1 files changed, 146 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/src/content/en/blog/2019/06/02/nixos-stateless-workstation.adoc b/src/content/en/blog/2019/06/02/nixos-stateless-workstation.adoc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f89a106
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/content/en/blog/2019/06/02/nixos-stateless-workstation.adoc
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+= Using NixOS as an stateless workstation
+
+:empty:
+:nixos: https://nixos.org/
+
+Last
+week{empty}footnote:last-week[
+  "Last week" as of the start of this writing, so around the end of May 2019.
+] I changed back to an
+old{empty}footnote: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.
+] Samsung laptop, and installed {nixos}[NixOS] 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{empty}footnote:convincend-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.
+].
+
+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:
+
+. tap-to-click on the touchpad wasn't enabled by default;
+. 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
+
+:spacemacs: https://spacemacs.org/
+:emacs: https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/
+:layers: https://spacemacs.org/doc/LAYERS.html
+:there: https://nixos.org/nixos/manual/index.html#module-services-emacs-adding-packages
+:packages: https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/manual/en/html_node/Application-Setup.html#Emacs-Packages
+
+Right now I'm using the {spacemacs}[Spacemacs], which is a community package
+curation and configuration on top of {emacs}[Emacs].
+
+Spacemacs does support the notion of {layers}[layers], 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}[there is support for Emacs packages in
+Nix].  So far I was only aware of {packages}[Guix support for 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
+
+:myrepos: https://myrepos.branchable.com/
+
+I'm using {myrepos}[myrepos] to manage all my git repositories, and the general
+rule I apply is to add any repository specific configuration in myrepos'
+`checkout` phase:
+
+[source,sh]
+----
+# 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
+
+:not-at-all: https://euandre.org/git/dotfiles/tree/bash/symlinks.sh?id=316939aa215181b1d22b69e94241eef757add98d
+:stow: https://www.gnu.org/software/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-at-all}[not declarative at all].  I wonder if
+something like {stow}[GNU Stow] can help me simplify this.
+
+== Conclusion
+
+:nix: https://nixos.org/nix/
+
+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}[Nix package manager] (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._, mail me some tips].  If you don't have any experience
+at all, I'd still love to hear from you.