A Nix based live CD/USB drive for use in CodeClub sessions.
The windows installs on the PCs are locked down - no headphone support. Also on a timer.
The live CD means that those things are working.
Steps
- follow NixOS Live CD link below to create the ISO
- remember to switch to using the graphical gnome template.
- copy generated ISO to your USB using this command:
- $ sudo dd bs=4M if={path to generated ISO} of=/dev/sd{flash drive} status=progress oflag=sync
Test locally in a VM
- $ nixos-rebuild build-vm -I nixos-config=./iso.nix
- $ ./result/bin/run-nixos-vm
Or use qemu on the iso
- nix-shell -p qemu
- qemu-system-x86_64 -m 3096M --drive media=cdrom,file=result/iso/*.iso,format=raw,readonly=on
Useful links
- LiveCD how to - https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Creating_a_NixOS_live_CD
- Live CD variations - https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/modules/installer/cd-dvd/installation-cd-graphical-gnome.nix
- packages - https://search.nixos.org/
TODO
- change to just have one workspace, multiple leads to issue of pressing the wrong key, switching workspace and struggling to get back
DONE
- chrome window not maximised on starting, try --start-maximized chrome option. remove gnome setting
- add printer support
- upgrade to nixos 25.05 - largely done, had to remove Edge and Opera, as package is not supported. Getting issues with basic apps - system monitor/tweaks, discussing on nixos discourse. also no generation liat on boot- bug or done differently now? Can get them to work using prefix GSK_RENDERER=opengl
- focus gnome on chrome app, not in activities overview view (or whatever its called)
- use direct github pages link and not via bit.ly
- start chrome maximized, I think
- add in the max/min top right window buttons
- NOT DONE startup sound on boot? Nice to have, might be annoying...
- NOT DONE system monitor not starting on boot
- NOT DONE pin gnome-system-monitor - tried but not working
- NOT DONE - no wifi on mac, not issue for CC, just me.
- resolution ok - test on CC PCs? seems ok
- python
- add other browsers - opera, edge
- disable gnome tour
- install nmap for investigations
- chrome installed/pinned
- set timezone. Europe London not utc
- wrong keymap: " (quote), hash and @ sign in wrong places - maybe just a mac issue? SEEMS fixed, checkin keymap changes.
- turn off auto suspend
- make pinned work same as autostart one. use same desktop file
- skip chrome intro, max window, etc, start on boot, open scratch page and maybe others - done, I think
- browser home pages. scratch, CC projects etc. public start me page? https://bit.ly/codeclubnxl (eg xdg-open) or use github/jekyll pages
Jekyll site/notes
- bundle exec jekyll serve --baseurl="" --livereload
- bundle info --path jekyll-theme-minimal
- https://tomcam.github.io/least-github-pages/adding-assets-directory-github-pages.html
- https://docs.github.com/en/pages
- analog clock - https://codepen.io/vaskopetrov/pen/yVEXjz
- using leap day jekyll theme - https://github.com/pages-themes/leap-day