[blog] Mac bootstrap with nix
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Dhananjay Balan
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blog/2024-03-25-boostrap-a-macos-machine-with-nix.markdown
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blog/2024-03-25-boostrap-a-macos-machine-with-nix.markdown
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---
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layout: post
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title: "Bootstrapping a Mac with Nix"
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date: 2024-03-25
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comments: true
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tags: nix, macos, apple, nix-darwin, brew, homebrew
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---
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With [nix-darwin](https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin) and
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[home-manager](https://github.com/nix-community/home-manager) it is possible to
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manage almost all of a mac configuration declaratively. So when I got my new
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Macbook I was pretty sure this is the way to go. Unfortunately, the bootstrap
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is a bit involved. These are my notes from the process, which hopefully
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serves as a tutorial.
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## Installing dependencies
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We need to install some software manually before we can go full steam with
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configurations stored as nix files, the primary one being `nix` itself.
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Install nix with the [determinate systems nix installer](https://install.determinate.systems/), it comes with sensible defaults and a nicer uninstaller.
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Unfortunately, the GUI installer installs `x86_64` version of nix, so I had to use `curl |sh` for my `aarch64` Macbook.
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```sh
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curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -L https://install.determinate.systems/nix | sh -s -- install
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```
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If you haven't already, also install `Xcode tools` with `xcode-select --install`
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## Generating initial configurations
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We are going to use `nix-darwin` to keep a system wide configuration, which
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would represent packages that are installed, configuration for packages and
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configuration like shell aliases, files etc.
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nix-darwin has support for both classic `configuration.nix` tied to a nix-channel
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as well as flakes, I chose the latter as it allows more finer control over dependency versions[^1].
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```sh
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% nix flake init -t nix-darwin
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wrote: /Users/db/code/private/config/flake.nix
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# replace the hostname
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% sed -i '' "s/simple/$(scutil --get LocalHostName)/" flake.nix
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# Add to revision control
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git init
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git add flake.nix
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```
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This generates an example flake file, with some boilerplate code to get started.
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With some light editing:
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1. Moved the configuration to its on own file `configuration.nix`, and added it to git tree[^2].
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2. The appropriate `hostPlatform` for your mac. `nixpkgs.hostPlatform = "aarch64-darwin";`
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3. Set the home directory path `users.users.dj.home = "/Users/dj";`
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We end up with
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### flake.nix
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```nix
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{
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description = "System flake configuration file";
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inputs = {
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nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable";
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nix-darwin.url = "github:LnL7/nix-darwin";
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nix-darwin.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
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};
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outputs = inputs@{ self, nix-darwin, nixpkgs }: {
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# Build darwin flake using:
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# $ darwin-rebuild build --flake .#MacBook-Pro
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darwinConfigurations."MacBook-Pro" =
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nix-darwin.lib.darwinSystem {
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system = "aarch64-darwin";
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modules = [ ./configuration.nix ];
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};
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# Expose the package set, including overlays, for convenience.
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darwinPackages = self.darwinConfigurations."MacBook-Pro".pkgs;
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};
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}
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```
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### configuration.nix
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```nix
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{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
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{
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# List packages installed in system profile. To search by name, run:
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# $ nix-env -qaP | grep wget
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environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
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];
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users.users.dj.home = "/Users/dj";
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# Auto upgrade nix package and the daemon service.
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services.nix-daemon.enable = true;
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# nix.package = pkgs.nix;
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# Necessary for using flakes on this system.
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nix.settings.experimental-features = "nix-command flakes";
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# Create /etc/zshrc that loads the nix-darwin environment.
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programs.zsh.enable = true; # default shell on catalina
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# programs.fish.enable = true;
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# Used for backwards compatibility, please read the changelog before changing.
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# $ darwin-rebuild changelog
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system.stateVersion = 3;
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nix.configureBuildUsers = true;
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# The platform the configuration will be used on.
