diff --git a/nix-configs/hosts/hoyden/configuration.nix b/nix-configs/hosts/hoyden/configuration.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9053f0b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix-configs/hosts/hoyden/configuration.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,335 @@
+# 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, ... }:
+
+let
+  unstableTarball = fetchTarball
+    "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/archive/nixos-unstable.tar.gz";
+  nurTarball = builtins.fetchTarball
+    "https://github.com/nix-community/NUR/archive/master.tar.gz";
+
+in {
+  imports = [ # Include the results of the hardware scan.
+    ./hardware-configuration.nix
+  ];
+
+  # Use the systemd-boot EFI boot loader.
+  boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;
+  boot.loader.efi.canTouchEfiVariables = true;
+
+  networking.hostName = "hoyden"; # Define your hostname.
+  # networking.wireless.enable = true;  # Enables wireless support via wpa_supplicant.
+
+  # Set your time zone.
+  time.timeZone = "US/Central";
+
+  # The global useDHCP flag is deprecated, therefore explicitly set to false here.
+  # Per-interface useDHCP will be mandatory in the future, so this generated config
+  # replicates the default behaviour.
+  networking.useDHCP = false;
+  networking.interfaces.eno1.useDHCP = true;
+  networking.interfaces.wlp0s20f3.useDHCP = true;
+  
+
+  # Configure network proxy if necessary
+  # networking.proxy.default = "http://user:password@proxy:port/";
+  # networking.proxy.noProxy = "127.0.0.1,localhost,internal.domain";
+
+  # Select internationalisation properties.
+  # i18n.defaultLocale = "en_US.UTF-8";
+  # console = {
+  #   font = "Lat2-Terminus16";
+  #   keyMap = "us";
+  # };
+  fonts.fonts = with pkgs; [
+    # Serif fonts
+    roboto
+    ttf_bitstream_vera
+    liberation_ttf
+    dejavu_fonts
+
+    # Emoji
+    openmoji-color
+  ];
+
+  fonts.fontconfig = { defaultFonts = { emoji = [ "OpenMoji Color" ]; }; };
+
+  # Enable the X11 windowing system.
+  services.xserver = {
+    enable = true;
+    autoRepeatDelay = 150;
+    # autoRepeatInterval = something; # this is configurable so i'm leaving it here, but not sure that i need it.
+    displayManager.sddm.enable = true;
+    desktopManager.plasma5.enable = true;
+    windowManager.awesome = {
+      enable = true;
+      luaModules = with pkgs.luaPackages; [
+        luarocks # is the package manager for Lua modules
+        luadbi-mysql # Database abstraction layer
+      ];
+    };
+  };
+  services.flatpak.enable = true;
+
+  # try and handle some of the dumb long term storage optimiztaion issues with nixos:
+  nix.gc = {
+    automatic = true;
+    dates = "weekly";
+    options = "--delete-older-than 30d";
+  };
+  nix.settings.experimental-features = [ "nix-command" "flakes" ];
+
+  # Configure keymap in X11
+  # services.xserver.layout = "us";
+  # services.xserver.xkbOptions = "eurosign:e";
+
+  # Enable CUPS to print documents.
+  # services.printing.enable = true;
+
+  # Enable sound.
+  sound.enable = true;
+  hardware.pulseaudio.enable = true;
+  hardware.pulseaudio.extraConfig = "load-module module-combine-sink";   #troubleshooting a dumb mic issue
+  hardware.pulseaudio.package = pkgs.pulseaudioFull; # troubleshooting a dumb mic issues
+  programs.dconf.enable = true;
+
+
+  # handle bluetooth
+  hardware.bluetooth.enable = true;
+  services.blueman.enable = true;
+  
+  # Enable touchpad support (enabled default in most desktopManager).
+  # services.xserver.libinput.enable = true;
+
+  # enable docker, virtualbox, virtualization shit
+  virtualisation.docker.enable = true;
+  virtualisation.virtualbox.host.enable = false;
+  virtualisation.virtualbox.host.enableExtensionPack = false;
+  # Define a user account. Don't forget to set a password with ‘passwd’.
+  users.users.josiah = {
+    isNormalUser = true;
+    extraGroups =
+      [ "wheel" "audio" "sound" "video" "docker" "vboxusers" "adbusers" ];
+    # My SSH keys.
