config and install nixos

1.install.md

Installing Nixos on MBR (Legacy Boot) with luks encrypted disk and i3 WM

This is my guide that I synthesized from different sources. Mainly:

• walkermalling
• mjnaderi
• docs

Installed it on /dev/sda. First, create an empty MBR partition table.

sudo fdisk /dev/sda

(fdisk) o

Create 2 main partitions (/dev/sda1 and /dev/sda2):

Device     Boot     Start       End   Sectors   Size Id Type
/dev/sda1            2048    526335    524288   256M 83 Linux      /boot
/dev/sda2          526336 765986815 765460480   365G 83 Linux      Encrypted with LUKS, 3 LVM partitions:
    swap  vg -wi-ao----   8.00g                                   swap
    root  vg -wi-ao----  80.00g                                   /
    blubber vg -wi-ao---- 277.00g

Create partitions:

(fdisk) n
(fdisk) p
(fdisk) 1
(fdisk) <Enter>
(fdisk) +256M
(fdisk) t
(fdisk) 83

(fdisk) n
(fdisk) p
(fdisk) 2
(fdisk) <Enter>
(fdisk) +365G
(fdisk) t
(fdisk) 83

(fdisk) w (Write Changes)

Format Partitions:

sudo mkfs.ext2 /dev/sda1

Setup encryption

# sudo cryptsetup -c aes-xts-plain64 -y --use-random luksFormat /dev/sda2
# sudo cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/sda2 luks

Create LVM Partitions This creates one partions for root, modify if /home or other partitions should be on separate partitions

# sudo pvcreate /dev/mapper/luks
# sudo vgcreate vg /dev/mapper/luks
# sudo lvcreate --size 8G vg --name swap
# sudo lvcreate --size 80G vg --name root
# sudo lvcreate -l +100%FREE vg --name blubber

Format LVM partitions

# sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/vg-root
# sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/mapper/vg-anbar
# sudo mkswap /dev/mapper/vg-swap

Mount the new system

# sudo mount /dev/mapper/vg-root /mnt
# sudo mkdir /mnt/boot
# sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot
# sudo swapon /dev/mapper/vg-swap

install it .. changing config

sudo nixos-generate-config --root /mnt
sudo nixos-install

If install is successful, you’ll be prompted to set password for root user. Then reboot, and remove installation media.

Login to root, and add add user:

useradd -c 'Me' -m me
passwd me

2.configuration.nix

# Edit this configuration file to define what should be installed on
# your system.  Help is available in the configuration.nix(5) man page
# and in the NixOS manual (accessible by running ‘nixos-help’).

{ config, pkgs, ... }:

{
  imports =
    [ # Include the results of the hardware scan.
      ./hardware-configuration.nix
    ];

# Use the systemd-boot EFI boot loader.
# boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;
# boot.loader.efi.canTouchEfiVariables = true;

  nixpkgs.config.allowUnfree = true;

  # Use the GRUB 2 boot loader.
# grub
  boot.loader.grub = {
    enable = true;
    version = 2;
    efiSupport = false;
    enableCryptodisk = true;
    device = "/dev/sda";
    useOSProber=true;
    };

 # luks
 boot.initrd.luks.devices = {
   luksroot = {
     device = "/dev/disk/by-uuid/7d69c075-67f9-4b87-adcc-cffa1ed416df";
     preLVM = true;
     allowDiscards = true;
   };
 };


  # Set your time zone.
  time.timeZone = "Europe/Amsterdam";

  # The global useDHCP flag is deprecated, therefore explicitly set to false here.
  # Per-interface useDHCP will be mandatory in the future, so this generated config
  # replicates the default behaviour.
  networking.useDHCP = false;
  networking.interfaces.enp4s0f2.useDHCP = true;
  networking.interfaces.wlp3s0.useDHCP = true;

  
environment.pathsToLink = [ "/libexec" ]; # links /libexec from derivations to /run/current-system/sw 
  services.xserver = {
    enable = true;

    desktopManager = {
      xterm.enable = false;
    };
   
    displayManager = {
        defaultSession = "none+i3";
    };

    windowManager.i3 = {
      enable = true;
      extraPackages = with pkgs; [
        dmenu #application launcher most people use
        i3status # gives you the default i3 status bar
        i3lock #default i3 screen locker
        i3blocks #if you are planning on using i3blocks over i3status
     ];
    };
  };


  # Enable sound.
   sound.enable = true;
   hardware.pulseaudio.enable = true;


  system.stateVersion = "20.09"; # Did you read the comment?

}