Blog
![Snowflakes resting on a car's rear windshield. Snowflakes resting on a car's rear windshield.](https://aires.fyi/images/posts/cover-nixos-overlays_huf930859cbdca82887bff5f82e3b48682_1250310_500x300_fill_q90_h2_box_center.webp)
How to use overlays to downgrade a core package in NixOS.
![A computer-generated image of a laser light shining through a disco ball, which is floating above an open hard drive. A computer-generated image of a laser light shining through a disco ball, which is floating above an open hard drive.](https://aires.fyi/images/posts/cover-disko-logo_hu8aa13aa099fca470a728b6de1da7e419_75432_500x300_fill_q90_h2_box_center.webp)
How I wrote my own NixOS module for declarative disk encryption using LUKS, BTRFS subvolumes, and swap files.
![A stylized photo of a backlit keyboard with multiple overlapping ghostly photos of itself overlayed. A stylized photo of a backlit keyboard with multiple overlapping ghostly photos of itself overlayed.](https://aires.fyi/../assets/images/posts/computers-as-code_hu5459c0360c2b0cb7a147d2df0eb350ca_1199079_500x300_fill_q90_h2_box_center.webp)
A different way of thinking about how we use and manage computers, in both our personal lives and professional lives.
![A photo of an ice floe with big chunks shattered and overlapping. A photo of an ice floe with big chunks shattered and overlapping.](https://aires.fyi/../assets/images/posts/cover-broken-ice_hu41656dac0106a8ef82e1d95443167023_1029589_500x300_fill_q90_h2_box_center.webp)
An explanation of NixOS' update process, and why something as simple as enabling automatic updates is so problematic.
![The Beeper logo with various chat logos surrounding it. The caption says "All your chats in one app." The Beeper logo with various chat logos surrounding it. The caption says "All your chats in one app."](https://aires.fyi/../assets/images/posts/beeper-logo_hu800ced3a9fc797b454bd08b48337eb1e_227351_500x300_fill_q90_h2_box_center.webp)
Beeper is a secure, all-in-one chat app, and hopefully the last chat app you'll ever need.
![Black and white photo of a person's silhouette standing in a square hallway. The opposite end of the hallway is drenched in a blinding white light, while the nearer end is shrouded in shadow. Black and white photo of a person's silhouette standing in a square hallway. The opposite end of the hallway is drenched in a blinding white light, while the nearer end is shrouded in shadow.](https://aires.fyi/../assets/images/posts/_hu5b981ebcd6eec8206375421218bc2787_3357949_03074b9e3a83cd50dd18e77a7f039cc8.webp)
My first few weeks on Auvelity, a relatively new and unexpectedly effective anti-depressant.
![3D illustration of an approach to a wall of a spaceship with complex metallic structure in blue and purple. 3D illustration of an approach to a wall of a spaceship with complex metallic structure in blue and purple.](https://aires.fyi/../assets/images/posts/_hu0b45cef45731743bd730f80aee97e0ab_6123593_13809660ffcac0df3b2425e4d84fc5e8.webp)
A walkthrough of my latest NixOS configuration using Flakes, Home Manager, and a poor man's secrets management solution.
![Blue box with Christmas present and white snowflake. Blue box with Christmas present and white snowflake.](https://aires.fyi/images/posts/cover-pexels-photo-6102171_hu3d03a01dcc18bc5be0e67db3d8d209a6_1916676_500x300_fill_q90_h2_box_center.webp)
A (relatively) quick guide to creating a custom package on Nix and NixOS.
![The NixOS logo. The NixOS logo.](https://aires.fyi/../assets/images/posts/nixos-logo_hubad91da82bfeb8a47b75506dd23f8a22_12650_500x300_fill_q90_h2_box_center_2.webp)
I talk about my experience using NixOS after two weeks of using it as my primary OS. I'll explain what it is, how it works, and whether you should try it.