This is my setup for NixOS.

• reproducible
  • NixOS with flakes to lock versions
  • ephemeral root to stay conscious about unreproduced state
• ergonomics
  • keyboard-first favoring vim-like keybinds
• intuitiveness
  • scrollable tiling

(credit: wallpaper by Alena Aenami.)

This configuration was made with the following devices in mind:

• update ./hosts/<PROFILE>/hardware-configuration.nix
• on an existing system, disable impermanence to prevent existing files not opted into persistence from being wiped on boot
• replace currently hardcoded values
• get a user password by either:
  • setting one in ./hosts/<PROFILE>/configuration.nix
  • decoding secrets by adding the age keys file to /etc/nixos/keys.txt

cd Downloads
git clone https://codeberg.org/kiara/cfg.git
cd cfg
sudo nix --experimental-features "nix-command flakes" run github:nix-community/disko -- --mode disko -f .#hammer
dest=/mnt/persist/home/kiara/.config/sops/age/
sudo mkdir -p $dest
sudo cp -r ./. $dest
sudo cp ~/Downloads/keys.txt $dest  # import/create
sudo nixos-install --no-root-passwd --flake .#default --no-root-passwd
sudo nixos-enter --root /mnt
cp /etc/{machine-id,group,passwd,shadow} /persist/etc

$ nix --experimental-features "nix-command flakes" run nixpkgs#just -- switch

$ just -l
Available recipes:
    age                    # Check when inputs were last updated
    boot                   # Build a new configuration
    clean                  # Remove all generations older than 7 days
    decode                 # Decode secrets
    default                # default action: list actions
    dry                    # Dry-build a new configuration
    encode                 # Encode secrets
    ephemeral dir="$HOME"  # Show what has yet to be persisted in a folder. Usage: just ephemeral $HOME | $PAGER
    fmt                    # Format code
    gc                     # Garbage collect all unused nix store entries
    home                   # Rebuild the home config
    patch-desktop-xwayland # Patch persisted wine/steam desktop entries to run xwayland
    repl                   # Open a Nix REPL - run manually to load flake: `:lf .`
    switch                 # Rebuild the system
    test                   # Run tests
    up                     # Update all inputs
    upp input              # Update specific input. Usage: just upp nixpkgs

... or if just isn't available yet:

nix run nixpkgs#just -- -l

to ensure you can persist useful state on an ephemeral system, you can find say:

• newly created (5 mins) files: find ~ -cmin -5
• files now on root: tree -x /
• diffs from last backup: rsync --dry-run

• secrets: sops
• formatter: treefmt
• commands: just
• CI: garnix
• cache: ./cachix/
• environment loader: direnv
• declarative partitioning: disko
• ephemeral root: impermanence

• the flake.locked nixpkgs is used for:
  • nix commands
  • 'command not found' errors
• nix flake show is fixed using Flake Schemas
• $SHELL is retained in nix shell

• theming module: Stylix
• GUI theme: Catppuccin-Mocha-Maroon
• shell theme: base16-classic-dark
• icons: Papirus-Dark
• fonts:
  • regular: DejaVu Sans
  • monospace MartianMono
  • emoji: Twemoji

• Nix
  • NUR
  • Flakes
• Flatpak
• AppImage
• Progressive Web Apps
• Windows

Used keyboard layouts, with Caps Lock remapped to Esc:

• workman-programmer, with application keymaps modified to keep arrow actions h/j/k/l (+ actions 'y'/'n') in their ergonomic qwerty positions (at the cost of moving actions e/o to keys h/l)
• en-us (qwerty)

Application keybinds, tweaked to layout by setting config.keyboard.active:

• niri: see ./home-manager/kiara/niri.nix (TODO)
• swaynotificationcenter
• firefox (vimium-c)
• yazi (custom)
• wezterm (overrides: ./home-manager/kiara/wezterm.nix)
• vscodium (overrides: ./home-manager/kiara/vscode.nix)
• helix (overrides: ./home-manager/kiara/features/text/helix.nix)
• neovim
• zsh
  • Tab completion should suggest sub-commands thru tldr pages
  • on error hit Esc (2x) to trigger fuck suggestion
  • thru fzf
    • CTRL-T - Paste the selected files and directories onto the command-line
    • ALT-C - cd into the selected directory
• gum
• zathura