Quick Python environment with nix-shell

You can quickly spin up a Python environment with specific packages using nix-shell:

nix-shell -p python3 python3Packages.requests python3Packages.numpy

This drops you into a shell with Python 3 and the specified packages available. Great for quick experiments without polluting your system Python or setting up a full virtual environment.

The -p flag lets you specify multiple packages, and you can find available Python packages by searching for python3Packages. followed by the package name.

For more complex setups, you can create a shell.nix file, but for one-offs, this command line approach is perfect.