The catalog

The catalog is the set of NixOS modules that LimaNix can add to a VM: a shell, language toolchains, services and tools. You choose from it in limanix.toml without writing Nix.

Where the catalog comes from

Each limanix binary embeds one catalog release and is tested with it. To see what your client bundles, run:

Mac

limanix modules list

Each row shows a selector, its kind and its description. The list reads the embedded catalog and the modules you imported; it downloads nothing. A newer client can bring new modules, version lines and defaults. Installing it does not change an existing VM until you run limanix update.

Three kinds

The catalog has three kinds of entries, and limanix.toml chooses each kind in its own table:

Kind	Chosen in	Example	Page
Shell components	[shell]: a preset and its prompt, editor and multiplexer	editor = "astronvim"	Shell
Toolchains	[toolchains]: one version per language	go = "1.27"	Toolchains
Modules	[nixos] modules, by selector	modules = ["lmx:docker"]	Modules and packages

One file can use all three:

limanix.toml

[shell]
preset = "terminal"

[toolchains]
go = "1.27"

[nixos]
modules = ["lmx:docker"]

Without these tables the VM gets the terminal preset, no toolchain and no other module. A shell component or a toolchain in [nixos] modules fails and names the table that chooses it, for example lmx:go is a toolchain; choose its version in [toolchains], such as go = "1.27".

Modules

Module	Selector	Adds
Docker	lmx:docker	Docker Engine, the Docker CLI, Compose and Lazydocker
PostgreSQL	lmx:postgres	The PostgreSQL server and its tools, for manual use
Google Cloud CLI	lmx:gcloud	The Google Cloud CLI
Claude Code	lmx:claude	Anthropic's coding agent for the terminal, without self-updates
Posting	lmx:posting	An HTTP client for the terminal, in the guest's theme
Harlequin	lmx:harlequin	A SQL IDE for the terminal with the PostgreSQL adapter, in the guest's theme

Software that needs no configuration is a package, not a module: list it in [nixos] packages, as Modules and packages shows. For settings or services of your own, write a module and select it as third-party:NAME.

Versions

Some modules offer version lines. lmx:NAME selects the module's default line. lmx:NAME-LINE selects a line explicitly and replaces the default.

Module	Lines	Default
Docker	28, 29	29
PostgreSQL	16, 17, 18	18

The other modules have no lines and only the lmx:NAME selector. A future catalog release may change a default; to stay on a line, select it explicitly.

Select several lines of one module only when its page allows it. PostgreSQL installs lmx:postgres-16 and lmx:postgres-18 side by side. Docker takes one line, and two lines stop the build with docker: select one line. Each module page lists the package versions of its lines and their support status. An end-of-life line prints a warning when the VM builds.

Help inside the VM

Every module explains itself in the VM:

VM

lmx help docker

The card shows the installed versions, the commands the module adds, common tasks and a link to its guide. lmx help lists the topics; lmx help docker-29 and lmx help lmx:docker work too. See The lmx command.

Selectors from earlier catalogs

Earlier catalogs had modules that only installed a package, and aggregates that the shell presets replace. Replace them as follows:

Former selector	Now
lmx:cozy, lmx:console	The terminal preset, with [toolchains] and modules for the rest
lmx:zsh, lmx:tmux, lmx:astronvim, lmx:neovim, lmx:yazi, lmx:lazygit, lmx:cli-tools	[shell]
lmx:go, lmx:python, lmx:nodejs, lmx:rust	[toolchains]
lmx:git	Part of the CLI tools
lmx:gh	Part of the terminal preset; packages = ["gh"] with minimal
lmx:lazydocker	Part of lmx:docker
lmx:k9s, lmx:minikube	packages = ["k9s", "minikube"]
lmx:helm, lmx:terraform, lmx:taskfile	packages = ["unstable:kubernetes-helm", "unstable:terraform", "unstable:go-task"]
lmx:codex, lmx:aws	packages = ["unstable:codex", "unstable:awscli2"]