platform-comparison.md

Platform Comparison

NixOS vs. Nix-Darwin

Feature	NixOS	nix-darwin
Bootloader	Managed by NixOS	Managed by macOS
Kernel	Linux kernel	macOS XNU kernel
Init system	systemd	launchd
Display server	X11/Wayland	macOS WindowServer
Package manager	Only Nix	Nix + optional Homebrew
State version	system.stateVersion = "25.05"	system.stateVersion = 5

Platform-Specific Settings

Linux only (in shared/configuration.nix)

• boot.loader.* - Bootloader configuration
• services.xserver.* - X11 display server
• services.tlp.* - Power management
• services.fprintd.* - Fingerprint reader

macOS only (in shared/darwin-configuration.nix)

• system.defaults.* - macOS system preferences
• security.pam.enableSudoTouchIdAuth - Touch ID for sudo
• homebrew.* - Homebrew package management

Package Management Strategy

NixOS

• Use Nix for all packages
• Declarative configuration
• System-wide package management

nix-darwin

• Nix for development tools and CLI packages
• Homebrew for GUI applications and gaps
• Hybrid approach for maximum compatibility

Configuration Differences

System Configuration

• NixOS: Full system control including kernel, bootloader, services
• nix-darwin: User-space configuration only, relies on macOS core

User Environment

• Both: Use Home Manager for dotfiles and user packages
• NixOS: System-level user management
• nix-darwin: Integration with macOS user accounts

Development Workflow

• NixOS: nixos-rebuild switch for system changes
• nix-darwin: darwin-rebuild switch for system changes
• Both: home-manager switch for user environment changes