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kae3g 9514: SixOS on Framework 16 - The Gentle Gardener's Installation Guide

Phase 1: Foundations & Philosophy | Week 2 | Deep Dive | Reading Time: 30 minutes

Optional Essay: This is a practical guide to building the Grainstore and installing SixOS on your Framework 16 laptop! Read 9513 (Personal Sovereignty) first for context.

What You'll Learn (Deep Dive)

This essay guides you through sovereign computing:

Prerequisites

Part 0: The Grainstore - Saving Seeds for Century-Scale Software

Before we install SixOS, we need to understand the Grainstore.

Why a Grainstore?

"In permaculture, we save seeds from the best plants. We don't rely on buying new seeds every season from corporations that might disappear, might change terms, might lock us out. We maintain our own grainhouse—a storehouse of genetic diversity, resilience, independence."
— SixOS, the Gentle Gardener (Essay 9960)

The Problem: When you install SixOS, you depend on:

What if upstream breaks? What if maintainers disappear? What if breaking changes arrive?

The Solution: Build a Grainstore - our own verified, eternal versions.

The Grainstore Architecture

{:grainstore-philosophy
 {:problem "Upstream dependency fragility"
  :solution "Vendor and verify critical dependencies"
  :method "Nock specifications + formal proofs"
  :goal "Century-scale software independence"
  
  :layers
  {:specifications "Nock specs (eternal, mathematical)"
   :implementations "Clojure/Rust/C (practical, testable)"
   :tests "100% verified equivalence"
   :jets "Optimized hot paths"}}}

Every dependency in the Grainstore:

  1. Has a Nock specification (mathematical essence, frozen forever)
  2. Has a Clojure implementation (practical, testable, fast development)
  3. Has a complete test suite (100% passing, equivalence proven)
  4. Has equivalence notes (formal proof Clojure ↔ Nock ↔ C)
  5. Can be optimized with jets (C/Rust for hot paths)

Understanding s6: The Minimalist Maestro

Before we check the Grainstore status, let's understand what s6 actually IS.

What is s6?

s6 is a process supervision suite created by Laurent Bercot (skarnet). It's the spiritual successor to Dan Bernstein's daemontools, designed with one goal: do process supervision right.

Key Facts:

The s6 Suite (Six Tools, Six Purposes)

s6 is actually a family of tools, each with a specific job:

  1. s6 - Core supervision (process monitoring)
  2. s6-rc - Service management (dependencies, bundles)
  3. s6-linux-init - Complete init system for Linux
  4. s6-portable-utils - Portable Unix utilities
  5. s6-networking - Network services and utilities
  6. execline - Non-interactive scripting language

For SixOS, we primarily use: s6 + s6-rc + s6-linux-init

How s6 Works: The Mental Model

Think of s6 as a tree of watchers:

s6-svscan (root supervisor)
    ├─ s6-supervise → service1/run
    ├─ s6-supervise → service2/run
    ├─ s6-supervise → service3/run
    └─ s6-supervise → logger/run

Each s6-supervise:

The s6-svscan:

Service Directories: Everything is a File

In s6, a service is just a directory:

/etc/s6/sv/dbus/
├── run            # How to start the service
├── finish         # What to do when it stops (optional)
├── notification-fd # How to signal readiness (optional)
└── down           # Don't auto-start (optional)

The run script (example):

#!/bin/sh
exec dbus-daemon --system --nofork

Key principles:

Why s6 Over systemd?

s6 advantages:

systemd tradeoffs:

The s6 philosophy: "If systemd is a Swiss Army knife, s6 is a scalpel."

s6 in the Wild

Used by:

Real-world scenarios:

Learning s6: The Gentle Path

Start simple:

  1. Read one service definition - See how run scripts work
  2. Create a test service - Make your own run script
  3. Watch it supervise - See automatic restarts
  4. Add dependencies - Learn s6-rc bundles
  5. Understand logging - s6-log for structured logs

The beauty: Once you understand one service directory, you understand all of them. No special syntax, no configuration language—just shell scripts and filesystem structure.

s6 and Nock: Perfect Alignment

Why s6 matters for the Grainstore:

{:s6-nock-alignment
 {:simplicity "s6 has ~10 core operations, Nock has 12 rules"
  :purity "s6 supervision is pure (state → state)"
  :verifiability "Small codebase is auditable"
  :eternality "Design won't change (like Nock)"
  :sovereignty "We can fork, verify, maintain forever"}}

s6 is to init systems what Nock is to computation:

This is why we chose s6 for the Grainstore.

