Add NixOS on Framework
Stef Dunlap
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.hugo_build.lock
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*#
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---
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layout: post
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title: "NixOS with AwesomeWM on a Framework laptop"
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slug: "nixos-awesomewm-framework"
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date: 2023-01-29 22:53:54
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categories: [linux]
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---
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[Framework] is a company that makes laptops that are easily repairable.
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[AwesomeWM] is a modular tiling window manager. [NixOS] is a Linux distribution
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that is configured using a declarative, idempotent language. This is a blog post
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about how to install and configure NixOS using AwesomeWM with no display manager
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(i.e. using `startx`) on a Framework laptop. I was inspired to write this after
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receiving help from [elly's post] about installing Alpine on a Framework laptop.
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## Install NixOS
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### Create install medium
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Download a copy of the [NixOS installation media]. I used the Gnome graphical
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installer, but any of them will be fine. Once complete, you can burn the
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installation image to a USB flash drive using something like
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```bash
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sudo dd if=/path/to/downloaded/image.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress
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```
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### Disable secure boot
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Next disable [secure boot] (at least temporarily) in order to boot the
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installer.
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1. reboot the computer
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1. repeatedly press F2 until you see the UEFI BIOS menu
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1. go to the Security tab
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1. go the Secure Boot
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1. change "Enforce Secure Boot" to disabled
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1. press F10 to save and exit
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### Run installer
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Reboot the computer and repeatedly press F10 until the boot menu appears. Select
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the entry that has "USB" in it. Follow the prompts to install NixOS. You might
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need to connect to a WiFi network, close the installer, and reopen the
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installer. At the end of the installer, when prompted for which desktop
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environment to install, select "None / terminal only". Don't worry, we'll be
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installing AwesomeWM shortly.
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## Connect to WiFi
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After restarting and signing in at the login TTY, reconnect to the WiFi by
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running `nmtui` and following the prompts.
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## Configure NixOS
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There are many ways to set up a NixOS configuration. I personally use a
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[repository with Nix flakes]. By default you'll find your configuration in
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`/etc/nixos/`. In this section, I'm going to provide statements that you'll
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likely want to include in one of your NixOS configuration files. Which file to
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put it in is a matter of preference, and is left up to the user, though I'll
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provide links to where I included them in my repo.
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### Kernel version
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Wifi, Bluetooth, and graphics will require Linux Kernel 5.16 or greater. I
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simply set mine to install the latest for now.
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[source](https://git.kindrobot.ca/kindrobot/nix-config/src/commit/03353c4d0eac0c6ba50843289d201bd055ff3822/box/framework2.nix#L14)
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```nix
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{
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boot.kernelPackages = pkgs.linuxPackages_latest;
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}
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```
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### Backlight
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xbacklight doesn't work out of the box. Get it working with
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[source](https://git.kindrobot.ca/kindrobot/nix-config/src/commit/6dcc57a85715665d188de03e3c74a926056c58ea/box/framework2.nix#L42-L46)
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```nix
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{
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hardware.acpilight.enable = lib.mkDefault true;
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hardware.sensor.iio.enable = lib.mkDefault true;
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services.udev.extraRules = ''
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ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="backlight", KERNEL=="intel_backlight", MODE="0666", RUN+="${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/chmod a+w /sys/class/backlight/%k/brightness"
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'';
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}
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```
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### Bluetooth
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Enable bluetooth with
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[source](https://git.kindrobot.ca/kindrobot/nix-config/src/commit/6dcc57a85715665d188de03e3c74a926056c58ea/box/framework2.nix#L49)
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```nix
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{
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hardware.bluetooth.enable = true;
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}
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```
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Manage bluetooth through the CLI with `bluetoothctl`.
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### Fingerprint Scanner
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Enable the fingerprint reader with
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[source](https://git.kindrobot.ca/kindrobot/nix-config/src/commit/6dcc57a85715665d188de03e3c74a926056c58ea/box/framework2.nix#L50)
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```
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{
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services.fprintd.enable = true;
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}
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```
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Enroll your fingerprint with `sudo fprintd-enroll $USER`. You'll then be able to
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user your finger print when signing in on a TTY and when using sudo.
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### Increase the TTY console font
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Because Framework laptops have high pixel density monitors, the main TTY console
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can be hard to read. Installing and enabling a larger font can help.
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[source](https://git.kindrobot.ca/kindrobot/nix-config/src/commit/6dcc57a85715665d188de03e3c74a926056c58ea/box/framework2.nix#L51-L59)
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```nix
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{
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environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
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terminus_font
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];
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console = {
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earlySetup = true;
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font = "${pkgs.terminus_font}/share/consolefonts/ter-132n.psf.gz";
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packages = with pkgs; [ terminus_font ];
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};
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}
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```
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### Specify working touchpad drivers
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Curiously if you install Gnome or KDE, NixOS will figure out the the correct (or
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at least a working) touchpad driver. When using AwesomeWM with no display
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manager, we're on our own. Specify using the synaptics driver with some
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reasonable configuration.
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[source](https://git.kindrobot.ca/kindrobot/nix-config/src/commit/6dcc57a85715665d188de03e3c74a926056c58ea/box/framework2.nix#L60-L64)
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```nix
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{
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services.xserver.synaptics = {
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enable = true;
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twoFingerScroll = true;
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accelFactor = "0.075";
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};
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}
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```
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### Configure AwesomeWM
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Some settings here are to help make the menu bar and title bars readable on the
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high DPI monitor.
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[source](https://git.kindrobot.ca/kindrobot/nix-config/src/commit/6dcc57a85715665d188de03e3c74a926056c58ea/conf/awesome_workstation.nix#L5-L18)
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```nix
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{
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services.xserver.displayManager.startx.enable = true;
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services.xserver.windowManager.awesome = {
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enable = true;
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luaModules = with pkgs.luaPackages; [
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luarocks # is the package manager for Lua modules
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luadbi-mysql # Database abstraction layer
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];
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};
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services.xserver.dpi = 180;
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environment.variables = {
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GDK_SCALE = "2";
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GDK_DPI_SCALE = "0.5";
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_JAVA_OPTIONS = "-Dsun.java2d.uiScale=2";
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};
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}
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```
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Notice the this config enables a `startx` display manager. In fact, this is
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configuring NixOS to be able to do `startx` without a display manager. Create an
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`.xinitrc` with
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```bash
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echo awesome > ~/.xinitrc
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```
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### AwesomeWM bells and whistles
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With all of the configuration up until now, after running `nixos-rebuild switch
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...`, (and probably restarting), you should be able to get into Awesome by
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signing in at the login TTY and running `startx`. If you'd like a more custom
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desktop with most of the function keys working, try cloning my (forked) awesome
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config:
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```bash
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git clone --recurse-submodules --remote-submodules --depth 1 -j 2 https://github.com/kindrowboat/awesome-copycats.git ~/.config/awesome`
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```
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and reload nix by pressing Ctrl+Super+R.
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[Framework]: https://frame.work
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[AwesomeWM]: https://awesomewm.org/
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[NixOS]: https://nixos.org
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[elly's post]: https://elly.town/d/blog/2022-10-20-alpine-framework.txt
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[NixOS installation media]: https://nixos.org/download.html#nixos-iso
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[secure boot]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_restriction#Secure_boot
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[repository with Nix flakes]: https://git.kindrobot.ca/kindrobot/nix-config
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