Linux / NixOS primer

hearth is built on NixOS. If Linux is new to you, this page gets you to the starting line. It is a map, not a full tutorial, with links to the official docs at each step.

What NixOS is

NixOS is a Linux distribution where the whole system is described by configuration files instead of changed by hand. You declare what you want, run a rebuild, and the system matches your declaration. If a change breaks something, you roll back to a previous generation from the boot menu. That is exactly the property hearth relies on.

The path to running hearth

1. Get a machine to run it on. A spare laptop or desktop, or a VM on a hypervisor like Proxmox or VirtualBox. hearth assumes x86_64.

2. Install NixOS. Download the ISO and follow the official guide: nixos.org/download and the NixOS manual installation guide. During install, NixOS generates a hardware configuration for your machine.

3. Enable flakes. hearth is a flake. Enable the feature by adding this to your configuration and rebuilding:

   nix.settings.experimental-features = [ "nix-command" "flakes" ];

4. Pick your path. Now you have a NixOS machine. Continue with Existing NixOS host, or build a dedicated image with Fresh install.

Helpful references

• Nix & NixOS official site
• The NixOS manual
• nix.dev tutorials

Tip

You do not need to master Nix to try hearth. Get NixOS installed with flakes enabled, then follow an install guide. You can learn the language as you go.