I just installed Nix os today and this Syntax error in rebuilding configuration.nix is bugging me

Help
1

I just installed Nix os, and haven’t even rebuild it yet. When I try to do that, I get this error where I can’t find any source of it

 … while evaluating the attribute 'config'

         at /nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixos/lib/modules.nix:322:9:

          321|         options = checked options;
          322|         config = checked (removeAttrs config [ "_module" ]);
             |         ^
          323|         _module = checked (config._module);

       … while calling the 'seq' builtin

         at /nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixos/lib/modules.nix:322:18:

          321|         options = checked options;
          322|         config = checked (removeAttrs config [ "_module" ]);
             |                  ^
          323|         _module = checked (config._module);

       (stack trace truncated; use '--show-trace' to show the full trace)

       error: syntax error, unexpected '=', expecting ';'

       at /etc/nixos/configuration.nix:121:23:

          120|   # (e.g. man configuration.nix or on https://nixos.org/nixos/options.html).
          121|   system.stateVersion = "24.05"; # Did you read the comment?
             |                       ^
          122|
building Nix...
error:
       … while evaluating the attribute 'config'

         at /nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixos/lib/modules.nix:322:9:

          321|         options = checked options;
          322|         config = checked (removeAttrs config [ "_module" ]);
             |         ^
          323|         _module = checked (config._module);

       … while calling the 'seq' builtin

         at /nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixos/lib/modules.nix:322:18:

          321|         options = checked options;
          322|         config = checked (removeAttrs config [ "_module" ]);
             |                  ^
          323|         _module = checked (config._module);

       (stack trace truncated; use '--show-trace' to show the full trace)

       error: syntax error, unexpected '=', expecting ';'

       at /etc/nixos/configuration.nix:121:23:

          120|   # (e.g. man configuration.nix or on https://nixos.org/nixos/options.html).
          121|   system.stateVersion = "24.05"; # Did you read the comment?
             |                       ^
          122|
building the system configuration...
error:
       … while evaluating the attribute 'config.system.build.toplevel'

         at /nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixos/lib/modules.nix:322:9:

          321|         options = checked options;
          322|         config = checked (removeAttrs config [ "_module" ]);
             |         ^
          323|         _module = checked (config._module);

       … while calling the 'seq' builtin

         at /nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/root/channels/nixos/lib/modules.nix:322:18:

          321|         options = checked options;
          322|         config = checked (removeAttrs config [ "_module" ]);
             |                  ^
          323|         _module = checked (config._module);

       (stack trace truncated; use '--show-trace' to show the full trace)

       error: syntax error, unexpected '=', expecting ';'

       at /etc/nixos/configuration.nix:121:23:

          120|   # (e.g. man configuration.nix or on https://nixos.org/nixos/options.html).
          121|   system.stateVersion = "24.05"; # Did you read the comment?
             |                       ^
          122|

This is my configuration.nix file:

# Edit this configuration file to define what should be installed on
# your system.  Help is available in the configuration.nix(5) man page
# and in the NixOS manual (accessible by running ‘nixos-help’).

{ config, pkgs, ... }:

{
  imports =
    [ # Include the results of the hardware scan.
      ./hardware-configuration.nix
    ];

  # Bootloader.
  boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;
  boot.loader.efi.canTouchEfiVariables = true;

  networking.hostName = "nixos"; # Define your hostname.
  # networking.wireless.enable = true;  # Enables wireless support via wpa_supplicant.

