# UEFI Boot Standalone NixOS (2024-03-11)
This guide will build and was tested with the following software:
* Asahi Linux kernel version 6.6.0-asahi15
* Asahi Linux's Mesa version 24.1.0_asahi-20240228-1
* m1n1 version v1.4.11
* Asahi Linux's U-Boot version 2023.07.02.asahi4-1
* Nixpkgs, as of 2024-03-08
* macOS stub 12.3
NOTE: The latest version of this guide will always be [at its home](https://github.com/tpwrules/nixos-apple-silicon/blob/main/docs/uefi-standalone.md). For more general information about Linux on Apple Silicon Macs, refer to the [Asahi Linux project](https://asahilinux.org/) and [alpha installer release](https://asahilinux.org/2022/03/asahi-linux-alpha-release/).
## Introduction
This guide will explain how to install NixOS on the internal NVMe drive of an Apple Silicon Mac using a customized version of the official NixOS install ISO, then boot it without the help of another computer. Aside from the Apple Silicon support module and AArch64 CPU, the resulting installation can be configured and operated like any other NixOS system. Your macOS install will still work normally, and you can easily switch between booting both macOS and NixOS.
Perusing this guide might also be useful to users of other distros. Most of the hard work, including the kernel and boot software, was done by the [Asahi Linux project](https://asahilinux.org/).
#### Warning
Damage to the macOS recovery partitions or the partition table could result in the Mac becoming unbootable and loss of all data on the internal NVMe drive. In this circumstance, a suitable USB cable and another computer which can run [idevicerestore](https://github.com/libimobiledevice/idevicerestore) will be required to perform a DFU upgrade and restore normal operation. Backups are always wise.
While you will end up with a reasonably usable computer, the exact hardware features you want [may not be ready yet](https://github.com/AsahiLinux/docs/wiki/%22When-will-Asahi-Linux-be-done%3F%22). Please consult the [Asahi Linux Feature Support page](https://github.com/AsahiLinux/docs/wiki/Feature-Support) for information. Any features marked with a kernel version or `linux-asahi` should be supported by NixOS too.
#### Prerequisites
The following items are required to get started:
* Apple Silicon Mac [supported by Asahi Linux](https://github.com/AsahiLinux/docs/wiki/Feature-Support#table-of-contents) with macOS 12.3 or later and an admin account
* For Mac mini users: tested and working HDMI monitor. Many do not work properly; if it shows the Asahi Linux logo and console when m1n1 is running, it's fine.
* USB flash drive which is at least 512MB and can be fully erased
* Familiarity with the command line and installers without GUIs
* Optional: an x86_64 or aarch64 Linux PC or VM (any distro is fine)
#### Overview
* [Software Preparation](#software-preparation): build the customized NixOS installer ISO and Asahi Linux components
* [UEFI Preparation](#uefi-preparation): use the Asahi Linux installer to set up a standard UEFI boot environment
* [Installation](#installation): boot the NixOS installer and use it to set up and install NixOS
* [Maintenance](#maintenance): repair and upgrade NixOS and the Asahi Linux components
* [Removal](#removal): restore the system to the stock state
## Software Preparation
#### Nix
This setup takes advantage of the Nix package manager, which handles downloading and compiling everything. You must first install it on your Linux host PC if it doesn't run NixOS. Most distros are compatible, and installation (and uninstallation) is simple. Instructions are available on the [NixOS website](https://nixos.org/download.html#nix-quick-install).
If you cannot or do not wish to install Nix and/or build these components yourself, installation ISOs are automatically built and made available from the [GitHub Releases page](https://github.com/tpwrules/nixos-apple-silicon/releases). Download the latest one, use `dd` or similar to transfer it to your USB flash drive, then skip down to the section on [UEFI Preparation](#uefi-preparation). Programs like `unetbootin` are not supported. These ISOs are fully reproducible; that is, the ISO you download will be (or should be...) bit-identical to the one you will get by following these preparation instructions.
#### nixos-apple-silicon
Clone this repository to a suitable location on the host PC. In the future, you can update this repository using `git pull` and re-run the `nix build` commands to update things.
