Nix Config for macOS and NixOS

Overview

This repository contains my configuration for my systems, specifically Nix on macOS, a NixOS VM, and my Gaming rig and Server in the future.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Layout
• Features
• Building and Deploying
  • For macOS (Feb 2024)
    • Build check
    • Make changes
  • Other systems
    • X86_64 machine
    • VM
  • Updating Dependencies
• Compatibility and Testing

Layout

.
├── apps         # Nix commands used to bootstrap and build configuration
├── configs      # Normal .config/ configurations I call inside of Nix
├── hosts        # Host-specific configuration
├── modules      # macOS and nix-darwin, NixOS, and shared configuration
├── nix-secrets  # Secrets handling with agenix
└── overlays     # Drop an overlay file in this dir, and it runs. So far, mainly patches.

Features

• Nix Flakes: 100% flake driven, no configuration.nix, no Nix channels─ just flake.nix
• Same Environment Everywhere: Easily share config across Linux and macOS (both Nix and Home Manager)
• macOS Setup: Fully declarative macOS w/ UI, dock and macOS App Store apps, homebrew taps, casks, and brews
• Simple Bootstrap: Simple Nix commands to start from zero, both x86 and macOS platforms
• Managed Homebrew: Zero maintenance homebrew environment with nix-darwin and nix-homebrew
• Disk Management: Declarative disk management with disko, no more disk utils
• Secrets Management: Declarative secrets with agenix for SSH, PGP, syncthing, and other tools
• Built In Home Manager: home-manager module for seamless configuration (no extra clunky CLI steps)
• Declarative Sync: No-fuss Syncthing: managed keys, certs, and configuration across all platforms
• Simplicity and Readability: Optimized for simplicity and readability in all cases, not small files everywhere
• Backed by Continuous Integration: Flake auto updates weekly if changes don't break starter build

Building and Deploying

For macOS (March 2024)

This configuration supports both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

1. Build check

Ensure the build works before deploying the configuration, run:

nix run .#build

Note

If you're using a git repository, only files in the working tree will be copied to the Nix Store.

You must run git add . first.

Warning

You may encounter error: Unexpected files in /etc, aborting activation if nix-darwin detects it will overwrite an existing /etc/ file. The error will list the files like this:

The following files have unrecognized content and would be overwritten:

  /etc/nix/nix.conf
  /etc/bashrc

Please check there is nothing critical in these files, rename them by adding .before-nix-darwin to the end, and then try again.

Backup and move the files out of the way and/or edit your Nix configuration before continuing.

2. Make changes

Alter your system with this command:

nix run .#build-switch

Caution

~/.zshrc will be replaced with the zsh configuration from this repository. Make edits here first if you'd like.

Other systems

x86_64 machine

nix run .#build-switch

VM

sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#vm

Updating dependencies

nix flake update

Compatibility and Testing

I have personally tested this configuration on an:

• M1 Apple Silicon Mac
• Bare metal x86_64 PC
• aarch64 NixOS VM inside QEMU on macOS