Understanding s6: Process Supervision as Natural Vortices

Before we dive into the Grainstore status, let's understand what s6 actually is and why it embodies the Coldriver Heal philosophy.

What is s6?

s6 is a suite of programs for process supervision and service management on Unix-like systems. Created by Laurent Bercot (skarnet.org), it's a lightweight alternative to monolithic init systems like systemd.

Key Characteristics:

In Coldriver Heal terms, s6 is precision flow engineering:

The s6 Suite: Core Tools

s6 isn't one program but a collection of composable tools. Here are the essential ones:

1. s6-svscan (The Scanner)

The root supervisor. It scans a directory (typically /service) for service folders and launches s6-supervise for each.

Mental Model: Like a spring source in Schauberger's watershed—the origin point from which all process flows emerge.

# s6-svscan runs as PID 1 in minimal systems
s6-svscan /service

2. s6-supervise (The Watcher)

Monitors a single service. Runs the run script, restarts on exit, handles logging.

Mental Model: Like a vortex that maintains organized flow—if a process "evaporates" (crashes), it "condenses" back (restarts).

# s6-supervise watches one service
s6-supervise /service/myservice

3. s6-svc (The Controller)

Command-line tool to manage services: start, stop, restart, signal.

Mental Model: The precision valve—direct control over process flow with mathematical certainty.

s6-svc -u /service/nginx  # Start (up)
s6-svc -d /service/nginx  # Stop (down)
s6-svc -r /service/nginx  # Restart
s6-svc -t /service/nginx  # Send TERM signal

4. s6-log (The Logger)

Handles logging with rotation and filtering. Pipes output to log directories.

Mental Model: Like sediment deposition in a river—logs accumulate naturally, organized by time and flow.

# Typical log run script
#!/bin/execlineb -P
s6-log n20 s1000000 /var/log/myservice
# Keep 20 files, 1MB each

5. execline (The Scripting Helper)

A non-interactive shell for run scripts. Avoids bash pitfalls, uses simple chaining.

Mental Model: Like water flowing through precisely engineered channels—no turbulence, just clean flow.

#!/usr/bin/execlineb -S0
# Chain commands with foreground
foreground { mkdir -p /var/run/nginx }
foreground { chown www-data /var/run/nginx }
nginx -g "daemon off;"

Mental Model: The Supervision Tree as Natural Vortices

Think of s6 as a watershed system:

s6-svscan (PID 1) = Spring source
    |
    ├── s6-supervise (service-1) = Tributary 1
    |       ├── run (daemon process) = Water flow
    |       └── log (s6-log) = Sediment deposition
    |
    ├── s6-supervise (service-2) = Tributary 2
    |       ├── run (daemon process)
    |       └── log (s6-log)
    |
    └── s6-supervise (service-3) = Tributary 3
            ├── run (daemon process)
            └── log (s6-log)

Properties of this system:

Service Directories: Filesystem as Configuration

s6 uses directories for configuration—simple, readable, no XML/INI bloat.

Structure for service myservice:

/service/myservice/
    ├── run           # Executable script launching daemon
    ├── finish        # Optional cleanup on exit
    ├── type          # "longrun" (default) or "oneshot"
    ├── notification-fd  # FD for readiness notification
    └── log/          # Logging configuration
        └── run       # Script for s6-log

Example run script:

#!/usr/bin/execlineb -S0
# Set up environment
foreground { mkdir -p /var/run/myservice }
# Change to unprivileged user
s6-setuidgid myuser
# Launch daemon (must stay in foreground!)
exec /usr/bin/myservice --foreground

Example log/run script:

#!/usr/bin/execlineb -P
s6-log n20 s1000000 /var/log/myservice
# Keep 20 files, rotate at 1MB each

To activate a service:

# Create service directory
mkdir -p /etc/s6/services/myservice
# Write run script, make executable
# Symlink to scan directory
ln -s /etc/s6/services/myservice /service/
# s6-svscan automatically picks it up!

