nix-darwin

Getting started

This guide walks you through setting up macOS with nix-darwin to configure native settings and preinstall essential apps and configurations.

References

• nix-darwin
• Determinate Systems
• Determinate Systems

---

Setup

1. Make directory

   mkdir ~/.nix-config && cd ~/.nix-config

2. Add nix files

   flake.nix

   {
     description = "nix-darwin system";
   
     inputs = {
       # Use `github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-24.11-darwin` to use Nixpkgs 24.11.
       nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable";
   
       # Use `github:LnL7/nix-darwin/nix-darwin-24.11` to use Nixpkgs 24.11.
       nix-darwin.url = "github:LnL7/nix-darwin/master";
   
       nix-darwin.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
     };
   
     outputs = inputs@{ self, nix-darwin, nixpkgs }: {
       darwinConfigurations."{{HOSTNAME_VAR}}" = nix-darwin.lib.darwinSystem {
         modules = [ ./configuration.nix ];
         specialArgs = {
           inherit inputs;
           hostname = "{{HOSTNAME_VAR}}";
           user = "{{USERNAME_VAR}}";
           home = "/Users/{{USERNAME_VAR}}";
         };
       };
     };
   }

   configuration.nix

   { config, pkgs, specialArgs, ... }:
   
   let
     home = specialArgs.home;
   in
   {
     imports = [
       ./system.nix
     ];
   
     # Nix configuration
     system.stateVersion = 6;
     nix.enable = false;
     nix.settings.experimental-features = [ "nix-command" "flakes" ];
     nixpkgs.hostPlatform = "x86_64-darwin";
   
     # System packages
     # environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
     #   fd
     #   ffmpeg
     #   fzf
     #   jq
     #   bat
     #   gh
     #   pipx
     # ];
   
     # # zsh
     # programs.zsh = {
     #   enable = true;
     #   enableCompletion = true;
     #   enableFastSyntaxHighlighting = true;
     #   shellInit = ''
     #     source ${home}/.nix-config/.dotfiles/.zshrc
     #   '';
     # };
   
   }

   system.nix

   { config, pkgs, specialArgs, ... }:
   
   let
     home = specialArgs.home;
   in
   {
     # Global
     system.defaults.NSGlobalDomain.AppleInterfaceStyle = "Dark";
     system.defaults.NSGlobalDomain.AppleShowAllExtensions = true;
     system.defaults.trackpad.TrackpadRightClick = true;
     system.defaults.NSGlobalDomain."com.apple.trackpad.enableSecondaryClick" = true;
     system.defaults.NSGlobalDomain."com.apple.trackpad.trackpadCornerClickBehavior" = 1;
   
     # Finder
     system.defaults.finder.AppleShowAllFiles = true;
     system.defaults.finder.AppleShowAllExtensions = true;
     system.defaults.finder._FXSortFoldersFirst = true;
     system.defaults.finder._FXSortFoldersFirstOnDesktop = true;
     system.defaults.finder.FXDefaultSearchScope = "SCcf";
     system.defaults.finder.FXEnableExtensionChangeWarning = false;
     system.defaults.finder.FXPreferredViewStyle = "Nlsv";
     system.defaults.finder.QuitMenuItem = true;
     system.defaults.finder.ShowRemovableMediaOnDesktop = false;
     system.defaults.finder.ShowExternalHardDrivesOnDesktop = true;
     system.defaults.finder.ShowHardDrivesOnDesktop = false;
     system.defaults.finder.ShowMountedServersOnDesktop = false;
     system.defaults.finder.ShowPathbar = true;
     system.defaults.finder.ShowStatusBar = true;
     system.defaults.finder.NewWindowTarget = "Other";
     system.defaults.finder.NewWindowTargetPath = "file:///${home}/Downloads";
   
     # Dock
     system.defaults.dock.tilesize = 64;
     system.defaults.dock.largesize = 16;
     system.defaults.dock.orientation = "right";
     system.defaults.dock.mineffect = "genie";
     system.defaults.dock.minimize-to-application = true;
     system.defaults.dock.autohide = false;
     system.defaults.dock.launchanim = true;
     system.defaults.dock.show-process-indicators = true;
     system.defaults.dock.show-recents = false;
     system.defaults.dock.persistent-others = null;
   
     system.defaults.dock.persistent-apps = [
       "Applications/Google Chrome.app"
       "/System/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app"
       "/Applications/Visual Studio Code.app"
       "/System/Applications/System Settings.app"
     ];
   
     # Desktop & Stage manager
     system.defaults.WindowManager.StandardHideDesktopIcons = false;
     system.defaults.WindowManager.HideDesktop = true;
     system.defaults.WindowManager.EnableStandardClickToShowDesktop = false;
     system.defaults.WindowManager.GloballyEnabled = false;
     system.defaults.spaces.spans-displays = false;
   
     # Miscellaneous
     #security.pam.services.sudo_local.touchIdAuth = true; # Enable if TouchID exists
     system.defaults.screencapture.location = "~/Documents/screenshots";
     system.defaults.controlcenter.Bluetooth = true;
   
