NixOS test driver: Faster tests, CUDA in the sandbox, and better debugging
The last NixOS test driver workshop at NixCon 2025 was packed with people who were eager to use the NixOS test driver to its full potential in production.
Because this format was so successful, we repeat it with a strong focus also on the latest features that we and others upstreamed in the last 12 months:
Run faster tests with NixOS containers, even with non-KVM infrastructure
Run CUDA in NixOS integration tests
Mix Intel and ARM based VMs in your tests
Debug your tests with minimal configuration changes via VSOCK
If you have tests that sporadically fail in CI, but never on your laptop, the new debugger hook will help you out
Some of the new features require special Nix daemon configuration, which we will also walk you through.
Jacek Galowicz is a systems architect, Nixpkgs contributor and maintainer of the NixOS Integration Test Driver. He is the founder of Applicative Systems, a software development consulting firm, and Nixcademy, corporate Nix/NixOS training provider. With a background ranging from microhypervisors, CI/CD automation, and writing technical books, Jacek focuses on building resilient, machine-verified software infrastructure that lasts.