Nixos configuration

Setup from scratch (without repo cloning)

Base install

1. Install from CD/USB

2. Check hardware-confituration.nix and configuration.nix files for ambiguity

3. Change the default hostname to something you like:

  networking.hostname = "yourhostname";

4. Rebuild with sudo nixos-rebuild switch

5. Add vim text editor:

  # It should be somewhere in the configuration.nix
  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
+    vim
  ];

Rebuild.

Hardware optimisations

1. If you habe SSD:

# configuration.nix
+  services.fstrim.enable = true;

# hardware-configuration.nix
  fileSystems."/" = {
    device = "/dev/disk/by-uuid/YOUR-SSD-DISK-ID";
    fsType = "ext4";
+    # For a long and healthy SSD life
+    options = [ "noatime" ];
    };

2. Hardware firmware problems

# configuration.nix
+  nixpkgs.config.allowUnfree = true;

# hardware-configuration.nix
+  hardware.enableAllFirmware = true;

Rebuild.

Introducing flakes

1. Add experimental feature:

# configuration.nix
+  # Turn flakes on
+  nix.settings.experimental-features = [ "nix-command" "flakes" ];

Rebulid.

2. Initialize flakes

New file flake.nix

{
  description = "nix flake";

  inputs = {
    nixpkgs.url = "nixpkgs/nixos-23.11"; # or 'nixos-unstable' if you want
    };
  
  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, ... } @inputs: {
    nixosConfigurations.yourhostname = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem rec {
      system = "x86_64-linux"; # Or other if you have - check hardware config
      specialArgs = { inherit inputs; };
      modules = [
        ./configuration.nix
      ];
    };
  };
}

NOTE: From now on you need to always rebuild the system with sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake /etc/nixos#yoursethostname, so that you can have multiple flakes for different system configurations, e.g. server, nix on Rpi, cloud, laptop, etc. Rebuild.

Additional config

1. Plymouth startup screen

# configuration.nix
+  boot.plymouth.enable = true;
+  boot.kernelParams = ["quiet"]; # Is this optional?

2. Manpages

# configuration.nix
+  documentation.enable = true;
+  documentation.dev.enable = true;
+  documentation.man.enable = true;
+  documentation.man.generateCaches = true;

3. More packages

Just place them inside the packages = with pkgs; [ array

4. EOL Electron problem solving (when installing obsidian)

# configuration.nix
+  nixpkgs.config.permittedInsecurePackages = [
+    "electron-25.9.0" # An example version used
+  ];

Setting font

1. Install with packages = with pkgs; [

2. Then, make it available for system applications

# configuration.nix
  fonts.packages = with pkgs; [
    fira-code
    fira-code-symbols
    source-code-pro
  ];

Rebuild.

Novim as the default editor

# configuration.nix
  programs.neovim = {
    enable = true;
    defaultEditor = true;
  };

Good to know

Getting information

man configuration.nix

Searching for packages

Visit (nixos package search website)[https://search.nixos.org].

Updating packages (with flakes)

Add channel for your desired package repo (e.g. 23.11 or unstable) And then pull the newest packages with...

nix flake update

...to update flake's dependencies and packages

Installing and setting up river (wayland wm)

Enable river in configuration.nix and install additional stuff

  # For river 
  services.xserver.displayManager.sessionPackages = [ pkgs.river ];

  # Configure keymap in X11
  services.xserver = {
    layout = "pl";
    xkbVariant = "";
  };

  # Configure console keymap
  console.keyMap = "pl2";

  # Enable CUPS to print documents.
  services.printing.enable = true;

  # Enable sound with pipewire.
  sound.enable = true;
  hardware.pulseaudio.enable = false;
  security.rtkit.enable = true;
  services.pipewire = {
    enable = true;
    alsa.enable = true;
    alsa.support32Bit = true;
    pulse.enable = true;
    jack.enable = true;
  };

    # IN THE SAME FILE

  # Desktop config
  programs.river.enable = true;

  # For window managers
  # F*** you Nvidia - Linus
  environment.sessionVariables = {
    # Against invisible cursors
    WLR_NO_HARDWARE_CURSORS = "1";
    # Hint electron apps to use wayland
    NIXOS_OZONE_WL = "1";
  };

  # Nvidia wayland config continuation
  hardware = {
    opengl.enable = true;
    nvidia.modesetting.enable = true;
  };

  # Portals
  xdg.portal.enable = true;
  xdg.portal.wlr.enable = true;
  # Doesnt work - package conflict
  #xdg.portal.extraPortals = [ pkgs.xdg-desktop-portal-gtk ];

  # List packages installed in system profile. To search, run:
  # $ nix search wget
  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
    vim
    (waybar.overrideAttrs (oldAttrs: {
        mesonFlags = oldAttrs.mesonFlags ++ [ "-Dexperimental=true" ];
      })
    )
    dunst # notification daemon
    libnotify # notification display program
    # wallpaper
    (wbg.overrideAttrs (oldAttrs: {
        mesonFlags = oldAttrs.mesonFlags ++ [ "-Dpng=enabled" "-Djpeg=enabled" "-Dwebp=enabled" ];
      })
    )
    bemenu # dmenu for wayland
    firefox # browser
    alacritty # terminal
    networkmanagerapplet # guess :)
    # Fonts
    fira-code
    fira-code-symbols
    source-code-pro
  ];

Disable GNOME (it has conflicting packages). It solved the issue in my case.

  services.xserver.displayManager.gdm.enable = true;
-  services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome.enable = true;
+  # services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome.enable = true;

Rebuild. Test. Rollback, should you need it.