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[[NixOS]] is a versatile operating system suitable for a wide range of use cases. This page is intended for users who wish to run NixOS as their primary desktop environment, either on physical hardware or within a virtual machine. Additionally, users planning to deploy NixOS in [[NixOS friendly hosters|cloud]] environments or on specialized server infrastructure may find it helpful to begin with the concepts and practices introduced here, as they provide a useful foundation for working within the broader [[Nix ecosystem]].
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== Installation ==
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Refer to [[NixOS Installation Guide]] to get started. Keep in mind that, for a desktop installation, you will probably want to make sure you start with at least 30 GiB of available disk space to allow for the [[:Category:Desktop environment|desktop environments]], [[:Category:Web Browser|web browsers]], and other [[:Category:Applications|graphical applications]], that would be typical of daily use. 15 GiB might be enough for a fairly bare-bones setup.
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== Managing your configuration ==
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As described in the [[Overview of the NixOS Linux distribution#Declarative Configuration]], NixOS is designed to be configured declaratively. This means the entire system configuration, including installed packages, system services, kernel parameters, and user accounts is defined in configuration files, typically in <code>/etc/nixos/configuration.nix</code>. These settings can then be applied consistently and reproducibly across machines.
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The process for managing your configuration is documented in the {{NixOS Manual|name=NixOS official manual|anchor=#ch-configuration}}.
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=== System Configuration ===
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{{main|NixOS system configuration}}
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The primary configuration file, <code>/etc/nixos/configuration.nix</code>, defines system-wide settings. This includes options like enabling services, managing system users, setting hardware options, and specifying installed packages. Changes are applied with:
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<syntaxhighlight lang="console">
# nixos-rebuild switch
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=== User configuration with Home Manager ===
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For managing per-user configurations such as application preferences, command-line tools, and dotfiles, [[Home Manager]] provides a convenient, declarative approach. It allows users to define which programs should be installed and how they should be configured, without needing to include those settings in the system-wide [https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/#sec-changing-config configuration.nix].
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Home Manager can be used independently of the system configuration and works with both traditional setups and newer [[Flakes]]-based configurations.
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=== With Flakes ===
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For users looking for a more streamlined and reproducible way to manage NixOS configurations, the [[Flakes]] feature has been gaining popularity within the community. While Flakes introduce some new concepts compared to traditional workflows, many users find them a convenient and organized approach to managing system and development configurations.
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Refer to [[NixOS system configuration#Defining NixOS as a flake]] for details on getting started.
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== Beyond initial setup ==
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Once your basic NixOS installation is complete and functional, you can further customize your system with a variety of optional configurations tailored for desktop use. For a list of recommended initial system configurations, see [[NixOS Installation Guide#NixOS configuration]].
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Common configuration areas include:
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==== Desktop Environments ====
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Install and configure full-featured environments such as [[GNOME]], [[KDE Plasma]], or [[Xfce]].
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See [[:Category:Desktop environment]] for a full list.
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==== Window Managers ====
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Set up lightweight or tiling window managers like [[i3]], [[Sway]], [[Hyprland]], or [[xmonad]].
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See [[:Category:Window managers]] for a full list.
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==== Display Managers (Login Managers) ====
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Configure graphical session managers such as [[Gnome|GDM]], [[KDE|SDDM]], or [[LightDM]].
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==== Audio Setup ====
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Enable and configure [[:Category:Audio|audio]] systems like [[PipeWire]], [[PulseAudio]], or [[ALSA]].
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==== Network Management ====
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Use tools such as [[NetworkManager]] or [[systemd-networkd]] for managing [[Networking|network]] connections.
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==== Bluetooth Support ====
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Set up [[Bluetooth]] with blueman or other management tools.
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==== Power Management ====
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Configure [[laptop]] [[Power Management|battery management]], suspend, and hibernation with tools like [[Laptop#tlp|tlp]] or [[systemd]] services.
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==== Printing and Scanning ====
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Enable [[Cups]] for printer support and tools like Sane for [[Scanners|scanning]] devices.
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== Tips and tricks ==
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=== Modularizing your configuration with modules ===
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{{main|NixOS system configuration#Modularizing your configuration with modules}}
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* [[Overview of the NixOS Linux distribution]]
* [[Comparison of NixOS setups]] for a table comparing some popular choices.
* [[Configuration Collection]] for a long list within the wiki.
* [https://github.com/topics/nix-flake nix-flake], [https://github.com/topics/nixos-configuration nixos-configuration], [https://github.com/topics/nixos-dotfiles nixos-dotfiles] Github topics
* [[Wil T Nix Guides]] Youtube video format guide
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[[Category:Desktop]]
[[Category:Guide]]
[[Category:NixOS]]
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