Installation Guide

This guide covers various installation scenarios for the nix-config repository.

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

Prerequisites

• Windows 10 version 2004 and higher (Build 19041 and higher) or Windows 11
• WSL 2 enabled
• Administrator access to Windows

Installation Steps

1. Install WSL 2

# Run in PowerShell as Administrator
wsl --install

# If WSL is already installed, ensure you're using WSL 2
wsl --set-default-version 2

2. Setup NixOS for WSL

Download and install NixOS-WSL via NixOS-WSL:

# Download the latest NixOS-WSL tarball
# Import the NixOS-WSL distribution
wsl --import NixOS .\NixOS\ nixos-wsl.tar.gz --version 2

# Start the NixOS instance
wsl -d NixOS

3. Configure NixOS-WSL

After starting your NixOS-WSL instance:

# Clone this repository
sudo git clone https://github.com/DaRacci/nix-config.git /etc/nixos

# Apply the WSL configuration
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake /etc/nixos#winix

4. WSL-Specific Features

The WSL configuration includes:

• SSH agent relay between Windows and WSL
• Hardware acceleration support for development
• Remote desktop capabilities
• Optimized for headless operation

Native NixOS Installation

Prerequisites

• NixOS installation media
• Target hardware
• Network connectivity
• Backup of important data

Installation Process

1. Boot from NixOS Installation Media

• Download NixOS ISO from nixos.org
• Create bootable USB/DVD
• Boot from installation media

2. Network Configuration

# For WiFi connections
sudo systemctl start wpa_supplicant
wpa_cli
> add_network
> set_network 0 ssid "YourSSID"
> set_network 0 psk "YourPassword"
> enable_network 0
> quit

# Verify connectivity
ping nixos.org

3. Disk Setup

Follow standard NixOS installation procedures for disk partitioning and filesystem setup as described in the NixOS manual.

4. Generate Hardware Configuration

# Generate hardware configuration
nixos-generate-config --root /mnt

# Copy to your host configuration
mkdir -p /mnt/etc/nixos/hosts/{device-type}/{hostname}
cp /mnt/etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix /mnt/etc/nixos/hosts/{device-type}/{hostname}/hardware.nix

# Clone this repository
cd /mnt/etc/nixos
git clone https://github.com/DaRacci/nix-config.git .

5. Customize Host Configuration

Edit hosts/{device-type}/{hostname}/default.nix and hardware.nix according to your needs.

6. Install NixOS

# Install with your specific host configuration
nixos-install --flake .#{hostname}

# Set root password when prompted

7. Post-Installation

# Reboot into new system
reboot

# After reboot, ensure configuration is applied
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake /etc/nixos#{hostname}

Existing NixOS System Migration

From Traditional NixOS Configuration

1. Backup Current Configuration

# Backup current configuration (adjust path if using flakes)
sudo cp -r /etc/nixos /etc/nixos.backup

2. Clone This Repository

# Clone to a working directory
git clone https://github.com/DaRacci/nix-config.git /tmp/nix-config
sudo cp -r /tmp/nix-config/* /etc/nixos/

3. Create Host Configuration

# Create your host directory
sudo mkdir -p /etc/nixos/hosts/{device-type}/{hostname}

# Migrate your hardware configuration
sudo cp /etc/nixos.backup/hardware-configuration.nix /etc/nixos/hosts/{device-type}/{hostname}/hardware.nix

# Create default.nix based on your old configuration
# Edit to follow the new structure

4. Test and Apply

# Test the new configuration
sudo nixos-rebuild build --flake .#{hostname}

# Apply if build succeeds
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#{hostname}