NixOS Flake Configuration

A unified Nix flake managing NixOS workstations, a laptop, a macOS machine, and a container host — with shared modules, home-manager integration, and remote deployment.

Hosts

Host	System	Role
north	x86_64-linux	Main workstation — COSMIC + GNOME, AI (ComfyUI), streaming, gaming
minibook	x86_64-linux	Portable laptop — GNOME, encrypted disk, Waydroid
macbook	aarch64-darwin	Apple Silicon Mac — nix-darwin, yabai/skhd
rukako	x86_64-linux	Container host — Proxmox LXC, Caddy, Mailcow

Structure

flake.nix                        # Flake inputs & host definitions
hosts/
  north/                         # North-specific config & modules
  minibook/                      # Minibook-specific config & packages
  macbook/                       # macOS-specific nix-darwin config
  rukako/                        # Container host bootstrap
modules/
  DE/                            # Desktop environment modules
    cosmic.nix                   # COSMIC DE + LightDM (slick-greeter)
    gnome.nix                    # GNOME DE + excluded default apps
    hyprland.nix                 # Hyprland WM (optional)
  shared/                        # Shared between all hosts
    users.nix
    keyboard.nix
    nix-settings.nix
    packages/common.nix
    packages/development.nix
  nixos/                         # Linux-only system services
    packages.nix
    deluge.nix
    reaper.nix
  ai/comfyui.nix                 # ComfyUI (CUDA, port 8188)
  network/nas-nfs-mount.nix
  multimedia.nix                 # mpv, GIMP, Strawberry, etc.
home-manager/
  default.nix                    # Common user config (all platforms)
  platforms/linux.nix            # Linux-specific user config
  platforms/darwin.nix           # macOS-specific user config
  modules/                       # Composable HM modules
    emacs.nix
    dconf.nix
    hyprland-config.nix
    linux.nix
    ...

Prerequisites

• Nix with flakes enabled
• For NixOS hosts: SSH root access for remote deployment
• For macbook: nix-darwin installed

Enable flakes if not already set:

echo "experimental-features = nix-command flakes" >> ~/.config/nix/nix.conf

Building

Always build before switching to catch evaluation errors early.

# Build a specific host (no activation)
sudo nixos-rebuild build --flake .#north
sudo nixos-rebuild build --flake .#minibook

# macOS
darwin-rebuild build --flake .#macbook

# Build all NixOS hosts via Makefile
make build

# Build a specific host via Makefile
make build-north
make build-minibook

Deploying

# Switch the local machine (NixOS)
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#north

# Switch via Makefile (deploys over SSH as root)
make deploy-north
make deploy-minibook
make deploy-rukako       # uses fixed IP 192.168.88.8

# Deploy all NixOS hosts
make deploy

# macOS (run locally on the Mac)
darwin-rebuild switch --flake .#macbook
make deploy-macbook

Adding a New Module

1. Create the file under the appropriate directory (e.g. modules/myfeature.nix)
2. Add it to the relevant host's module list in flake.nix
3. Stage with git add before building — the flake evaluator only sees git-tracked files:

   git add modules/myfeature.nix
   sudo nixos-rebuild build --flake .#north

Adding a New Host

1. Create hosts/<name>/configuration.nix (and any host-specific modules)
2. Add a new nixosSystem (or darwinSystem) entry in flake.nix
3. Stage the new files: git add hosts/<name>/
4. Build: sudo nixos-rebuild build --flake .#<name>

Important Notes

• Stage files before building. Nix flakes only see git-tracked files. Any new or moved file must be git add-ed before running a build or you'll get a "path does not exist" error.
• Build before committing. Always run nixos-rebuild build and confirm it succeeds before committing to git.
• Modules are self-contained. Each module under modules/DE/ includes everything to enable that feature — packages, services, PAM, portals, etc. Enable a whole subsystem by importing one file.

Proxmox LXC Image

To build a Proxmox LXC container template for rukako:

nix build .#proxmox-lxc
# or
make proxmox-lxc

Binary Caches

Configured in modules/shared/nix-settings.nix:

• cache.nixos.org (default)
• nix-community.cachix.org
• cuda-maintainers.cachix.org
• nur.cachix.org

Key Flake Inputs

Input	Purpose
nixpkgs	Base NixOS packages
home-manager	User environment management
nix-darwin	macOS system configuration
stylix	Unified theming across HM and system
nur	Nix User Repository overlay
streaming-setup	OBS (CPU/CUDA), Reaper, audio tools
comfyui-nix	ComfyUI AI image generation
kmonad	Keyboard remapper
nixos-generators	Build Proxmox LXC images