Put this in a directory and then call `nix develop --impure` This is assuming flakes are enabled in the nix config (I'm using it on NixOS but it should??? work on any nix package manager installation?)

flake.nix

{
  description = "Scratch dir for various testing";

  outputs = {nixpkgs, ...}: let
    system = "x86_64-linux";
    pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system};
nixarm = import <nixpkgs> {
  crossSystem = {
    config = "aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu";
  };

};

    # this will use aarch64 binaries from binary cache, so no need to build those
    pkgsArm = import <nixpkgs> {
        config = {};
        overlays = [];
        system = "aarch64-linux";
    };

    # these will be your cross packages
    pkgsCross = import <nixpkgs> {

       overlays = [(self: super: {
# things
       })];
       crossSystem = {
         config = "aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu";
       };
     };

  in {
    devShells.${system}.default = pkgs.mkShell {
      packages =  [
pkgs.qemu
pkgsArm.gdb
pkgsArm.gef
#pkgs.gcc-arm-embedded
pkgsArm.gcc
];
    };
  };
}

Makefile

all: clean build

build:
	gcc student_a64_template.s a64_testbench.o -o ac_lab -g -lm

run: build
	qemu-aarch64 ./ac_lab ${ARGS}

run-and-wait-for-debug:
	while true; do make build && qemu-aarch64 -g 25540 ./ac_lab ${ARGS}; sleep 1; done

#pass arguments to makefile like BREAK_AT=aiken_to_long 
debug:
	gef -q ac_lab -ex 'target remote localhost:25540' -ex 'gef config context.layout "-legend regs -stack code args source memory threads -trace extra"' -ex 'break ${BREAK_AT}'

clean:
	rm -f ac_lab qemu*.core

verify:
	python3 verify.py