Emma Thorpe
69ba65bde3
Document the greetd/ReGreet greeter in the top-level README and the T400 and Mac Pro install notes, including that the user account needs a password set before the greeter can authenticate. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Mac Pro 3,1 (Early 2008) — install notes
Flake host: lyrathorpe-macpro31. Desktop (portable = false, imports
../../modules/desktop.nix). Files: configuration.nix,
hardware-configuration.nix.
Hardware configuration
hardware-configuration.nix here is a hand-written placeholder. On the real
machine, run nixos-generate-config, replace the file, and commit it. It assumes
by-label partitions — ESP ESP (vfat, mounted at /boot), root nixos (ext4),
and swap — so either label them at install time or swap in the generated UUIDs.
Bootloader
The Mac Pro 3,1 has 64-bit EFI, so it uses systemd-boot (no GRUB/CSM
shim). canTouchEfiVariables = false because Apple's firmware does not reliably
accept efibootmgr NVRAM writes.
Apple-EFI quirk: if the firmware boot picker does not show NixOS after install, either
- uncomment
boot.loader.efi.efiInstallAsRemovable = true;inconfiguration.nix(installs the fallback\EFI\BOOT\BOOTX64.EFI), and/or - "bless" the ESP from macOS.
Partition the disk GPT with an ESP (vfat).
Graphics
The stock card varies between units — ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT or NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT. No proprietary driver is hardcoded; Sway relies on in-tree KMS:
- ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT →
radeon(oramdgpu) KMS - NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT →
nouveauKMS
These come up automatically. If a card needs forcing, set
services.xserver.videoDrivers and/or add the module to
boot.initrd.kernelModules for early KMS (see the comment in
configuration.nix).
Networking
Wired Ethernet via NetworkManager (from desktop.nix) — the Mac Pro has two
gigabit ports.
Login
Graphical login via a Wayland greeter — greetd running ReGreet inside the
cage kiosk compositor — configured centrally in lyrathorpe/swaywm.nix for
every Sway host (gated on features.swayDesktop.enable). The greeter is forced
to the Dvorak layout to match the console and Sway session. Set the user
password (passwd lyrathorpe) after install, or the greeter cannot
authenticate. Requires working KMS (radeon/nouveau — see Graphics).
Apply
sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#lyrathorpe-macpro31