Alex's linux "Essentials": OS in a box

Contents

• nixos/ -> NixOs configuration file. Sets up the whole OS. Get linked via scripts/sysinstall/link_nixfiles.sh
• dotfiles/ -> Dotfiles for the OS. Get linked via /script/sysinstall/link_dotfiles.sh
• scripts/ -> Grab bag of random scripts I've found useful

Current Desktop

Installation Gory Details

Get a NixOS liveUSB

You'll want this to be sizeable if you plan to install the entire user environment at once (lots and lots of packages!).

Boot into live usb and perform partioning:

# check you are booted in uefi
$ efivar -l

### Set up disk.
# Nuke disk (just in case)
$ sgdisk -Z /dev/sdX

# Set disk partition alignment and clear all partition data
$ sgdisk -a 2048 -o /dev/sdX

# New partition for boot, 0 to 200M
$ sgdisk -n 1:0:+200M /dev/sdX

# The rest is for the LUKS partition
$ sgdisk -n 2:0:0 /dev/sdX

# Boot partition's type is EFI System
$ sgdisk -t 1:ef00 /dev/sdX

# LUKS partition is 'Linux filesystem'
$ sgdisk -t 2:8300 /dev/sdX

# Set partition names
$ sgdisk -c 1:bootefi /dev/sdX
$ sgdisk -c 2:root /dev/sdX

### Set up LUKS and encrypt sdX2
# The actual setup
$ cryptsetup --cipher aes-xts-plain64 --key-size 512 --hash sha512\
--iter-time 5000 --use-random --verify-passphrase luksFormat /dev/sdX2

# Mount the partition
$ cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/sdX2 cryptdisk

### Set up LVM on the LUKS partition
# setup logical volumes
$ pvcreate /dev/mapper/cryptdisk
$ pvdisplay

$ vgcreate vgroup /dev/mapper/cryptdisk
$ vgdisplay

# Partitioning. Customize this for yourself
$ lvcreate --extents +100%FREE --name lvroot vgroup
$ lvdisplay

### Formatting partitions
# Boot should be vfat
$ mkfs.vfat -F32 /dev/sdX1
# The rest are ext4
$ mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/vgroup-lvroot

### Mount the partitions
$ mount /dev/mapper/vgroup-lvroot /mnt
$ mkdir -p /mnt/boot/efi
$ mount -t vfat /dev/sdX1 /mnt/boot

Bootstrap nixos files

### Set up networking (either ethernet, or wpa_supplicant)
# ....

### Get youself git
$ nix-env -i git

### Get a temp copy of essentials for bootstrapping
$ cd /tmp && git clone http://github.com/acmcarther/essentials

### Edit configuration.nix and hardware-configuration.nix as needed
# ....

### Copy bootstrap nixfiles into nixdir
$ ./essentials/scripts/bootstrap_nixos.sh

Install nixos

$ nixos-install

Reboot

### Perform a reboot
# ....

Init User

### Boot into tty (ctrl+alt+f2) and log in
# ....

### Set up user
$ passwd alex

### Pull down essentials for realsies
$ cd ~ && git clone https://github.com/acmcarther/essentials

### Duplicate local modifications to configuration.nix and hardware-configuration.nix as needed
# ....

### Get rid of bootstrap nix files
$ ./essentials/scripts/rm_bootstrap.sh

### Symlink local nix files
$ ./essentials/scripts/link_nixfiles.sh

### Symlink dotfiles
$ ./essentials/scripts/link_dotfiles.sh

Verify working order of XMonad, wrap up init

### Boot into WM, open terminal (ctrl + alt + t)
# ....

### Install Vundle for vim
$ git clone https://github.com/VundleVim/Vundle.vim.git ~/.vim/bundle/Vundle.vim

### Open vim and run :PluginInstall
# ....