Overview

I use the nix package manager on all of my (non-mobile) computers, and it is very helpful.

There are many ways that this setup provides me value, but one of the most legible is this: I have a fairly customized environment (including a few dozen tools, a couple hundred lines of config, and about a dozen custom scripts) that I am able to install and synchronize across multiple machines, including my personal MacBook Pro, my Linux work machine, and a few servers I use for hobby projects.

Usage

1. Install nix

2. Upgrade nix to a pre-release version with experimental support for flakes:*

   nix-env -iAf https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/tarball/release-20.03 nixFlakes

3. Enable experimental features:*

   sudo mkdir -p /etc/nix && echo 'experimental-features = nix-command flakes ca-references' | sudo tee -a /etc/nix/nix.conf

4. Install my environment:

   nix profile install github:jeremyschlatter/nixpkgs

5. Run my post-install script:

   jeremy-post-install

_{*I am using an experimental feature called Nix flakes. These steps are needed to opt into it before it stabilizes.}

Composing env definitions

While the bulk of my environment is defined here in this repo, I also have a few pieces defined in private repos. This is useful for managing parts of my environment that either need to be secret or that I just don't want to publish for whatever reason.

I have not yet written instructions for how to compose these definitions. I may do that in the future.

About my environment

This config installs kitty, which I use as my terminal emulator.

It configures kitty to use a custom shell (bash with a custom bashrc). To use my shell config outside kitty, you can run it manually as shell.

Other Notes

To pick up the Fira Code font in Gnome I made this symlink:

ln -s ~/.nix-profile/share/fonts/ ~/.local/share/

To pick up application launchers for kitty and alacritty in Gnome I made this symlink:

rmdir ~/.local/share/applications
ln -s ~/.nix-profile/share/applications/ ~/.local/share/