https://github.com/not-matthias/dotfiles-nix
NixOS dotfiles and hardware configurations
https://github.com/not-matthias/dotfiles-nix
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Last synced: 5 days ago
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NixOS dotfiles and hardware configurations
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/not-matthias/dotfiles-nix
- Owner: not-matthias
- Created: 2022-09-24T20:59:07.000Z (almost 3 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2025-07-06T17:48:02.000Z (9 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-07-06T18:42:49.445Z (9 days ago)
- Topics: hacktoberfest
- Language: Nix
- Homepage:
- Size: 3.25 MB
- Stars: 8
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 5
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
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README
# dotfiles-nix
NixOS dotfiles and hardware configurations for my personal machines.
## NixOS & Flakes
This repository is managed using NixOS and Nix Flakes. [NixOS](https://nixos.org/) is a Linux distribution with a unique approach to package and configuration management. [Flakes](https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Flakes) are a new feature in Nix that improve reproducibility and composability.
To enable flakes, you need to add the following to your `/etc/nix/nix.conf`:
```
experimental-features = nix-command flakes
```
## Installation
### 1. Clone the repository
```bash
nix-shell -p git
git clone https://github.com/not-matthias/dotfiles-nix ~/.config/nixpkgs
cd ~/.config/nixpkgs
```
### 2. Set up a new host
Create a new directory for your host in the `hosts` directory. You can use the existing hosts as a template. You will need to copy the `hardware-configuration.nix` from your new NixOS installation.
```bash
# Example for a new host named "my-new-machine"
mkdir -p hosts/my-new-machine
cp /etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix hosts/my-new-machine/
```
You will also need to create a `default.nix` for your new host. This file defines the NixOS configuration for the machine. You can use one of the existing hosts as a starting point.
### 3. Build and activate the configuration
```bash
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#
```
Replace `` with the name of your host (e.g., `desktop`, `laptop`).
## Usage
### Updating the system
To update your system, first update the flake inputs:
```bash
nix flake update
```
Then, rebuild the system with the new inputs:
```bash
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#
```
### Garbage Collection
To free up disk space, you can run the garbage collector:
```bash
nix-collect-garbage -d
# or to delete generations older than 14 days
nix-collect-garbage --delete-older-than 14d
```
To delete the derivations, you need to run the command with `sudo`:
```bash
sudo nix-collect-garbage -d
```
You can also optimize the Nix store:
```
nix store optimise
nix store gc
```
### Secrets Management
This repository uses [agenix](https://github.com/ryantm/agenix) to manage secrets. Secrets are encrypted using age and can be safely stored in the repository.
To edit a secret, use the following command:
```bash
agenix -e .age
```
To encrypt a new file:
```
cat file.txt | agenix -e file.age
```
## Troubleshooting
### Cached failure of attribute
If you encounter an error like `cached failure of attribute 'nixosConfigurations.framework.config.system.build.toplevel'`, try running the command with the `--option eval-cache false` flag.
### command-not-found error
If you see `unable to open database file at /run/current-system/sw/bin/command-not-found`, you need to update the system channel (run with sudo!) not your user's channel.
```
sudo nix-channel --add https://nixos.org/channels/nixos-unstable nixos
sudo nix-channel --update
```
### Devenv error
If you encounter an error related to `devenv` (e.g., `Cargo.lock` not found), try removing the `~/.cachix/nix` directory and running the command again.
## References
- [MatthiasBenaets/nixos-config](https://github.com/MatthiasBenaets/nixos-config)
- [yrashk/nix-home](https://github.com/yrashk/nix-home)
- [Th0rgal/horus-nix-home](https://github.com/Th0rgal/horus-nix-home)