```
$ git clone https://github.com/tpwrules/nixos-apple-silicon/
$ cd nixos-apple-silicon
```
#### m1n1
The Asahi Linux project has developed m1n1 as a bridge between Apple's boot firmware and the Linux world. m1n1 is installed as a faux macOS kernel into a stub macOS installation. In addition to booting Linux (or U-Boot), m1n1 also sets up the hardware and allows remote control and debugging over USB.
Change directories to the repository, then use Nix to build m1n1 and symlink the result to `m1n1`:
```
nixos-apple-silicon$ nix build --extra-experimental-features 'nix-command flakes' .#m1n1 -o m1n1
```
m1n1 has been built and the build products are now in `m1n1/build/`. You can also run m1n1's scripts such as `chainload.py` using a command like `m1n1/bin/m1n1-chainload`.
#### U-Boot
In the default installation, m1n1 loads U-Boot and U-Boot is used to set up a standard UEFI environment from which GRUB or systemd-boot or whatever can be booted. Due to the limitations of the Apple boot picker, there must be one EFI system partition per installed OS.
Use Nix to build U-Boot along with m1n1 and the device trees:
```
nixos-apple-silicon$ nix build --extra-experimental-features 'nix-command flakes' .#uboot-asahi -o u-boot
```
The `.bin` file with m1n1, the device trees, and U-Boot joined together is now in `u-boot/`.
#### Kernel and Bootstrap Installer
The bootstrap NixOS installer ISO contains UEFI-compatible GRUB, the Asahi Linux kernel, its initrd, and enough packages and drivers to allow connection to the Internet in order to download and install a full NixOS system.
Building the image requires downloading of a large amount of data and compilation of a number of packages, including the kernel. On my six core Xeon laptop, building it took about 11 minutes (90 CPU minutes). Your mileage may vary. You can use the `-j` option to specify the number of packages to build in parallel. Each is allowed to use all cores, but for this build, most do not use more than one. Therefore, it is recommended to set it to less than the number of physical cores in your machine. You can also use the `-L` option to view detailed build logs.
```
nixos-apple-silicon$ nix build --extra-experimental-features 'nix-command flakes' .#installer-bootstrap -o installer -j4 -L
```
The installer ISO is now available as `installer/iso/nixos-*.iso`. Use `dd` or similar to transfer it to your USB flash drive. Programs like `unetbootin` are not supported.
## UEFI Preparation
This setup uses the alpha Asahi Linux installer to install a stub macOS and standard UEFI boot environment from which the NixOS installer and installed OS will run. These steps must be run from Terminal.app in macOS. You must also be logged into an administrator account.
#### Asahi Linux Installation
Download and run the alpha installer with the following command:
```
% curl https://alx.sh | sh
```
Choose the following options to get started:
* Enter your administrator password
* Do not enable expert mode
Resize your existing macOS install:
* Resize an existing partition to make space for a new OS (`r`)
* Enter the new size of the macOS install. It should be at least 20GB less than its current size to make room for NixOS with a GUI (note that here 1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes)
* Confirm the resize operation
* Wait patiently while the partition is resized; it will take several minutes. Do not attempt to use the machine while this is in progress.
* Press enter when finished
Install UEFI environment:
* Install an OS into free space (`f`)
* UEFI environment only
* Name it NixOS (this is what shows up in the firmware boot picker)
* Wait while the installation proceeds and enter your password when prompted
* Wait for the default boot volume to be set (this may take several seconds)
* Read the final advice, then press enter to shut down the machine
Boot into recovery mode by holding the power button down as directed and select the new NixOS option in the boot picker. Follow the prompts and enter your administrator password. The local policy update will take several seconds to complete. Once complete, select that you want to set a custom boot object and put your system to permissive security mode, enter your administrator username (the same one you put in the password for earlier) and password, then reboot when prompted.
If everything went well, you will restart into U-Boot with the Asahi Linux and U-Boot logos on-screen. Shut the system down by holding the power button, then proceed to the next step.
## Installation
#### Booting the Installer
Shut down the machine fully. Connect the flash drive with the installer ISO to a USB port. If not using Wi-Fi, connect the Ethernet cable to the network port or adapter as well.
