# Help configuring zsh in home-manager
**URL:** https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013
**Category:** Help
**Created:** [February 19, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013 "2024-02-19T18:46:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@shmu26](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/shmu26)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 6:46pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/1 "2024-02-19T18:46:41Z")
I want to set up zsh and oh-my-zsh
My home.nix is:
```auto
{ pkgs, ... }: {
home.username = "shmuel";
home.homeDirectory = "/home/shmuel";
programs.home-manager.enable = true;
home.packages = with pkgs; [
pkgs.oh-my-zsh
];
programs.zsh = {
... # Your zsh config
enable = true;
shellAliases = {
ll = "ls -l";
update = "sudo nixos-rebuild switch";
};
};
oh-my-zsh = {
enable = true;
plugins = [];
theme = "agnoster";
};
};
}
```
When rebuilding, I get this error:
```auto
building the system configuration...
error:
… while calling the 'head' builtin
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/attrsets.nix:960:11:
959| || pred here (elemAt values 1) (head values) then
960| head values
| ^
961| else
… while evaluating the attribute 'value'
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/modules.nix:809:9:
808| in warnDeprecation opt //
809| { value = builtins.addErrorContext "while evaluating the option `${showOption loc}':" value;
| ^
810| inherit (res.defsFinal') highestPrio;
(stack trace truncated; use '--show-trace' to show the full trace)
error: syntax error, unexpected ID, expecting '}'
at /nix/store/9ginqzv6dbjhkga5d23skczw3n143ah9-source/home.nix:11:3:
10| ... # Your zsh config
11| enable = true;
| ^
12| shellAliases = {
```
---
### Author:  [@Nebucatnetzer](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/Nebucatnetzer)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 7:06pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/2 "2024-02-19T19:06:11Z")
Is this line part of your file or did you remove some part?
```auto
... # Your zsh config
```
---
### Author:  [@NobbZ](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/NobbZ)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 7:12pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/3 "2024-02-19T19:12:36Z")
> [@shmu26](#):
>
> ```auto
> 10| ... # Your zsh config
> 11| enable = true;
> | ^
> 12| shellAliases = {
>
> ```
Given that this line appears in the error message literally, they did not remove it.
@shmu26, please remove the line, the `...` has a certain meaning in a certain context, and it always have to be the last thing in a [set pattern](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/language/constructs#:~:text=A%20set%20pattern%20of%20the,accepts%20y%20and%20z.), thats why you get an error here.
---
### Author:  [@shmu26](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/shmu26)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 7:25pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/4 "2024-02-19T19:25:31Z")
Thanks to the both of you. Now new error:
```auto
building the system configuration...
error:
… while calling the 'head' builtin
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/attrsets.nix:960:11:
959| || pred here (elemAt values 1) (head values) then
960| head values
| ^
961| else
… while evaluating the attribute 'value'
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/modules.nix:809:9:
808| in warnDeprecation opt //
809| { value = builtins.addErrorContext "while evaluating the option `${showOption loc}':" value;
| ^
810| inherit (res.defsFinal') highestPrio;
(stack trace truncated; use '--show-trace' to show the full trace)
error: syntax error, unexpected ';', expecting end of file
at /nix/store/1xpd4jv46gnaz0yhml02gd90k2apa675-source/home.nix:22:3:
21| };
22| };
| ^
23| }
```
my home.nix currently looks like this:
```auto
{ pkgs, ... }: {
home.username = "shmuel";
home.homeDirectory = "/home/shmuel";
programs.home-manager.enable = true;
home.packages = with pkgs; [
pkgs.oh-my-zsh
];
programs.zsh = {
enable = true;
shellAliases = {
ll = "ls -l";
update = "sudo nixos-rebuild switch";
};
};
oh-my-zsh = {
enable = true;
plugins = [];
theme = "agnoster";
};
};
}
```
---
### Author:  [@Nebucatnetzer](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/Nebucatnetzer)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/5 "2024-02-19T19:31:06Z")
At the end of the log it shows you the problem.
