Can we have a simple description of the problem `kup` solves?

[sliedes]

Hi,

I'm new to both K and NixOS, although I've been watching NixOS for a while and wanted to use it. So, a lot is a bit overwhelming.

One thing that is a bit confusing to me, even after searching, is the precise role of kup. I think it's not quite documented anywhere; it's said that it manages the installation of the bits and pieces of K, using NixOS as a backend. What I find is there is instructions of how to do things, which probably is the most important part for most users. And then I found this bit in an old Medium post:

Easy Installation

We have developed a one-line installation tool called kup, which is based on Nix. It provides a simple package manager for K-based projects, allowing a user to install and maintain everything with a simple command. We have made changes to the CLI options to improve the usability of the tools. The image below shows the CLI interface:

I presume kup solves some technical problem that was not entirely trivial using only NixOS. I guess originally I was a bit suspicious (due to my some security background); then I skimmed the source code of kup, and now I'm just curious. :)

Is it something like managing the dependencies between different versions of K Framework tools better than NixOS supports?

I can see that a lot of work has gone into making this user friendly, and I genuinely appreciate it!

[ehildenb]

We definitely rely on Nix for everything as much as possible. But kup list and kup install kontrol are much shorter to write than the nix ... commands they expand to! @goodlyrottenapple can provide a better idea.