Overview

Dotfile management using nix, home-manager, and stow.

Installation

Dependencies

• install nix
• add the home-manager channel: nix-channel --add https://github.com/nix-community/home-manager/archive/<RELEASE>.tar.gz home-manager
  • find the release from the github; it will be in the form release-23.11
• nix-shell -p stow

Initial setup

Git

• nix-shell -p git
• Get ssh sorted
• git clone git@github.com:aaronArinder/doots.git in your home directory

neovim

Neovim uses the .config directory. So, check that you're in the right directory (doots):

$ pwd
> doots

Doublecheck what stow will do:

stow --adopt -nv neovim

If it looks good (it should say LINK: .config => doots/neovim/.config), remove the -n and run:

stow --adopt -v neovim

⚠️ It probably matters that we do this first when setting up a machine; I don't know if stowing would overwrite .config here

Machine

For Linux (matterhorn, kirkjufell):

cd machines
sudo stow --target=/etc/nixos <machine>

For Darwin (current machine: eolus):

• Follow installaton for nix-darwin
• Make sure you get an /etc/nix-darwin
• Kill the initial flake and lockfile
• sudo stow --target=/etc/nix-darwin ./nix-darwin from within machines/eolus
• You should now be able to apply the config via darwin-rebuild switch --impure
  • The impurity comes from loading modules into the flake

Add channels

• Add channel: nix-channel --add <channel-url> <channel-name>
  • Go to the repo and find the right release branch name for the target architecture, e.g. nixpkgs-24.05-darwin for darwin
    • For example: nix-channel --add https://nixos.org/channels/nixpkgs-24.05-darwin nixos
  • Add the main channel and call it nixos
  • Add the unstable channel and call it unstable
  • Add home-manager

Maintenance

• Update channels: nix-channel --update
• (Optional for darwin) nix-channel --update darwin
• Darwin: build/activate: darwin-rebuild switch (potentially requiring the --impure flag)
• Darwin: some machines (eg, eolus) use flakes and these require editing the flake to include the right nixpkgs version
• Update nixpkgs version: nix-channel --add <new-version-url> nixpkgs
• Format: nixpkgs-fmt ./path/to/file
• Garbage collect the store: nix-collect-garbage (-d to delete old profiles/generations for extra cleanup; see manpage)

Configuration

man home-configuration.nix