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https://github.com/lnl7/nix-darwin

nix modules for darwin
https://github.com/lnl7/nix-darwin

darwin dotfiles launchd nix

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nix modules for darwin

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# nix-darwin



[![Test](https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin/actions/workflows/test.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin/actions/workflows/test.yml)



Nix modules for darwin, `/etc/nixos/configuration.nix` for macOS.



This project aims to bring the convenience of a declarative system approach to macOS.

nix-darwin is built up around [Nixpkgs](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs), quite similar to [NixOS](https://nixos.org/).



## Prerequisites



The only prerequisite is a Nix implementation, both Nix and Lix are supported.



As the official Nix installer does not include an automated uninstaller, and manual uninstallation on macOS is a complex process, we recommend using one of the following installers instead:



- The [Nix installer from Determinate Systems](https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-installer?tab=readme-ov-file#determinate-nix-installer) is only recommended for use with flake-based setups. **Make sure you use it without the `--determinate` flag**. The `--determinate` flag installs the Determinate Nix distribution which does not work out of the box with nix-darwin.

* The [Lix installer](https://lix.systems/install/#on-any-other-linuxmacos-system) supports both flake-based and channel-based setups.



## Getting started



Despite being an experimental feature in Nix currently, nix-darwin recommends that beginners use flakes to manage their nix-darwin configurations.



Flakes (Recommended for beginners)



### Step 1. Creating `flake.nix`



Getting started from scratch




If you don't have an existing `configuration.nix`, you can run the following commands to generate a basic `flake.nix` inside `~/.config/nix-darwin`:



```bash

mkdir -p ~/.config/nix-darwin

cd ~/.config/nix-darwin



# To use Nixpkgs unstable:

nix flake init -t nix-darwin/master

# To use Nixpkgs 24.11:

nix flake init -t nix-darwin/nix-darwin-24.11



sed -i '' "s/simple/$(scutil --get LocalHostName)/" flake.nix

```



Make sure to change `nixpkgs.hostPlatform` to `aarch64-darwin` if you are using Apple Silicon.



Migrating from an existing configuration.nix




Add the following to `flake.nix` in the same folder as `configuration.nix`:



```nix

{

  description = "John's darwin system";



  inputs = {

    # Use `github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-24.11-darwin` to use Nixpkgs 24.11.

    nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable";

    # Use `github:LnL7/nix-darwin/nix-darwin-24.11` to use Nixpkgs 24.11.

    nix-darwin.url = "github:LnL7/nix-darwin/master";

    nix-darwin.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";

  };



  outputs = inputs@{ self, nix-darwin, nixpkgs }: {

    darwinConfigurations."Johns-MacBook" = nix-darwin.lib.darwinSystem {

      modules = [ ./configuration.nix ];

    };

  };

}

```



Make sure to replace `Johns-MacBook` with your hostname which you can find by running `scutil --get LocalHostName`.



Make sure to set `nixpkgs.hostPlatform` in your `configuration.nix` to either `x86_64-darwin` (Intel) or `aarch64-darwin` (Apple Silicon).



### Step 2. Installing `nix-darwin`



Unlike NixOS, `nix-darwin` does not have an installer, you can just run `darwin-rebuild switch` to install nix-darwin. As `darwin-rebuild` won't be installed in your `PATH` yet, you can use the following command:



```bash

nix run nix-darwin -- switch --flake ~/.config/nix-darwin

```



### Step 3. Using `nix-darwin`



After installing, you can run `darwin-rebuild` to apply changes to your system:



```bash

darwin-rebuild switch --flake ~/.config/nix-darwin

```



#### Using flake inputs



Inputs from the flake can also be passed into `darwinSystem`. These inputs are then

accessible as an argument `inputs`, similar to `pkgs` and `lib`, inside the configuration.



```nix

# in flake.nix

nix-darwin.lib.darwinSystem {

  modules = [ ./configuration.nix ];

  specialArgs = { inherit inputs; };

}

```



```nix

# in configuration.nix

{ pkgs, lib, inputs }:

# inputs.self, inputs.nix-darwin, and inputs.nixpkgs can be accessed here

```



Channels



### Step 1. Creating `configuration.nix`



Copy the [simple](./modules/examples/simple.nix) example to `~/.config/nix-darwin/configuration.nix`.



### Step 2. Adding `nix-darwin` channel



```bash

# If you use Nixpkgs unstable (the default):

sudo nix-channel --add https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin/archive/master.tar.gz darwin

# If you use Nixpkgs 24.11:

sudo nix-channel --add https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin/archive/nix-darwin-24.11.tar.gz darwin



sudo nix-channel --update

```



### Step 3. Installing `nix-darwin`



To install `nix-darwin`, you can just run `darwin-rebuild switch` to install nix-darwin. As `darwin-rebuild` won't be installed in your `PATH` yet, you can use the following command:



```bash

# If you use Nixpkgs unstable (the default):

nix-build https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin/archive/master.tar.gz -A darwin-rebuild

# If you use Nixpkgs 24.11:

nix-build https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin/archive/nix-darwin-24.11.tar.gz -A darwin-rebuild



./result/bin/darwin-rebuild switch -I darwin-config=$HOME/.config/nix-darwin/configuration.nix

```



### Step 4. Using `nix-darwin`



After installing, you can run `darwin-rebuild` to apply changes to your system:



```bash

darwin-rebuild switch

```



### Step 5. Updating `nix-darwin`



You can update Nixpkgs and `nix-darwin` using the following command:



```bash

sudo nix-channel --update

```



## Documentation



`darwin-help` will open up a local copy of the reference documentation, it can also be found online [here](https://daiderd.com/nix-darwin/manual/index.html).



The documentation is also available as manpages by running `man 5 configuration.nix`.



## Uninstalling



To run the latest version of the uninstaller, you can run the following command:



```

nix --extra-experimental-features "nix-command flakes" run nix-darwin#darwin-uninstaller

```



If that command doesn't work for you, you can try the locally installed uninstaller:



```

darwin-uninstaller

```



## Tests



There are basic tests that run sanity checks for some of the modules,

you can run them like this:



```bash

# run all tests

nix-build release.nix -A tests

# or just a subset

nix-build release.nix -A tests.environment-path

```



## Contributing



Let's make Nix on macOS awesome!



Don't hesitate to contribute modules or open an issue.



To build your configuration with local changes you can run this. This

flag can also be used to override darwin-config or nixpkgs, for more

information on the `-I` flag look at the nix-build [manpage](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/command-ref/nix-build.html).



```bash

darwin-rebuild switch -I darwin=.

```



If you're adding a module, please add yourself to `meta.maintainers`, for example



```nix

  meta.maintainers = [

    lib.maintainers.alice or "alice"

  ];



  options.services.alicebot = # ...

```



The `or` operator takes care of graceful degradation when `lib` from Nixpkgs

goes out of sync.



Also feel free to contact me if you have questions,

- Matrix - @daiderd:matrix.org, you can find me in [#macos:nixos.org](https://matrix.to/#/#macos:nixos.org)

- @LnL7 on twitter