system/machine/MBP-Asahi/configuration.nix

@@ -14,9 +14,18 @@
 
   networking.hostName = "Emma-Asahi";
 
-  # No fingerprint reader on this machine; empty service still lets swaylock
+  # Audio (PipeWire) and the swaylock PAM stack are inherited from
-  # authenticate via password.
+  # workstation.nix. hardware.enableRedistributableFirmware is also set there;
-  security.pam.services.swaylock = { };
+  # it is harmless here since Asahi supplies its own peripheral firmware below.
+
+  # Binary cache for the Asahi kernel/build artifacts, so the MBP pulls prebuilt
+  # outputs instead of compiling the Asahi kernel locally.
+  nix.settings = {
+    substituters = [ "https://nixos-apple-silicon.cachix.org" ];
+    trusted-public-keys = [
+      "nixos-apple-silicon.cachix.org-1:8psDu5SA5dAD7qA0zMy5UT292TxeEPzIz8VVEr2Js20="
+    ];
+  };
 
   # Apple peripheral firmware (Wi-Fi/Bluetooth). The directory is gitignored and
   # populated out-of-band -- see README.

system/machine/MacPro31/README.md

@@ -6,10 +6,11 @@ Flake host: `lyrathorpe-macpro31`. Desktop (`portable = false`, imports
 
 ## Hardware configuration
 
-`hardware-configuration.nix` here is a hand-written **placeholder**. On the real
+`hardware-configuration.nix` here is the real config generated by
-machine, run `nixos-generate-config`, replace the file, and commit it. It assumes
+`nixos-generate-config` on the machine. Root is an **LVM** logical volume
-by-label partitions — ESP `ESP` (vfat, mounted at `/boot`), root `nixos` (ext4),
+(`/dev/mapper/MacPro-Root`, ext4); the ESP (vfat) and swap are referenced by
-and `swap` — so either label them at install time or swap in the generated UUIDs.
+UUID. The initrd carries `dm-snapshot` for the LVM root. Regenerate and commit
+if the disk layout changes.
 
 ## Bootloader
 

system/machine/MacPro31/configuration.nix

@@ -27,19 +27,9 @@
   services.openssh.enable = true;
   networking.firewall.allowedTCPPorts = [ 22 ];
 
-  services.pipewire = {
+  # Dual Harpertown Xeon microcode. Redistributable firmware (GPU/NIC blobs) is
-    enable = true;
+  # enabled in workstation.nix.
-    pulse.enable = true;
-  };
-
-  # No fingerprint hardware; empty service still lets swaylock authenticate via
-  # password.
-  security.pam.services.swaylock = { };
-
-  # Dual Harpertown Xeon microcode + redistributable firmware (e.g. GPU/NIC
-  # blobs).
   hardware.cpu.intel.updateMicrocode = true;
-  hardware.enableRedistributableFirmware = true;
 
   # GPU note: the stock card varies between units -- ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT or
   # NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT. Sway needs a working KMS/modesetting driver; do NOT

system/machine/T400/README.md

@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ install time or swap in the generated UUIDs.
 `configuration.nix` imports exactly one boot module. Default is `boot-bios.nix`;
 switch by commenting it out and uncommenting the relevant alternative.
 
-| Firmware | Module | Notes |
+| Firmware                                             | Module                   | Notes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
-| --- | --- | --- |
+| ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
-| Stock Lenovo BIOS, or coreboot + **SeaBIOS** payload | `boot-bios.nix` | GRUB on the MBR. Set `device` to the real install disk (`/dev/sda` by default). MBR/legacy layout. |
+| Stock Lenovo BIOS, or coreboot + **SeaBIOS** payload | `boot-bios.nix`          | GRUB on the MBR. Set `device` to the real install disk (`/dev/sda` by default). MBR/legacy layout.                                                                                                                                                                                    |
-| coreboot + **GRUB** payload | `boot-coreboot-grub.nix` | GRUB is config-only (`device = "nodev"`); NixOS does **not** write to a disk. Your coreboot `grub.cfg` (in the flash chip) must `search` for and `configfile` the on-disk `/boot/grub/grub.cfg`, or chainload the disk's GRUB. |
+| coreboot + **GRUB** payload                          | `boot-coreboot-grub.nix` | GRUB is config-only (`device = "nodev"`); NixOS does **not** write to a disk. Your coreboot `grub.cfg` (in the flash chip) must `search` for and `configfile` the on-disk `/boot/grub/grub.cfg`, or chainload the disk's GRUB.                                                        |
-| coreboot + **Tianocore/edk2 (UEFI)** payload | `boot-coreboot-uefi.nix` | systemd-boot. `canTouchEfiVariables = true` (coreboot honours NVRAM writes). The module **declares its own ESP** (`/boot` vfat, label `ESP`) — when you regenerate `hardware-configuration.nix`, do **not** let it also define `/boot`. Create + label an `ESP` vfat partition (GPT). |
+| coreboot + **Tianocore/edk2 (UEFI)** payload         | `boot-coreboot-uefi.nix` | systemd-boot. `canTouchEfiVariables = true` (coreboot honours NVRAM writes). The module **declares its own ESP** (`/boot` vfat, label `ESP`) — when you regenerate `hardware-configuration.nix`, do **not** let it also define `/boot`. Create + label an `ESP` vfat partition (GPT). |
 
