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migration guide

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Barrett Ruth 2026-02-09 13:26:48 -05:00
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.gitignore vendored
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result
.direnv/
fonts/

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MIGRATION-GUIDE.md Normal file
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After migration is complete, undo the temporary access grants:
sudo gpasswd -d frozen barrett
sudo chmod 750 /home/barrett

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README.md
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# NixOS Migration Guide
# nix-config
## Before you start
NixOS and home-manager configuration for a Dell XPS 15 9500.
Things to have ready:
## Disaster recovery
- A USB stick (4GB+)
- WiFi password
- This guide on your phone
If you lose your laptop, you need exactly two things from memory:
Your nix-config already has both `homeConfigurations.barrett` (standalone
home-manager, what you use now on Arch) and `nixosConfigurations.xps15` (full
NixOS). The flake, configuration.nix, and all home-manager modules are ready.
The only file you're missing is `hosts/xps15/hardware-configuration.nix`, which
gets generated during install.
1. AWS root credentials (email + password) — gets you into the console,
which gets you to Lightsail, which means Vaultwarden at
git.barrettruth.com is reachable
2. Vaultwarden master password — unlocks everything else (GitHub, email,
etc.)
## 1. Prep on Arch (before wiping)
If you have 2FA on either of these via an authenticator app, you also
need recovery codes. Print them. Store them somewhere physical that
isn't your laptop.
### Back up
All SSH keys, GPG keys, and .pem files are stored as attachments in
Vaultwarden. Restoring them is step 10 below.
### Before you migrate: upload keys to Vaultwarden
Do this now, while you still have a working machine. Create a vault
entry (e.g. "keys") and attach:
- `~/.ssh/id_ed25519`
- `~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub`
- `~/.ssh/git-keypair.pem`
- `~/.ssh/git-keypair-old.pem`
- `~/.ssh/uva_key` (if still needed)
- GPG private key (export first):
```sh
# Secrets
cp -r ~/.gnupg /tmp/gnupg-backup
cp -r ~/.ssh /tmp/ssh-backup
cp -r ~/.local/share/pass /tmp/pass-backup
# Fonts (not in nixpkgs)
tar cf /tmp/fonts.tar ~/.local/share/fonts
# Browser profile
tar cf /tmp/zen.tar ~/.zen
# Any uncommitted work
cd ~/dev && git status # check each repo
# Wallpapers and lock screen images
tar cf /tmp/img.tar ~/img
gpg --export-secret-keys --armor A6C96C9349D2FC81 > /tmp/gpg-private.asc
```
Copy all of `/tmp/*-backup` and `/tmp/*.tar` to the USB stick or another
machine.
Attach `/tmp/gpg-private.asc`, then delete the temp file.
### Push this repo
By storing the same keys, the key IDs in `git.nix` stay valid, GitHub
doesn't need updating, and git signing works immediately after restore.
## Manual steps (fresh install from zero)
### 1. Flash the installer
Download the NixOS minimal ISO from https://nixos.org/download (x86_64).
```sh
cd ~/nix-config # (as barrett, or sg barrett)
git push
dd bs=4M if=nixos-minimal-*.iso of=/dev/sdX status=progress oflag=sync
```
### Download NixOS ISO
### 2. Boot and connect to WiFi
Grab the minimal ISO from https://nixos.org/download — you want the "Minimal
ISO image" (not graphical), x86_64.
Flash it:
```sh
sudo dd bs=4M if=nixos-minimal-*.iso of=/dev/sdX status=progress oflag=sync
```
## 2. Boot the installer
Reboot, mash F12 for boot menu, pick USB.
You'll land in a root shell. Connect to WiFi:
Prepare `iwd` (available in the installer too):
Boot from USB (F12 for boot menu on XPS 15).