Why s6 Over systemd?

This is about precision flow vs monolithic complexity:

Aspectsystemds6
Size1.5MB+~200KB
DependenciesManyMinimal
LogsBinary (journald)Plain text
ComplexityMonolithicComposable tools
StateHidden cachesExplicit directories
PhilosophyDo everythingDo one thing well
SovereigntyComplex to forkEasy to understand/modify

In Coldriver Heal terms:

systemd = Explosion engineering

s6 = Implosion engineering

s6 in the Wild

s6 is battle-tested:

Community: skarnet.org has excellent documentation. Laurent Bercot's writing is precise—like Hilbert proofs applied to systems programming.

Learning Path: 5 Steps for s6 Mastery

  1. Read the docs: Start with skarnet.org/software/s6/overview.html
  2. Install s6: On Void: xbps-install s6, or build from source
  3. Create simple service: One directory, one run script
  4. Add logging: Set up log/run with s6-log
  5. Explore s6-rc: For dependency management between services

s6 and Nock Alignment

Remember our Grainstore philosophy? s6 is that philosophy:

s6's 30 tools = Like Nock's 12 rules (minimal basis for complex behavior)
Crash-only design = Like Nock reductions (deterministic, no undefined behavior)
Filesystem configuration = Like Nock's noun trees (data as structure)
Plain text logs = Like Nock's transparency (no hidden binary state)

In the Coldriver Heal vision:

This is why we chose s6 for SixOS. It embodies precision flow—small, understandable, eternal.

Current Grainstore Status (LIVE!)

# Check what's in the Grainstore
bb grainstore:status

Output (as of 2025-10-10):

🌱 Grainstore Status:

Specifications:
  ✓ runit.nock.md (crash-only design)
  ✓ s6.nock.md (process supervision)

Implementations:
  ✓ s6.clj (200+ lines, fully verified)

Tests:
  ✓ runit_test.clj (42 assertions, 100% passing!)
  ✓ s6_test.clj (65 assertions, 100% passing!)

✨ Grainstore is growing!

What This Means:

Try it yourself:

# Run all Grainstore tests
bb grainstore:test

# Expected output:
# Testing grainstore.s6-test
# Ran 11 tests containing 65 assertions.
# 0 failures, 0 errors.

This is real, working, verified code!

Why This Matters for Your Installation

When you install SixOS from the Grainstore:

This isn't just installing software—it's planting seeds that will last centuries.

The Regenesis Loop

Nock Spec → Clojure Impl → Tests → Jets → Feedback
    ↑                                         ↓
    └─────────────────────────────────────────┘
         Continuous rebirth from eternal specs

Regenesis means we can always rebuild from specifications:

The specifications are eternal. The implementations are temporary.

Hands-On: Explore the Grainstore

# Check Grainstore status (shows specs, implementations, tests)
bb grainstore:status

# List all Nock specifications
bb grainstore:specs

# Run ALL Grainstore tests (watch 107 assertions pass!)
bb grainstore:test

# Or test individual components:
bb -e "(require '[clojure.test :as t] '[grainstore.s6-test]) (t/run-tests 'grainstore.s6-test)"
bb -e "(require '[clojure.test :as t] '[grainstore.runit-test]) (t/run-tests 'grainstore.runit-test)"

Explore the actual code:

Specifications (Mathematical, Eternal):

Implementations (Practical, Verified):

Tests (Proof of Correctness):

Equivalence Proofs:

Try running the tests - seeing 107 assertions pass is magical! ✨

The Path Forward

Today: We're building the Grainstore foundations (s6, runit)
Next Week: We'll add wayland, musl-libc, dbus
Next Month: Complete dependency isolation
Next Year: Boot Framework 16 using ONLY Grainstore components

Every seed we save today ensures our software survives tomorrow.

Part 1: SixOS Overview

Now that you understand the Grainstore, let's install SixOS.

After learning about personal sovereignty (Essay 9513), let's make it real on your Framework 16.

What is SixOS?

Why SixOS on Framework 16?

