This guide is a follow-up to my previous blog on setting up Kanata on Linux. If you're using NixOS, here's how you can configure Kanata seamlessly.
Prerequisites
- NixOS Installed: Make sure you have NixOS up and running on your system.
- Kanata Knowledge: Familiarity with Kanata and its use cases will be helpful. If you’re new to Kanata, check out my previous blog on setting it up on Linux.
Configuration
Add the following configuration to your NixOS configuration file:
{
config,
lib,
pkgs,
...
}:
{
# Enable the uinput module
boot.kernelModules = [ "uinput" ];
# Enable uinput
hardware.uinput.enable = true;
# Set up udev rules for uinput
services.udev.extraRules = ''
KERNEL=="uinput", MODE="0660", GROUP="uinput", OPTIONS+="static_node=uinput"
'';
# Ensure the uinput group exists
users.groups.uinput = { };
# Add the Kanata service user to necessary groups
systemd.services.kanata-internalKeyboard.serviceConfig = {
SupplementaryGroups = [
"input"
"uinput"
];
};
services.kanata = {
enable = true;
keyboards = {
internalKeyboard = {
devices = [
# Replace the paths below with the appropriate device paths for your setup.
# Use `ls /dev/input/by-path/` to find your keyboard devices.
"/dev/input/by-path/platform-i8042-serio-0-event-kbd"
"/dev/input/by-path/pci-0000:00:14.0-usb-0:3:1.0-event-kbd"
];
extraDefCfg = "process-unmapped-keys yes";
config = ''
(defsrc
caps tab d h j k l
)
(defvar
tap-time 200
hold-time 200
)
(defalias
caps (tap-hold 200 200 esc lctl)
tab (tap-hold $tap-time $hold-time tab (layer-toggle arrow))
del del ;; Alias for the true delete key action
)
(deflayer base
@caps @tab d h j k l
)
(deflayer arrow
_ _ @del left down up right
)
'';
};
};
};
}
Explanation
- uinput Module: Ensures the kernel module is loaded for user input devices.
-
Udev Rules: Configures permissions for the
uinputdevice. - Kanata Service: Defines Kanata keyboard mappings and layers with specific devices.
Testing the Configuration
- Rebuild your system configuration:
sudo nixos-rebuild switch
- Identify your keyboard devices:
ls /dev/input/by-path/
Replace the devices paths in the configuration with the relevant paths for your setup.
- Verify that the
uinputgroup exists:
getent group uinput
- Ensure Kanata is running and working as expected with your keyboard mappings.
Conclusion
That's it! You now have Kanata set up and running on NixOS. If you encounter any issues or have suggestions for improvement, feel free to leave a comment or reach out.
Happy typing!
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