox
nixpkgs-search --json hello
nixpkgs-search --nixery python git curl
nixpkgs-search --nixery --loop python git curl
nixpkgs-search --no-fzf --n 20 vim
```

Flags:

- `--channel` — nix channel to search (default `unstable`)
- `--n` — max results (default `50`)
- `--json` — dump raw hits and exit
- `--nixery` — select multiple packages and print a `/`-delimited package list for Nixery
- `--loop`, `-l` — with `--nixery`, run one picker per query instead of merging all results into one picker
- `--no-fzf` — force numeric picker even if `fzf` is available

On selection, the chosen attribute name is printed to stdout, so it composes:

```sh
nix shell nixpkgs#$(nixpkgs-search ripgrep)
```

When stdout or stderr is not attached to a TTY, `nixpkgs-search` skips the picker
and prints a newline-delimited list of matching package attribute names. This is
intended for shell completions and scripts:

```sh
nixpkgs-search --n 20 rip
```

With `--nixery`, each positional argument is searched independently, all results are merged into one multi-select picker, and the selected attributes are printed as a Nixery path:

```sh
docker run -it nixery.dev/$(nixpkgs-search --nixery python git curl)
```

Use `--loop` or `-l` to handle each query in its own picker and join the selections at the end.

## Install / run with Nix

Run without installing:

```sh
nix run git+https://git.sr.ht/~chiefnoah/nixpkgs-search -- ripgrep
```

Install into a profile:

```sh
nix profile install git+https://git.sr.ht/~chiefnoah/nixpkgs-search
```

Or add as a flake input and reference `packages.<system>.default`.

## Development

A dev shell with Go, `gopls`, staticcheck, `fzf`, and the built binary itself is provided:

```sh
nix develop
go build ./...
go run . ripgrep
```

If you use [direnv](https://direnv.net), drop `use flake` into `.envrc`.

## How it works

`main.go` resolves the current `latest-<N>-nixos-<channel>` Elasticsearch alias, POSTs a query shaped like the one search.nixos.org sends, then renders each hit and hands them to `fzf` with a per-package preview file. Credentials are the same public ones the web frontend uses.