NixOS Dotfiles for Alison and Spencer
This repository contains NixOS configurations for two machines:
- Alison: ThinkCentre M910q headless server
- Spencer: Lenovo ThinkPad T480 laptop with minimalist hacker Hyprland setup
Machines
Alison (Server)
- ThinkCentre M910q
- Headless server configuration
- No graphical environment
- Services: SSH, Docker, DDNS, etc.
Spencer (Laptop)
- Lenovo ThinkPad T480
- Graphical workstation with Hyprland window manager
- Minimalist hacker theme based on Catppuccin Frappe with lavender accent
- Hyprland ecosystem: Waybar, Rofi, Alacritty, AWWW, etc.
Configuration Structure
.
├── flake.nix
├── hosts/
│ ├── alison/
│ │ ├── configuration.nix
│ │ └── hardware-configuration.nix
│ └── spencer/
│ ├── configuration.nix
│ ├── hyprland/
│ │ ├── hyprland.conf
│ │ ├── keybindings.conf
│ │ ├── decorations.conf
│ │ └── windowrules.conf
│ ├── waybar/
│ │ ├── config.jsonc
│ │ └── style.css
│ ├── rofi/
│ │ ├── config.rasi
│ │ └── theme.rasi
│ ├── alacritty/
│ │ └── alacritty.yml
│ └── swww/
│ └── wallpaper.sh
├── modules/
│ ├── networking.nix
│ └── services.nix
├── themes/
│ ├── catppuccin-frappe-lavender.nix
│ └── minimalist-hacker-overlay.nix
├── users/
│ └── bckelley/
│ └── home.nix
└── README.md
Features (Spencer Laptop)
Window Manager
- Hyprland with minimalist hacker aesthetic
- Dwindle layout with pseudotiling
- Reduced animations for snappy responsiveness
- Thin borders and minimal rounding
- Window swallowing for terminals
- Per-app workspace assignments (optional)
Status Bar
- Waybar with laptop-appropriate modules
- CPU, memory, disk usage
- Network status (WiFi/Ethernet)
- Audio volume control
- Battery indicator (critical for laptop)
- System tray
- Clock with date
- All styled with Catppuccin Frappe + lavender accent
Application Launcher
- Rofi with drun, run, and window modes
- Minimalist theme matching overall aesthetic
- Hack Nerd Font for consistency
- Reduced visual noise
Terminal
- Alacritty (better SSH compatibility than Kitty)
- Same Catppuccin Frappe + lavender accent color scheme
- Hack Nerd Font
- Background opacity for minimalist feel
- Optimized for both local and SSH use
Wallpaper Management
- AWWW (formerly swww) for wallpaper cycling
- Simple script to manage wallpapers in
~/Pictures/wallpapers/ - Smooth transitions with grow effect
- Keybind: SUPER + SHIFT + V to cycle wallpapers
Additional Components
- Hyprlock - Screen locking with blurred background
- Cliphist + wl-clipboard - Clipboard management
- Grim + Slurp - Screenshot utilities
- Swappy - Screenshot editing
- Thunar - File manager
- Tumbler - Thumbnail service for Thunar
- Fastfetch - System information display
- Fish with Starship, Zoxide - Enhanced shell
- Hack Nerd Font - Consistent typography
Keybindings (Spencer)
| Keybinding | Action |
|---|---|
SUPER + RETURN |
Open terminal (Alacritty) |
SUPER + Q |
Kill active window |
SUPER + F |
Toggle fullscreen |
SUPER + Space |
Toggle floating |
SUPER + D |
Open application launcher (Rofi) |
SUPER + Tab |
Next workspace |
SUPER + 1-0 |
Switch to workspace 1-10 |
SUPER + SHIFT + 1-0 |
Move window to workspace 1-10 |
SUPER + Arrows |
Move focus |
SUPER + SHIFT + Arrows |
Move window |
SUPER + L |
Lock screen |
SUPER + E |
Open file manager |
SUPER + V |
Clipboard history |
SUPER + S |
Screenshot region |
SUPER + SHIFT + S |
Screenshot output |
SUPER + SHIFT + V |
Change wallpaper |
SUPER + mouse_down/up |
Next/prev workspace |
XF86Audio* |
Volume controls |
XF86MonBrightness* |
Brightness controls |
Installation
For Alison (Server)
# Build and switch
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/.dotfiles#alison
For Spencer (Laptop)
# 1. Clone this repo to ~/.dotfiles
git clone <repository-url> ~/.dotfiles
# 2. Generate hardware configuration for your ThinkPad T480
# Boot from NixOS installer or use existing system
sudo nixos-generate-config --root /mnt
# Copy the generated hardware-configuration.nix to:
# ~/.dotfiles/hosts/spencer/hardware-configuration.nix
# 3. Build and switch
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/.dotfiles#spencer
# 4. Apply user configuration
home-manager switch --flake ~/.dotfiles#bckelley
Customization
Themes
The Spencer laptop uses a theme system located in themes/:
catppuccin-frappe-lavender.nix: Base theme with lavender accentsminimalist-hacker-overlay.nix: Modifications for minimalist hacker aesthetic
To adjust the theme, modify these files or create new theme variations.
Wallpapers
Add images to ~/Pictures/wallpapers/ and cycle with SUPER + SHIFT + V.
Laptop-Specific Notes
- ThinkPad T480 specific hardware will need to be configured via
hardware-configuration.nix - Battery monitoring is enabled in Waybar for laptop use
- Brightness and volume keys should work out-of-the-box on most ThinkPads