# Frequently Asked Questions
Source: https://www.jetify.com/docs/docs/devbox/faq/index

This doc contains answers to frequently asked questions about Devbox that are not covered elsewhere in our documentation. If you have a question that isn't covered here, feel free to ask us on our , or  on our GitHub repository.

## How does Devbox work?[​](#how-does-devbox-work "Direct link to How does Devbox work?")

Devbox generates isolated, reproducible development environments using the
[Nix package manager](https://nixos.org/). Devbox uses Nix to install packages, and then creates an
isolated shell environment for your project by symlinking the packages you need into your project
directory.

## Where does Devbox install my packages?[​](#where-does-devbox-install-my-packages "Direct link to Where does Devbox install my packages?")

Devbox and Nix install your packages in the read-only Nix store, usually located at `/nix/store`.
Devbox then creates your environment by symlinking the packages you need into the `.devbox`
directory in your project.

## How do I clean up unused packages from the Nix Store?[​](#how-do-i-clean-up-unused-packages-from-the-nix-store "Direct link to How do I clean up unused packages from the Nix Store?")

You can use `devbox run -- nix store gc --extra-experimental-features nix-command` to automatically
clean up packages that are no longer needed for your projects.

## Does Devbox require Docker or Containers to work?[​](#does-devbox-require-docker-or-containers-to-work "Direct link to Does Devbox require Docker or Containers to work?")

No. Since Devbox uses Nix to install packages and create isolated environments, Docker is not
required. If you want to run your Devbox project inside a container, you can generate a Dockerfile
or devcontainer.json using the `devbox generate` command.

## What versions of Nix are supported by Devbox?[​](#what-versions-of-nix-are-supported-by-devbox "Direct link to What versions of Nix are supported by Devbox?")

Devbox requires Nix >= 2.12. If Nix is not present on your machine when you first run Devbox, it
will automatically try to install the latest supported version for you.

## Can I use Devbox with NixOS?[​](#can-i-use-devbox-with-nixos "Direct link to Can I use Devbox with NixOS?")

Yes! Devbox can be installed on any Linux distribution, including NixOS. You can even install Devbox
via Nixpkgs. See the [installation guide](/docs/devbox/installing-devbox/) for more details.

## A package I installed is missing header files or libraries I need for development. Where do I find them?[​](#a-package-i-installed-is-missing-header-files-or-libraries-i-need-for-development-where-do-i-find-them "Direct link to A package I installed is missing header files or libraries I need for development. Where do I find them?")

In order to save space, Devbox and Nix only install the required components of packages by default.
Development header files and libraries are often installed in a separate output of the package
(usually `dev`), which can be installed using the `--output` flag on the `devbox add` command.

For example, the command below will install both the default output `out`, and the `cli` output for
the prometheus package:

```bash theme={null}
devbox add prometheus --outputs=out,cli
```

You can also specify non-default outputs in [flake references](/docs/devbox/guides/using-flakes/):

```bash theme={null}
devbox add github:NixOS/nixpkgs#prometheus^out,cli
```

## One of my project's packages is taking a long time to install. How can I speed up the installation process?[​](#one-of-my-projects-packages-is-taking-a-long-time-to-install-how-can-i-speed-up-the-installation-process "Direct link to One of my project's packages is taking a long time to install. How can I speed up the installation process?")

Packages may take a long time to install if they do not have a binary available in the public Nix
Cache. If a prebuilt binary is not available, Nix will built the package from source.

If prebuilt binaries are not available in the public cache, you may want to use the
[Jetify Cache](/docs/cloud/cache/) or the [Jetify Prebuilt Cache](/docs/cloud/cache/prebuilt-cache/)
to cache the binaries you build for future use. Using a package cache can reduce package install by
up to 90% compared to building from source.

## I'm trying to build a project, but it says that I'm missing `libstdc++`. How do I install this library in my project?[​](#im-trying-to-build-a-project-but-it-says-that-im-missing-libstdc-how-do-i-install-this-library-in-my-project "Direct link to im-trying-to-build-a-project-but-it-says-that-im-missing-libstdc-how-do-i-install-this-library-in-my-project")

This message means that your project requires an implementation of the C++ Standard Library
installed and linked within your shell. You can add the libstdc++ libraries and object files using
`devbox add stdenv.cc.cc.lib`.

