Eh, I don't think nix-env is all that bad. Put it this way:
nix-shell lets you dip your toes in the water, without learning the Nix language. Amazing value added... but sometimes it's annoying that it forgets that package you used yesterday.
nix-env lets you "install" software, without learning the Nix language. Great, now I can use that Nix package repeatedly without having to nix-shell it. We're still better off than "apt install" at this point, and it's no harder than that.
Everything else -- nixos config, home-manager, flakes, overlays, etc. -- requires Nix language knowledge, and non-superficial comfort level with the Nix data model (nixpkgs, attribute sets, and a very long tail of other things).
Nix-env is a beneficial stepping stone for converting dabblers into diehards, and is one of the Nash equilibria for some Nix users. (i.e., not everyone wants to learn the language and drink the koolaid, they just want to enjoy some additional benefits beyond nix-shell.)
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
- 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."
nix-shell lets you dip your toes in the water, without learning the Nix language. Amazing value added... but sometimes it's annoying that it forgets that package you used yesterday.
nix-env lets you "install" software, without learning the Nix language. Great, now I can use that Nix package repeatedly without having to nix-shell it. We're still better off than "apt install" at this point, and it's no harder than that.
Everything else -- nixos config, home-manager, flakes, overlays, etc. -- requires Nix language knowledge, and non-superficial comfort level with the Nix data model (nixpkgs, attribute sets, and a very long tail of other things).
Nix-env is a beneficial stepping stone for converting dabblers into diehards, and is one of the Nash equilibria for some Nix users. (i.e., not everyone wants to learn the language and drink the koolaid, they just want to enjoy some additional benefits beyond nix-shell.)