  # Configure network proxy if necessary
  # networking.proxy.default = "http://user:password@proxy:port/";
  # networking.proxy.noProxy = "127.0.0.1,localhost,internal.domain";

  # Enable networking
  networking.networkmanager.enable = true;

  # Set your time zone.
  time.timeZone = "Asia/Yangon";

  # Select internationalisation properties.
  i18n.defaultLocale = "en_US.UTF-8";

  # Enable the X11 windowing system.
  services.xserver.enable = true;

  # Enable the GNOME Desktop Environment.
  services.xserver.displayManager.gdm.enable = true;
  services.xserver.desktopManager.gnome.enable = true;

  # Configure keymap in X11
  services.xserver = {
    layout = "us";
    xkbVariant = "";
  };

  # Enable CUPS to print documents.
  services.printing.enable = true;

  # Enable sound with pipewire.
  hardware.pulseaudio.enable = false;
  security.rtkit.enable = true;
  services.pipewire = {
    enable = true;
    alsa.enable = true;
    alsa.support32Bit = true;
    pulse.enable = true;
    # If you want to use JACK applications, uncomment this
    #jack.enable = true;

    # use the example session manager (no others are packaged yet so this is enabled by default,
    # no need to redefine it in your config for now)
    #media-session.enable = true;
  };

  # Enable touchpad support (enabled default in most desktopManager).
  # services.xserver.libinput.enable = true;

  # Define a user account. Don't forget to set a password with ‘passwd’.
  users.users.nicholas = {
    isNormalUser = true;
    description = "Nicholas";
    extraGroups = [ "networkmanager" "wheel" ];
    packages = with pkgs; [
       vlc
       neofetch
    #  thunderbird
    ];
  };

  # Install firefox.
  programs.firefox.enable = true;

  # Allow unfree packages
  nixpkgs.config.allowUnfree = true;

  # List packages installed in system profile. To search, run:
  # $ nix search wget
  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
  #  vim # Do not forget to add an editor to edit configuration.nix! The Nano editor is also installed by default.
  #  wget
  ];

  # Some programs need SUID wrappers, can be configured further or are
  # started in user sessions.
  # programs.mtr.enable = true;
  # programs.gnupg.agent = {
  #   enable = true;
  #   enableSSHSupport = true;
  # };

  # List services that you want to enable:

  #installing flatpak
   services.flatpak.enable = true

  # Enable the OpenSSH daemon.
  # services.openssh.enable = true;

  # Open ports in the firewall.
  # networking.firewall.allowedTCPPorts = [ ... ];
  # networking.firewall.allowedUDPPorts = [ ... ];
  # Or disable the firewall altogether.
  # networking.firewall.enable = false;

  # This value determines the NixOS release from which the default
  # settings for stateful data, like file locations and database versions
  # on your system were taken. It‘s perfectly fine and recommended to leave
  # this value at the release version of the first install of this system.
  # Before changing this value read the documentation for this option
  # (e.g. man configuration.nix or on https://nixos.org/nixos/options.html).
  system.stateVersion = "24.05"; # Did you read the comment?

Please help me

2

Hello and welcome to NixOS!

As the error states, you’re missing a semicolon:
error: syntax error, unexpected '=', expecting ';'

Change the following line, almost at the bottom of the file:

#installing flatpak
- services.flatpak.enable = true
+ services.flatpak.enable = true;
4 Likes
3

Omg thanks. Hey, I’m sorry to bother you but this is what I got

building Nix...
building the system configuration...
trace: warning: The option `services.xserver.xkbVariant' defined in `/etc/nixos/configuration.nix' has been renamed to `services.xserver.xkb.variant'.
trace: warning: The option `services.xserver.layout' defined in `/etc/nixos/configuration.nix' has been renamed to `services.xserver.xkb.layout'.

and the terminal is still running but is this alright?

4

No worries, Nix can be a bit confusing at the beginning, but you’ll get used to it eventually.

As the message suggests, just replace the option definitions as follows:

# Configure keymap in X11
  services.xserver = {
-   layout = "us";
-   xkbVariant = "";
+   xkb = {
+     layout = "us";
+     variant = "";
+   };
  };

The NixOS Manual provides useful (and extensive) Release Notes in Appendix B. There, all changes (including renamed options) for a given release are listed and explained.

2 Likes
5

Thanks, you’re a life saviour

1 Like