Nomarchy/docs/HARDWARE.md

Hardware support

How Nomarchy enables CPUs, GPUs, laptops, firmware, and peripherals — and what to do when your machine is not in the happy path.

Queue: product follow-ups live in agent/BACKLOG.md (PROPOSED › Hardware product). Design history: ROADMAP.md. Migration without reinstall: MIGRATION.md.

1. Architecture (three layers)

Nomarchy does not reimplement nixos-hardware. It stacks:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  A. Always-on desktop floor                                         │
│     modules/nixos/default.nix + power.nix + audio/BT                │
│     redistributable firmware · fwupd · NM · PipeWire · PPD · ddcci  │
└───────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┘
                                │
┌───────────────────────────────▼─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  B. nixos-hardware profiles  (via mkFlake hardwareProfile)          │
│     common-cpu-* · common-gpu-* · common-pc(-laptop|-ssd) · model   │
│     microcode · GPU media · fstrim · vendor/model quirks            │
└───────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┘
                                │
┌───────────────────────────────▼─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  C. nomarchy.hardware.*  (modules/nixos/hardware.nix)               │
│     gap above commons: GuC · amd-pstate · VA-API env · fprintd ·    │
│     IR-webcam hide · ROCm/NPU/latestKernel · I2C/DDC/CI             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Layer	Who turns it on	Where it lives
A	Distro defaults (mkDefault)	Any machine importing nomarchy.nixosModules.nomarchy
B	Installer DMI/lspci → hardwareProfile = [ … ]	Downstream flake.nix (mkFlake)
C	Installer probes → system.nix, or hand-edit	Downstream system.nix

hardware-configuration.nix (from nixos-generate-config) still owns initrd modules, filesystems, and the usual generate-config flags. The installer writes a real one; the template ships a placeholder you must replace.

Unknown hardwareProfile names fail at eval with Levenshtein suggestions (lib.nix) — never silently ignored.

2. What works without thinking about it

These ship on every Nomarchy system unless you override them:

Capability	Default	Notes
Wi‑Fi / BT firmware blobs	hardware.enableRedistributableFirmware	iwlwifi, ath, rtw, brcm, SOF, …
NetworkManager	on	Wi‑Fi UI: System › Network
PipeWire + WirePlumber	on
Bluetooth + blueman	on	System › Bluetooth
power-profiles-daemon	on	Menu + Waybar; TLP via nomarchy.system.power.backend = "tlp"
External monitor brightness	nomarchy.hardware.i2c.ddcci on	DDC/CI → backlight devices
Firmware updates (LVFS)	services.fwupd.enable	Never auto-flashes — see §4
SMART / UPower / pcscd (FIDO)	on
earlyoom	on	Process-level OOM, not cgroup kill of the whole session

Not default-on (need detect or uncomment): fprintd, GuC/HuC, amd-pstate, ROCm, NPU, thermald, charge limit, snapper (installer enables snapper), latestKernel.

3. Install path (best experience)

nomarchy-install sources pkgs/nomarchy-install/hardware-db.sh and:

1. Probes CPU vendor, GPUs (lspci), battery, SSD, fingerprint USB VIDs, RGB+IR webcam names, NPU PCI class.
2. Looks up DMI sys_vendor × product_name in a ~60-entry model table (Framework, Dell XPS/Latitude, ThinkPad, Surface, ASUS ROG, Apple T2, System76).
3. Emits MODULE … lines → hardwareProfile list in flake.nix.
4. Emits NOMARCHY hardware.*=… → active + commented blocks in system.nix.
5. Asks you to confirm profiles (or pick manually from the full nixos-hardware attr list baked into the ISO). Override with NOMARCHY_HW=auto|none|"mod1 mod2".

Live ISO is intentionally generic (no model profile): broad GPU modules as available, redistributable firmware on, no baked nomarchy.hardware.*. Tuning happens at install time.

Out of scope for the installer today: aarch64 (Pi, Snapdragon X), Steam Deck (Jovian), Apple Silicon (T2 Intel Macs only in the DB).

4. Firmware updates (deep dive)

What we ship

# modules/nixos/default.nix
services.fwupd.enable = lib.mkDefault true;

fwupd talks to the LVFS: UEFI capsule (BIOS), some SSDs, docks, Thunderbolt controllers, peripherals. It only refreshes metadata on its own. Applying an update is always an explicit user action.

What you do today (CLI)

# After first boot (and occasionally later):
fwupdmgr refresh          # optional; daemon often has metadata
fwupdmgr get-devices      # what LVFS can see
fwupdmgr get-updates      # pending
fwupdmgr update           # apply (may need reboot / battery / AC)

Disable on VMs/headless: services.fwupd.enable = false; in system.nix.

