is there a way to add a custom plugin not packaged in nixpkgs?

[conscious-puppet]

i want to add a plugin by giving its github url. i could do this by using fetchFromGithub and then, but is there any helper function provided by nixvim?

[gaetan-puleo]

Here an exemple in my config (it's a flake)

{ 
  
 ... # inputs

  # plugins
  inputs.nvim-window-picker-src = {
    url = "github:s1n7ax/nvim-window-picker";
    flake = false;
  };

  outputs = {
    self,
    nixpkgs,
    nixvim,
    flake-utils,
    nvim-window-picker-src
  }:
    flake-utils.lib.eachDefaultSystem (system: let
      pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages."${system}";
      nvim = nixvim.legacyPackages."${system}".makeNixvim {
        ... # config here
 
        extraPlugins = [
          (pkgs.vimUtils.buildVimPlugin {
          name = "nvim-window-picker";
          src = nvim-window-picker-src;
          })
        ];
      };
    in {
     ...
    });
}

[ptonner]

is there a way to use this approach when using makeNixvimWithModule? It doesn't seem like the module gets access to anything other than pkgs so I'm not sure how to provide these extra inputs to the module

[ptonner]

to partially answer my own question, it appears that I can use overlays as shown here: https://github.com/traxys/nvim-flake/blob/529cf14d62717b2b5ef45669f148294e8912564c/flake.nix#L248

Is this the right way to do it?

[gaetan-puleo]

You can use an overlay yes. On my side I am using a flake to build my config, this is why I can add inputs

[ptonner]

right, I'm using flakes as well but my call to makeNixvimWithModule uses a module file that won't have a reference to the flake inputs directly, just pkgs. This is how makeNixvimWithModule is written, so I think there is no way around it without overlays. But I wanted to double check my assumptions in case there's an alternative.

To make things more clear, here's my basic setup. A top-level flake:

{ 
    inputs = {
        #....
        extra-plugin = {
          url = "github:extra/plugin";
          flake = false;
        };
    }
    outputs = { nixpkgs, flake-utils, nixvim, ... }@inputs:
    flake-utils.lib.eachDefaultSystem (system:
      let
        pkgs = import nixpkgs {
          inherit system;
        };
        nvim = nixvim.legacyPackages.${system}.makeNixvimWithModule {
          inherit pkgs;
          module = ./nix;
        };
      in {
        packages = {
          inherit nvim;
          default = nvim;
        };
      });
}

And all the config happens in ./nix, where there won't be a direct reference to extra-plugin available.

To be clear, I've got something working already with overlays, but just want to double check there isn't an alternative I'm unaware of

[GaetanLepage]

You can also very easily upstream a vim package.
If you need me to do it, feel free to file an issue :)
It is also possible to add plugins to nixvim of course !

[conscious-puppet]

thanks for that. it's a personal plugin that i am not so confident about upstreaming.
i am new to nix, so i am trying to understand the various suggestions people have made.

[GaetanLepage]

Ok ! In this case, using vimUtils.buildVimPlugin is the best approach !

[GaetanLepage]

I am marking this discussion as solved :)