Start the Mac, and U-Boot should start booting from the USB drive automatically. If you've already installed something to the internal NVMe drive, U-Boot will try to boot it first. To instead boot from USB, hit a key to stop autoboot when prompted, then run the command `env set boot_efi_bootmgr ; run bootcmd_usb0`. GRUB will start, then the NixOS installer after a short delay (the default GRUB option is fine).
If "mounting `/dev/root` on `/mnt-root/iso` failed: No such file or directory" during boot…
1. Was the ISO transferred to your flash drive correctly as described above? `dd` is the only correct way to do this. The ISO must be transferred to the drive block device itself, not a partition on the drive.
2. There is sometimes a [race condition](https://github.com/tpwrules/nixos-apple-silicon/issues/60) which causes booting to fail. Reboot the machine and try again.
3. Some flash drives have quirks. Try a different drive, or use the following steps:
1. Attempt to start the installer normally
1. When the boot fails and you are prompted, hit i to start a shell
1. Unplug your flash drive, plug it into a different port, then wait 30 seconds
1. Run the command `mount -t iso9660 /dev/root /mnt-root/iso`
1. Exit the shell by running `exit` to continue the boot process
You will get a console prompt once booting completes. Run the command `sudo su` to get a root prompt in the installer. If the console font is too small, run the command `setfont ter-v32n` to increase the size.
#### Partitioning and Formatting
**DANGER: Damage to the GPT partition table, first partition (`iBootSystemContainer`), or the last partition (`RecoveryOSContainer`) could result in the loss of all data and render the Mac unbootable and unrecoverable without assistance from another computer! Do not use your distro's automated partitioner or partitioning instructions!**
We will add a root partition to the remaining free space and format it as ext4. Alternative partition layouts and filesystems, including LUKS encryption, are possible, but not covered by this guide.
Create the root partition to fill up the free space:
```
nixos# sgdisk /dev/nvme0n1 -n 0:0 -s
[...]
The operation has completed successfully.
```
Identify the number of the new root partition (type code 8300, typically second to last):
```
nixos# sgdisk /dev/nvme0n1 -p
Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 244276265 sectors, 931.8 GiB
Model: APPLE SSD AP1024Q
Sector size (logical/physical): 4096/4096 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): 27054D2E-307A-41AA-9A8C-3864D56FAF6B
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
Main partition table begins at sector 2 and ends at sector 5
First usable sector is 6, last usable sector is 244276259
Partitions will be aligned on 1-sector boundaries
Total free space is 0 sectors (0 bytes)
Number Start (sector) End (sector) Size Code Name
1 6 128005 500.0 MiB FFFF iBootSystemContainer
2 128006 219854567 838.2 GiB AF0A Container
3 219854568 220465127 2.3 GiB AF0A
4 220465128 220590311 489.0 MiB EF00
5 220590312 242965550 85.4 GiB 8300
6 242965551 244276259 5.0 GiB FFFF RecoveryOSContainer
```
Format the new root partition:
```
nixos# mkfs.ext4 -L nixos /dev/nvme0n1p5
```
#### NixOS Configuration
The subsequent steps in this section will help you install NixOS onto your new partitions. More information is available in the Installing section of the [NixOS manual](https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/index.html#sec-installation-installing). Some changes to the configuration procedure as described in that manual are needed for NixOS on Apple Silicon to work properly.
Mount the root partition, then the EFI system partition that was created by the Asahi Linux installer specifically for NixOS:
```
nixos# mount /dev/disk/by-label/nixos /mnt
nixos# mkdir -p /mnt/boot
nixos# mount /dev/disk/by-partuuid/`cat /proc/device-tree/chosen/asahi,efi-system-partition` /mnt/boot
```
Create a default configuration for the new system, then copy the Apple Silicon support module into it:
```
nixos# nixos-generate-config --root /mnt
nixos# cp -r /etc/nixos/apple-silicon-support /mnt/etc/nixos/
nixos# chmod -R +w /mnt/etc/nixos/
```
Use Nano to edit the configuration of the new system to include the Apple Silicon support module. Be aware that other editors and most documentation has been left out of the bootstrap installer to save space and time.
