The xPack Windows Build Tools Frequently Asked Questions

Nix also provides reproducible builds, why not utilise it?

The concise answer is… "because of Windows".

Nix is a remarkable project that carefully controls versions down to individual libraries. However, it relies on file links, which are either unavailable or unreliable on Windows.

As a result, Nix is currently only available on GNU/Linux and, with some limitations, on macOS. Additionally, mastering the Nix language requires considerable effort.

Flatpak & Snap also promise universal packages, why not utilise them?

The concise answer is… "because they work only on GNU/Linux".

Both Flatpak and Snap show promise as the future of application distribution. Whilst they may eventually achieve this, they are currently specific to GNU/Linux, with very limited prospect of expanding to other platforms.