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nixpkgs.hostPlatform = "aarch64-darwin";
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}
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```
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Its time to bootstrap the system with `nix-darwin`!
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```sh
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% nix run nix-darwin -- switch --flake ~/.config/nix-darwin
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building the system configuration...
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[1/38/42 built, 227 copied (1406.7/1407.6 MiB), 237.3 MiB DL] building darwin-uninstaller (fixupPhase): str
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Password:
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setting up /run via /etc/synthetic.conf...
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user defaults...
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setting up user launchd services...
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setting up /Applications/Nix Apps...
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setting up pam...
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applying patches...
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setting up /etc...
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system defaults...
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setting up launchd services...
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creating service org.nixos.activate-system
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reloading service org.nixos.nix-daemon
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reloading nix-daemon...
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waiting for nix-daemon
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waiting for nix-daemon
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configuring networking...
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setting nvram variables...
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```
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During the bootstrap, `nix-darwin` installs the command `darwin-rebuild`, subsequent rebuilds should use `darwin-rebuild`.
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Both `nix-darwin` and `darwin-rebuild` follows same semantics as `nixos-rebuild`, `test` for test activation, `build` for only building the configuration, `switch` for commit and activate etc.
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## Install some packages
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I have a set of packages that I like to have available system-wide (for all users). Add those to
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`environment.systemPackages` in `configuration.nix`, which gives us:
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```nix
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{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
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{
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# List packages installed in system profile. To search by name, run:
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# $ nix-env -qaP | grep wget
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environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
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vim
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curl
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gitAndTools.gitFull
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mg
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mosh
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];
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...
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```
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Activate with `darwin-rebuild switch --flake ~/path-to-config-directory`
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## Home Manager
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[home-manager](https://github.com/nix-community/home-manager) is a nix community project for managing user environments, it comes with a [tone of module for configuring more day-to-day user facing programs](https://home-manager-options.extranix.com/), for e.g the git module for configuring, well git.
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```nix
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programs.git = {
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enable = true;
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extraConfig = {
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github.user = "<user>";
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init = { defaultBranch = "trunk"; };
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diff = { external = "${pkgs.difftastic}/bin/difft"; };
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};
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};
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```
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Install `home-manager` with flakes,
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1. Add a flake input in the inputs section
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```nix
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home-manager = {
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url = "github:nix-community/home-manager";
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inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs-unstable";
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};
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```
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2. And add the module to the `modules` section
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```nix
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home-manager.darwinModules.home-manager {
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# `home-manager` config
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home-manager.useGlobalPkgs = true;
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home-manager.useUserPackages = true;
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home-manager.users.db = import ./home.nix;
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};
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```
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I choose to keep the home configuration in a separate file, `home.nix`.
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```nix
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{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
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{
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home.stateVersion = "23.11";
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programs.git = {
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enable = true;
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userName = "name";
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userEmail = "mail@example.org";
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extraConfig = {
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github.user = "<user>";
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init = { defaultBranch = "trunk"; };
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diff = { external = "${pkgs.difftastic}/bin/difft"; };
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};
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};
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}
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```
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Also the updated `flake.nix` is now
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```nix
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{
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description = "System flake configuration file";
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inputs = {
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nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable";
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nixpkgs-unstable.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable";
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nix-darwin.url = "github:LnL7/nix-darwin";
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nix-darwin.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
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home-manager = {
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url = "github:nix-community/home-manager";
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inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
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};
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};
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outputs = inputs@{ self, nix-darwin, nixpkgs, home-manager, nix-homebrew
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, homebrew-core, homebrew-cask, homebrew-bundle, ... }:
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{
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# Build darwin flake using:
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# $ darwin-rebuild build --flake .#MacBook-Pro
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darwinConfigurations."MacBook-Pro" =
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nix-darwin.lib.darwinSystem {
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system = "aarch64-darwin";
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modules = [
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./configuration.nix
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home-manager.darwinModules.home-manager
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{
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# `home-manager` config
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home-manager.useGlobalPkgs = true;
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home-manager.useUserPackages = true;
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home-manager.users.db = import ./home.nix;
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}
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];
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};
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# Expose the package set, including overlays, for convenience.
