Try a small graphical VM¶

This x86 Linux demo boots into Sway and Foot with the repository's reusable Git, file-search, shell integration, and prompt modules. It uses a small free font set and software rendering. It contains no workstation hardware configuration, private state, proprietary application, or secret input.

From the root checkout with initialized submodules, on x86 Linux with KVM:

nix build .#public-demo-vm --out-link result-demo
demo=$(readlink -f result-demo)
demo_directory=$(mktemp -d)
(cd "$demo_directory" && "$demo/bin/run-nix-public-demo-vm")

On the desktop host, run the build through workstation-task. The build uses the root lockfile. Launch QEMU in an empty temporary working directory to keep the disposable nix-public-demo.qcow2 disk separate from other files. Closing QEMU stops the VM; deleting that disk resets its state.

The VM logs into learner at the local console and opens a terminal. It does not run SSH. Type git init practice, cd practice, and git st. The shared Git module enables rebasing pulls and leaves author identity unset. That differs from the smaller starter's fast-forward-only policy.

Run its automated test on native x86 Linux:

nix build --no-link .#checks.x86_64-linux.public-demo-runtime -L

The test waits for Home Manager activation and a logged-in Sway session, checks the compositor's live window tree, presses the terminal keybinding, types a Git command into the focused terminal, checks the resulting output, and closes the window with its keybinding. The test captures a disposable VM screenshot.

This demonstrates the reusable home modules in a graphical environment. It does not test the physical Hyprland/Noctalia desktop, GPU acceleration, HDR, audio, suspend, screen locking, portals, or hardware security. The example intentionally has no lock workflow because it is an automatically logged-in disposable VM. Use the workstation's operational validation for those physical desktop claims.