kiara's nix config

This is my setup for NixOS.

philosophy

• 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

screenshots

(credit: wallpaper by Alena Aenami.)

JIT-installed neofetch

thefuck plugin for zsh (hit double Esc) filled the JIT-install command for the missing app neofetch. the expanded notification bar SwayNotificationCenter is shown with a notification about a completed rebuild. this menu can be opened using `Super+`` or by right-clicking the 'Windows' button.

file managers

yazi is a terminal-based file manager with vim-like keybindings. thunar is available as a graphical alternative.

firefox

Firefox is used as a web browser, with some basic add-ons.

terminal-based IDE

running ide in the WezTerm terminal opens a terminal-based IDE at that directory, consisting of:

• Git TUI lazygit, offering a terminal-based way to work with Git repositories, including vim keybindings.
• helix, featuring language servers for nix (thru nixd) and others
• a shell, using Zsh and decorated using powerline-go

As a back-up, the graphical VSCodium is provided (with some plugins).

application menu

Application menu anyrun can be opened using Super+Space or by left-clicking the 'Windows' button.

JIT application menu

A menu to JIT-install and run applications can be opened using Super+Shift+Space.

audio volume

Right-clicking the volume icon in the bar opens Pulse Audio Volume Control.

wifi

Pressing Super+i or right-clicking the wifi icon opens the Network Manager TUI.

show dependency age

command just age showing the age of any dependencies included in flake.lock

emoji picker

pressing the Microsoft keyboard's emoji key](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/use-microsoft-ergonomic-keyboard-c917dad0-3797-d97b-efb3-fbe27ac9703c#ID0EDFBBDDD) (Super-Ctrl-Alt-Shift-Space) triggers an emoji picker using fuzzy picker fzf.

symbol picker

keybind Super+B lets the user pick symbols using anyrun's symbols plugin

file picker

pressing CTRL-T in the shell opens fzf's file picker, copying the selected file or directory path to the clipboard.

devices

This configuration was made with the following devices in mind:

Name	Use	Model	Config
hammer	home laptop	Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 16ABR8	nixosConfigurations
orca	work laptop	Dell XPS 13 9340	homeConfigurations

usage

prerequisites

• 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

installation

clean install from NixOS USB

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

install from existing NixOS system

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

commands

$ 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

impermanence

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

features

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

fixes for flake

• 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

used software

Component	Software
Nix interpreter	Lix
Nix shell	Lorri
DM	TUIgreet
Compositor	Niri1
Bar	Waybar
Notifications	Swaynotificationcenter
Menu	Anyrun
Web browser	Firefox
File browser	Yazi
Terminal	Wezterm
Text editor	VSCodium
Editor (shell)	Helix
Shell	Zsh
Fuzzy finder	Fzf
Pager	Nvimpager
Text-to-speech	Piper thru LocalAI

style

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

package types

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

command drop-ins

command	drop-in	improvements
cd	n/a	(can skip it in Zsh)
cd	z	remembers visited locations
cd	cd (enhancd)	interactive directory picker using cd, cd . or cd ..
ls	eza (aliased to ls)	friendlier output and interface
cat	bat	syntax highlighting
less	less (lesspipe)	syntax highlighting
find	fd	faster, friendlier interface, respects .gitignore
grep	rg	friendlier interface
make	just	show comments, friendlier file format
ssh	xxh	use your favorite shell

keybinds

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

mouse

bottom bar

module	left-click	right-click	scroll
start button	open anyrun application launcher	toggle swaync notifications	-
media player	toggle play/pause	skip ahead	previous/next
clock	-	toggle month/year in calendar pop-up	previous/next in calendar pop-up
bluetooth	bluetuith	bluetuith	-
volume	toggle mute	Pulse Audio Volume Control	change volume
memory	manage processes with Bottom	-	-
CPU	manage processes with Bottom	-	-
battery	run battery viewer powersupply	-	-
storage	garbage-collect nix	show big files/folders using dust	-
network	manage network by networkmanager_dmenu	manage network by nmtui	-
systray	(application-specific)	open application context menu	-

what goes where

what	where
system configuration	./hosts/
home-manager configuration	./home-manager/
binaries and command wrappers	./home-manager/kiara/commands.nix
reusable modules	./modules/
custom functions	./lib/
custom packages	./pkgs/*.nix (from flake inputs: ./pkgs/default.nix)
overlays	./overlays/*.nix (from flake inputs: ./flake.nix)
LSP (vscodium / coc.nvim)	./home-manager/kiara/features/development/
shell scripts	./home-manager/kiara/scripts/*.sh
dotfiles	./home-manager/kiara/dotfiles/ + ./home-manager/kiara/dotfiles.nix
custom desktop entries	./home-manager/kiara/desktop.nix
MIME types	./home-manager/kiara/mime.nix
file templates	./home-manager/kiara/dotfiles/Templates/
keybinds	./home-manager/kiara/niri.nix
persisted state	./hosts/hammer/persistence.nix

Footnotes

1. While Niri uses Wayland, X11 applications can be emulated thru xwayland-run. ↩