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darwinPackages =
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self.darwinConfigurations."MacBook-Pro".pkgs;
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};
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}
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```
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If you get an error `Error: HOME is set to "/Users/<username>" but we expect "/var/empty"`, make sure you have set `users.users.<username>.home` in configuration.nix.
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## Manage homebrew applications
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Sadly, nix still has some catching up to do with mac compatibility, biggest gripe for me was [accessing GUI apps with spotlight seems to need some workarounds](https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin/issues/214). Luckily brew solves this and we can just install applications with brew, still managed by nix.
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`nix-darwin` can declaratively manage brew packages, however we need [nix-homebrew](https://github.com/zhaofengli/nix-homebrew) to install brew itself and manage the taps declaratively.
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Grab nix-homebrew using flakes, and also add the taps itself as inputs, this maybe the most underrated flakes feature. We can pin the taps to a specific version!
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```nix
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inputs = {
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nix-homebrew = {
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url = "github:zhaofengli-wip/nix-homebrew";
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inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs-unstable";
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};
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homebrew-core = {
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url = "github:homebrew/homebrew-core";
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flake = false;
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};
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homebrew-cask = {
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url = "github:homebrew/homebrew-cask";
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flake = false;
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};
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homebrew-bundle = {
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url = "github:homebrew/homebrew-bundle";
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flake = false;
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};
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```
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.. and import the module into the system configuration.
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```nix
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nix-homebrew.darwinModules.nix-homebrew
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{
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nix-homebrew = {
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enable = true;
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# Apple Silicon Only: Also install Homebrew under the default Intel prefix for Rosetta 2
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enableRosetta = true;
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user = "username";
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taps = {
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"homebrew/homebrew-core" = homebrew-core;
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"homebrew/homebrew-cask" = homebrew-cask;
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"homebrew/homebrew-bundle" = homebrew-bundle;
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};
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mutableTaps = false;
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};
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}
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```
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The package installations are itself managed by nix-darwin, using `homebrew.*` options.
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```nix
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homebrew = {
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enable = true;
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global.autoIpdate = false;
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casks = [ "kitty" ];
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};
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```
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## Fin!
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If you have followed through all of the above, like me, you should have a mac with almost everything configured declaratively, using nix.
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Further customizations options can be found in
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- [nix-darwin options search](https://daiderd.com/nix-darwin/manual/index.html), you could also use `man configuration.nix`
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- [Home manager option search](https://home-manager-options.extranix.com/)
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This setup helps me share configuration with my other machines; they are just an `import` away! However this bootstrapping is neither simple nor short, that's definitly something to improve.
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[^1]: Explaining flakes or nix nuanceses are out of scope and probably out of my reach, <https://nixos-and-flakes.thiscute.world/> is a better resource.
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[^2]: For flake build system to find them, git should be aware of the files.