+    openssh.authorizedKeys.keys = [
+      # Replace this with your SSH key!
+      "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIPAZhFDzl1lbhWJ7MiTV3+Z1EY8M5b4cH/+ju4uo1d91 admin"
+    ];
+  };
+
+  nixpkgs.config.allowUnfree = true;
+
+  # List packages installed in system profile. To search, run:
+  # $ nix search wget
+
+  nixpkgs.config = {
+    packageOverrides = pkgs: {
+      unstable = import unstableTarball { config = config.nixpkgs.config; };
+      nur = import nurTarball {
+        inherit pkgs;
+      };
+    };
+    permittedInsecurePackages = [ 
+      "python2.7-certifi-2021.10.8"
+      "python2.7-pyjwt-1.7.1"
+      "python-2.7.18.6"
+      "openssl-1.1.1u"
+
+    ]; # required for poetry
+    
+  };
+
+  environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
+    # build shit
+    morph # ultimately this seems not useful to me; weird errors.
+    nixops
+    android-studio
+    deploy-rs
+    direnv
+    autoconf
+    yarn
+    automake
+    gnumake
+    wget
+    gcc-arm-embedded
+    xorg.libX11
+    vim
+    konsole
+    patchelf
+    docker
+    # jlj dev
+    # python-language-server
+    # python38Packages.python-language-server
+    # jlj utils
+    # nur.repos.bhipple.talon # this is broken, right now, and there isn't another option to try.
+    darktable
+    digikam
+    offlineimap
+    unzip
+    ansible
+    terraform
+    terraformer
+    awscli2
+    pass
+    doctl
+    python38
+    python38Packages.pip
+    python38Packages.setuptools
+    nodejs_20
+    pipenv
+    bitwarden
+    chromium
+    magic-wormhole
+    firefox
+    google-chrome
+    unstable.nyxt
+    emacs
+    vscode
+    emacsPackages.flyspell-correct
+    nixfmt
+    mu
+    ispell
+    obsidian
+    zeal
+    git
+    keychain
+    os-prober
+    lsof
+    wireguard-tools
+    tailscale
+    fortune
+    unstable.youtube-dl
+    unstable.yt-dlp
+    gcc8
+    dfu-util
+    scrot
+    qbittorrent
+    obs-studio
+    texlive.combined.scheme-full
+    # jlj sound
+    pavucontrol
+    blueman
+    bluedevil
+    bluez
+    gnome.cheese
+    # jlj comms
+    unstable.element-desktop
+    slack
+    discord
+    konversation
+    unstable.signal-desktop
+    newsflash # same maker as feedreader, newer, less features, actively maintained.
+    zoom-us
+    spectral
+    jitsi-meet-electron
+    # jlj de
+    syncthingtray
+    # unstable.synology-drive-client
+    barrier
+    pinentry
+    acpi
+    awesome
+    networkmanagerapplet
+    arc-icon-theme
+    rofi
+    i3lock
+    vlc
+    unstable.thunderbird
+    birdtray # tray icon for thunderbird
+    peruse
+    libsForQt5.ark
+    # tauon # this is a good music player but it doesn't come bundled proper in nixos; install via flatpak you bitch
+    # rsi stuff
+    rsibreak
+    workrave
+    unstable.espanso # text expander
+    xclip # c&p from cli / required for espanso
+    libnotify # required for espanso
+    arc-icon-theme
+    # kde specific stuff
+    kde-gtk-config
+    libsForQt5.kde-cli-tools
+    arc-kde-theme
+    # jlj games
+    lutris
+    steam
+    vulkan-tools
+  ];
+
+  # 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;
+    pinentryFlavor = "gnome3";
+  };
+
+  programs.adb.enable = true;
+
+  # List services that you want to enable:
+
+  services = {
+    syncthing = {
+      enable = true;
+      user = "josiah";
+      dataDir = "/home/josiah/dhd"; # Default folder for new synced folders
+      configDir =
+        "/home/josiah/.config/syncthing"; # Folder for Syncthing's settings and keys
+    };
+    tailscale.enable = true;
+    openssh.enable = true;
+  };
+
+  # Configure ssh auth for sudo/pam
+  security.sudo.enable = true;
+  security.pam.enableSSHAgentAuth = true;
+  security.pam.services.sudo.sshAgentAuth = true;
+  security.sudo.wheelNeedsPassword = false;  
+
+  # this works properly