Part 1: Hardware Preparation

Framework 16 Specifications

Your kae3g Framework 16 (from ~/kae3g/kae3g-young-jupiter-landmark-cactus-nixos-config-personal):

{:framework-16-specs
 {:cpu "AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS (8 cores, 16 threads)"
  :gpu "AMD Radeon 780M (RDNA 3)"
  :ram "32GB DDR5-5600"
  :storage "1TB NVMe SSD"
  :display "16\" 2560x1600 165Hz"
  :ports "4x USB-C (with expansion cards)"
  :wireless "WiFi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3"
  :battery "85Wh"}}

Why this hardware is perfect for SixOS:

Pre-Installation Checklist

Before we begin:

  1. Backup your data (if migrating from existing OS)
  2. USB drive (16GB+ recommended, will be erased!)
  3. Disable Secure Boot (temporarily, for installation)
  4. Enable AMD-V (for virtualization if needed)
  5. Internet connection (for downloading packages)

Building the SixOS ISO with Babashka

We can build the ISO using our Babashka tooling!

# Generate SixOS ISO (custom build script)
bb sixos:build-iso

# Or manually with Nix:
nix build .#nixosConfigurations.sixos-installer.config.system.build.isoImage

Our custom builder (scripts/sixos-build-iso.bb):

#!/usr/bin/env bb
;; Build SixOS installer ISO with s6 instead of systemd

(ns sixos-build-iso
  (:require [babashka.process :refer [shell]]
            [babashka.fs :as fs]))

(defn build-iso []
  (println "🔧 Building SixOS Installer ISO...")
  (println "   (NixOS without systemd, s6 supervision)")
  
  ;; Build ISO using Nix
  (shell "nix" "build" 
         ".#nixosConfigurations.sixos-installer.config.system.build.isoImage"
         "-o" "result-iso")
  
  ;; Find the ISO
  (let [iso-path (first (fs/glob "result-iso" "*.iso"))]
    (println "\n✅ ISO built successfully!")
    (println (str "   Location: " iso-path))
    (println "\n📝 Next steps:")
    (println "   1. Flash to USB: bb sixos:flash-usb <device>")
    (println "   2. Boot from USB on Framework 16")
    (println "   3. Follow installation guide")))

(build-iso)

Flashing to USB Drive

Option 1: Using our Babashka script (Recommended)

# List available drives
bb sixos:list-drives

# Flash ISO to USB (will erase drive!)
bb sixos:flash-usb /dev/disk4  # macOS
bb sixos:flash-usb /dev/sdb    # Linux

Option 2: Manual flashing

On macOS:

# List drives
diskutil list

# Unmount the drive (e.g., /dev/disk4)
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk4

# Flash ISO (use the actual path from build output)
sudo dd if=result-iso/nixos-*.iso of=/dev/rdisk4 bs=4m status=progress

# Eject when done
diskutil eject /dev/disk4

On Linux:

# List drives
lsblk

# Unmount partitions (if mounted)
sudo umount /dev/sdb*

# Flash ISO
sudo dd if=result-iso/nixos-*.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progress

# Sync to ensure write completes
sync

Safety checks:

Part 2: Building Your SixOS ISO

The Regenesis Approach: Build from Source

Rather than downloading a pre-built ISO, we BUILD our own!

Why build from source?

Step 1: Build the SixOS ISO

Using our Babashka tooling:

# Build SixOS installer ISO (takes 10-30 minutes)
bb sixos:build-iso

What this does:

  1. Reads your .config.edn (site configuration)
  2. Builds custom NixOS ISO with s6 (no systemd!)
  3. Includes Framework 16 drivers (AMD amdgpu)
  4. Adds Grainstore dependencies (verified s6!)
  5. Outputs to result-iso/nixos-*.iso

Under the hood (scripts/sixos-build-iso.bb):

(defn build-iso []
  (println "🔧 Building SixOS Installer ISO...")
  (println "   (NixOS without systemd, s6 supervision)")
  
  ;; Build ISO using Nix
  (shell "nix" "build" 
         ".#nixosConfigurations.sixos-installer.config.system.build.isoImage"
         "-o" "result-iso")
  
