nixos-box64-binfmt

Note

This is in the most alpha version imaginable

Uses box64 to run x86_64 and i368 binaries in nixOS. Creates a proper FHS environment and can register binfmt entries to automatically run x86 binaries. It provides its own box64-bleeding-edge package, with the bleeding edge changes and box32 support to run 32bit software (like steam) as well.

Installation with flakes and Usage

Here's a minimal flake.nix demonstrating how to include the nixos-box64-binfmt module and its x86_64 package overlay:

# flake.nix
{
  description = "My NixOS Configuration with Box64 Binfmt";

  inputs = {
    nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
    
    box64-binfmt = {
      url = "github:Yeshey/nixos-box64-binfmt";
      # Optional: To ensure box64-binfmt uses the same Nixpkgs version as your system
      # inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
    };

  };

  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, box64-binfmt, ... }@inputs: {
    nixosConfigurations."your-hostname" = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
      system = "aarch64-linux";

      specialArgs = { inherit inputs; };

      modules = [
        # Import the Box64 Binfmt NixOS module
        inputs.box64-binfmt.nixosModules.default

        ./configuration.nix 
      ];
      pkgs = import nixpkgs {
        inherit system;
        config.allowUnfree = true;
        overlays = [
          inputs.box64-binfmt.overlays.default  # Adds pkgs.x86
        ];
      };
    };
  };
}

Then, in your configuration.nix or equivalent add these lines:

boot.binfmt.emulatedSystems = ["i686-linux" "x86_64-linux" "i386-linux" "i486-linux" "i586-linux" "i686-linux"];
nix.settings.extra-platforms = ["i686-linux" "x86_64-linux" "i386-linux" "i486-linux" "i586-linux" "i686-linux"];

Just like demonstrated below. Note that you have to nixos-rebuild once with the emulatedSystems and extra-platforms defined before enabling box64-binfmt.enable so your system can compile this flake, it will use qemu emulation only to build the packages that require x86_64-linux:

# configuration.nix
{ pkgs, inputs, ... }:

{
  imports = [
    inputs.box64-binfmt.nixosModules.default
  ];

  boot.binfmt.emulatedSystems = ["i686-linux" "x86_64-linux" "i386-linux" "i486-linux" "i586-linux" "i686-linux"];
  nix.settings.extra-platforms = ["i686-linux" "x86_64-linux" "i386-linux" "i486-linux" "i586-linux" "i686-linux"];
  box64-binfmt.enable = false; # Disable
}

Then you may start installing x86 packages, note that hardware acceleration hasn't been tested, and steam doesn't seem to work as of now:

# configuration.nix
{ pkgs, inputs, ... }:

{
  imports = [
    inputs.box64-binfmt.nixosModules.default
  ];

  boot.binfmt.emulatedSystems = ["i686-linux" "x86_64-linux" "i386-linux" "i486-linux" "i586-linux" "i686-linux"];
  nix.settings.extra-platforms = ["i686-linux" "x86_64-linux" "i386-linux" "i486-linux" "i586-linux" "i686-linux"];
  box64-binfmt.enable = true; # Enable 

  environment.systemPackages = [
    pkgs.x86.steamcmd          # SteamCMD for x86_64
    pkgs.x86.wineWowPackages.stable # WINE (WoW64 version)
    pkgs.x86.katawa-shoujo
    
    pkgs.htop                  # Native packages work as usual

    # This is the box64 version with box32 experimental support built, it is already installed so this is not needed
    # inputs.box64-binfmt.packages.${pkgs.system}.box64-bleeding-edge
  ];
}

Todo

• GitHub action to auto update box64 according to the latest commits?
• Proper README
• steam is still not launching, see this issue to track it