DOTFILES

This repository contains my personal dotfiles for configuring my development environment on MacOS/ NixOS.

Note

Before applying the new configurations, it's a good idea to back up your existing dotfiles. You can do this by renaming them or moving them to a backup directory.

MacOS

Prerequisites

Before restoring the dotfiles, ensure you have the following installed:

1. Install Xcode Command Line Tools: Open your terminal and run:

   xcode-select --install

2. Install Homebrew: Run the following command in your terminal:

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

3. Install Nix: Use the following command to install Nix using the Determinate Systems installer for macOS (multi-user install):

   curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -L https://install.determinate.systems/nix | sh -s -- install

   Check that your installation was successful by running:

   nix --version

4. Bootstrap nix-darwin: After installing Nix, you can bootstrap nix-darwin by running the following commands:

   mkdir -p ~/.config/nix/
   cd ~/.config/nix/
   nix  flake init -t nix-darwin
   sed -i '' "s/simple/$(scutil --get LocalHostName)/" flake.nix

   You will then need to add nix.enable = false; to the ~/.config/nix/flake.nix file to allow nix-darwin to manage the Nix configuration.

   After that, you can run the following command to install nix-darwin:

   sudo nix run nix-darwin --extra-experimental-features "nix-command flakes" -- switch --flake ~/.config/nix

   Check to see that the installation was successful by running:

   type darwin-rebuild

Restoring Dotfiles

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/francojc/dotfiles.git ~/.dotfiles

2. Navigate to the dotfiles directory:

   cd ~/.dotfiles

3. Remove any existing files that may conflict with the configurations:

   rm -rf ~/.zshrc ~/.zshenv ~/.zsh ~/.config/nix

4. Make sure the flake.nix hostname to match the system hostname:

   To find the hostname, run the following command:

   hostname

   [!NOTE] You can update the hostname in macOS running sudo scutil --set LocalHostName <new-hostname>. I've also found that running sudo hostname -s <new-hostname> can help in some cases.

5. Apply the configurations using the full path to the flake's directory:

   NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE=1 darwin-rebuild switch --flake ~/.dotfiles/.config/nix/#<yourhostname> --impure

   Note: After a successful switch, you will be able to use the alias switch to apply the configurations in the future.

6. Use stow to symlink the configurations:

   cd ~/.dotfiles
   stow .

NixOS

This repository supports NixOS systems with a modular configuration system and flexible desktop environment profiles that mirror the macOS setup approach.

Available Host Configurations

This dotfiles repository includes a NixOS host example with a modular desktop environment system:

Mini-Rover Host (Traditional X11 Setup)

• Desktop Environment: i3 (X11 window manager)
• Applications: Traditional Linux desktop applications
• Features: XRDP remote desktop support, X11 compatibility
• Best for: Servers, older hardware, remote access scenarios, Mac Mini 2011

Note

This configuration uses a modular profile system with separate desktop environment configurations in profiles/nixos/

Prerequisites

Before setting up the NixOS configuration, ensure you have the following:

1. NixOS Installation: A working NixOS system (minimal installation is sufficient)

2. Flakes Support: Enable experimental features by adding to /etc/nixos/configuration.nix:

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

   Then rebuild: sudo nixos-rebuild switch

3. Git: Install Git if not already available:

   nix-shell -p git

Installation Process

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/francojc/dotfiles.git ~/.dotfiles

2. Navigate to the dotfiles directory:

   cd ~/.dotfiles

3. Choose your host configuration approach:

   You can either use one of the existing host configurations or create a new one.

Option A: Use Existing Host Configuration

4a. Review available configurations:

• Current example: Mini-Rover host configuration (i3/X11 setup)
• Desktop environment profiles available: sway.nix (Wayland) and i3.nix (X11)

5a. Update host configuration (optional):

Edit .config/nix/hosts/Mini-Rover/default.nix to customize:

nano .config/nix/hosts/Mini-Rover/default.nix

Update the username and email:

username = "yourusername";
useremail = "your.email@example.com";

Option B: Create New Host Configuration

4b. Generate hardware configuration:

sudo nixos-generate-config --show-hardware-config > .config/nix/hosts/$(hostname)/hardware-configuration.nix

5b. Create host directory and configuration:

mkdir -p .config/nix/hosts/$(hostname)

Create .config/nix/hosts/$(hostname)/default.nix based on one of the existing examples.

6b. Update the flake.nix:

Add your hostname to the hosts configuration in .config/nix/flake.nix:

hosts = {
  "Macbook-Airborne" = import ./hosts/Macbook-Airborne/default.nix;
  "Mac-Minicore" = import ./hosts/Mac-Minicore/default.nix;
  "Mini-Rover" = import ./hosts/Mini-Rover/default.nix;
  "yourhostname" = import ./hosts/yourhostname/default.nix;  # Add this line
};

Apply Configuration

6. Build and apply the NixOS configuration:

   sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/.dotfiles/.config/nix/#yourhostname

   Replace yourhostname with:

   • Mini-Rover for the existing i3/X11 setup
   • Your custom hostname if you created a new configuration

   [!NOTE] The first build may take longer as it downloads and builds all required packages.

7. Apply dotfiles symlinks:

   cd ~/.dotfiles
   stow .

Post-Installation

Desktop Environment Setup

For i3 (Mini-Rover host):

• i3 will be available in your display manager
• XRDP is configured for remote desktop access (port 3389)
• Traditional X11 applications are prioritized
• LightDM display manager included

For Sway (if using sway.nix profile):

• Sway will be available in your display manager
• Waybar and Wofi are pre-configured
• Wayland-compatible applications and XDG portals included

Application Management

NixOS uses Flatpak instead of Homebrew for GUI applications:

• Flatpak is automatically configured and enabled
• Pre-configured remotes include Flathub and Flathub Beta
• Applications are managed through the nix configuration in modules/nixos/apps.nix

Note

The configuration now uses a modular profile system. Desktop environments are defined in profiles/nixos/ with sway.nix for Wayland and i3.nix for X11 setups.

Customization

Theme Configuration:

The system uses the theme specified in your host configuration. Available themes:

• gruvbox (default)
• nightfox
• arthur
• onedark

Adding Packages:

• System packages: Edit modules/nixos/apps.nix
• User packages: Edit appropriate files in home/
• Flatpak packages: Add to the packages list in modules/nixos/apps.nix

Future Updates

To update your system configuration:

cd ~/.dotfiles
git pull
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .config/nix/#yourhostname

To update packages:

cd ~/.dotfiles/.config/nix
nix flake update
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ./#yourhostname

Troubleshooting

Configuration fails to build:

• Check that your hostname matches the configuration name exactly
• Verify that hardware-configuration.nix exists and is properly formatted
• Ensure experimental features are enabled

Missing hardware-configuration.nix:

sudo nixos-generate-config --show-hardware-config > .config/nix/hosts/yourhostname/hardware-configuration.nix

Permission issues:

Ensure you're using sudo for nixos-rebuild commands and your user is in the wheel group.

Key Differences from macOS Setup

• Package Management: Flatpak replaces Homebrew for GUI applications
• Window Managers: Sway (Wayland) or i3 (X11) instead of macOS window management
• Home Directory: /home/username instead of /Users/username
• Build Command: nixos-rebuild switch instead of darwin-rebuild switch
• Modules: Uses nixosModules instead of darwinModules