```
nixos# nano /mnt/etc/nixos/configuration.nix
```
Add the `./apple-silicon-support` directory to the imports list and switch off the `canTouchEfiVariables` option. That portion of the file should look like this:
```
imports =
[ # Include the results of the hardware scan.
./hardware-configuration.nix
# Include the necessary packages and configuration for Apple Silicon support.
./apple-silicon-support
];
# Use the systemd-boot EFI boot loader.
boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;
boot.loader.efi.canTouchEfiVariables = false;
```
The configuration above is the minimum required to produce a bootable system, but you can further edit the file as desired to perform additional configuration. Uncomment the relevant options and change their values as explained in the file. Note that some advertised features may not work properly at this time. Refer to the [NixOS installation manual](https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/index.html#ch-configuration) for further guidance.
Various non-free non-redistributable peripheral firmware files are required to use system hardware like Wi-Fi. The Asahi Linux installer grabs these from macOS and stores them on the EFI system partition when it is created. The NixOS installer loads them from there while booting so that all hardware is available during installation. By default, the Apple Silicon support module will automatically reference the files in the EFI system partition and incorporate them into your configuration to be managed by the normal NixOS mechanisms.
Currently, the only supported way to update the peripheral firmware files is to destroy and re-create the EFI system partition, so they will not change unexpectedly. If you do not want the impurity of referencing them (or are using flakes where this is prohibited), copy them off the EFI system partition (e.g. on the installation ISO `mkdir -p /mnt/etc/nixos/firmware && cp /mnt/boot/asahi/{all_firmware.tar.gz,kernelcache*} /mnt/etc/nixos/firmware`) and specify this path in your configuration:
```
# Specify path to peripheral firmware files.
hardware.asahi.peripheralFirmwareDirectory = ./firmware;
# Or disable extraction and management of them completely.
# hardware.asahi.extractPeripheralFirmware = false;
```
If you want to install a desktop environment, you will have to uncomment the option to enable X11 and NetworkManager, then add an option to include your favorite desktop environment. You may also wish to include graphical packages such as `firefox` in `environment.systemPackages`. For example, to install Xfce:
```
# Enable the X11 windowing system.
services.xserver.enable = true;
services.xserver.desktopManager.xfce.enable = true;
```
Some keyboard layouts are not detected correctly. On some devices, the \` key is swapped with `<`, and `~` with `>`. The layout can be fixed by setting options in `boot.extraModprobeConfig`. Which option needs to be set depends on your hardware keyboard's layout (see: [Arch Wiki - Apple Keyboard](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Apple_Keyboard)).
```
# For ` to < and ~ to > (for those with US keyboards)
boot.extraModprobeConfig = ''
options hid_apple iso_layout=0
'';
```
`iwd` is recommended for WiFi on most systems:
```
networking.wireless.iwd = {
enable = true;
settings.General.EnableNetworkConfiguration = true;
};
```
#### NixOS Installation
Once you are happy with your initial configuration, you may install the system. This will have to download a large amount of data.
We use iwd instead of wpa_supplicant because the latter [does not support WPA3 on broadcom chips](https://www.reddit.com/r/AsahiLinux/comments/12igyoa/comment/jftvl3c) (which are installed on macs) and in general iwd is more modern, easy to use and maintained then wpa_supplicant.
You can configure WiFi in the installer using `iwctl`:
```
nixos# iwctl
NetworkConfigurationEnabled: enabled
StateDirectory: /var/lib/iwd
Version: 2.4
[iwd]# station wlan0 connect
Type the network passphrase for psk.
Passphrase:
[iwd]# station wlan0 show
[...]
[iwd] exit
```
Once the network is set up, ensure the time is set correctly, then install the system. You will be asked to set a root password as the final step:
```
nixos# systemctl restart systemd-timesyncd
nixos# nixos-install
[...]
setting root password...
New password: ***
Retype new password: ***
passwd: password updated successfully
installation finished!
```
If there are any errors, or you mess up entering the root password, you can edit the configuration and safely re-run the command.
