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The issue with `nix-env` is how it tries to decide a later version. Python also has this issue, because it will see that python3.7 has a newer version called `python3.10a3`, and installs the alpha/dev version, instead of the expected python3.7.x

Honestly, if people just used nix for `shell.nix` in projects, it's still major value added

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Is there a tool that works something like this:

- mkdir myproject ; cd myproject

- nix-shell-env init # creates an "empty-ish" shell.nix

- nix-shell-env install nixpkgs.whatever # adds dep. to shell.nix

- nix-shell # activate it

So you don't have to learn any Nix-language / nixpkgs ropes, but can still have a viable shell.nix built for your project. I could see that being a nice stepping stone between "nix-shell -p" and "learning the language."

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