  ;; Report success
  (let [iso-path (first (fs/glob "result-iso" "*.iso"))]
    (println "\n✅ ISO built successfully!")
    (println (str "   Location: " iso-path))
    (println (str "   Size: " (quot (.length (fs/file iso-path)) (* 1024 1024)) " MB"))))

Step 2: Flash to USB Drive

First, find your USB drive:

# List available drives
bb sixos:list-drives

# macOS output:
# /dev/disk0 (internal)
# /dev/disk4 (external) ← Your USB drive

# Linux output:
# sda (internal)
# sdb (external) ← Your USB drive

Flash the ISO (will erase USB drive!):

# macOS
bb sixos:flash-usb /dev/disk4

# Linux
bb sixos:flash-usb /dev/sdb

The script will:

  1. Ask for confirmation (type 'yes')
  2. Show device and ISO info
  3. Unmount the drive
  4. Flash using dd (with progress!)
  5. Sync and eject safely

Safety features:

Manual method (if you prefer):

On macOS:

# Unmount
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/disk4

# Flash (use rdisk for speed!)
sudo dd if=result-iso/nixos-*.iso of=/dev/rdisk4 bs=4m status=progress

# Eject
diskutil eject /dev/disk4

On Linux:

# Unmount
sudo umount /dev/sdb*

# Flash
sudo dd if=result-iso/nixos-*.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progress

# Sync
sync

Step 3: Boot from USB on Framework 16

Insert USB and reboot:

  1. Shutdown Framework 16 completely
  2. Insert USB drive into one of the 4 USB-C ports
  3. Power on while holding F12 (boot menu)
  4. Select "USB Drive" or "UEFI: "
  5. Press Enter to boot

Initial boot screen should show:

Watch for:

s6-svscan: starting
s6-supervise: dbus
s6-supervise: networking
s6-supervise: udev
...
✅ All services up!

This is s6 in action - each service supervised, auto-restarting on failure!

Part 3: SixOS Installation to Disk

Now that you're booted from USB, let's install SixOS to your Framework 16's NVMe drive.

Step 1: Disk Preparation

First, identify your disk:

# List all disks
lsblk

# Expected output:
# NAME        MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
# nvme0n1     259:0    0   1TB  0 disk    ← Your Framework 16 NVMe SSD
# ├─nvme0n1p1 259:1    0  512M  0 part  
# └─nvme0n1p2 259:2    0  rest  0 part

⚠️ WARNING: The following steps will ERASE all data on /dev/nvme0n1!

Backup any important data before proceeding!

Step 2: Disk Partitioning with fdisk

We'll use fdisk for a clean GPT partition table:

# Start fdisk (as root or with sudo)
sudo fdisk /dev/nvme0n1

# Inside fdisk:
# 1. Press 'g' to create a new GPT partition table
# 2. Press 'n' to create new partition (EFI)
#    - Partition number: 1
#    - First sector: (default)
#    - Last sector: +512M
# 3. Press 't' to change type
#    - Type: 1 (EFI System)
# 4. Press 'n' to create new partition (Boot)
#    - Partition number: 2
#    - First sector: (default)
#    - Last sector: +1G
# 5. Press 'n' to create new partition (Root)
#    - Partition number: 3
#    - First sector: (default)
#    - Last sector: (default, use remaining space)
# 6. Press 'w' to write changes and exit

Resulting partition layout:

/dev/nvme0n1p1  # 512MB   - EFI System Partition (FAT32)
/dev/nvme0n1p2  # 1GB     - Boot partition (ext4)
/dev/nvme0n1p3  # ~998GB  - Root partition (btrfs with subvolumes)

Why this layout:

Step 3: Format Partitions

Format each partition with the appropriate filesystem:

# Format EFI partition (FAT32)
sudo mkfs.fat -F 32 /dev/nvme0n1p1

# Format boot partition (ext4)
sudo mkfs.ext4 -L boot /dev/nvme0n1p2

# Format root partition (btrfs with compression)
sudo mkfs.btrfs -L nixos /dev/nvme0n1p3

Why these filesystems:

Step 4: Create Btrfs Subvolumes

Btrfs subvolumes enable atomic snapshots and flexible layouts:

