atlas - NixOS configuration

Personal NixOS desktop configuration built with Nix flakes for x86_64-linux. The setup is modular and targets a Wayland desktop (Niri + Ly) with PipeWire audio, AMD GPU support, and a curated set of apps and developer tooling.

Highlights

• Wayland desktop: Niri compositor, Ly display manager, portals, Polkit agent
• Audio: PipeWire (ALSA, PulseAudio, JACK)
• AMD GPU stack: Vulkan, VA-API, CoreCtrl
• Developer tooling: Docker, Rust, Node.js, Python
• Extras: Steam/Gaming, virtualization, theming, Navidrome

Prerequisites

• A recent NixOS installer ISO with flake support
• x86_64-linux hardware (this flake is pinned to that system)
• Basic familiarity with the NixOS installation process

This is a personal configuration. Expect to adjust the hostname, user, and hardware modules for your machine.

Installation (fresh NixOS install)

1. Download and boot the NixOS ISO

   • https://nixos.org/download.html

2. Connect to the network (for cloning and downloading packages)

3. Partition and mount disks

   • Follow the NixOS manual for your disk layout: https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/#sec-installation

4. Generate hardware configuration

   sudo -i
   nixos-generate-config --root /mnt
   

5. Clone this repository into the target system

   git clone https://github.com/ragusa-it/nixos /mnt/etc/nixos/atlas
   

6. Copy the generated hardware config into the repo

   cp /mnt/etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix /mnt/etc/nixos/atlas/hardware-configuration.nix
   

7. Review and customize

   • configuration.nix
     • networking.hostName
     • users.users.pinj (change username/groups as needed)
   • modules/gpu-amd.nix if you are not on AMD hardware

8. Install NixOS using the flake

   export NIX_CONFIG="experimental-features = nix-command flakes"
   nixos-install --flake /mnt/etc/nixos/atlas#nixos
   

9. Reboot into the new system

   reboot
   

Post-install rebuilds

From inside the cloned repository:

sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#nixos

Use boot if you want to schedule the change for the next reboot:

sudo nixos-rebuild boot --flake .#nixos

Updating the system

nix flake update
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#nixos

Repository layout

• flake.nix - Flake inputs, binary caches, and system definition
• configuration.nix - Main NixOS entry point (imports modules)
• hardware-configuration.nix - Machine-specific hardware config (replace on install)
• modules/ - Modular system features
  • desktop.nix - portals, Polkit agent, swaylock, swayidle
  • gpu-amd.nix - AMD GPU stack
  • audio.nix - PipeWire and Bluetooth
  • apps.nix - user applications
  • dev.nix - developer tooling
  • gaming.nix - Steam, Lutris, Gamemode
  • theming.nix - fonts, themes, cursors
  • virtualization.nix - QEMU/KVM/virt-manager
  • power.nix - power management
  • shell.nix - Fish shell configuration
  • services.nix - system services (fstrim, zram, avahi)
  • navidrome.nix - self-hosted music server

Troubleshooting

• Flakes not enabled: ensure the NIX_CONFIG environment variable is set (see install step) or enable flakes in /etc/nix/nix.conf.
• Wrong hardware configuration: regenerate with nixos-generate-config --root / and replace hardware-configuration.nix.

License

No license is specified. If you plan to reuse this configuration, please open an issue to discuss licensing.