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Nix Darwin Configuration

Declarative macOS system configuration using nix-darwin with machine-specific setups and Homebrew integration.

Overview

This configuration manages macOS systems declaratively using Nix, providing:

  • Reproducible environments across multiple machines
  • Package management via Nix and Homebrew
  • System preferences and defaults configuration
  • Machine-specific configurations for different hardware setups
  • Font management with Nerd Fonts

Structure

.config/nix-darwin/
├── flake.nix           # Main flake with machine configurations
├── darwin.nix         # Shared system configuration
├── machines/           # Machine-specific configurations
│   ├── mac-mini.nix    # Personal Mac mini server
│   └── [work machines] # Work MacBook Pro configurations
├── flake.lock          # Dependency lockfile
└── README.md           # This file

Managed Systems

Personal Mac Mini (mac-mini)

  • Purpose: Home server and development machine
  • Additional packages: Docker, file managers, development tools
  • Services: Docker Compose daemon for home services
  • Dock: Minimal setup with essential apps

Work MacBooks

  • Purpose: Professional development workstations
  • Focus: Development tools and productivity applications
  • Configuration: Optimized for software engineering workflows

Package Management

Nix Packages (System-wide)

  • Development: neovim, gh, lazygit, ripgrep, fd
  • Shell: fish, zellij, tmux, fzf, zoxide, atuin
  • Tools: stow, oh-my-posh, volta, asdf-vm
  • AI: claude-code, codex

Homebrew Integration

  • CLI tools: helix, opencode, herdr (terminal workspace manager for AI agents — installed via brew for fast release tracking)
  • Applications: 1Password, Arc, ChatGPT, Claude, Ghostty, VS Code
  • Productivity: Raycast, Hyperkey, Leader Key
  • Creative: Adobe Creative Cloud

System Defaults

Dock Configuration

  • Position: Left side (space-efficient on wide screens)
  • Process indicators: Enabled for running applications
  • Tile size: Optimized per machine

Finder Settings

  • Show all extensions: Enabled for transparency
  • Default search scope: Current folder
  • View style: List view for detailed information

Input & Accessibility

  • Tap to click: Enabled on trackpads
  • Full keyboard control: Enabled for accessibility
  • Key repeat: Enabled in VS Code
  • System beep: Disabled

File System

  • Network .DS_Store: Disabled to prevent clutter
  • Auto-termination: Disabled for stability

Installation

Initial Setup

  1. Install Nix with flakes support:
sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install)
  1. Install nix-darwin:
sudo nix --extra-experimental-features nix-command --extra-experimental-features flakes run nix-darwin/master#darwin-rebuild -- switch --flake ~/dotfiles/shared/.config/nix-darwin
  1. Apply configuration using the convenience alias:
nix_rebuild

Or manually:

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

Daily Usage

Convenience Commands

This configuration includes shell aliases for easier management:

# Apply configuration changes
nix_rebuild

# Update flake dependencies
nix_update

# Update and rebuild in one command
nix_update && nix_rebuild

What the Wrapper Does

The nix_rebuild alias uses a smart wrapper script (darwin-rebuild-wrapper.sh) that:

  1. Detects your machine by hostname
  2. Determines if you're on a work or personal machine
  3. Checks for work submodule availability (for work machines)
  4. Applies the correct flake configuration automatically:
    • Work machines: Uses impure evaluation with submodules
    • Personal machines: Uses pure evaluation

This means you never have to remember the complex darwin-rebuild command syntax or worry about which configuration to use.

Manual Commands

If you prefer to run commands manually or need more control:

# Personal machines
darwin-rebuild switch --flake ~/dotfiles/shared/.config/nix-darwin

# Work machines (requires work submodule)
darwin-rebuild switch --impure --flake "git+file://$HOME/dotfiles?dir=shared/.config/nix-darwin&submodules=1#$(hostname -s)"

# Update flake dependencies
nix flake update --flake ~/dotfiles/shared/.config/nix-darwin

Machine-Specific Configuration

Each machine has its own configuration file in machines/ that extends the base darwin.nix:

  • Additional packages specific to the machine's purpose
  • Custom dock layouts and application preferences
  • Hardware-specific settings (Intel vs Apple Silicon)
  • Service configurations (like Docker on the Mac mini)

Adding a new personal machine

Personal machine configs are auto-discovered from machines/*.nix. Drop a new file named after hostname -s and the flake picks it up — no edits to flake.nix required. The easiest way is ./install.sh --bootstrap from the repo root, which generates an empty-overrides stub for the current hostname if none exists:

{ pkgs, lib, ... }:
{
  # Machine-specific overrides for <hostname>.
  nixpkgs.hostPlatform = "aarch64-darwin";  # or "x86_64-darwin"
}

Work machines remain hardcoded in flake.nix under workConfigs because they gate on the private submodule being initialized.

Fonts

Managed Nerd Fonts for terminal and editor compatibility:

  • Meslo LG Nerd Font - Primary terminal font
  • Fira Code Nerd Font - Alternative with ligatures

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  • Permission errors: Ensure user has admin privileges
  • Homebrew conflicts: Run brew doctor to check for issues
  • Nix store corruption: Run nix store verify --all

Useful Commands

# Check current generation
darwin-rebuild --list-generations

# Rollback to previous generation
sudo darwin-rebuild rollback

# Garbage collect old generations
nix-collect-garbage -d