Quickstart

This gets you from zero to a validated flake and a buildable image. It assumes a machine with Nix and flakes enabled.

You need Nix

Every command here uses nix. Windows cannot run them directly. Use a Mac, a Linux box, or a NixOS host. New to this? Start with the Linux / NixOS primer.

1. Clone

git clone https://github.com/EricFinland/hearth
cd hearth

2. Validate the flake

The first run fetches inputs and takes a few minutes.

nix flake check

3. Build a Proxmox-compatible image

bash scripts/build-image.sh

4. Apply to an existing NixOS host

bash scripts/bootstrap.sh

Where to go next

• Deploying to a machine that already runs NixOS? See Existing NixOS host.
• Starting from nothing? See Fresh install (VM / Proxmox).
• For the full operational sequence on real hardware, see the Runbook.