diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index a9f40e1..beb6a6c 100755
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 ## Next
+- [ ] use the Nix module system instead of projectOnto for `cerulean.mkNexus`
 - [ ] add `options.experimental` for snowflake
 - [ ] add `legacyImports` support
 
@@ -25,19 +26,29 @@
 
 - [ ] go through all flake inputs (recursively) and ENSURE we remove all duplicates by using follows!!
 
+- [X] rename nixos-modules/ to nixos/
+- [X] ensure all machines are in groups.all by default
+
+- [X] fix nixpkgs.nix not working (default not respected)
+- [X] remove dependence on nixpkgs
+
 - [ ] allow multiple privesc methods, the standard is pam_ssh_agent_auth
 
 ## Low Priority
+- [X] rename extraModules to modules?
+- [X] rename specialArgs to args?
+
 - [ ] make an extension to the nix module system (different to mix)
       that allows transformations (ie a stop post config, ie outputs, which
       it then returns instead of config)
-- [ ] support `legacyImports` (?)
 
 - [ ] patch microvm so that acpi=off https://github.com/microvm-nix/microvm.nix/commit/b59a26962bb324cc0a134756a323f3e164409b72
       cause otherwise 2GB causes a failure
 
-- [ ] write the cerulean cli
+- [ ] rewrite the ceru cli in rust
+- [ ] make `ceru` do local and remote deployments
 
+- [ ] support `legacyImports` 
 
 ```nix
 # REF: foxora
diff --git a/cerulean/nixos/default.nix b/cerulean/nixos/default.nix
index 664a10c..edc85cd 100644
--- a/cerulean/nixos/default.nix
+++ b/cerulean/nixos/default.nix
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
     ]
     ++ (
       if _cerulean.homeManager != null
-      then [./home.nix]
+      then [./home-manager.nix]
       else []
     );
 
diff --git a/cerulean/nixos/home-manager.nix b/cerulean/nixos/home-manager.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4d8748
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cerulean/nixos/home-manager.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+# Copyright 2025-2026 _cry64 (Emile Clark-Boman)
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+{
+  root,
+  config,
+  lib,
+  _cerulean,
+  ...
+} @ args: let
+  inherit
+    (builtins)
+    attrNames
+    filter
+    pathExists
+    ;
+in {
+  imports = [
+    _cerulean.homeManager.nixosModules.default
+  ];
+
+  home-manager = {
+    users =
+      config.users.users
+      |> attrNames
+      |> filter (x: pathExists /${root}/homes/${x})
+      |> (x:
+        lib.genAttrs x (y:
+          import /${root}/homes/${y}));
+
+    extraSpecialArgs = _cerulean.specialArgs;
+    sharedModules = [
+      # user configuration
+      (import /${root}/nixpkgs.nix)
+      # options declarations
+      (import ./nixpkgs.nix (args // {contextName = "homes";}))
+
+      ./home.nix
+    ];
+  };
+}
diff --git a/cerulean/nixos/home.nix b/cerulean/nixos/home.nix
index a63b6e8..417e2b7 100644
--- a/cerulean/nixos/home.nix
+++ b/cerulean/nixos/home.nix
@@ -1,69 +1,3 @@
-# Copyright 2025-2026 _cry64 (Emile Clark-Boman)
-#
-# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
-# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
-# You may obtain a copy of the License at
-#
-#    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
-#
-# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
-# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
-# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
-# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
-# limitations under the License.
-{
-  root,
-  config,
-  lib,
-  _cerulean,
-  ...
-} @ args: let
-  inherit
-    (builtins)
-    attrNames
-    filter
-    pathExists
-    ;
-in {
-  imports = [
-    _cerulean.homeManager.nixosModules.default
-  ];
-
-  options = {
-    users.users = lib.mkOption {
-      type = lib.types.attrsOf (lib.types.submodule {
-        options.manageHome = lib.mkOption {
-          type = lib.types.bool;
-          default = true;
-          example = false;
-          description = ''
-            Whether Cerulean should automatically enable home-manager for this user,
-            and manage their home configuration declaratively.
-
-            Enabled by default, but can be disabled if necessary.
-          '';
-        };
-      });
-    };
-  };
-
-  config = {
-    home-manager = {
-      users =
-        config.users.users
-        |> attrNames
-        |> filter (x: pathExists (root + "/homes/${x}"))
-        |> (x:
-          lib.genAttrs x (y:
-            import (root + "/homes/${y}")));
-
-      extraSpecialArgs = _cerulean.specialArgs;
-      sharedModules = [
-        # user configuration
-        (import (root + "/nixpkgs.nix"))
-        # options declarations
-        (import ./nixpkgs.nix (args // {contextName = "homes";}))
-      ];
-    };
-  };
+{...}: {
+  programs.home-manager.enable = true; # DEBUG: why didn't i enable it already?
 }
diff --git a/cerulean/nixos/nixpkgs.nix b/cerulean/nixos/nixpkgs.nix
index 40a3d57..03925c8 100644
--- a/cerulean/nixos/nixpkgs.nix
+++ b/cerulean/nixos/nixpkgs.nix
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ in {
     default = {};
     description = "Declare package repositories";
     example = {
-      "npkgs" = {
+      "pkgs" = {
         source = "inputs.nixpkgs";
         system = "x86-64-linux";
         config = {
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ in {
   config = let
     repos =
       cfg
-      |> (xs: removeAttrs xs ["base"])
+      |> (xs: removeAttrs xs ["default"])
       |> mapAttrs (
         name: args:
           lib.mkForce (
@@ -65,27 +65,30 @@ in {
           )
       );
 
-    basePkgs = cfg.base or {};
+    # XXX: TODO: would it work to use `base` instead of having default?
+    defaultPkgs =
+      cfg.default or (throw ''
+        Your `nixpkgs.nix` file does not declare a default package source.
+        Ensure you set `nixpkgs.channels.*.default = ...;`
+      '');
   in {
     # NOTE: _module.args is a special option that allows us to
     # NOTE: set extend specialArgs from inside the modules.
     # WARNING: pkgs is a reserved specialArg
-    _module.args = removeAttrs repos ["pkgs" "base"];
+    _module.args = removeAttrs repos ["pkgs" "default"];
 
-    nixpkgs = let
-      nixpkgConfig = {
-        config = lib.mkForce (basePkgs.config or {});
-        overlays = lib.mkForce (basePkgs.overlays or []);
-      };
-    in
+    nixpkgs =
       if contextName == "hosts"
-      then
-        nixpkgConfig
-        // {
-          flake.source = lib.mkForce base;
-        }
+      then {
+        flake.source = lib.mkForce base; # DEBUG: temp while getting base to work
+        overlays = lib.mkForce (defaultPkgs.overlays or {});
+        config = lib.mkForce (defaultPkgs.config or {});
+      }
       else if contextName == "homes"
-      then nixpkgConfig
+      then {
+        config = lib.mkForce (defaultPkgs.config or {});
+        overlays = lib.mkForce (defaultPkgs.overlays or []);
+      }
       else {};
   };
 }