Nix

Manage macOS using Nix, nix-darwin and Home Manager.

Prerequisites

Set hostname to a known (configured) value:

• m1-mpb
• macos-virtual

Install Nix:

sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install) --daemon

Install command line tools for git (brute force):

xcode-select --install

Give Terminal.app "Full Disk Access" in System Preferences > Privacy & Security > Privacy > Full Disk Access. This is required for some of the nix-darwin system settings to apply successfully. I've disabled this for now.

Install Homebrew:

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

Clone system-config

mkdir -p ~/dev/src
cd ~/dev/src
git clone https://github.com/johnallen3d/system-config.git
cd system-config

Install nix-darwin and initial apply:

nix \
  --extra-experimental-features "flakes nix-command" \
  run nix-darwin \
  -- switch --flake ~/dev/src/system-config

Apply Changes

# on macOS
set -xg NIXPKGS_ALLOW_UNFREE 1; darwin-rebuild switch --impure --flake ~/dev/src/system-config/

# on NixOS
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/dev/src/system-config/.# --impure

Update Installed Packages

nix flake update --commit-lock-file
# or from another directory
pushd ~/dev/src/system-config; nix flake update --commit-lock-file; nixswitch; popd

TODO

Things I'm not sure how to automate yet:

• creation of ~/bin/bottombar (link to sketchybar)

ln -s (which sketchybar) $HOME/bin/bottombar

• set the users default shell to fish

chsh -s /run/current-system/sw/bin/fish

• setup op, login and gh plugin
• can I add $HOME to Finder Favorites (sidebar)? - this seems to be stored in a binary file [here](~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.sharedfilelist/com.apple.LSSharedFileList.FavoriteItems.sfl3):
• can I add "login items"? - possibly via plist files?
• debug lsd fonts
• debug services (bars, mpd)
• debug Neovim setup
• automate install of SketchyBar Lua Plugin
• Music?
• Photos?
• how to correctly set "allow unfree" specifically for tart