As root using `nixos-container`.

[[NixOS - container directories]]

Create with: `nixos-container create foo`.
During create we can pass `--config` or `--config-file`. 
By default it gets an address in the range `10.233.0.0/16` but this can be overridden using `--host-address` and `--local-address`.

It needs to be started explicitly `nixos-container start foo`.
The container runs as a systemd unit on the host `systemctl status container@foo`.

Login can be done as root using `nixos-container root-login foo` whilst regular authenticated login is also possible with `login`.  

Arbitrary command execution: `nixos-container run foo -- whoami`

Build and activate new configuration: `nixos-container update foo`, this reads `/var/lib/nixos-containers/foo/etc/nixos/configuration.nix`.
^ Also allows passing in `--config` from the CLI, this overrides its `configuration.nix`.

Start/stop  using systemd or `nixos-container start|stop`.
Destroy completely using: `nixos-container destroy foo`.

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[[NixOS - Containers]]
[[NixOS - Advantage of imperative container management]]