Why this is under-discovered

Present	Missing
Daemon + package	Menu entry / Control Center
README one-liner	First-boot / MOTD hint
	Doctor check (“updates available”)
	Waybar / updates panel integration

Product direction (queued): System › Firmware (or a Doctor section) that runs refresh → list → confirm → fwupdmgr update, plus a short post-install note when fwupd is enabled. Never auto-flash; pillar 1 (rock-stable) forbids silent BIOS writes.

Thunderbolt

Firmware for TB devices may appear via LVFS. There is no first-class services.hardware.bolt / security-level UI in Nomarchy — use plain NixOS options if you need bolt.

Microcode / kernel firmware

• CPU microcode: from nixos-hardware common-cpu-* and nixos-generate-config once redistributable firmware is on — not a separate nomarchy.* toggle.
• GPU GuC/HuC (Intel i915): nomarchy.hardware.intel.guc → i915.enable_guc=3. Installer turns this off when the bound driver is xe (GuC is default there; the param is ignored).
• hardware.enableAllFirmware: not set. Oddball non-redistributable Wi‑Fi still needs a manual NixOS fix (or a broader policy decision).

5. Fingerprint (deep dive)

Detect → enable

Installer scans USB vendor IDs common to libfprint (Goodix, Synaptics, Elan, …) via lsusb or /sys/bus/usb/.../idVendor. On hit:

nomarchy.hardware.fingerprint.enable = true;  # services.fprintd
# nomarchy.hardware.fingerprint.pam = true;   # login + sudo (opt-in)

Enroll (CLI today)

fprintd-enroll            # as your user
fprintd-list "$USER"
# then, if you want login/sudo:
# uncomment fingerprint.pam in system.nix → sys-rebuild

PAM stays opt-in on purpose: password-only remains the cautious default until a finger is enrolled.

Gaps

• No System menu “Fingerprint” row (enroll / list / delete).
• No “use for login” toggle that writes state + rebuild note.
• Doctor does not check reader presence or enroll status.

Product direction (queued): when fprintd is active, a self-gated menu module for enroll/list; optional PAM toggle via state + rebuild hint (same pattern as Bluetooth in Control Center).

6. NVIDIA (deep dive)

What happens at install

lspci → NVIDIA  ⇒  MODULE common-gpu-nvidia

That is the entire Nomarchy surface. Unfree packages are allowed (allowUnfree = true in the module and in mkFlake), so the proprietary path from nixos-hardware can evaluate.

There is no nomarchy.hardware.nvidia.* for:

• hybrid / PRIME (Intel+NVIDIA, AMD+NVIDIA)
• open vs closed kernel module
• power management / udev / suspend quirks
• CUDA / container toolkit packages

What a hybrid laptop user must do today

1. Confirm common-gpu-nvidia (and often common-gpu-intel or common-gpu-amd) are in hardwareProfile.
2. Read the relevant nixos-hardware module and NixOS NVIDIA wiki.
3. Add plain NixOS options in system.nix, for example (illustrative — hardware-specific):

# Example only — verify against your generation and nixos-hardware module.
# hardware.nvidia.prime = { ... };
# hardware.nvidia.powerManagement.enable = true;
# hardware.nvidia.open = false;  # or true for open modules on newer cards

4. Rebuild the system. Home Manager does not own the driver.

Live ISO note

The ISO lists nouveau among available initrd modules and does not force-load every GPU driver (avoids multi-driver panics). Proprietary NVIDIA on the live session is not the product focus; installed systems use the profile.

Product direction (queued): when detection selects common-gpu-nvidia, emit a commented system.nix block with PRIME / power / open-module pointers (same pattern as ROCm / NPU comments), not a full second NVIDIA stack unless a maintainer commits to testing.

7. Day-2: “my laptop is mostly fine, make it fully fine”

Goal	How	Rebuild?
Power profile (perf/balanced/saver)	System menu / Waybar	No (PPD D-Bus)
Charge limit 80%	Menu / settings.power.batteryChargeLimit	System (sysfs apply is separate backlog)
Thermald (Intel)	Installer on for Intel laptops; else power.thermal.enable	System
Fingerprint enroll	fprintd-enroll	No
Fingerprint login	fingerprint.pam = true	System
ROCm / Intel compute	Uncomment opt-ins in system.nix	System (large)
NPU driver	Uncomment npu (+ often latestKernel)	System; userspace BYO
Newer kernel for brand-new silicon	nomarchy.hardware.latestKernel = true	System
Hide IR “dark camera”	Installer or camera.hideIrSensor	System
Firmware	fwupdmgr update	Reboot if capsule requires
Model quirks missing	Set better hardwareProfile (see §8)	System
OpenRGB / printing / Steam	nomarchy.services.*	System

Theme switches never touch drivers (Home Manager only).

