Admittedly, it can be worse than sitting down and reading the manual front to back, but I did it the hard (or simple) way.
I used the simple template generated during nixos-install and kept adding packages I needed. Configured them manually as usual and went about my business. It works out more often than people would realize. For services, development toolchains etc just google and copy-paste from other people's config. Simply add 'ext:nix' to google query and you should be good.
I'm at almost 3 years, know just enough Nix to write some custom stuff, but nowhere close to the Wizard title. Its not as bad as people make it out.
Remember, your target is not to master it on day 1. Target is to get VLC to play the media file (or some equivalent for you).
I used the simple template generated during nixos-install and kept adding packages I needed. Configured them manually as usual and went about my business. It works out more often than people would realize. For services, development toolchains etc just google and copy-paste from other people's config. Simply add 'ext:nix' to google query and you should be good.
I'm at almost 3 years, know just enough Nix to write some custom stuff, but nowhere close to the Wizard title. Its not as bad as people make it out.
Remember, your target is not to master it on day 1. Target is to get VLC to play the media file (or some equivalent for you).