 ## Graphics
 

system/machine/T400/configuration.nix

@@ -18,25 +18,18 @@
 
   console.font = "Lat2-Terminus16";
 
-  services.pipewire = {
+  # Low-RAM host (4 GiB max): a compressed RAM swap reduces disk paging.
-    enable = true;
+  zramSwap.enable = true;
-    pulse.enable = true;
-  };
 
   # This host accepts SSH, so open 22 (the firewall itself is enabled in
   # laptop.nix with a default-deny policy).
   services.openssh.enable = true;
   networking.firewall.allowedTCPPorts = [ 22 ];
 
-  # The T400's fingerprint reader differs/may be absent; empty service still
+  # Intel Core 2 (Penryn) microcode. Redistributable firmware (enabled in
-  # lets swaylock authenticate via password.
+  # workstation.nix) supplies the iwlwifi blobs (Intel WiFi Link 5100/5300) and
-  security.pam.services.swaylock = { };
+  # the radeon firmware needed by the discrete GPU below.
-
-  # Intel Core 2 (Penryn) microcode + redistributable firmware. The latter also
-  # supplies the iwlwifi blobs (Intel WiFi Link 5100/5300) and the radeon
-  # firmware needed by the discrete GPU below.
   hardware.cpu.intel.updateMicrocode = true;
-  hardware.enableRedistributableFirmware = true;
 
   # This T400 has the optional discrete GPU fitted: an ATI Mobility Radeon HD
   # 3470 (RV620), driven by the open `radeon` KMS driver. Load it in the initrd

system/modules/common-nixos.nix

@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@
   time.timeZone = "Europe/London";
   i18n.defaultLocale = "en_GB.UTF-8";
 
+  # Store hygiene. auto-optimise-store hard-links identical files in the store
+  # after each build (cheap dedupe; NOT a garbage collector -- there is
+  # deliberately no automatic GC timer). The larger download buffer avoids
+  # "buffer full" stalls when fetching big NARs over a fast link.
+  nix.settings.auto-optimise-store = true;
+  nix.settings.download-buffer-size = 134217728; # 128 MiB
+
   # Minimal system-level CLI available before the home-manager profile loads
   # (e.g. early boot / rescue). User-level tooling lives in home-manager.
   environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [

system/modules/workstation.nix

@@ -14,4 +14,24 @@
   # Default-deny inbound. Hosts that run a listening service open their own
   # ports next to where the service is enabled (e.g. sshd -> 22 on X1).
   networking.firewall.enable = true;
+
+  # Disk hygiene for the physical hosts. fstrim reclaims unused SSD blocks on a
+  # weekly timer; cleanOnBoot wipes /tmp at every boot.
+  services.fstrim.enable = true;
+  boot.tmp.cleanOnBoot = true;
+
+  # Audio. PipeWire with the PulseAudio shim covers every graphical host; no
+  # per-machine audio config is needed.
+  services.pipewire = {
+    enable = true;
+    pulse.enable = true;
+  };
+
+  # swaylock PAM stack. None of these machines has working fingerprint auth, so
+  # an empty service is enough -- swaylock falls back to password.
+  security.pam.services.swaylock = { };
+
+  # Redistributable firmware (GPU/Wi-Fi/NIC blobs) for the x86 hosts. Harmless
+  # on the Asahi MBP, which supplies its own peripheral firmware out-of-band.
+  hardware.enableRedistributableFirmware = true;
 }