8. Unsupported or unlisted machines

Still good floor

Even with no DMI hit you usually get:

• common-cpu-{intel,amd}
• common-gpu-{intel,amd,nvidia} as applicable
• common-pc or common-pc-laptop + optional common-pc-ssd
• nomarchy.hardware.intel or .amd when vendor matches
• Layer A (firmware, audio, BT, PPD, fwupd)

You lose model-specific EC/suspend/keyboard/audio quirks that only exist in a named nixos-hardware module.

Pick a profile after install

1. List candidates:

   nix eval github:NixOS/nixos-hardware#nixosModules \
     --apply builtins.attrNames
   # or: the ISO ships hardware-modules.txt for the same list
   

2. Set in your flake (installer already uses a list):

   hardwareProfile = [
     "common-cpu-amd"
     "common-gpu-amd"
     "common-pc-laptop"
     "common-pc-ssd"
     "lenovo-thinkpad-t14-amd-gen3"  # if it matches
   ];
   

3. sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/.nomarchy#default

Template / migration (no installer)

See MIGRATION.md: reuse hardware-configuration.nix, set hardwareProfile, uncomment nomarchy.hardware / power in system.nix. There is no post-install re-probe helper yet (queued as nomarchy-detect-hw).

Re-detect sketch (future)

The installer’s nomarchy_detect_hw is already a pure probe (stdout lines only). Exposing it as a package on PATH that prints suggested hardwareProfile + system.nix snippets would close the template gap without reinstalling.

9. Adding your model to the distro

For contributors (and power users who will PR):

1. On the machine:

   cat /sys/class/dmi/id/sys_vendor
   cat /sys/class/dmi/id/product_name
   

2. Find a matching attr in nixos-hardware (or add one upstream first).

3. Append to pkgs/nomarchy-install/hardware-db.sh in HARDWARE_DB:

   "VendorRegex|Product regex|nixos-hardware-module-name"
   

   First match wins — put specific lines above broad fallbacks.

4. Verify the name exists in the pinned nixos-hardware input (mkFlake will throw if not). A CI check that every DB name ∈ nixosModules is queued so lock bumps cannot silently break installs.

5. Optional: note on-hardware QA steps in agent/HARDWARE-QUEUE.md.

10. Doctor and hardware health (current vs target)

Today (nomarchy-doctor): failed units, disk space, theme-state validity/git, generation age, snapper timer. No Wi‑Fi, GPU, fwupd, or fingerprint checks.

Target checks (queued, all read-only, each failure prints one fix command — same doctor contract):

Check	Pass condition	Suggested fix line
NetworkManager	device connected or wifi radio on	open System › Network
Audio sink	default sink exists	System › Audio
GPU accel	glxinfo/vainfo smoke (if installed)	check hardwareProfile / drivers
Fingerprint	if USB VID matched / fprintd unit	fprintd-enroll or enable option
fwupd	daemon active; optional “updates pending” warn	fwupdmgr get-updates
Battery threshold	if laptop + limit set, sysfs writable	power docs

11. Option quick reference

Full tables: README § options. Hardware-shaped surface:

Option	Role
mkFlake.hardwareProfile	nixos-hardware name or list
nomarchy.hardware.intel.enable / .guc / .computeRuntime	Intel gap layer
nomarchy.hardware.amd.enable / .pstate / .vaapi / .rocm.*	AMD gap layer
nomarchy.hardware.fingerprint.enable / .pam	fprintd + PAM
nomarchy.hardware.npu.enable	in-kernel NPU only
nomarchy.hardware.latestKernel	linuxPackages_latest
nomarchy.hardware.camera.hideIrSensor / .irMatch	dual-sensor webcams
nomarchy.hardware.i2c.enable / .ddcci	I2C + external backlight
nomarchy.system.power.*	PPD/TLP, laptop, thermald, charge limit
nomarchy.system.bluetooth.enable	BT stack
services.fwupd.enable	LVFS (native NixOS, default on)

12. Ease summary

Situation	Effort
Known model in DB (Framework, many ThinkPads, …)	Low — install and go
Unknown modern Intel/AMD laptop	Low–medium — commons cover a lot
Firmware updates	Medium — CLI only until product work lands
Fingerprint for login	Medium — enroll CLI + PAM uncomment
Hybrid NVIDIA	High — plain NixOS/wiki territory
ROCm / NPU userspace	High — opt-in + expert
Contribute a new DMI line	Medium for someone who can PR

13. Related files

Path	Role
modules/nixos/hardware.nix	nomarchy.hardware.*
modules/nixos/power.nix	PPD/TLP, charge limit, thermald
modules/nixos/default.nix	firmware, fwupd, ddcci default
pkgs/nomarchy-install/hardware-db.sh	DMI DB + probes
pkgs/nomarchy-install/nomarchy-install.sh	writes flake + system.nix
lib.nix	hardwareProfile resolution
templates/downstream/system.nix	commented opt-ins
agent/HARDWARE-QUEUE.md	on-machine V3 checks