The Nixpkgs core team has disbanded
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
The Nixpkgs core team disbanded, citing systemic issues with the Steering Committee's governance.
The Nixpkgs core team, consisting of @alyssais and @emilazy, disbanded after 10 months, citing unsustainable burnout. They pointed to systemic problems with the Steering Committee, including micromanagement, poor communication, and lack of delegation, which hindered their constitutional mandate. Despite achievements like onboarding 19 new committers, securing GitHub Enterprise Cloud, and establishing AI policy, the team concluded governance issues made continued work untenable. They hope their experience aids future governance efforts.
What commenters are saying
Commenters expressed concern but noted maintenance will continue. Many criticized the Nix community's governance as a "dumpster fire," with some blaming modern culture wars and the forced departure of BDFL Eelco. Others saw a systemic issue: the Steering Committee's micromanagement and political polarization drove away contributors. A few defended the SC as facing impossible demands. The thread highlighted a split between those who blame specific actors and those who see structural flaws.