```sh
iwctl
[iwd]# station wlan0 scan
[iwd]# station wlan0 get-networks
[iwd]# station wlan0 connect YourSSID
[iwd]# station wlan0 connect <SSID>
```
Verify: `ping nixos.org`
## 3. Partition
Your current disk layout (from fstab):
| Mount | FS | UUID |
|----------|------|-------------------|
| `/` | ext4 | `1ac6e3de-...` |
| `/boot/efi` | vfat | `5646-BF32` |
| swap | swap | `39cde381-...` |
### Option A: Reuse existing partitions (if dual-boot / keeping data)
### 3. Partition
```sh
# Find your partitions
lsblk -f
# Format root (THIS WIPES ARCH)
mkfs.ext4 -L nixos /dev/nvme0n1pX
# Mount
mount /dev/nvme0n1pX /mnt
mkdir -p /mnt/boot/efi
mount /dev/nvme0n1pY /mnt/boot/efi
swapon /dev/nvme0n1pZ
```
### Option B: Fresh partition table
#### Option A: fresh partition table
```sh
# Wipe and repartition
fdisk /dev/nvme0n1
# Create:
# 1. EFI partition (512M, type EFI System)
# 2. Swap partition (16G or match your RAM)
# 3. Root partition (rest of disk, type Linux filesystem)
# 1. EFI System partition — 512M
# 2. Linux swap — match your RAM
# 3. Linux filesystem — rest of disk
mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/nvme0n1p1
mkswap /dev/nvme0n1p2
@ -122,261 +88,229 @@ mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/boot/efi
swapon /dev/nvme0n1p2
```
## 4. Generate hardware config
#### Option B: reuse existing partitions
```sh
mkfs.ext4 -L nixos /dev/nvme0n1pX # formats root, wipes the old OS
mount /dev/nvme0n1pX /mnt
mkdir -p /mnt/boot/efi
mount /dev/nvme0n1pY /mnt/boot/efi
swapon /dev/nvme0n1pZ
```
### 4. Generate hardware config
```sh
nixos-generate-config --root /mnt
```
This creates:
This produces `/mnt/etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix`. You need this
file — it describes your specific disk UUIDs, kernel modules, and
firmware. The generated `configuration.nix` next to it is not used.
- `/mnt/etc/nixos/configuration.nix` (ignore this, we have our own)
- `/mnt/etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix` (we need this)
Copy it into your config structure:
```sh
mkdir -p /mnt/home/barrett/nix-config/hosts/xps15
cp /mnt/etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix /mnt/home/barrett/nix-config/hosts/xps15/
```
## 5. Get your config onto the new system
### Option A: Clone from git (needs network)
### 5. Clone the repo
```sh
nix-shell -p git
git clone https://github.com/YOUR/nix-config /mnt/home/barrett/nix-config
cp /mnt/etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix /mnt/home/barrett/nix-config/hosts/xps15/
git clone https://github.com/barrettruth/nix-config /mnt/home/barrett/nix-config
```
### Option B: Copy from USB
Copy the hardware config into place:
```sh
mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt2 # your usb
cp -r /mnt2/nix-config /mnt/home/barrett/nix-config
cp /mnt/etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix /mnt/home/barrett/nix-config/hosts/xps15/
```
## 6. Install
### 6. Copy fonts (optional, can be done later)
Fonts are proprietary and not in the repo. The build will succeed
without them — home-manager prints a warning and fonts fall back to
system defaults. When you're ready, populate `~/nix-config/fonts/`:
- Copy from a USB drive
- Copy from a backup
- Download from wherever you originally purchased them
- Pull from another machine via scp
```sh
cp -r /path/to/your/fonts /mnt/home/barrett/nix-config/fonts/
```
The `fonts/` directory is gitignored and symlinked to
`~/.local/share/fonts` at activation time.
### 7. Install
```sh
nixos-install --flake /mnt/home/barrett/nix-config#xps15
```
It will:
This builds the entire system (kernel, drivers, services, user
environment, home-manager) in one shot. It will ask you to set the root
password at the end.
- Build the full system closure
- Install GRUB
- Ask you to set the root password
This takes a while. Let it run.
## 7. First boot
### 8. Reboot and set user password
```sh
reboot
```
Remove the USB. GRUB should appear. Boot NixOS.
Log in as root (password you just set), then set barrett's password:
Remove the USB. Log in as root, then:
```sh
passwd barrett
logout
```
Log out, log in as barrett.
Log in as barrett.
## 8. Post-install setup
### 9. Fix ownership
### Fix ownership
The install created `~/nix-config` as root. Fix it:
```sh
sudo chown -R barrett:users ~/nix-config
```
### Home-manager (already integrated)
### 10. Restore keys from Vaultwarden
Your flake uses `home-manager.nixosModules.home-manager` so HM is part of the
system build. No separate `home-manager switch` needed — it all happens during
`nixos-rebuild switch`.