You have the braces miss matched, one `};` too many
---
### Author:  [@shmu26](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/shmu26)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 7:36pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/6 "2024-02-19T19:36:18Z")
Thanks again. New error:
```auto
building the system configuration...
error:
… while calling the 'head' builtin
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/attrsets.nix:960:11:
959| || pred here (elemAt values 1) (head values) then
960| head values
| ^
961| else
… while evaluating the attribute 'value'
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/modules.nix:809:9:
808| in warnDeprecation opt //
809| { value = builtins.addErrorContext "while evaluating the option `${showOption loc}':" value;
| ^
810| inherit (res.defsFinal') highestPrio;
(stack trace truncated; use '--show-trace' to show the full trace)
error: The option `home-manager.users.shmuel.oh-my-zsh' does not exist. Definition values:
- In `/nix/store/4b797c6c48qkwf2lkzs01h3i1d7189sq-source/flake.nix':
{
enable = true;
plugins = [];
theme = "agnoster";
}
```
---
### Author:  [@Nebucatnetzer](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/Nebucatnetzer)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/7 "2024-02-19T19:38:09Z")
This one is really easy.
Carefully read this section and then look again at the documentation for that option.
Sorry if I’m not giving you the solution here 😉
```auto
error: The option `home-manager.users.shmuel.oh-my-zsh' does not exist. Definition values:
- In `/nix/store/4b797c6c48qkwf2lkzs01h3i1d7189sq-source/flake.nix':
{
enable = true;
plugins = [];
theme = "agnoster";
}
```
---
### Author:  [@shmu26](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/shmu26)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 7:39pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/8 "2024-02-19T19:39:05Z")
So I added it to flake.nix:
```auto
{
inputs = {
nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs?ref=nixos-unstable";
home-manager.url = "github:nix-community/home-manager";
home-manager.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
};
outputs = { self, nixpkgs, home-manager }: {
nixosConfigurations.nixos = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
system = "x86_64-linux";
modules = [
./configuration.nix
home-manager.nixosModules.home-manager
home-manager.users.shmuel.oh-my-zsh
{
home-manager.useGlobalPkgs = true;
home-manager.useUserPackages = true;
home-manager.users.shmuel = import ./home.nix;
}
];
};
};
}
```
and now the error is:
```auto
error:
… while calling the 'seq' builtin
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/modules.nix:322:18:
321| options = checked options;
322| config = checked (removeAttrs config ["_module"]);
| ^
323| _module = checked (config._module);
… while evaluating a branch condition
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/modules.nix:261:9:
260| checkUnmatched =
261| if config._module.check && config._module.freeformType == null && merged.unmatchedDefns != [] then
| ^
262| let
(stack trace truncated; use '--show-trace' to show the full trace)
error: attribute 'users' missing
at /nix/store/v8xpbwmgkfaxglskm80m4ryqx0va7lvd-source/flake.nix:15:7:
14| home-manager.nixosModules.home-manager
15| home-manager.users.shmuel.oh-my-zsh
| ^
16| {
```
---
### Author:  [@Nebucatnetzer](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/Nebucatnetzer)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 7:42pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/9 "2024-02-19T19:42:46Z")
That was not the problem, the location wasn’t the issue.
Compare the oh-my-zsh config with the one for zsh.
---
### Author:  [@shmu26](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/shmu26)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 7:56pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/11 "2024-02-19T19:56:00Z")
I am obviously not seeing the obvious. 😔
Before, I had `oh-my-zsh = {`
Now I changed it to `programs.oh-my-zsh = { `
But I get
```auto
building the system configuration...
error:
… while calling the 'head' builtin
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/attrsets.nix:960:11:
959| || pred here (elemAt values 1) (head values) then
960| head values
| ^
961| else
… while evaluating the attribute 'value'
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/modules.nix:809:9:
808| in warnDeprecation opt //
809| { value = builtins.addErrorContext "while evaluating the option `${showOption loc}':" value;
| ^
810| inherit (res.defsFinal') highestPrio;
(stack trace truncated; use '--show-trace' to show the full trace)
error: The option `home-manager.users.shmuel.programs.oh-my-zsh' does not exist. Definition values:
- In `/nix/store/ja59753nvfi4lx346srh8xqyg9y2f0qv-source/flake.nix':
{
enable = true;
plugins = [];
theme = "agnoster";
}
```
---
### Author:  [@Nebucatnetzer](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/Nebucatnetzer)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/12 "2024-02-19T20:01:35Z")
Yes that should’ve fixed it but I suspect that you have it in the wrong place.
From what I can see it is now in the flake.nix file.
If you move it back to the home.nix it should work.
---
### Author:  [@Nebucatnetzer](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/Nebucatnetzer)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 8:02pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/13 "2024-02-19T20:02:46Z")
It’s a good advice in general when you’re trying to solve a problem.