     # macOS security updates
     system.defaults.CustomUserPreferences."com.apple.SoftwareUpdate".CriticalUpdateInstall = 1;
     # app store updates
     system.defaults.CustomUserPreferences."com.apple.commerce".AutoUpdate = true;
   
     system.activationScripts.postUserActivation.text = ''
       # Create dirs
       mkdir -p ~/Documents/screenshots ~/Documents/dev
   
       # Keep: Map bottom right corner to right-click
       defaults write com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.trackpad TrackpadCornerSecondaryClick -int 2
       defaults write com.apple.driver.AppleBluetoothMultitouch.trackpad TrackpadRightClick -int 0
   
       # "disable" Writing of .DS_Store files on network or USB volumes
       defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteNetworkStores -bool true
       defaults write com.apple.desktopservices DSDontWriteUSBStores -bool true
   
       # Set list view as default for all folders
       defaults write com.apple.finder "SearchRecentsSavedViewStyle" -string "Nlsv"
       defaults write com.apple.finder "FXPreferredViewStyle" -string "Nlsv"
   
       # "disable" Sidebar: Recent Tags
       defaults write com.apple.finder ShowRecentTags -bool false
   
       # Restart Finder to apply changes
       killall Finder || true
     '';
   }

3. Install nix

   curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -L https://install.determinate.systems/nix |   sh -s -- install

   • Insert Y to install Determinate Nix or N for NixOS.
   • Insert Y to continue.
   
   

4. Install nix-darwin

   nix run nix-darwin/master#darwin-rebuild -- switch --flake .#{{HOSTNAME_VAR}}

5. Build

   darwin-rebuild switch --flake .#{{HOSTNAME_VAR}}

---

Uninstall

1. Remove unused profiles

   nix-collect-garbage --delete-old

2. Uninstall nix-darwin

   nix --extra-experimental-features "nix-command flakes" run nix-darwin#darwin-uninstaller

3. Uninstall nix

   /nix/nix-installer uninstall

4. Remove nix artifacts

   
   

   1. Edit system shell configs

      Edit /etc/zshrc, /etc/bashrc and /etc/bash.bashrc to remove the lines sourcing nix-daemon.sh.

   2. Remove shell config backups

      If these files haven’t been altered since installing Nix you can simply put the backups back in place.

      sudo mv /etc/zshrc.backup-before-nix /etc/zshrc
      sudo mv /etc/bashrc.backup-before-nix /etc/bashrc
      sudo mv /etc/bash.bashrc.backup-before-nix /etc/bash.bashrc

   3. Stop and remove the Nix daemon services

      sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.nixos.nix-daemon.plist
      sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.nixos.nix-daemon.plist
      sudo launchctl unload /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.nixos.darwin-store.plist
      sudo rm /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.nixos.darwin-store.plist

   4. Remove the nixbld group and the _nixbuildN users

      sudo dscl . -delete /Groups/nixbld
      
      for u in $(sudo dscl . -list /Users | grep _nixbld); do
          sudo dscl . -delete /Users/$u
      done

   5. Edit fstab

      Edit fstab using sudo vifs to remove the line mounting the Nix Store volume on /nix, which looks like UUID=<uuid> /nix apfs rw,noauto,nobrowse,suid,owners or LABEL=Nix\040Store /nix apfs rw,nobrowse. This will prevent automatic mounting of the Nix Store volume.

   6. Edit synthetic.conf

      Edit /etc/synthetic.conf to remove the nix line. If this is the only line in the file you can remove it entirely, sudo rm /etc/synthetic.conf. This will prevent the creation of the empty /nix directory to provide a mountpoint for the Nix Store volume.

   7. Remove the files Nix added to your system

      sudo rm -rf /etc/nix ~/.nix-profile ~/.nix-defexpr ~/.nix-channels ~/.nix-profile ~/.nix-defexpr ~/.nix-channels ~/.cache/nix ~/.local/state/nix /System/Volumes/Data/private/var/root/.nix-defexpr /System/Volumes/Data/private/var/root/.cache/nix /private/var/root/.nix-defexpr /private/var/root/.cache/nix

   8. Remove the Nix Store volume

      sudo diskutil apfs deleteVolume /nix

   9. Verify

      Look for a “Nix Store” volume in the output of the following command.

      diskutil list

---

Manual configurations

Defaults that aren’t configurable with nix-darwin.

Notifications

• Allow notifications when the screen is locked > false

Desktop & Dock

• Default web browser

Lock Screen

• When Switching User > Login window shows > Name and password

Trackpad

• Secondary click > Click in Bottom Right Corner

Finder sidebar

Favorites

• Recents
• AirDrop
• Applications
• Desktop
• Documents
• Downloads
• Movies
• Music
• Pictures
• $USER

iCloud

• iCloud Drive
• Shared

Locations

• Device
• Hard disks
• External disks
• CDs, DVDs, and iOS Devices
• Cloud Storage
• Bonjour computers
• Connected servers

Tags

• Recent Tags

View Options

• Always open in list view
• Browse in list view
• Group By: None
• Sort By: Date Modified

Show Columns:

• Date Modified
• Date Created
• Date Last Opened
• Date Added
• Size
• Kind
• Version
• Comments
• Tags

Misc

• Use relative dates
• Calculate all sizes
• Show icon preview

Use as Defaults

---

Troublshooting

Reset finder preferences

rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
defaults delete com.apple.finder
killall Finder
sudo reboot