---
title: Language/Framework Specific Builders in Nixpkgs
description: 
published: true
date: 2024-06-29T08:07:23.701Z
tags: nix, nixpkgs
editor: markdown
dateCreated: 2024-06-22T15:04:51.666Z
---

# Introduction to Nixpkgs' Language/Framework Specific Builders

This page is an overview of language/framework specific builders in Nixpkgs.

## The Standard Environment (`pkgs.stdenv`)

This is the standard build environment, providing amongst others the default C(++) toolchain.

Resources:

- [Nipkgs manual](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#part-stdenv)
- [19th Nix Pill: Fundamentals of Stdenv](https://nixos.org/guides/nix-pills/19-fundamentals-of-stdenv.html)

## Hooks

Hooks augment the stdenv phases (see ["The Standard Environment"](#the-standard-environment-pkgsstdenv)), e.g. to build with `cmake`.

Resources:

- [Nixpkgs manual](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#chap-hooks)
- [20th Nix Pill: Basic Dependencies and Hooks](https://nixos.org/guides/nix-pills/20-basic-dependencies-and-hooks)

## Languages / Frameworks

Nixpkgs has various specialised alternatives to `mkDerivation`, such as `buildPythonApplication` for python applications, `buildRustPackage` for rust packages and much more.

Resources:

- [Nixpkgs manual](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#chap-language-support)