Only ever change one thing at a time, otherwise you don’t know what exactly made it work in the end.
---
### Author:  [@shmu26](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/shmu26)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 8:07pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/14 "2024-02-19T20:07:40Z")
So if anyone out there has further ideas, this is what I have now:
flake.nix:
```auto
{
inputs = {
nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs?ref=nixos-unstable";
home-manager.url = "github:nix-community/home-manager";
home-manager.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
};
outputs = { self, nixpkgs, home-manager }: {
nixosConfigurations.nixos = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
system = "x86_64-linux";
modules = [
./configuration.nix
home-manager.nixosModules.home-manager
{
home-manager.useGlobalPkgs = true;
home-manager.useUserPackages = true;
home-manager.users.shmuel = import ./home.nix;
}
];
};
};
}
```
home.nix:
```auto
{ pkgs, ... }: {
home.username = "shmuel";
home.homeDirectory = "/home/shmuel";
programs.home-manager.enable = true;
home.packages = with pkgs; [
pkgs.oh-my-zsh
];
programs.zsh = {
enable = true;
shellAliases = {
ll = "ls -l";
update = "sudo nixos-rebuild switch";
};
};
programs.oh-my-zsh = {
enable = true;
plugins = [];
theme = "agnoster";
};
}
```
error:
```auto
building the system configuration...
error:
… while calling the 'head' builtin
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/attrsets.nix:960:11:
959| || pred here (elemAt values 1) (head values) then
960| head values
| ^
961| else
… while evaluating the attribute 'value'
at /nix/store/bg5fbkfa5x53clcjf4p5p92k1l3w8x38-source/lib/modules.nix:809:9:
808| in warnDeprecation opt //
809| { value = builtins.addErrorContext "while evaluating the option `${showOption loc}':" value;
| ^
810| inherit (res.defsFinal') highestPrio;
(stack trace truncated; use '--show-trace' to show the full trace)
error: The option `home-manager.users.shmuel.programs.oh-my-zsh' does not exist. Definition values:
- In `/nix/store/ja59753nvfi4lx346srh8xqyg9y2f0qv-source/flake.nix':
{
enable = true;
plugins = [];
theme = "agnoster";
}
```
The error is referencing flake.nix, but the code snippet that it quotes is in fact in home.nix. This is puzzling.
---
### Author:  [@Nebucatnetzer](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/Nebucatnetzer)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 8:16pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/15 "2024-02-19T20:16:12Z")
I looked at the manual and correct would be this:
```nix
programs.zsh = {
enable = true;
shellAliases = {
ll = "ls -l";
update = "sudo nixos-rebuild switch";
};
oh-my-zsh = {
enable = true;
plugins = [];
theme = "agnoster";
};
};
```
I missed that it should be nested under `zsh`, thought it is `programs.oh-my-zsh` instead of `programs.zsh.oh-my-zsh`
---
### Author:  [@Nebucatnetzer](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/Nebucatnetzer)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 8:19pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/16 "2024-02-19T20:19:32Z")
This would work as well:
```nix
programs.zsh = {
enable = true;
shellAliases = {
ll = "ls -l";
update = "sudo nixos-rebuild switch";
};
};
programs.zsh.oh-my-zsh = {
enable = true;
plugins = [];
theme = "agnoster";
};
```
---
### Author:  [@shmu26](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/shmu26)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/17 "2024-02-19T20:22:47Z")
> [@Nebucatnetzer](#):
>
> ```auto
> programs.zsh = {
> enable = true;
> shellAliases = {
> ll = "ls -l";
> update = "sudo nixos-rebuild switch";
> };
> };
> programs.zsh.oh-my-zsh = {
> enable = true;
> plugins = [];
> theme = "agnoster";
> };
>
> ```
Both produce what looks like the same error. I will try to look up the logs.
```auto
building the system configuration...
activating the configuration...
setting up /etc...
reloading user units for shmuel...
restarting sysinit-reactivation.target
warning: the following units failed: home-manager-shmuel.service
× home-manager-shmuel.service - Home Manager environment for shmuel
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/home-manager-shmuel.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Mon 2024-02-19 22:21:16 IST; 89ms ago
Duration: 2h 11min 12.162s
Process: 76672 ExecStart=/nix/store/xqfi0hbdgf674hhlw9l2m5bbpd82ysql-hm-setup-env /nix/store/i9dpq3jq5ml6lymihxmnvhwp5g57g1s4-home-manager-generation (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
Main PID: 76672 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
IP: 0B in, 0B out
CPU: 71ms
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos systemd[1]: Starting Home Manager environment for shmuel...