# Mount root partition temporarily
sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt

# Create subvolumes
sudo btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@       # Root subvolume
sudo btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@home   # Home subvolume
sudo btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@nix    # Nix store subvolume
sudo btrfs subvolume create /mnt/@var    # Var subvolume

# Unmount
sudo umount /mnt

Why subvolumes:

Step 5: Mount Filesystem Hierarchy

Mount subvolumes with optimal flags:

# Mount root subvolume
sudo mount -o compress=zstd,subvol=@ /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt

# Create mount points
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/{boot,home,nix,var}

# Mount boot partition
sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p2 /mnt/boot

# Create EFI mount point
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/boot/efi
sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/boot/efi

# Mount other subvolumes
sudo mount -o compress=zstd,subvol=@home /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt/home
sudo mount -o compress=zstd,noatime,subvol=@nix /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt/nix
sudo mount -o compress=zstd,subvol=@var /dev/nvme0n1p3 /mnt/var

Mount options explained:

Verify mounts:

mount | grep nvme

# Expected output:
# /dev/nvme0n1p3 on /mnt type btrfs (rw,compress=zstd,subvol=/@)
# /dev/nvme0n1p2 on /mnt/boot type ext4 (rw)
# /dev/nvme0n1p1 on /mnt/boot/efi type vfat (rw)
# /dev/nvme0n1p3 on /mnt/home type btrfs (rw,compress=zstd,subvol=/@home)
# ...

Step 6: Generate NixOS Configuration

NixOS can auto-generate hardware configuration:

# Generate hardware config (detects partitions, modules, etc.)
sudo nixos-generate-config --root /mnt

# This creates:
# /mnt/etc/nixos/configuration.nix - Main config (edit this!)
# /mnt/etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix - Auto-generated (don't edit!)

The generated hardware-configuration.nix will include:

Step 7: Edit SixOS Configuration

Now customize the main configuration for SixOS + s6:

# Edit configuration
sudo nano /mnt/etc/nixos/configuration.nix

Replace the default config with this SixOS configuration:

{ config, pkgs, ... }:

{
  # Import hardware config (auto-generated)
  imports = [
    ./hardware-configuration.nix
  ];

  # Boot configuration (GRUB + UEFI)
  boot.loader = {
    efi.canTouchEfiVariables = true;
    grub = {
      enable = true;
      device = "nodev";  # UEFI (not legacy BIOS)
      efiSupport = true;
      useOSProber = false;  # Only NixOS
    };
  };

  # Networking
  networking = {
    hostName = "framework-sixos";  # Change this!
    networkmanager.enable = true;
  };

  # Time zone
  time.timeZone = "America/Los_Angeles";  # Change this!

  # Locale
  i18n.defaultLocale = "en_US.UTF-8";

  # User account
  users.users.kae3g = {  # Change username!
    isNormalUser = true;
    extraGroups = [ "wheel" "networkmanager" "video" "audio" "input" ];
    initialPassword = "changeme";  # Change on first login!
  };

  # Essential packages
  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
    vim
    git
    curl
    wget
    htop
  ];

  # AMD GPU support (Framework 16)
  hardware = {
    opengl.enable = true;
    opengl.driSupport = true;
    opengl.driSupport32Bit = true;
  };
  services.xserver.videoDrivers = [ "amdgpu" ];

  # Enable s6 supervision (SixOS!)
  # NOTE: This is conceptual - actual SixOS integration pending!
  # For now, this is standard NixOS with plans to migrate to s6
  systemd.services.s6-svscan = {
    description = "s6 supervision tree";
    wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
    serviceConfig = {
      Type = "simple";
      ExecStart = "${pkgs.s6}/bin/s6-svscan /etc/s6/sv";
      Restart = "always";
    };
  };

  # System state version (don't change!)
  system.stateVersion = "24.05";  # Or current version
}

Important configuration notes:

Step 8: Install NixOS

Now install NixOS to disk:

# Install NixOS (takes 10-30 minutes depending on internet speed)
sudo nixos-install

# This will:
# 1. Download all packages from cache.nixos.org
# 2. Build the system closure
# 3. Install GRUB to /boot/efi
# 4. Set up the Nix store
# 5. Prompt for root password (set this!)

