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diff --git a/_posts/2019-06-02-stateless-os.md b/_posts/2019-06-02-stateless-os.md deleted file mode 100644 index 2614b44..0000000 --- a/_posts/2019-06-02-stateless-os.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,144 +0,0 @@ ---- -title: Using NixOS as an stateless workstation -date: 2019-06-02 -layout: post -lang: en -ref: stateless-os ---- -Last week[^last-week] I changed back to an old[^old-computer] Samsung laptop, and installed -[NixOS](https://nixos.org/) on it. - -After using NixOS on another laptop for around two years, I wanted -verify how reproducible was my desktop environment, and how far does -NixOS actually can go on recreating my whole OS from my configuration -files and personal data. I gravitated towards NixOS after trying (and -failing) to create an `install.sh` script that would imperatively -install and configure my whole OS using apt-get. When I found a -GNU/Linux distribution that was built on top of the idea of -declaratively specifying the whole OS I was automatically convinced[^convinced-by-declarative-aspect]. - -I was impressed. Even though I've been experiencing the benefits of Nix -isolation daily, I always felt skeptical that something would be -missing, because the devil is always on the details. But the result was -much better than expected! - -There were only 2 missing configurations: - -1. tap-to-click on the touchpad wasn't enabled by default; -2. the default theme from the gnome-terminal is "Black on white" - instead of "White on black". - -That's all. - -I haven't checked if I can configure those in NixOS GNOME module, but I -guess both are scriptable and could be set in a fictional `setup.sh` -run. - -This makes me really happy, actually. More happy than I anticipated. - -Having such a powerful declarative OS makes me feel like my data is the -really important stuff (as it should be), and I can interact with it on -any workstation. All I need is an internet connection and a few hours to -download everything. It feels like my physical workstation and the -installed OS are serving me and my data, instead of me feeling as -hostage to the specific OS configuration at the moment. Having a few -backup copies of everything important extends such peacefulness. - -After this positive experience with recreating my OS from simple Nix -expressions, I started to wonder how far I could go with this, and -started considering other areas of improvements: - -### First run on a fresh NixOS installation - -Right now the initial setup relies on non-declarative manual tasks, like -decrypting some credentials, or manually downloading **this** git -repository with specific configurations before **that** one. - -I wonder what some areas of improvements are on this topic, and if -investing on it is worth it (both time-wise and happiness-wise). - -### Emacs - -Right now I'm using the [Spacemacs](http://spacemacs.org/), which is a -community package curation and configuration on top of -[Emacs](https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/). - -Spacemacs does support the notion of -[layers](http://spacemacs.org/doc/LAYERS.html), which you can -declaratively specify and let Spacemacs do the rest. - -However this solution isn't nearly as robust as Nix: being purely -functional, Nix does describe everything required to build a derivation, -and knows how to do so. Spacemacs it closer to more traditional package -managers: even though the layers list is declarative, the installation -is still very much imperative. I've had trouble with Spacemacs not -behaving the same on different computers, both with identical -configurations, only brought to convergence back again after a -`git clean -fdx` inside `~/.emacs.d/`. - -The ideal solution would be managing Emacs packages with Nix itself. -After a quick search I did found that [there is support for Emacs -packages in -Nix](https://nixos.org/nixos/manual/index.html#module-services-emacs-adding-packages). -So far I was only aware of [Guix support for Emacs packages](https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/en/html_node/Application-Setup.html#Emacs-Packages). - -This isn't a trivial change because Spacemacs does include extra -curation and configuration on top of Emacs packages. I'm not sure the -best way to improve this right now. - -### myrepos - -I'm using [myrepos](https://myrepos.branchable.com/) to manage all my -git repositories, and the general rule I apply is to add any repository -specific configuration in myrepos' `checkout` phase: - -```shell -# sample ~/.mrconfig file snippet -[dev/guix/guix] -checkout = - git clone https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git guix - cd guix/ - git config sendemail.to guix-patches@gnu.org -``` - -This way when I clone this repo again the email sending is already -pre-configured. - -This works well enough, but the solution is too imperative, and my -`checkout` phases tend to become brittle over time if not enough care is -taken. - -### GNU Stow - -For my home profile and personal configuration I already have a few -dozens of symlinks that I manage manually. This has worked so far, but -the solution is sometimes fragile and [not declarative at -all](https://git.sr.ht/~euandreh/dotfiles/tree/316939aa215181b1d22b69e94241eef757add98d/bash/symlinks.sh#L14-75). -I wonder if something like [GNU -Stow](https://www.gnu.org/software/stow/) can help me simplify this. - -## Conclusion - -I'm really satisfied with NixOS, and I intend to keep using it. If what -I've said interests you, maybe try tinkering with the [Nix package -manager](https://nixos.org/nix/) (not the whole NixOS) on your current -distribution (it can live alongside any other package manager). - -If you have experience with declarative Emacs package managements, GNU -Stow or any similar tool, etc., [I'd like some -tips](mailto:eu@euandre.org). If you don't have any experience at all, -[I'd still love to hear from you](mailto:eu@euandre.org). - -[^last-week]: "Last week" as of the start of this writing, so around the end of - May 2019. - -[^old-computer]: I was using a 32GB RAM, i7 and 250GB SSD Samsung laptop. The - switch was back to a 8GB RAM, i5 and 500GB HDD Dell laptop. The biggest - difference I noticed was on faster memory, both RAM availability and the - disk speed, but I had 250GB less local storage space. - -[^convinced-by-declarative-aspect]: The declarative configuration aspect is - something that I now completely take for granted, and wouldn't consider - using something which isn't declarative. A good metric to show this is me - realising that I can't pinpoint the moment when I decided to switch to - NixOS. It's like I had a distant past when this wasn't true. |