Troubleshooting
Common issues and how to resolve them
Build or activation errors
If Build & Test fails, paste the error output back into nixmac's chat. The AI agent can usually diagnose nix-darwin syntax, option, or package errors and update the config.
Permission issues
nixmac needs administrator approval during activation and Full Disk Access for some nix-darwin operations. If activation fails with a permissions error, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access and make sure nixmac is listed.
Homebrew cask password prompts
Some Homebrew casks use installer packages that require administrator privileges. If a rebuild fails because a cask could not prompt for a password, copy the error into nixmac's chat so the agent can help you decide whether to retry, remove the cask from the config, or install it manually outside nix-darwin.
Nix issues
For installer-level Nix problems, see the Determinate Nix Installer docs and the nix-darwin manual.
Report a bug
Open an issue on GitHub with the error output and the relevant nixmac rebuild log from ~/Library/Logs/nixmac/.