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## Final configuration files
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<details>
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<summary>flake.nix</summary>
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```nix
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{
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description = "System flake configuration file";
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inputs = {
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nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable";
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nixpkgs-unstable.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable";
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nix-darwin.url = "github:LnL7/nix-darwin";
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nix-darwin.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
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home-manager = {
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url = "github:nix-community/home-manager";
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inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
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};
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nix-homebrew = { url = "github:zhaofengli-wip/nix-homebrew"; };
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homebrew-core = {
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url = "github:homebrew/homebrew-core";
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flake = false;
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};
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homebrew-cask = {
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url = "github:homebrew/homebrew-cask";
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flake = false;
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};
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homebrew-bundle = {
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url = "github:homebrew/homebrew-bundle";
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flake = false;
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};
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};
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outputs = inputs@{ self, nix-darwin, nixpkgs, home-manager, nix-homebrew
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, homebrew-core, homebrew-cask, homebrew-bundle, ... }: {
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# Build darwin flake using:
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# $ darwin-rebuild build --flake .#MacBook-Pro
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darwinConfigurations."MacBook-Pro" =
|
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nix-darwin.lib.darwinSystem {
|
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system = "aarch64-darwin";
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modules = [
|
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./configuration.nix
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home-manager.darwinModules.home-manager
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{
|
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# `home-manager` config
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home-manager.useGlobalPkgs = true;
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home-manager.useUserPackages = true;
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home-manager.users.db = import ./home.nix;
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}
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nix-homebrew.darwinModules.nix-homebrew
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{
|
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nix-homebrew = {
|
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enable = true;
|
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# Apple Silicon Only: Also install Homebrew under the default Intel prefix for Rosetta 2
|
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enableRosetta = true;
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user = "db";
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|
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taps = {
|
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"homebrew/homebrew-core" = homebrew-core;
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"homebrew/homebrew-cask" = homebrew-cask;
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"homebrew/homebrew-bundle" = homebrew-bundle;
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};
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mutableTaps = false;
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};
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}
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];
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};
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# Expose the package set, including overlays, for convenience.
|
||||
darwinPackages =
|
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self.darwinConfigurations."MacBook-Pro".pkgs;
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};
|
||||
}
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```
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</details>
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<details>
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||||
<summary>configuration.nix</summary>
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```nix
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{ config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
|
||||
|
||||
{
|
||||
# List packages installed in system profile. To search by name, run:
|
||||
# $ nix-env -qaP | grep wget
|
||||
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
|
||||
vim
|
||||
curl
|
||||
gitAndTools.gitFull
|
||||
mg
|
||||
mosh
|
||||
];
|
||||
|
||||
homebrew = {
|
||||
enable = true;
|
||||
global.autoUpdate = false;
|
||||
|
||||
casks = [ "kitty" ];
|
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};
|
||||
|
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users.users.db.home = "/Users/db";
|
||||
|
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# Auto upgrade nix package and the daemon service.
|
||||
services.nix-daemon.enable = true;
|
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# nix.package = pkgs.nix;
|
||||
|
||||
# Necessary for using flakes on this system.
|
||||
nix.settings.experimental-features = "nix-command flakes";
|
||||
|
||||
# Create /etc/zshrc that loads the nix-darwin environment.
|
||||
programs.zsh.enable = true; # default shell on catalina
|
||||
# programs.fish.enable = true;
|
||||
|
||||
# Used for backwards compatibility, please read the changelog before changing.
|
||||
# $ darwin-rebuild changelog
|
||||
system.stateVersion = 3;
|
||||
|
||||
nix.configureBuildUsers = true;
|
||||
|
||||
# The platform the configuration will be used on.
|
||||
nixpkgs.hostPlatform = "aarch64-darwin";
|
||||
}
|
||||
|
||||
```
|
||||
</details>
|
||||
<details>
|
||||
<summary>home.nix</summary>
|
||||
```nix
|
||||
{ config, pkgs, ... }:
|
||||
|
||||
{
|
||||
home.stateVersion = "23.11";
|
||||
programs.git = {
|
||||
enable = true;
|
||||
userName = "user name";
|
||||
userEmail = "email";
|
||||
extraConfig = {
|
||||
github.user = "gh_user";
|
||||
init = { defaultBranch = "trunk"; };
|
||||
diff = { external = "${pkgs.difftastic}/bin/difft"; };
|
||||
};
|
||||
};
|
||||
}
|
||||
```
|
||||
</details>
|
||||
|
||||
BIN
images/nix-install.png
Normal file
BIN
images/nix-install.png
Normal file
Binary file not shown.
|
After Width: | Height: | Size: 634 KiB |
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Reference in New Issue
Block a user