2023-11-19 07:20:58 +00:00
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# Using Home Manager {#ch-usage}
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Your use of Home Manager is centered around the configuration file,
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which is typically found at `~/.config/home-manager/home.nix` in the
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standard installation or `~/.config/home-manager/flake.nix` in a Nix
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flake based installation.
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2023-11-30 14:12:29 +00:00
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::: {.note}
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2023-11-19 07:20:58 +00:00
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The default configuration used to be placed in `~/.config/nixpkgs`¸ so
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you may see references to that elsewhere. The old directory still works
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but Home Manager will print a warning message when used.
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:::
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This configuration file can be *built* and *activated*.
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Building a configuration produces a directory in the Nix store that
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contains all files and programs that should be available in your home
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directory and Nix user profile, respectively. The build step also checks
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that the configuration is valid and it will fail with an error if you,
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for example, assign a value to an option that does not exist or assign a
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value of the wrong type. Some modules also have custom assertions that
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perform more detailed, module specific, checks.
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Concretely, if your configuration contains
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``` nix
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programs.emacs.enable = "yes";
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```
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then building it, for example using `home-manager build`, will result in
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an error message saying something like
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2023-12-02 00:19:09 +00:00
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```console
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2023-11-19 07:20:58 +00:00
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$ home-manager build
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error: A definition for option `programs.emacs.enable' is not of type `boolean'. Definition values:
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- In `/home/jdoe/.config/home-manager/home.nix': "yes"
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(use '--show-trace' to show detailed location information)
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```
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The message indicates that you must provide a Boolean value for this
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option, that is, either `true` or `false`. The documentation of each
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option will state the expected type, for
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[programs.emacs.enable](#opt-programs.emacs.enable) you will see "Type: boolean". You
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there also find information about the default value and a description of
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the option. You can find the complete option documentation in
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[Home Manager Configuration Options](#ch-options) or directly in the terminal by running
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2023-12-02 00:19:09 +00:00
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``` shell
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2023-11-19 07:20:58 +00:00
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man home-configuration.nix
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```
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Once a configuration is successfully built, it can be activated. The
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activation performs the steps necessary to make the files, programs, and
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services available in your user environment. The `home-manager switch`
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command performs a combined build and activation.
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```{=include=} sections
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usage/configuration.md
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usage/rollbacks.md
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usage/dotfiles.md
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usage/graphical.md
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usage/updating.md
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```
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