Getting started
Start with fit, not installation
Section titled “Start with fit, not installation”NAILS makes sense when all of the following are true.
- you already run or plan to run NixOS
- you are comfortable editing system configuration
- you want a visible decoy system and a separate hidden environment
- you accept that RAM, hardware compromise, and operator mistakes remain out of scope
If any of those do not hold, stop here and read the limitations page before moving forward.
Minimum baseline
Section titled “Minimum baseline”- recent NixOS with OverlayFS support
- an impermanent style base system is strongly recommended
- a mounted hidden storage backend that supports normal Linux filesystem behavior
- enough RAM for your visible system, your hidden workload, and the overlay strategy you choose
Recommended path
Section titled “Recommended path”The shortest path to a known baseline is NAILS-OS.
If you already maintain your own NixOS build, use the installation and hidden storage docs to mirror the same principles in your environment.
Four commands that matter
Section titled “Four commands that matter”nails activatenails deactivatenails emergencynails status