+  fileSystems."/home/josiah/network-share/syn-nas/usenet" = {
+    device = "192.168.1.221:/volume1/usenet";
+    fsType = "nfs";
+  };
+
+  fileSystems."/home/josiah/network-share/sainthood/homes" = {
+    device = "sainthood.home.jowj.net:/volume3/homes/";
+    options = [ "nfsvers=3" ];
+    fsType = "nfs";
+  };
+
+  fileSystems."/home/josiah/network-share/sainthood/sainthouse-wide" = {
+    device = "sainthood.home.jowj.net:/volume4/sainthouse-wide/";
+    options = [ "nfsvers=3" ];
+    fsType = "nfs";
+  };
+
+  # this doens't work right
+  # fileSystems."/home/josiah/network-share/sainthood/homes" = {
+  #   #device = "//sainthood.home.jowj.net/volume3/homes/";
+  #   device = "//sainthood.home.jowj.net//volume3/homes/";
+  #   fsType = "cifs";
+  #   options = let
+  #     # this line prevents hanging on network split
+  #     automount_opts = "x-systemd.automount,noauto,x-systemd.idle-timeout=60,x-systemd.device-timeout=5s,x-systemd.mount-timeout=5s";
+  #   in ["${automount_opts},credentials=/etc/nixos/smb-secrets"];
+  # };
+
+  # 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 = "21.11"; # Did you read the comment?
+
+}
diff --git a/nix-configs/hosts/hoyden/hardware-configuration.nix b/nix-configs/hosts/hoyden/hardware-configuration.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f991c0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix-configs/hosts/hoyden/hardware-configuration.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+# Do not modify this file!  It was generated by ‘nixos-generate-config’
+# and may be overwritten by future invocations.  Please make changes
+# to /etc/nixos/configuration.nix instead.
+{ config, lib, pkgs, modulesPath, ... }:
+
+{
+  imports =
+    [ (modulesPath + "/installer/scan/not-detected.nix")
+    ];
+
+  boot.initrd.availableKernelModules = [ "xhci_pci" "ahci" "nvme" "usbhid" "usb_storage" "sd_mod" "sdhci_pci" ];
+  boot.initrd.kernelModules = [ ];
+  boot.kernelModules = [ "kvm-intel" ];
+  boot.extraModulePackages = [ ];
+
+  fileSystems."/" =
+    { device = "/dev/disk/by-uuid/4dd471ee-c6af-40d4-b9af-b0f99466af02";
+      fsType = "ext4";
+    };
+
+  fileSystems."/boot" =
+    { device = "/dev/disk/by-uuid/D357-6F39";
+      fsType = "vfat";
+    };
+
+  swapDevices =
+    [ { device = "/dev/disk/by-uuid/a5f80549-0f7b-484b-a951-18d12138af67"; }
+    ];
+
+  powerManagement.cpuFreqGovernor = lib.mkDefault "powersave";
+  hardware.cpu.intel.updateMicrocode = lib.mkDefault config.hardware.enableRedistributableFirmware;
+  # high-resolution display
+  # hardware.video.hidpi.enable = lib.mkDefault true;
+}
diff --git a/nix-configs/readme.org b/nix-configs/readme.org
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..64f2133
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nix-configs/readme.org
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+* nix configurations
+This folder tracks any nix configuration required. In the past I've experimented with using things like ~deploy-rs~ and ~morph~ for managing nix hosts, but unfortunately nix state of the art is just trash from a UX perspective. I don't recommend any of these things. Instead, I'm moving to naked configuration of a single ~configuration.nix~ file for the immediate future.
+
+** How this works
+
+There is a single folder per host currently in use. Each folder contains about 2 files, ~configuration.nix~ and ~hardware-configuration.nix~. Any changes made to a hosts configuration should go in the appropriate configuration file, saved, and committed. To use the latest version of a file, invoke ~rebuild switch~ with additional arguments, like:
+
+~nixos-rebuild -I nixos-config=path/to/your/configuration.nix~
+
+In our case, to rebuild the local ~hoyden~ configuration, we would run something like:
+
+~nixos-rebuild -I nixos-config=~/Documents/projects/adc/nix-configs/hosts/hoyden/configuration.nix switch~
+