NixOS Bloat: The Technical Challenge of Shrinking Installation ISOs

As NixOS gains adoption as a declarative system configuration platform, its 458MiB installation ISO presents a significant barrier to efficient deployment in resource-constrained and remote environments. This investigation into ISO size reveals fundamental packaging inefficiencies in modern Linux distributions with broader implications for container, VM, and edge deployments. Addressing bloat directly impacts the practical usability and adoption of immutable infrastructure methodologies.