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by knlje 2056 days ago
I have used NixOS only for a year so I'm no expert but I try to answer.

The config file has this line:

  imports = [ ./hardware-configuration.nix ];
This file hardware-configuration.nix is typically generated semi-automatically during the installation. It has stuff like

  fileSystems."/" =
  { device = "/dev/disk/by-uuid/14b5b22f-6cd2-4da5-a9a5-6ee74b76509d";
    fsType = "ext4";
  };

  fileSystems."/boot" =
  { device = "/dev/disk/by-uuid/7D69-81E5";
    fsType = "vfat";
  };
AFAIK you can include these details in configuration.nix if you happen to know them. But most of the time these are so hardware-specific details that you don't want to write them manually. Does it make sense?
1 comments
mschwaig 2056 days ago
That's an accurate description. I just want to add some info how the install process ifself works so people get a better picture of it.

For the initial installation you actually have to set up the partitions and mounts inside the root filesystem manually similar to what you have to do to install Arch.

Then you run the install command. The install command sets up the system with a default (or customized) configuration and also generates the hardware-configuration.nix file so that it matches the root filesystem you have set up before running the install command.

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