## I'm seeing errors like \`\`GLIBC\_X.XX' not found\` when I try to install my packages, or when I install packages from PyPi/RubyGems/NPM/Cargo/other package manager in my shell[​](#im-seeing-errors-like-glibc_xxx-not-found-when-i-try-to-install-my-packages-or-when-i-install-packages-from-pypirubygemsnpmcargoother-package-manager-in-my-shell "Direct link to I'm seeing errors like ``GLIBC_X.XX' not found` when I try to install my packages, or when I install packages from PyPi/RubyGems/NPM/Cargo/other package manager in my shell")

This message usually occurs when using older packages, or when mixing different versions of packages
within a single shell. The error tends to occur because each Nix package comes bundled with all of
it's dependencies, including a version of the C Standard Library, to ensure reproducibility. If your
interpreter (Python/Ruby/Node) or runtime is using an older version of `glibc` than what your other
packages expect, they will throw this error.

There are three ways to work around this issue:

1. You can update your packages to use a newer version (using `devbox add`). This newer version will
   likely come bundled with a newer version of `glibc`.
2. You can use `devbox update` to get the latest Nix derivation for your package. Newer derivations
   may come bundled with newer dependencies, including `glibc`
3. If you need to use an exact package version, but you still see this error, you can patch it to
   use a newer version of glibc using `devbox add <package>@<version> --patch always`. This will
   patch your package to use the latest version of glibc available in the Nix store, as well as
   patching it to use any native libraries you have installed with Devbox.

## How can I use custom Nix packages or overrides with Devbox?[​](#how-can-i-use-custom-nix-packages-or-overrides-with-devbox "Direct link to How can I use custom Nix packages or overrides with Devbox?")

You can add customized packages to your Devbox environment using our
[Flake support](/docs/devbox/guides/using-flakes/). You can use these flakes to modify or override
packages from nixpkgs, or to create your own custom packages.

## Can I use Devbox if I use [Fish](https://fishshell.com/)?[​](#can-i-use-devbox-if-i-use-fish "Direct link to can-i-use-devbox-if-i-use-fish")

Yes. In addition to supporting POSIX compliant shells like Zsh and Bash, Devbox also works with
Fish.

Note that `init_hooks` in Devbox will be run directly in your host shell, so you may have encounter
some compatibility issues if you try to start a shell that uses a POSIX-compatible script in the
init\_hook.

## How can I rollback to a previous version of Devbox?[​](#how-can-i-rollback-to-a-previous-version-of-devbox "Direct link to How can I rollback to a previous version of Devbox?")

You can use any previous version of Devbox by setting the `DEVBOX_USE_VERSION` environment variable.
For example, to use version 0.8.0, you can run the following or add it to your shell's rcfile:

```bash theme={null}
export DEVBOX_USE_VERSION=0.8.0
```

You can upgrade to the latest version of Devbox by unsetting the variable, and running
`devbox version update`

## How can I prevent Devbox from modifying my prompt while inside a shell?[​](#how-can-i-prevent-devbox-from-modifying-my-prompt-while-inside-a-shell "Direct link to How can I prevent Devbox from modifying my prompt while inside a shell?")

By default, Devbox will prefix your prompt with `(devbox)` when inside a `devbox shell`. You can
disable this behavior by setting this environment variable in your shell's rcfile:

```bash theme={null}
DEVBOX_NO_PROMPT=true
```

If you are using Fish:

```bash theme={null}
set -U devbox_no_prompt true
```

## How can I uninstall Devbox?[​](#how-can-i-uninstall-devbox "Direct link to How can I uninstall Devbox?")

To uninstall Devbox:

1. Remove the Devbox launcher using `rm /usr/local/bin/devbox`
2. Remove the Devbox binaries using `rm -rf ~/.cache/devbox`
3. Remove your Devbox global config using `rm -rf ~/.local/share/devbox`

If you want to uninstall Nix, you will need to follow the instructions in the Nix Documentation:
[https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/installation/uninstall](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/installation/uninstall).

[Edit this page](https://github.com/jetify-com/devbox/tree/main/docs/app/docs/faq.md)