Pop-Shell on NixOS

pop-shell-nixos.org

Enabling Window Tiling in NixOS using GNOME

Table of Contents

• Issue
• Steps to Fix the Issue
  • Step 1: Install GNOME Tweaks
  • Step 2: Add Pop Shell Extension
  • Step 3: Modify Configuration File
  • Step 4: Rebuild Configuration
  • Step 5: Restart GNOME Shell
  • Step 6: Verify Installation
• Conclusion

Issue

I encountered an issue where I needed to enable window tiling in NixOS using GNOME. To address this, I decided to use the Pop Shell extension, which provides advanced tiling features.

Steps to Fix the Issue

Step 1: Install GNOME Tweaks

First, ensure GNOME Tweaks is installed to allow adjustment of various settings. Add the following line to the `environment.systemPackages` in `configuration.nix`:

environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
  gnome3.gnome-tweaks
];

Step 2: Add Pop Shell Extension

Add the Pop Shell extension to the list of GNOME Shell extensions.

services.gnome.extensions = {
  enable = true;
  packages = with gnomeExtensions; [ pop-shell ];
};

Step 3: Modify Configuration File

Update your `configuration.nix` file to include the Pop Shell extension and GNOME Tweaks. Below are the relevant parts of the configuration file:

{ config, pkgs, lib, ... }:
let
  secrets = import ./secrets.nix;
  gnomeExtensions = pkgs.callPackage <nixpkgs/pkgs/desktops/gnome/extensions> {};
in
{
  services.xserver.enable = true;
  services.xserver.displayManager.gdm.enable = true;
  services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome.enable = true;

  services.gnome.extensions = {
    enable = true;
    packages = with gnomeExtensions; [ pop-shell ];
  };

  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
    gnome3.gnome-tweaks
    gnomeExtensions.pop-shell
  ];
}

Step 4: Rebuild Configuration

Rebuild the NixOS configuration to apply the changes:

sudo nixos-rebuild switch

Step 5: Restart GNOME Shell

Restart the GNOME Shell to enable the new extension:

• Press `Alt + F2`.
• Type `r`.
• Press `Enter`.

Step 6: Verify Installation

Open GNOME Tweaks and verify that the Pop Shell extension is enabled. Configure the settings as needed.

Conclusion

By following these steps, I successfully enabled window tiling in GNOME on NixOS using the Pop Shell extension.