From fc2a575131ab0c5d558d154ed1b5609b6add6924 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Emile Clark-Boman <eclarkboman@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:44:15 +1000
Subject: [PATCH] add learntocry

---
 docs/learn_to_cry/nix.md | 107 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 107 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 docs/learn_to_cry/nix.md

diff --git a/docs/learn_to_cry/nix.md b/docs/learn_to_cry/nix.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5cd553d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/learn_to_cry/nix.md
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+# The Nix Documentation Situation
+The Nix documentation situation is notorious bad. It's difficult to find
+a concise answer with detailed justification/explanation. And most people
+(myself included) tend resort to the [ArchWiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org).
+> [!NOTE]
+> The [Nix documentation team](https://nixos.org/community/teams/documentation) has an incredibly difficult job.
+
+Unlike the *centralised* [ArchWiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org), the Nix ecosystem
+is incredibly large:
+1. **Nix**          (the package manager)
+2. **Nix/NixLang**  (the programming language)
+3. **Nixpkgs**      (the package repository)
+4. **NixOS**        (the linux distribution)
+5. **Home-Manager** (user environment management)
+6. **NUR**          (Nix User Repository, like the AUR but Nix!)
+7. *and **many** more...*
+
+Often each project has its own website, wiki, styling, etc. There is tonnes
+of information available online but its so hard to find it.
+
+**Notable organisations:**
+1. NixOS Foundation (*official organisation that maintains Nix/Nixpkgs/NixOS*)
+2. Nix Community (*unofficial community providing infrastructure/hosting/visibility for projects*)
+
+## About Me
+I love and hate Nix simultaneously.
+
+Originally *(circa 2023)* I used Windows 10/11 exclusively for programming.
+But this is tedious and my friend started mentioning Arch Linux. So with their
+help I formatted a spare SSD and began my journey.
+
+But I **REALLY** like computers... I have servers, routers, 3 computers
+actively powered in my bedroom, and *I believe* 9 laptops *currently* in my posession.
+
+Documenting **every** change I make to a system and spending a week
+setting up a device I don't really care about isn't sustainable.
+And then *(circa October 2024)* I learnt about NixOS... And now life is "easy".
+But learning Nix/NixLang/Nixpkgs/NixOS/Home-Manager/blah-blah-blah was exhausting.
+So now I'll try to simplify this learning curve for other newbies **<3**
+
+
+## Nix/NixOS How To
+### NixOS Documentation
+Using "the" NixOS wiki is surprisingly confusing (at least it was for me).
+Why? Because there are multiple and you probably won't realise the difference.
+
+**Main Wikis:**
+> These are visually and structurally identical... And are both community run.
+> But they're content does differ. [nixos.wiki] was created
+> because ""[wiki.nixos.org] was too limiting with regards to wiki features".
+1. [https://wiki.nixos.org] (the **official** NixOS wiki)
+2. [https://nixos.wiki] (the **unofficial** user's wiki, community run)
+
+
+**Other Resources:**
+> [!TODO]
+
+
+### Migrate to a Newer Version of Nixpkgs
+```bash
+# Determine the channel name you're using
+nix-channel --list
+nix-channel --remove <OLD_CHANNEL>
+nix-channel --add <NEW_CHANNEL> # ie https://nixos.org/channels/nixos-25.05
+nix-channel --update
+
+# Now upgrade system profile (log to file in case of failure)
+nixos-rebuild boot --upgrade | tee rebuild.log
+```
+
+
+
+## Security Implications
+### NixOS Default Home Permissions
+```bash
+# Executing from $HOME
+>>> mkdir example.d && ls -l example.d
+-rw-r--r-- 1 me users 1 Jul 25 10:13 example.d
+>>> echo > example.f && ls -l example.f
+-rw-r--r-- 1 me users 1 Jul 25 10:15 example.f
+
+## But these ignore facl?
+>>> getfacl "$HOME"
+# file: home/me
+# owner: me
+# group: users
+user::rwx
+group::---
+other::---
+```
+Many commands default to permissions that ignore the file access control listl (file ACLs).
+This is not a NixOS specific issue. However this isn't ideal from a security perspective.
+The simplest solution is a recursive `chmod -R 600 ~` but there are plenty of files we
+intentionally want to be different.
+> [!TODO]
+> Solution: Make a Nix/Home-Manager package allowing for control over folder permissions.
+> SOlution: Also it should warn if any files owned by $USER have a 2
+
+
+
+## Further Reading
+### Finding New Things to Do
+`man 5 configuration.nix` is incredibly useful
+	similar info can be found at https://mynixos.com/options
+
+### For your curiosity
+1. https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/Firejail