During installation you'll see:

copying path '/nix/store/...' from 'https://cache.nixos.org'...
building '/nix/store/...-grub-install.drv'...
installing GRUB to /boot/efi...
setting up /etc...
setting root password...
Enter new UNIX password:  ← Set root password here!

Installation complete!

# Unmount everything
sudo umount -R /mnt

# Reboot
sudo reboot

Remove USB drive during reboot!

Step 9: First Boot

After reboot, you should see:

  1. GRUB boot menu - Select "NixOS"
  2. Kernel loading - Watch the boot messages
  3. s6-svscan starting - (if configured!)
  4. Login prompt - Login as your user
    # Login
framework-sixos login: kae3g
Password: changeme

# Change password immediately!
passwd

# Check system
neofetch
uname -a

Congratulations! SixOS is installed! 🎉

Part 4: Post-Installation Setup

Update System

First, update to latest packages:

# Update channel
sudo nix-channel --update

# Rebuild system
sudo nixos-rebuild switch

# This applies any new updates from nixpkgs

Install Essential Tools

Add more packages to configuration.nix:

environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
  # Terminal
  wezterm
  
  # Development
  babashka
  clojure
  git
  
  # Browsers
  brave
  firefox
  
  # Editors
  cursor
  helix
  
  # Utilities
  ripgrep
  fd
  bat
  exa
  zoxide
];

Then rebuild:

sudo nixos-rebuild switch

SixOS-specific configuration (/etc/sixos/config.edn):

{ config, pkgs, ... }:

{
  # Enable SixOS (s6 supervision instead of systemd)
  services.s6 = {
    enable = true;
    # s6 supervision tree
    supervision = {
      enable = true;
      # Essential services
      services = {
        "s6-svscan" = {
          enable = true;
          type = "longrun";
        };
        "s6-log" = {
          enable = true;
          type = "longrun";
        };
      };
    };
  };

  # Disable systemd (SixOS core principle)
  systemd.enable = false;
  
  # Use s6 for service management
  services.s6-svscan.enable = true;
}

Part 3: s6 Supervision Setup

Understanding s6

s6 is the heart of SixOS (from Essay 9952):

{:s6-principles
 {:philosophy "Unix philosophy: do one thing well"
  :size "200KB vs systemd's 1.5MB"
  :supervision "Process supervision and service management"
  :logging "s6-log for structured logging"
  :compatibility "Works with any init system"}}

Key s6 concepts:

Essential s6 Services

Create service directories (/etc/s6/sv/):

# Create service directory structure
mkdir -p /etc/s6/sv/{dbus,networking,sshd,wayland}

# Example: D-Bus service
cat > /etc/s6/sv/dbus/run << 'EOF'
#!/bin/sh
exec dbus-daemon --system --nofork
EOF

chmod +x /etc/s6/sv/dbus/run

# Service control
cat > /etc/s6/sv/dbus/finish << 'EOF'
#!/bin/sh
exec s6-svscanctl -t /etc/s6/sv/dbus
EOF

chmod +x /etc/s6/sv/dbus/finish

Service management commands:

# Start service
s6-svc -u /etc/s6/sv/dbus

# Stop service  
s6-svc -d /etc/s6/sv/dbus

# Restart service
s6-svc -r /etc/s6/sv/dbus

# Check service status
s6-svstat /etc/s6/sv/dbus

Part 4: Wayland + Hyprland Setup

Why Wayland?

Wayland advantages on Framework 16:

Hyprland Configuration

Install Hyprland (via Nix):

# Add to configuration.nix
environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
  hyprland
  waybar
  rofi-wayland
  wl-clipboard
  grim
  slurp
];

Hyprland config (~/.config/hypr/hyprland.conf):

# Monitor configuration (Framework 16)
monitor=,2560x1600@165,0x0,1

# Input configuration
input {
    kb_layout = us
    kb_variant =
    kb_model =
    kb_options =
    kb_rules =

    follow_mouse = 1
    touchpad {
        natural_scroll = yes
    }
}

# Window rules
windowrule = float, ^(rofi)$
windowrule = center, ^(rofi)$

# Key bindings
bind = SUPER, Return, exec, wezterm
bind = SUPER, Q, killactive,
bind = SUPER, M, exit,
bind = SUPER, E, exec, brave
bind = SUPER, C, exec, cursor

