Nix

Using Astal on Nix will require you to write a derivation for your project. You can either copy and build off of these example flakes or you can incorporate the derivations into your existing flake/configuration.

WARNING

This page expects you to know what a nix derivation is and how to use/install them.

Installing libraries versus installing executables

In case you did not know already, you can't install libraries globally on Nix as you would with regular package managers like pacman, dnf or apt. You have to write a derivation for your projects like you would for any other program. If you try to install a library through home.packages or environment.systemPackages don't expect it to be picked up from runtimes.

However, if you want to use the CLI tool that comes with some of the libraries you have to also install them through home.packages or environment.systemPackages alongside your derivations.

Astal CLI

The core library also comes with a CLI tool that you can use to send requests to your app.

nixos

environment.systemPackages = [inputs.astal.packages.${system}.default];

home-manager

home.packages = [inputs.astal.packages.${system}.default];

astal --list # list running instances

TypeScript

Using esbuild as the bundler.

In most cases you will want to use meson

Meson is useful to also install data files such as assets.

In which case you can omit installPhase and just include meson in nativeBuildInputs:

{
  nativeBuildInputs = [
    pkgs.wrapGAppsHook
    pkgs.gobject-introspection
    pkgs.esbuild
    pkgs.meson
    pkgs.ninja
    pkgs.pkg-config
  ];
}

flake.nix

{
  inputs = {
    nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
    astal = {
      url = "github:aylur/astal";
      inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
    };
  };

  outputs = {
    self,
    nixpkgs,
    astal,
  }: let
    system = "x86_64-linux";
    pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system};
  in {
    packages.${system}.default = pkgs.stdenvNoCC.mkDerivation { 
      name = "my-shell";
      src = ./.;

      nativeBuildInputs = [
        pkgs.wrapGAppsHook
        pkgs.gobject-introspection
        pkgs.esbuild
      ];

      buildInputs = [
        pkgs.gjs
        pkgs.glib
        pkgs.gtk4
        astal.packages.${system}.io
        astal.packages.${system}.astal4
      ];

      installPhase = ''
        mkdir -p $out/bin

        esbuild \
          --bundle src/app.js \
          --outfile=$out/bin/my-shell \
          --format=esm \
          --sourcemap=inline \
          --external:gi://\*
      '';
    };
  };
}

Lua

flake.nix

# Not yet documented

Python

flake.nix

# Not yet documented

Vala

Keep in mind that this is just the nix derivation and you still have to use some build tool like meson.

flake.nix

{
  inputs = {
    nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
    astal = {
      url = "github:aylur/astal";
      inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
    };
  };

  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, astal }: let
    system = "x86_64-linux";
    pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system};
  in {
    packages.${system}.default = pkgs.stdenv.mkDerivation { 
      name = "my-shell";
      src = ./.;

      nativeBuildInputs = with pkgs; [
        meson
        ninja
        pkg-config
        vala
        gobject-introspection
      ];

      buildInputs = [
        astal.packages.${system}.io
        astal.packages.${system}.astal3
        astal.packages.${system}.battery
        # add extra packages
      ];
    };
  };
}