Iunno, when I get an outdated Nix package I port the derivation to a flake and update the requirements by hand. Then I can keep it in a profile-specific package alongside the old one until nixpkgs updates itself.

Arguably the answer is to use something like Flatpak if you don't want to go through the hassle. NixOS has good package coverage but a slower update cadence.

this is spot on, except on the take on jetbrains.

as they are learning now, too late, by opening the Clang suite, they can make lot more money by giving their ide for free and then charging only the big enterprise. if they had done that couple years earlier, they would be the editor of the new generation.

likewise, if they opened their ipc/lsp/whatever, they would have made bank, even if 90% of people were using the open source version on vim and emacs.