Once complete, reboot the system:
```
nixos# reboot
```
When the system reboots, the bootloader will come up and boot the default configuration after a short delay. Once NixOS boots, log in with the root password, and create your account, or set your user account password if you created your account in the configuration. To learn more about NixOS's configuration system, read the section in the manual on [changing the configuration](https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/index.html#sec-changing-config).
#### Dual Booting
The machine is now set up to boot NixOS by default when turned on. To access the boot picker, turn off the machine, then hold the power button to turn the machine on instead of just pressing it. Let go once the options come up. To boot a particular OS once, click on it, then click Continue underneath it. To switch the default OS, click on the desired default, hold Option (Alt), then click Always Use underneath it.
#### Hypervisor Boot
By selecting the appropriate menu option in the Asahi Linux installer, you can also choose to install m1n1 without U-Boot and run U-Boot, the bootloader, and the OS under m1n1's hypervisor.
To run U-Boot under the hypervisor, start m1n1 and attach the Mac to the host PC using an appropriate USB cable, change directories to the repo, then run:
```
nixos-apple-silicon$ m1n1/bin/m1n1-run_guest --raw u-boot/m1n1-u-boot.bin
```
To access the serial console, in a separate terminal run:
```
$ nix-shell -p picocom --run 'picocom /dev/ttyACM1'
```
Downloading the kernel over USB using m1n1 is not supported.
## Maintenance
#### Rescue
If something goes wrong and NixOS doesn't boot or is otherwise unusable, you can first try rolling back to a previous generation. Instead of selecting the default bootloader option, choose another configuration that worked previously.
If something is seriously wrong and the bootloader does not work (or you don't have any other generations), you will want to get back into the installer. To start the installer with a system installed on the internal disk, shut down the computer, re-insert the USB drive with the installer, start it up again, hit a key in U-Boot when prompted to stop autoboot, then run the command `env set boot_efi_bootmgr ; run bootcmd_usb0`.
Once in the installer, you can re-mount your root partition and EFI system partition without reformatting them. Depending on what exactly went wrong, you might need to edit your configuration, copy over the latest Apple Silicon support module, or update U-Boot using the latest installer.
Rerunning the installer will create a new generation but not touch any user data. This means you can "undo" the installation by selecting a previous generation in the bootloader. To redo the installation without changing your root password or changing the version of Nixpkgs, run:
```
# nixos-install --no-root-password --no-channel-copy
```
In extreme circumstances, you can delete the EFI system partition and stub macOS install and rerun the Asahi Linux installer, then follow the steps above to reinstall NixOS's bootloader menu. You will need to regenerate the hardware configuration using `nixos-generate-config --root /mnt` because the EFI system partition's ID will change. This shouldn't modify your root partition or other NixOS configuration, but of course it's always smart to have a backup. You might also wish to re-copy the peripheral firmware files.
#### NixOS Updates
NixOS itself can be updated like any other NixOS system. In brief, this is as follows:
```
$ sudo nix-channel --update
$ sudo nixos-rebuild switch
```
You may have to reboot after updating in some cases. If something goes wrong, you can boot a previous generation and roll back the channel update. For more details, consult the [Upgrading section](https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/index.html#sec-upgrading) of the NixOS manual.
#### Apple Silicon Support Updates
To update the Apple Silicon support module, including the Asahi kernel, U-Boot, and m1n1, you can simply download newer files from this repo under `apple-silicon-support` and place them under `/etc/nixos/apple-silicon-support`. Any changes will require a configuration rebuild and reboot to take effect. If you wish to customize your kernel, you can edit the kernel config in `/etc/nixos/apple-silicon-support/kernel/config`. Consult the comments in `/etc/nixos/apple-silicon-support/kernel/default.nix` and `/etc/nixos/apple-silicon-support/kernel/package.nix` for more details. Note that if the kernel device trees change, U-Boot will need to be updated too.
U-Boot and m1n1 are automatically managed by NixOS' bootloader system. If you roll back to a previous generation and things do not work properly due to a device tree incompatibility, you can run `/run/current-system/bin/switch-to-configuration switch` then reboot to force the bootloader and the correct version of U-Boot/m1n1 to be reinstalled and loaded.
