nix

git config username email editor

pnpm

references

I mainly followed ChatGPT for quick reference and

• https://nixcademy.com/posts/nix-on-macos/
  • Setting up Nix on macOS
  • 📆 Mon Jan 15 2024 by Jacek Galowicz
• Nix is my favorite package manager to use on macOS
  • https://youtu.be/Z8BL8mdzWHI

documentation

• https://daiderd.com/nix-darwin/manual/index.html
  • nix-darwin Configuration Options
• https://nix-community.github.io/home-manager/index.xhtml#ch-nix-flakes
  • Home Manager Manual
• https://nixcademy.com/cheatsheet/
  • Nix Cheatsheet

others

• https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin
  • Nix modules for darwin, /etc/nixos/configuration.nix for macOS.
• Nix in 100 Seconds
  • https://youtu.be/FJVFXsNzYZQ
• https://victorpierre.dev/blog/declarative-macos-configurations-with-nix/
  • Reproducible macOS Configurations with Nix July 9, 2024
• https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-installer
  • Determinate Nix Installer is a fast, friendly, and reliable way to install and manage Nix everywhere, including macOS, Linux, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), SELinux, the Valve Steam Deck, and more.
• https://blog.6nok.org/how-i-use-nix-on-macos/
  • How I use Nix on macOS
• https://davi.sh/blog/2024/01/nix-darwin/
  • Package management on macOS with nix-darwin

nix config reference

• https://github.com/malob/nixpkgs
  • This repo contains my Nix configs for macOS and Linux and by extension, configuration for most tools/programs I use, at least in the terminal.

install Nix:the package manager

I use Option 2.

It installs Nix with flakes enabled by default.

Option 1: Install Nix on macOS using the official installer

• https://nixos.org/download/

sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install)

Option 2: Install Nix on macOS using the Determinate Nix Installer

• https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-installer

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -L https://install.determinate.systems/nix | \
  sh -s -- install

After the installation, open another terminal and try this hello world. Have patient, it might takes a while.

nix run "nixpkgs#hello"
# Hello, world!

install flakes

Already installed with the Determinate Nix Installer.

install nix-darwin

• https://davi.sh/til/nix/nix-macos-setup
  • Setting up Nix on macOS

create flake.nix

• https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin?tab=readme-ov-file#step-1-creating-flakenix

mkdir -p ~/.config/nix-darwin
cd ~/.config/nix-darwin
nix flake init -t nix-darwin
sed -i '' "s/simple/$(scutil --get LocalHostName)/" flake.nix

Open the created flake.nix, Change nixpkgs.hostPlatform to aarch64-darwin because I’m using Apple Silicon.

install nix-darwin

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

using nix-darwin

Open a new terminal(or like me, open a new tab in iTerm2) and try this.

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

This will be the command you’ll see go through the rest of your life, treasure the moment you haven’t remember it yet.

play with nix

remove vim and install neovim

find the package name in nixpkgs

• https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=24.05&show=neovim&from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&type=packages&query=neovim

Add the following Nix code to your NixOS Configuration, usually located in /etc/nixos/configuration.nix

  environment.systemPackages = [
    pkgs.neovim
  ];

# ~/.config/nix-darwin/flake.nix
...
environment.systemPackages = [
    # pkgs.vim # remove this 
    pkgs.neovim
];

• https://github.com/sum-rock/SumAstroNvim
  • Sum Rock’s AstroNvim Implementation This is an implementation of the AstroNvim configuration/plugin distribution for Neovim using Nix flakes.
  • maybe try it later
  • it is so difficult to use astronvim with nix, the former is download and it is working, the latter is configure everything.

make installed GUI apps available in spotlight search

# ~/.config/nix-darwin/flake.nix
# configuration = { pkgs, ... }: {
# add config after pkgs,
    configuration = { pkgs, config, ... }: {
# add pkgs.mkalias to systemPackages
    environment.systemPackages =
    [
        pkgs.mkalias
# add this too
# https://gist.github.com/elliottminns/211ef645ebd484eb9a5228570bb60ec3?permalink_comment_id=5271771#gistcomment-5271771
system.activationScripts.applications.text = let
  env = pkgs.buildEnv {
    name = "system-applications";
    paths = config.environment.systemPackages;
    pathsToLink = "/Applications";
  };
in
  pkgs.lib.mkForce ''
  # Set up applications.
  echo "setting up /Applications..." >&2
  rm -rf /Applications/Nix\ Apps
  mkdir -p /Applications/Nix\ Apps
  find ${env}/Applications -maxdepth 1 -type l -exec readlink '{}' + |
  while read -r src; do
    app_name=$(basename "$src")
    echo "copying $src" >&2
    ${pkgs.mkalias}/bin/mkalias "$src" "/Applications/Nix Apps/$app_name"
  done
      '';