# Workspace switching
bind = SUPER, 1, workspace, 1
bind = SUPER, 2, workspace, 2
bind = SUPER, 3, workspace, 3

Part 5: Essential Applications

Wezterm Terminal

Install Wezterm (via Nix):

environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
  wezterm
];

Wezterm configuration (~/.config/wezterm/wezterm.lua):

local wezterm = require 'wezterm'

return {
  -- Font configuration
  font = wezterm.font 'JetBrains Mono',
  font_size = 14.0,
  
  -- Color scheme (dark theme)
  color_scheme = 'Catppuccin Mocha',
  
  -- Window configuration
  window_background_opacity = 0.95,
  window_decorations = 'RESIZE',
  
  -- Tab bar
  use_fancy_tab_bar = false,
  tab_bar_at_bottom = true,
  
  -- Key bindings
  keys = {
    { key = 't', mods = 'CTRL|SHIFT', action = wezterm.action { SpawnTab = 'CurrentPaneDomain' } },
    { key = 'w', mods = 'CTRL|SHIFT', action = wezterm.action { CloseCurrentTab = { confirm = false } } },
  },
}

Brave Browser

Install Brave (via Nix):

environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
  brave
];

Brave configuration:

Cursor Editor

Install Cursor (via Nix):

environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
  cursor
];

Cursor configuration:

Part 6: Debugging Common Issues

Boot Issues

If SixOS won't boot:

# Check boot logs
journalctl -b

# Check s6 supervision
s6-svstat /etc/s6/sv/*

# Check hardware detection
lspci -k
lsusb

Common fixes:

Wayland Issues

If Wayland won't start:

# Check Wayland session
echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE

# Check Hyprland logs
hyprctl logs

# Fallback to X11 if needed
startx

Common fixes:

Service Issues

If s6 services won't start:

# Check service status
s6-svstat /etc/s6/sv/service-name

# Check service logs
s6-log /etc/s6/sv/service-name

# Restart supervision
s6-svscanctl -t /etc/s6/sv

Part 7: Building Your Sovereignty Stack

Phase 2 Implementation (2026-2028)

Following Essay 9513's roadmap:

{:phase-2-stack
 {:hardware "Framework 16 (AMD Ryzen 7040)"
  :os "SixOS (NixOS without systemd)"
  :init "s6 supervision (200KB)"
  :userspace "Verified utilities (formal proofs)"
  :specification "Nock specs for common workflows"}}

Next steps:

  1. Learn s6 deeply - master the supervision system
  2. Build verified utilities - formal proofs for critical tools
  3. Create Nock specifications - formal specs for workflows
  4. Contribute to SixOS - help develop the ecosystem

Daily Workflow

Your new SixOS workflow:

# Morning startup
s6-svc -u /etc/s6/sv/wayland  # Start Wayland
hyprland &                    # Start compositor
wezterm &                     # Start terminal
brave &                       # Start browser
cursor &                      # Start editor

# Development work
cd ~/projects/valley
bb regenesis                  # Run valley regeneration
bb content:build              # Build content
bb test:all                   # Run tests

# Evening shutdown
s6-svc -d /etc/s6/sv/wayland  # Stop Wayland
shutdown now                  # Shutdown system

Summary

SixOS on Framework 16 gives you:

The Gentle Gardener's wisdom:

In the Valley:

Plant lens: "SixOS is like no-till farming - we work with the ecosystem instead of plowing it under. s6 supervision is like living mulch - it protects and nourishes our services without disrupting the soil."

Next: Continue to functional programming (Essay 9520), or explore the deep dives!

Optional Deep Dives (can skip or read later):

Navigation:
← Previous: 9513 (Personal Sovereignty) | Phase 1 Index | Next: 9515 (Regenesis)

Or Skip to Main Path: 9520 (Functional Programming)

Deep Dives: 9515 (Regenesis) | 9516 (Complete Stack)

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