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76672]: Starting Home Manager activation
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76672]: Activating checkFilesChanged
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76672]: Activating checkLinkTargets
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76761]: Existing file '/home/shmuel/.zshrc' is in the way of '/nix/store/gh5yzl95z2mhp9nwxr060h86nmj9xyq0-home-manager-files/.zshrc'
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76761]: Please move the above files and try again or use 'home-manager switch -b backup' to back up existing files automatically.
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos systemd[1]: home-manager-shmuel.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos systemd[1]: home-manager-shmuel.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos systemd[1]: Failed to start Home Manager environment for shmuel.
warning: error(s) occurred while switching to the new configuration
shmuel@nixos:~/nixos/ >
```
---
### Author:  [@Nebucatnetzer](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/Nebucatnetzer)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/18 "2024-02-19T20:25:05Z")
Home-manager doesn’t overwrite files.
Probably your old config is still there?
You can move it to another place and then it should work.
`mv /home/shmuel/.zshrc ~/Downloads/zshrc`
---
### Author:  [@shmu26](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/shmu26)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 8:25pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/19 "2024-02-19T20:25:28Z")
```auto
systemctl status home-manager-shmuel.service
× home-manager-shmuel.service - Home Manager environment for shmuel
Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/home-manager-shmuel.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Mon 2024-02-19 22:21:16 IST; 2min 29s ago
Duration: 2h 11min 12.162s
Process: 76672 ExecStart=/nix/store/xqfi0hbdgf674hhlw9l2m5bbpd82ysql-hm-setup-env /nix/store/>
Main PID: 76672 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
IP: 0B in, 0B out
CPU: 71ms
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos systemd[1]: Starting Home Manager environment for shmuel...
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76672]: Starting Home Manager activation
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76672]: Activating checkFilesChanged
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76672]: Activating checkLinkTargets
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76761]: Existing file '/home/shmuel/.zshrc' is in the wa>
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76761]: Please move the above files and try again or use>
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos systemd[1]: home-manager-shmuel.service: Main process exited, code=exited, >
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos systemd[1]: home-manager-shmuel.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos systemd[1]: Failed to start Home Manager environment for shmuel.
lines 1-18/18 (END)
```
```auto
journalctl -xeu home-manager-shmuel.service
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76672]: Activating checkLinkTargets
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76761]: Existing file '/home/shmuel/.zshrc' is in the wa>
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos hm-activate-shmuel[76761]: Please move the above files and try again or use>
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos systemd[1]: home-manager-shmuel.service: Main process exited, code=exited, >
░░ Subject: Unit process exited
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░
░░ An ExecStart= process belonging to unit home-manager-shmuel.service has exited.
░░
░░ The process' exit code is 'exited' and its exit status is 1.
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos systemd[1]: home-manager-shmuel.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
░░ Subject: Unit failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░
░░ The unit home-manager-shmuel.service has entered the 'failed' state with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 19 22:21:16 nixos systemd[1]: Failed to start Home Manager environment for shmuel.
░░ Subject: A start job for unit home-manager-shmuel.service has failed
░░ Defined-By: systemd
░░ Support: https://lists.freedesktop.org/mailman/listinfo/systemd-devel
░░
░░ A start job for unit home-manager-shmuel.service has finished with a failure.
░░
░░ The job identifier is 33226 and the job result is failed.
lines 129-153/153 (END)
```
---
### Author:  [@shmu26](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/shmu26)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 8:26pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/20 "2024-02-19T20:26:59Z")
Thanks a million! That was a long one.
---
### Author:  [@Nebucatnetzer](https://discourse.nixos.org/u/Nebucatnetzer)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2024, 8:31pm UTC](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013/21 "2024-02-19T20:31:37Z")
You’re welcome, glad we got it working 😃
It takes some time to getting used to this work flow.
The great thing is that when it builds it usually works and you have a known good state you can revert to.
Even if you use generations you can always use git to revert to a previous state and built it.
Just be aware that applications that use a database sometimes don’t like it when you revert.
E.g. Signal has a database and it isn’t downwards compatible so you’re either stuck with the new package or remove the database before reverting to the older version.
[Next page](https://discourse.nixos.org/t/help-configuring-zsh-in-home-manager/40013.md?page=2)