Open Zen browser and go to git.barrettruth.com. Log in with your
master password. Open the vault entry containing your keys and download
all attachments.
### Restore secrets
#### SSH keys
```sh
# From USB or wherever you backed up
cp -r /path/to/gnupg-backup ~/.gnupg
chmod 700 ~/.gnupg
chmod 600 ~/.gnupg/*
mkdir -p ~/.ssh
cp ~/Downloads/id_ed25519 ~/.ssh/
cp ~/Downloads/id_ed25519.pub ~/.ssh/
cp ~/Downloads/git-keypair.pem ~/.ssh/
cp ~/Downloads/git-keypair-old.pem ~/.ssh/
```
cp -r /path/to/ssh-backup ~/.ssh
Permissions are fixed automatically by the activation script in
`git.nix` on the next rebuild. If you want them right now:
```sh
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/*
cp -r /path/to/pass-backup ~/.local/share/pass
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 ~/.ssh/git-keypair.pem ~/.ssh/git-keypair-old.pem
chmod 644 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
```
### Restore fonts
Set the repo remote to SSH for push access:
```sh
mkdir -p ~/.local/share/fonts
tar xf /path/to/fonts.tar -C /
fc-cache -fv
cd ~/nix-config
git remote set-url origin git@github.com:barrettruth/nix-config.git
```
### Restore images
#### GPG key
```sh
tar xf /path/to/img.tar -C /
gpg --import ~/Downloads/gpg-private.asc
gpg --edit-key A6C96C9349D2FC81 trust
```
### Restore browser profile
Select trust level 5 (ultimate), then `quit`. The key ID matches what's
in `git.nix`, so git signing works immediately.
```sh
tar xf /path/to/zen.tar -C /
```
#### Clean up
### Rebuild (the main command going forward)
Delete the downloaded key files from `~/Downloads/`.
### 11. Rebuild
After all manual steps are done:
```sh
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/nix-config#xps15
```
## 9. Gaps — things still needed in configuration.nix
### 12. Verify
Your `configuration.nix` already covers: GRUB, nvidia, iwd, keyd, pipewire,
docker, libvirtd, openssh, hyprland, bluetooth, zsh, xdg portals.
- Terminal opens (ghostty)
- Neovim works and plugins install on first launch
- Browser opens (zen)
- Waybar shows at top
- Audio works (XF86 keys)
- Git push works (SSH)
- Git commits are signed (GPG)
Still missing:
## What's automated vs. what's manual
### Must add
### Automated (handled by the flake)
```nix
# /bin/sh = dash (you have a pacman hook for this on Arch)
environment.binsh = "${pkgs.dash}/bin/dash";
- All packages and their exact versions
- Zsh, tmux, fzf, direnv, lf configuration
- Ghostty terminal configuration
- Hyprland, waybar, rofi, dunst, hypridle, hyprlock, hyprpaper
- Git config, aliases, ignore patterns
- SSH config (host definitions, not keys)
- GPG agent config (not the keys themselves)
- Keyd keyboard remapping
- NVIDIA drivers and prime offload
- Pipewire audio stack
- Docker and libvirt
- Systemd services and timers
- XDG directories and MIME associations
- Scripts symlinked to ~/.local/bin/scripts
- Directory creation (~/dev, ~/dl, ~/img, ~/wp)
- Cloning this repo to ~/nix-config on first activation
- Wallpaper symlinks from the repo to ~/img/screen
- Daily flake input updates
# doas (you use this instead of sudo on Arch)
security.doas = {
enable = true;
extraRules = [{
groups = [ "wheel" ];
persist = true;
}];
};
### Manual (you must do these yourself)
# Auto timezone (replaces your tzupdate timer)
services.automatic-timezoned.enable = true;
# (already in your config, just confirming)
- Flash and boot the installer
- Partition and mount disks
- Generate hardware-configuration.nix
- Set root and user passwords
- Restore SSH keys, GPG key, and .pem files from Vaultwarden
- Copy fonts into nix-config/fonts/ (optional, can be done later)
- Restore browser profile (~/.zen) if you want tabs/extensions back
# Multilib equivalent — enable 32-bit support for Steam/Wine if needed
# hardware.graphics.enable32Bit = true;
```
### Should add
```nix
# Reflector equivalent — NixOS handles mirrors differently, but you may want
# to pin a substituter or add cachix
nix.settings = {
experimental-features = [ "nix-command" "flakes" ];
# already there, just noting
};
# geoclue for timezone detection
services.geoclue2.enable = true;
