I primarily develop applications in python and the language ecosystem offers some tools to manage different versions of the language and different versions of the libraries etc. Why is using something like nix or flox better? Is it fair to say that the advantage of using nix/flox are much more for developers using multiple languages?

I wouldn’t say dev containers, Devbox, or similar tools are strictly “better”. It really depends on your needs. That said, here are a few reasons people might choose them over language specific tools:

• System-level dependencies: you can manage compilers, libraries, shells, databases, CLI tools, etc., all in one place alongside your language tooling (like you mentioned).

• Easier onboarding: language-specific tools usually don’t handle system-level requirements, so it’s pretty common to run into issues when setting up a dev environment for a new project.

• Developer experience: sometimes it just comes down to preferring the workflow these tools offer.

Personally, I like the idea of frictionless, reproducible environments and using the same tools everywhere, no matter what language a project is built in.