NixOS Micro Desktop

NixOS is reliable and reproducible, but most people don't want to write Nix to install an app. NixOS Micro Desktop gives you a minimal, self-maintaining system that you set up once from a flake. After that, apps come from GNOME Software and Flatpak, and the base system updates itself. It's for families, friends, and small offices who need a dependable computer without a full-time admin.

Features

• Choice of shell. Noctalia (the default) or DankMaterialShell on the niri compositor, or a lean GNOME Shell session, all sharing the same base system and core GNOME apps.

• Everyday hardware support. The latest kernel, NetworkManager with VPN support, PipeWire audio, and printers and scanners out of the box.

• Declared storage. disko lays out the disk from a few options: UEFI or legacy boot, f2fs or BTRFS root, zstd compression level, and swap size with hibernation.

• Hands-off maintenance. Daily updates, garbage collection, and TRIM run automatically.

• Faster updates. CI builds the configuration and publishes the packages it compiles to a Cachix binary cache, so machines download rather than build them.

• Clipboard history and an emoji picker on every shell.

Getting started

Boot the NixOS installer, download the sample flake to /etc/nixos/, set your disk and boot options, and rebuild. The README walks through each step. The installer formats the target disk, so back up first.