# X11 session (spectrwm/dwm) — if you want to keep X11 as an option
services.xserver = {
enable = true;
videoDrivers = [ "nvidia" ];
windowManager.spectrwm.enable = true;
# or just use xinit manually
};
# Fonts — system-wide
fonts.packages = with pkgs; [
jetbrains-mono
joypixels
font-awesome
# Your custom fonts (berkeley-mono etc) aren't in nixpkgs,
# keep them in ~/.local/share/fonts
];
# Yubikey / smartcard
services.pcscd.enable = true;
# QEMU/KVM
virtualisation.libvirtd.qemu.package = pkgs.qemu_full;
# Firewall (you have iptables on Arch)
networking.firewall.enable = true;
```
### Packages to add to environment.systemPackages or HM
Compare your 207 explicit Arch packages against what's in
`home/modules/packages.nix`. The big categories not yet covered:
- **TeX**: texlive, biber, typst, quarto — add to HM packages
- **Languages**: rustup, go, ocaml, opam, uv, luarocks — add to HM packages
(or use devShells per-project)
- **Dev tools**: cmake, ninja, gdb, valgrind, perf — add to HM or devShells
- **CLI**: fastfetch, socat, rsync, bind (dig), time — add to HM packages
- **AUR equivalents**: pikaur (not needed), sioyek (already in HM),
basedpyright, pistol, clipmenu (not needed on Wayland)
### Things you DON'T need on NixOS
- pacman hooks (dash, nvidia) — use NixOS options instead
- pikaur/AUR — use nixpkgs, overlays, or flake inputs
- reflector — not applicable
- mkinitcpio — NixOS uses its own initrd builder
- GRUB manual config — declarative via `boot.loader.grub`
## 10. Day-to-day workflow
## Day-to-day
```sh
# Edit config
nvim ~/nix-config/hosts/xps15/configuration.nix
# or any home-manager module
nvim ~/nix-config/home/modules/shell.nix
# Rebuild
# edit config, rebuild
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/nix-config#xps15
# Update all inputs
# update all inputs (nixpkgs, home-manager, etc.)
nix flake update --flake ~/nix-config
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/nix-config#xps15
# Rollback if something breaks
# rollback
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/nix-config#xps15 --rollback
# or pick a previous generation from GRUB
# or pick a previous generation from GRUB at boot
# Garbage collect old generations
# garbage collect old generations
sudo nix-collect-garbage -d
# home-manager is integrated into nixos-rebuild, no separate command needed
```
## 11. Checklist
## Architecture
- [ ] Back up gnupg, ssh, pass, fonts, img, zen profile
- [ ] Push nix-config repo
- [ ] Flash NixOS minimal ISO to USB
- [ ] Boot USB, connect WiFi
- [ ] Partition and mount
- [ ] Generate hardware-configuration.nix
- [ ] Get nix-config onto /mnt
- [ ] `nixos-install --flake /mnt/home/barrett/nix-config#xps15`
- [ ] Set root password, reboot
- [ ] Set barrett password, log in
- [ ] Fix nix-config ownership
- [ ] Restore secrets (gnupg, ssh, pass)
- [ ] Restore fonts, images, browser profile
- [ ] `sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/nix-config#xps15`
- [ ] Verify: terminal, editor, browser, WM all working
- [ ] Add missing packages to configuration.nix / HM modules
- [ ] Add `environment.binsh = dash`
- [ ] Add doas config
- [ ] Add fonts.packages
- [ ] Add pcscd for Yubikey
- [ ] Commit hardware-configuration.nix
```
flake.nix
inputs: nixpkgs, home-manager, nixos-hardware, neovim-nightly,
zen-browser, claude-code
nixosConfigurations.xps15 # sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#xps15
hosts/xps15/configuration.nix # boot, hardware, networking, services, users
hosts/xps15/hardware-configuration.nix # machine-specific (not committed)
home-manager (embedded) # user env built as part of system
home/home.nix # imports all modules below
modules/bootstrap.nix # mkdir, clone repo, link wallpapers
modules/theme.nix # midnight/daylight color palettes, fonts, cursor
modules/shell.nix # zsh, tmux, lf, fzf, direnv, ripgrep, fd, eza
modules/terminal.nix # ghostty
modules/git.nix # git, gh, ssh hosts, gpg agent
modules/editor.nix # neovim (config is out-of-store symlink)
modules/ui.nix # hyprland, waybar, rofi, dunst, hyprlock
modules/packages.nix # apps (zen, signal, slack, etc.)
