Configuration Basics

Welcome! 🎉 This page shows you how to tweak NixOS to fit your needs. No jargon, just plain steps.

Step‑by‑step guide

1. Open the main configuration file with your favourite editor:

   sudo nano /etc/nixos/configuration.nix

2. Add or change options. Here’s a tiny example you can copy‑paste:

   { config, pkgs, ... }:
   
   {
     # Enable the OpenSSH server
     services.openssh.enable = true;
   
     # Give your machine a friendly name
     networking.hostName = "my-nixos-machine";
   
     # Install a simple package so you can test everything works
     environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [ hello ];
   }
   

3. Save the file and quit the editor (for nano, press Ctrl + X, then Y, then Enter).
4. Rebuild the system so the changes take effect:

   sudo nixos-rebuild switch

5. Verify! For the hostname example, run:

   hostname

   You should see my-nixos-machine. If you installed hello, try hello in the terminal.