NixOS
![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.
![The Fediversity logo. The Fediversity logo.](https://aires.fyi/../assets/images/links/fediversity_hu4e9e8c82e1d2427f1036976561cf2aa7_5640_500x300_fill_q90_h2_box_center_2.webp)
The Fediversity Project is a comprehensive effort to bring easy-to-use, hosted cloud services that have service portability and personal freedom at their core to everyone.
![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.
![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.