If you want the Apple Silicon support module to be upgraded in tandem with NixOS instead of manually downloading new files, you can add it as a channel with the following command:
```
$ sudo nix-channel --add https://github.com/tpwrules/nixos-apple-silicon/archive/main.tar.gz apple-silicon-support
```
Modify your `/etc/nixos/configuration.nix` to reference the channel instead of the local files:
```
imports =
[ # Include the results of the hardware scan.
./hardware-configuration.nix
# Include the necessary packages and configuration for Apple Silicon support.
];
```
You can now update NixOS as normal. Note that Apple Silicon support module updates will generally require reboots to load new kernels and other boot components:
```
$ sudo nix-channel --update
$ sudo nixos-rebuild switch
$ sudo reboot
```
#### Recovering from Boot Failure with `idevicerestore`
In extremely extreme circumstances (i.e. something messed up the firmware partition, recovery partition, or partition table), your Mac may fail to boot. On the Mac mini (and presumably Mac Studio), this state is identifiable by a flashing orange power light indicating the Morse code for SOS. On a Mac laptop, this state is identifiable by an illustration of an exclamation point in a circle on the screen with a link to Apple's website.
To make the Mac bootable again, you can use [idevicerestore](https://github.com/libimobiledevice/idevicerestore) from another Mac or Linux x86_64 or aarch64 VM or computer that has an Internet connection. You will need a USB cable with at least one USB-C end. This procedure has been tested with Mac and Linux hosts restoring a Mac mini with macOS 12.4.
Please note that this procedure may require you to unrecoverably destroy all data on the Mac's internal drive. If erasing is necessary, you will be clearly warned and asked to confirm before it happens. The drive will end up zeroed and its encryption keys (probably) regenerated, so not even the NSA will be able to save you. If you haven't made backups, make peace with yourself now.
You'll need to build `idevicerestore` from source to get a version capable of restoring Apple Silicon Macs. If Nix is already installed on your second computer, an appropriate version is already packaged in recent `nixpkgs-unstable`. Check out and build both `idevicerestore` and `usbmuxd` (if on Linux):
```
# git clone https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/
# cd nixpkgs
# nix-build -A pkgs.idevicerestore -o idevicerestore
# nix-build -A pkgs.usbmuxd -o usbmuxd # if on Linux
```
To start the procedure, hook up the appropriate port on your unbootable Mac to the second computer and invoke DFU mode. This process is covered by Steps 1 and 2 of [Apple's documentation](https://support.apple.com/guide/apple-configurator-mac/revive-or-restore-a-mac-with-apple-silicon-apdd5f3c75ad/mac). We will first try what Apple calls a "revive" where the disk is not erased, although both we and `idevicerestore` still call it a "restore".
If DFU mode was started correctly, the unbootable Mac will show up on your second computer as an `Apple, Inc. Mobile Device (DFU Mode)` in `lsusb` on Linux or System Information on macOS. If you see `Apple, Inc. Apple Mobile Device [Recovery Mode]` instead (or nothing), the procedure was not followed correctly and you need to try again.
Open a terminal on your second computer and, if you are on Linux and didn't install the udev rules (which Nix did not), start `usbmuxd` in the background by running it without any arguments. Then, ask `idevicerestore` to restore the firmware by using the `--latest` flag. If you wish to erase the disk either because the revive didn't work or because you want to start with a clean slate, use the `--erase` flag also.
```
# sudo usbmuxd/bin/usbmuxd # Linux only
# sudo idevicerestore/bin/idevicerestore --latest
idevicerestore 1.0.0-unstable-2022-05-22
Found device in DFU mode
Identified device as j274ap, Macmini9,1
The following firmwares are currently being signed for Macmini9,1:
[...]
Select the firmware you want to restore:
```
Once `idevicerestore` detects the unbootable Mac, select the desired firmware (usually number `1`) and wait patiently while the firmware is downloaded; it's about 13GiB. If `idevicerestore` doesn't detect the unbootable Mac, make sure that your cables are hooked up correctly, that you used `sudo`, and that you are using a suitably recent version.