homeConfigurations.barrett # home-manager switch --flake .#barrett
(same home/home.nix, for non-NixOS systems)
```

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flake.nix
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@ -11,13 +11,9 @@
neovim-nightly.url = "github:nix-community/neovim-nightly-overlay";
zen-browser.url = "github:0xc000022070/zen-browser-flake";
claude-code.url = "github:ryoppippi/claude-code-overlay";
fonts = {
url = "git+ssh://git@github.com/barrettruth/fonts.git";
flake = false;
};
};
outputs = { nixpkgs, home-manager, nixos-hardware, neovim-nightly, zen-browser, claude-code, fonts, ... }:
outputs = { nixpkgs, home-manager, nixos-hardware, neovim-nightly, zen-browser, claude-code, ... }:
let
system = "x86_64-linux";
pkgs = import nixpkgs {
@ -41,13 +37,27 @@
modules = [
nixos-hardware.nixosModules.dell-xps-15-9500-nvidia
./hosts/xps15/configuration.nix
{
nixpkgs.overlays = [
neovim-nightly.overlays.default
claude-code.overlays.default
];
nixpkgs.config.allowUnfreePredicate = pkg: builtins.elem (nixpkgs.lib.getName pkg) [
"slack"
"claude-code"
"claude"
"nvidia-x11"
"nvidia-settings"
"apple_cursor"
];
}
home-manager.nixosModules.home-manager
{
home-manager.useGlobalPkgs = true;
home-manager.useUserPackages = true;
home-manager.users.barrett = import ./home/home.nix;
home-manager.extraSpecialArgs = {
inherit zen-browser fonts system;
inherit zen-browser system;
};
}
];
@ -59,7 +69,7 @@
homeConfigurations.barrett = home-manager.lib.homeManagerConfiguration {
inherit pkgs;
extraSpecialArgs = {
inherit zen-browser fonts system;
inherit zen-browser system;
};
modules = [ ./home/home.nix ];
};

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home/modules/bootstrap.nix
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@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ in {
home.activation.cloneNixConfig = lib.hm.dag.entryAfter [ "createDirectories" ] ''
if [ ! -d "${repoDir}" ]; then
$DRY_RUN_CMD ${pkgs.git}/bin/git clone git@github.com:barrettruth/nix-config.git "${repoDir}" || true
$DRY_RUN_CMD ${pkgs.git}/bin/git clone https://github.com/barrettruth/nix-config.git "${repoDir}"
fi
'';

2
home/modules/git.nix
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@ -93,7 +93,7 @@
programs.gh = {
enable = true;
settings = {
git_protocol = "ssh";
git_protocol = "https";
prompt = "enabled";
};
};

13
home/modules/theme.nix
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@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
{ lib, config, pkgs, fonts, ... }:
{ lib, config, pkgs, ... }:
let
palettes = {
@ -57,6 +57,15 @@ in {
x11.enable = true;
};
home.file.".local/share/fonts".source = fonts;
home.file.".local/share/fonts".source =
config.lib.file.mkOutOfStoreSymlink "${config.home.homeDirectory}/nix-config/fonts";
home.activation.checkFonts = lib.hm.dag.entryAfter [ "writeBoundary" ] ''
if [ ! -d "${config.home.homeDirectory}/nix-config/fonts" ] || \
[ -z "$(ls -A "${config.home.homeDirectory}/nix-config/fonts" 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
echo "WARNING: ~/nix-config/fonts is missing or empty — fonts will not be available"
echo " copy your fonts into ~/nix-config/fonts/ and rebuild"
fi
'';
};
}

2
hosts/xps15/configuration.nix
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@ -107,6 +107,8 @@
];
};
security.sudo.enable = true;
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
vim
wget