Nix

(from the ground up)

Bootstrap VM

1. Download latest bootstrap image from Github releases: https://github.com/Bert-Proesmans/nix/releases/tag/latest
2. Boot bare-metal or virtual machine from the ISO
3. Git clone this repository: https://github.com/Bert-Proesmans/nix
4. Change directory into the cloned repository
5. Open development environment: nix develop
6. Install/deploy the development machine or any other: invoke deploy development root@localhost

Nix from scratch

1. Download bootstrap image from official distribution: https://nixos.org/download/#nixos-iso
2. Boot bare-metal or virtual machine from the ISO
3. Setup disks, partitions, and mounts
4. Generate a sample NixOS system configuration

   nixos-generate-config --dir ./

5. Generate a sample flake configuration file

   nix --extra-experimental-features "nix-command flakes" flake init

6. Do flake magix

   I really have no easy explanation other than "do what others do"

7. Build out your machine configuration and keep re-applying changes

Nix IDE

VSCode can be used as an integrated development environment. The development machine needs a package nixos-vscode-server installed that facilitates the VSCode server. Within VSCode there is also an extension Nix IDE for syntax highlighting and formatting.

# SOURCE; https://github.com/nix-community/nixos-vscode-server/blob/1e1358493df6529d4c7bc4cc3066f76fd16d4ae6/README.md
{
  inputs.vscode-server.url = "github:nix-community/nixos-vscode-server";

  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, vscode-server }: {
    nixosConfigurations.yourhostname = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
      modules = [
        vscode-server.nixosModules.default
        ({ config, pkgs, ... }: {
          services.vscode-server.enable = true;
        })
      ];
    };
  };
}

1. Add the services.vscode-server configuration to the development machine
2. Build the machine and connect from VSCode on your host over SSH to your development machine