The docs said ~/.hanzo-bot/hanzo-bot.json (and ~/.hanzo-bot-<profile>, hanzo-bot.plugin.json), which nothing reads: src/config/paths.ts resolves ~/.bot, bot.json and ~/.bot-<profile>, and plugins ship bot.plugin.json. Every such path in docs/ now names what the code opens. Co-authored-by: Hanzo Dev <[email protected]>
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summary, read_when, title
| summary | read_when | title | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Install HanzoBot declaratively with Nix |
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Nix |
Nix Installation
The recommended way to run HanzoBot with Nix is via nix-hanzo-bot — a batteries-included Home Manager module.
Quick Start
Paste this to your AI agent (Claude, Cursor, etc.):
I want to set up nix-hanzo-bot on my Mac.
Repository: github:hanzo-bot/nix-hanzo-bot
What I need you to do:
1. Check if Determinate Nix is installed (if not, install it)
2. Create a local flake at ~/code/hanzo-bot-local using templates/agent-first/flake.nix
3. Help me create a Telegram bot (@BotFather) and get my chat ID (@userinfobot)
4. Set up secrets (bot token, model provider API key) - plain files at ~/.secrets/ is fine
5. Fill in the template placeholders and run home-manager switch
6. Verify: launchd running, bot responds to messages
Reference the nix-hanzo-bot README for module options.
📦 Full guide: github.com/hanzo-bot/nix-hanzo-bot
The nix-hanzo-bot repo is the source of truth for Nix installation. This page is just a quick overview.
What you get
- Gateway + macOS app + tools (whisper, spotify, cameras) — all pinned
- Launchd service that survives reboots
- Plugin system with declarative config
- Instant rollback:
home-manager switch --rollback
Nix Mode Runtime Behavior
When BOT_NIX_MODE=1 is set (automatic with nix-hanzo-bot):
HanzoBot supports a Nix mode that makes configuration deterministic and disables auto-install flows. Enable it by exporting:
BOT_NIX_MODE=1
On macOS, the GUI app does not automatically inherit shell env vars. You can also enable Nix mode via defaults:
defaults write ai.hanzo.bot.mac hanzo-bot.nixMode -bool true
Config + state paths
HanzoBot reads JSON5 config from BOT_CONFIG_PATH and stores mutable data in BOT_STATE_DIR.
When needed, you can also set BOT_HOME to control the base home directory used for internal path resolution.
BOT_HOME(default precedence:HOME/USERPROFILE/os.homedir())BOT_STATE_DIR(default:~/.bot)BOT_CONFIG_PATH(default:$BOT_STATE_DIR/bot.json)
When running under Nix, set these explicitly to Nix-managed locations so runtime state and config stay out of the immutable store.
Runtime behavior in Nix mode
- Auto-install and self-mutation flows are disabled
- Missing dependencies surface Nix-specific remediation messages
- UI surfaces a read-only Nix mode banner when present
Packaging note (macOS)
The macOS packaging flow expects a stable Info.plist template at:
apps/macos/Sources/HanzoBot/Resources/Info.plist
scripts/package-mac-app.sh copies this template into the app bundle and patches dynamic fields
(bundle ID, version/build, Git SHA, Sparkle keys). This keeps the plist deterministic for SwiftPM
packaging and Nix builds (which do not rely on a full Xcode toolchain).
Related
- nix-hanzo-bot — full setup guide
- Wizard — non-Nix CLI setup
- Docker — containerized setup