The restore process will automatically start once the firmware is downloaded and verified. If `idevicerestore` fails with the message `ERROR: Device did not disconnect. Possibly invalid iBEC. Reset device and try again.`, the unbootable Mac is likely not in DFU mode, or there is something wrong with your system's udev related to hotplug events. Check that you followed Apple's procedure correctly and that the appropriate USB device is detected.
After 30 or so seconds of messages and status updates, you should see the Apple logo on the unbootable Mac's screen with a progress bar and `idevicerestore` will tell you that it is `Waiting for device to enter restore mode...`. If the unbootable Mac resets after a couple minutes and you get the message `ERROR: Device failed to enter restore mode. Please make sure that usbmuxd is running.`, then `usbmuxd` is likely not running. Start it and try again.
Once the restore process starts, the progress bar will start moving and `idevicerestore` will spam lots of information about the process. If it fails with `ERROR: Unable to restore device`, your only choice may be to restart the process, but this time pass the `--erase` flag to `idevicerestore` and destroy all data on the unbootable Mac's internal drive.
Otherwise, wait patiently while the restore proceeds. Expect it to take 20 or 30 minutes. Eventually `idevicerestore` will say `DONE` and the formerly-unbootable Mac will reboot and start recovery mode (if erasing was not necessary) or the out-of-the-box wizard (if the disk was erased) and you can use it again.
Finally, shut down `usbmuxd` if on Linux and you started it manually. To clean up your second computer, remove the downloaded firmware, the `idevicerestore` and `usbmuxd` GC roots, and run the Nix garbage collector:
```
# sudo killall usbmuxd # if on Linux
# sudo rm -rf *.ipsw* UniversalMac*
# rm -f result* usbmuxd idevicerestore
# nix-collect-garbage
```
## Removal
#### Host PC Cleanup
To recover the space on the host PC, change directories into the repo, remove the built symlinks (removing just the installer will recover almost all the space), then run the garbage collector:
```
nixos-apple-silicon$ rm m1n1 u-boot installer result
nixos-apple-silicon$ nix-collect-garbage
```
#### NixOS Uninstallation
NixOS can be completely uninstalled by deleting the stub partition, EFI system partition, and root partition off the disk.
Boot back into macOS by shutting down the machine fully, then pressing and holding the power button until the boot picker comes up. Select the macOS installation, then click Continue to boot it. Log into an administrator account and open Terminal.app.
Identify the partitions to remove. In this example, `disk0s3` is the stub because of its small size. `disk0s4` is the EFI system partition and `disk0s5` is the root partition:
```
% diskutil list disk0
/dev/disk0 (internal):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme 1.0 TB disk0
1: Apple_APFS_ISC 524.3 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_APFS Container disk4 900.0 GB disk0s2
3: Apple_APFS Container disk3 2.5 GB disk0s3
4: EFI EFI - NIXOS 512.8 MB disk0s4
5: Linux Filesystem 91.6 GB disk0s5
6: Apple_APFS_Recovery 5.4 GB disk0s6
```
WARNING: Unlike Linux, on macOS each partition's identifier does not necessarily equal its partition index. Double check the identifiers of your own system!
Remove the EFI system partition and root partition:
```
% diskutil eraseVolume free free disk0s4
Started erase on disk0s4 (EFI - NIXOS)
Unmounting disk
Finished erase on disk0
% diskutil eraseVolume free free disk0s5
Started erase on disk0s5
Unmounting disk
Finished erase on disk0
```
Remove the stub partition:
```
% diskutil apfs deleteContainer disk0s3
Started APFS operation on disk3
Deleting APFS Container with all of its APFS Volumes
[...]
Removing disk0s3 from partition map
```
Expand the main macOS partition to use the resulting free space. This command will take a few minutes to run; do not attempt to use the machine while it is in progress:
```
% diskutil apfs resizeContainer disk0s2 0
Started APFS operation
Aligning grow delta to 94,662,586,368 bytes and targeting a new physical store size of 994,662,584,320 bytes
[...]
Finished APFS operation
```
To complete the uninstallation, open the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences and select your macOS installation as the startup disk. If this is not done, the next boot will fail, and you will be asked to select another OS to boot from.