<h2 align="center">:snowflake: Ryan4Yin's Nix Config :snowflake:</h2>

<p align="center">
  <img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/catppuccin/catppuccin/main/assets/palette/macchiato.png" width="400" />
</p>

<p align="center">
	<a href="https://github.com/ryan4yin/nix-config/stargazers">
		<img alt="Stargazers" src="https://img.shields.io/github/stars/ryan4yin/nix-config?style=for-the-badge&logo=starship&color=C9CBFF&logoColor=D9E0EE&labelColor=302D41"></a>
    <a href="https://nixos.org/">
        <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/NixOS-26.05-informational.svg?style=for-the-badge&logo=nixos&color=F2CDCD&logoColor=D9E0EE&labelColor=302D41"></a>
    <a href="https://github.com/ryan4yin/nixos-and-flakes-book">
        <img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/Nix%20Flakes-learning-informational.svg?style=for-the-badge&logo=nixos&color=F2CDCD&logoColor=D9E0EE&labelColor=302D41"></a>
  </a>
</p>

> My configuration is becoming more and more complex, and **it will be difficult for beginners to
> read**. If you are new to NixOS and want to know how I use NixOS, I would recommend you to take a
> look at the [ryan4yin/nix-config/releases](https://github.com/ryan4yin/nix-config/releases) first,
> **check out to some simpler older versions, such as
> [i3-kickstarter](https://github.com/ryan4yin/nix-config/tree/i3-kickstarter), which will be much
> easier to understand**.

This repository is home to the nix code that builds my systems:

1. NixOS Desktops: NixOS with home-manager, niri, agenix, etc.
2. macOS Desktops: nix-darwin with home-manager, share the same home-manager configuration with
   NixOS Desktops.
3. NixOS Servers: virtual machines running on Proxmox/KubeVirt, with various services, such as
   kubernetes, homepage, prometheus, grafana, etc.

See [./hosts](./hosts) for details of each host.

See [./Virtual-Machine.md](./Virtual-Machine.md) for details of how to create & manage KubeVirt's
Virtual Machine from this flake.

## Why NixOS & Flakes?

Nix allows for easy-to-manage, collaborative, reproducible deployments. This means that once
something is setup and configured once, it works (almost) forever. If someone else shares their
configuration, anyone else can just use it (if you really understand what you're copying/referring
now).

As for Flakes, refer to
[Introduction to Flakes - NixOS & Nix Flakes Book](https://nixos-and-flakes.thiscute.world/nixos-with-flakes/introduction-to-flakes)

**Want to know NixOS & Flakes in detail? Looking for a beginner-friendly tutorial or best practices?
You don't have to go through the pain I've experienced again! Check out my
[NixOS & Nix Flakes Book - 🛠️ ❤️ An unofficial & opinionated :book: for beginners](https://github.com/ryan4yin/nixos-and-flakes-book)!**

> If you're using macOS, check out
> [ryan4yin/nix-darwin-kickstarter](https://github.com/ryan4yin/nix-darwin-kickstarter) for a quick
> start.

## Components

|                                                                | NixOS(Wayland)                                                                                                      |
| -------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Window Manager**                                             | [Niri][Niri]                                                                                                        |
| **Terminal Emulator**                                          | [Zellij][Zellij] + [foot][foot]/[Kitty][Kitty]/[Alacritty][Alacritty]/[Ghostty][Ghostty]                            |
| **Status Bar** / **Notifier** / **Launcher** / **lockscreens** | [noctalia-shell][noctalia-shell]                                                                                    |
| **Display Manager**                                            | [tuigreet][tuigreet]                                                                                                |
| **Color Scheme**                                               | [catppuccin-nix][catppuccin-nix]                                                                                    |
| **network management tool**                                    | [NetworkManager][NetworkManager]                                                                                    |
| **Input method framework**                                     | [Fcitx5][Fcitx5] + [rime][rime] + [小鹤音形 flypy][flypy]                                                           |
| **System resource monitor**                                    | [Btop][Btop]                                                                                                        |
| **File Manager**                                               | [Yazi][Yazi] + [thunar][thunar]                                                                                     |
| **Shell**                                                      | [Nushell][Nushell] + [Starship][Starship]                                                                           |
| **Media Player**                                               | [mpv][mpv]                                                                                                          |
| **Editors / IDE**                                              | [Helix][Helix] (primary), [Neovim][Neovim] (backup) — [configuration & usage](./home/base/core/editors/)            |
| **Fonts**                                                      | [Nerd fonts][Nerd fonts]                                                                                            |
| **Image Viewer**                                               | [imv][imv]                                                                                                          |
| **Screenshot Software**                                        | Niri's builtin function                                                                                             |
| **Screen Recording**                                           | [OBS][OBS]                                                                                                          |
| **Filesystem & Encryption**                                    | tmpfs as `/`, [Btrfs][Btrfs] subvolumes on a [LUKS][LUKS] encrypted partition for persistent, unlock via passphrase |
| **Secure Boot**                                                | [lanzaboote][lanzaboote]                                                                                            |

Wallpapers: https://github.com/ryan4yin/wallpapers

## Screenshots

![desktop](./_img/2026-01-05_niri-noctalia_desktop.webp)

![overview](./_img/2026-01-04_niri-noctalia_overview.webp)

![nvim](./_img/2026-01-04_niri-noctalia_nvim.webp)

## Editors / IDE

- **Terminal editors:** [./home/base/core/editors/](./home/base/core/editors/) — Helix / Neovim,
  `$EDITOR`, docs.
- **VS Code (GUI, Home Manager on NixOS):**
  [./home/linux/gui/base/editors.nix](./home/linux/gui/base/editors.nix).
- **LLM coding agents:** [./agents](./agents/) — rules, installers, CLI snippets; see
  [./agents/README.md](./agents/README.md).

