NixOS with Flakes

This is my dotfiles repository for a standard NixOS system with Flakes enabled. NixOS can be downloaded here

Getting started

Before using the dotfiles, you need to make some changes to the current running configuration.

• Add this into configuration.nix and rebuild using sudo nixos-rebuild switch

nix.settings.experimental-features = [ "nix-command" "flakes" ];

• Install git temporarily using nix-shell -p git
• Clone the repo into ~/dotfiles

Configuring hosts

Continue the steps depending whether you are reinstalling an existing host or setting up a new one.

Existing host

• Copy /etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix to the appropriate hosts subdirectory
• Edit configuration.nix in same directory if needed (e.g. if you need to change boot options)
• Rebuild with sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake $HOME/dotfiles/.#hostname --impure where hostname is the existing host's configuration name

New host

• Make a new subdirectory in hosts/ and name it however you like
• Create a new file inside called default.nix.
  • Edit the file accordingly
  • OR copy other hosts' default.nix and change the configuration (recommended)
• Be sure to import ./hardware-configuartion in default.nix

{ self, ... }:
{
  imports =
    [ ./hardware-configuration.nix ] ++ 
      self.nixosModules.allImportsExcept [];
...
}

• Copy /etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix to the new host's subdirectory
• Edit flake.nix and find this part:

...
in
{
  ... = mkSystem ./hosts/...;
  .... = mkSystem ./hosts/....;
};

• Add the host there by adding the line hostname = mkSystem ./hosts/hostname; where hostname is the new host's previously chosen name
• Rebuild with sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake $HOME/dotfiles/.#hostname --impure where hostname is the new host's previously chosen name
• Reboot the system
• Be sure to commit your changes

Changing the default password

• After rebooting, log into your user. The initial password is the same as the username.
• After logging in, passwd to change your user's password