Adding A New Machine

This page is the operational checklist for adding a NixOS host to the flake.

For why flakes, modules, and Home Manager work this way, see Nix Concepts.

Naming

Pick two names before creating files:

Name	Example	Used for
Directory	`framework`, `x1`	Human-readable folder under `conf/machines/`.
Hostname	`haxorus`	`networking.hostName` and flake target.

They may match, but they do not have to.

Existing hosts use short hardware directory names and Pokemon hostnames.

Checklist

Step	File or command	Notes
Generate hardware config	`nixos-generate-config --show-hardware-config`	Store it in the new host directory.
Add host module	`conf/machines/{machine}/configuration.nix`	Import hardware and shared NixOS config.
Set hostname	`networking.hostName = "{hostname}";`	Must match the flake target you plan to build.
Add flake output	`nixosConfigurations.{hostname}`	Copy the shape of existing hosts.
Choose architecture	`x86_64-linux` or `aarch64-linux`	Match the target CPU.
Build temporarily	`sudo nixos-rebuild test --flake .#{hostname}`	Safer first activation.
Make persistent	`sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#{hostname}`	Only after the test generation works.

Host Directory

Create:

conf/machines/{machine}/
├── configuration.nix
└── hardware-configuration.nix

hardware-configuration.nix should stay mostly generated. It captures machine facts: filesystems, swap, kernel modules, CPU hints, and hardware-specific imports.

configuration.nix should contain host choices: hostname, hardware workarounds, desktop stack imports, power management, and services that belong only on that machine.

Keep general packages, users, shell defaults, editor defaults, and shared secrets in conf/shared.nix.

Minimal Host Module

{ ... }:

{
  imports = [
    ./hardware-configuration.nix
    (import ../../shared.nix).nixos
  ];

  networking.hostName = "{hostname}";
}

For a host-specific desktop stack, import its system module here. nix-haxorus does this for Hyprland.

Flake Output

Add a nixosConfigurations.{hostname} entry in flake.nix. Copy an existing host entry and adjust:

output name
system
machine configuration path
any host-specific Home Manager imports

This repo wires Home Manager through each NixOS system, so normal nixos-rebuild applies both system and user changes.

Activation

Build and activate temporarily:

sudo nixos-rebuild test --flake .#{hostname}

If it works, make it the boot default:

sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#{hostname}

If a switched generation is bad:

sudo nixos-rebuild switch --rollback

Final Review

Hardware config is present and machine-specific.
Host module imports shared NixOS config.
Hostname and flake output name match.
Architecture matches the machine.
Host-only features stayed out of conf/shared.nix.
Shared behavior went into conf/shared.nix.
test succeeded before switch.

Dotfiles & Flakes