## Secrets Management

See [./secrets](./secrets) for details.

## How to Deploy this Flake?

<!-- prettier-ignore -->
> :red_circle: **IMPORTANT**: **You should NOT deploy this flake directly on your machine :exclamation:
> It will not succeed.** This flake contains my hardware configuration(such as
> [hardware-configuration.nix](hosts/idols-ai/hardware-configuration.nix),
> [Nvidia Support](https://github.com/ryan4yin/nix-config/blob/v0.1.1/hosts/idols-ai/default.nix#L77-L91),
> etc.) which is not suitable for your hardware, and requires my private secrets repository
> [ryan4yin/nix-secrets](https://github.com/ryan4yin/nix-config/tree/main/secrets) to deploy. You
> may use this repo as a reference to build your own configuration.

For NixOS:

> To deploy this flake from NixOS's official ISO image (purest installation method), please refer to
> [./nixos-installer/](./nixos-installer/)

```bash
# deploy one of the configuration based on the hostname
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#ai-niri

# Deploy the nixosConfiguration matching the hostname immediately
just local

# Set it as the next boot configuration without switching immediately
just local boot

# Deploy with detailed output; use `boot debug` to combine both options
just local switch debug

# Deploy the niri nixosConfiguration by hostname match
just niri

# The niri recipe accepts the same mode and verbosity arguments
just niri boot
just niri switch debug
just niri boot debug
```

For macOS:

```bash
# If you are deploying for the first time,
# 1. install nix & homebrew manually.
# 2. prepare the deployment environment with essential packages available
nix-shell -p just nushell
# 3. comment home-manager's code in lib/macosSystem.nix to speed up the first deployment.
# 4. comment out the proxy settings in scripts/darwin_set_proxy.py if the proxy is not ready yet.

# Deploy the darwinConfiguration by hostname match
just local

# Deploy with details (macOS has no switch/boot mode argument)
just local debug
```

> [What y'all will need when Nix drives you to drink.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eni9PPPPBpg)
> (copy from hlissner's dotfiles, it really matches my feelings when I first started using NixOS...)

## References

Other dotfiles that inspired me:

- Nix Flakes
  - [NixOS-CN/NixOS-CN-telegram](https://github.com/NixOS-CN/NixOS-CN-telegram)
  - [notusknot/dotfiles-nix](https://github.com/notusknot/dotfiles-nix)
  - [xddxdd/nixos-config](https://github.com/xddxdd/nixos-config)
  - [bobbbay/dotfiles](https://github.com/bobbbay/dotfiles)
  - [gytis-ivaskevicius/nixfiles](https://github.com/gytis-ivaskevicius/nixfiles)
  - [davidtwco/veritas](https://github.com/davidtwco/veritas)
  - [gvolpe/nix-config](https://github.com/gvolpe/nix-config)
  - [Ruixi-rebirth/flakes](https://github.com/Ruixi-rebirth/flakes)
  - [fufexan/dotfiles](https://github.com/fufexan/dotfiles): gtk theme, xdg, git, media, etc.
  - [nix-community/srvos](https://github.com/nix-community/srvos): a collection of opinionated and
    sharable NixOS configurations for servers
- Modularized NixOS Configuration
  - [hlissner/dotfiles](https://github.com/hlissner/dotfiles)
  - [viperML/dotfiles](https://github.com/viperML/dotfiles)
- Neovim/AstroNvim
  - [maxbrunet/dotfiles](https://github.com/maxbrunet/dotfiles): astronvim with nix flakes.
- Misc
  - [1amSimp1e/dots](https://github.com/1amSimp1e/dots)

[Niri]: https://github.com/YaLTeR/niri
[Kitty]: https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty
[foot]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot
[Alacritty]: https://github.com/alacritty/alacritty
[Ghostty]: https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty
[Nushell]: https://github.com/nushell/nushell
[Starship]: https://github.com/starship/starship
[Fcitx5]: https://github.com/fcitx/fcitx5
[rime]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Rime
[flypy]: https://flypy.cc/
[Btop]: https://github.com/aristocratos/btop
[mpv]: https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv
[Zellij]: https://github.com/zellij-org/zellij
[Helix]: https://github.com/helix-editor/helix
[Neovim]: https://github.com/neovim/neovim
[AstroNvim]: https://github.com/AstroNvim/AstroNvim
[imv]: https://sr.ht/~exec64/imv/
[OBS]: https://obsproject.com
[Nerd fonts]: https://github.com/ryanoasis/nerd-fonts
[catppuccin-nix]: https://github.com/catppuccin/nix
[NetworkManager]: https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/NetworkManager
[wl-clipboard]: https://github.com/bugaevc/wl-clipboard
[tuigreet]: https://github.com/apognu/tuigreet
[thunar]: https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/thunar
[Yazi]: https://github.com/sxyazi/yazi
[Catppuccin]: https://github.com/catppuccin/catppuccin
[Btrfs]: https://btrfs.readthedocs.io
[LUKS]: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Dm-crypt/Encrypting_an_entire_system
[lanzaboote]: https://github.com/nix-community/lanzaboote
[noctalia-shell]: https://github.com/noctalia-dev/noctalia-shell
