Document NixOS as a supported OS for the Smallstep Agent

platform/smallstep-agent.mdx

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-updated_at: June 9, 2026
+updated_at: July 27, 2026
 title: Install the Smallstep Agent
 html_title: Install the Smallstep Agent on macOS, Windows, and Linux
 description: Install, configure, and deploy the Smallstep Agent on macOS, Windows, and Linux endpoints. Includes manual install, MDM integration, system requirements, and network endpoints.
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ Running into trouble? See the [Smallstep Agent troubleshooting guide](./troubles
     - Ubuntu (Current Stable and LTS)
     - Debian (Current Releases)
     - Fedora (Current Releases)
+    - NixOS
 - `systemd`-based service manager
 - A TPM 2.0 module is required. Smallstep depends on TPMs to create a high-assurance device inventory.
 - `p11-kit`, `tpm-tss2`
@@ -284,6 +285,177 @@ curl -fsSL https://packages.smallstep.com/scripts/smallstep-agent-install.sh | s
     ```
 
 
+### NixOS
+
+The [`step-agent`](https://search.nixos.org/packages?query=step-agent) package is in nixpkgs, on the `nixos-unstable` channel.
+NixOS has no `services.step-agent` module yet,
+so the system user, systemd service, and PKCS#11 wiring that the Debian and RPM packages install are declared in your own configuration instead.
+
+<Alert severity="info">
+<div>
+The agent requires a hardware TPM 2.0 on NixOS.
+The Debian and RPM packages fall back to a software TPM on hosts without one,
+but the helper scripts that set that up are not part of the nixpkgs package,
+so a host with no <code>/dev/tpmrm0</code> cannot enroll yet.
+</div>
+</Alert>
+
+1. If you track a stable NixOS channel, add an overlay so that `pkgs.step-agent` resolves.
+   Skip this step on `nixos-unstable`.
+
+    ```nix
+    nixpkgs.overlays = [
+      (final: prev: {
+        inherit
+          (import (builtins.fetchTarball "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/archive/nixos-unstable.tar.gz") {
+            system = prev.stdenv.hostPlatform.system;
+            config.allowUnfreePredicate = pkg: prev.lib.getName pkg == "step-agent";
+          })
+          step-agent
+          ;
+      })
+    ];
+    ```
+
+2. Save the following as `step-agent.nix` alongside your `configuration.nix`,
+   and add `./step-agent.nix` to its `imports` list:
+
+    ```nix
+    { config, lib, pkgs, ... }:
+
+    {
+      # The step-agent package is unfree.
+      nixpkgs.config.allowUnfreePredicate = pkg: lib.getName pkg == "step-agent";
+
+      environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.step-agent ];
+
+      # The agent talks to the TPM from user space, so it needs read/write access
+      # to the TPM resource manager. This creates the tss group and the udev rules
+      # that grant that group /dev/tpmrm0.
+      security.tpm2.enable = true;
+
+      users.groups.step-agent = { };
+      users.users.step-agent = {
+        isSystemUser = true;
+        group = "step-agent";
+        home = "/var/lib/step-agent";
+        extraGroups = [ "tss" ];
+      };
+
+      # /run/step-agent holds the PKCS#11 and SSH sockets that other users connect
+      # to. Create it with tmpfiles rather than systemd's RuntimeDirectory=, which
+      # deletes the directory every time the service stops.
+      systemd.tmpfiles.rules = [
+        "d /run/step-agent 0755 step-agent step-agent - -"
+      ];
+
+      systemd.services.step-agent = {
+        description = "Smallstep Agent";
+        documentation = [ "https://u.step.sm/docs/agent" ];
+        after = [ "network-online.target" ];
+        requires = [ "network-online.target" ];
+        wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
+
+        # The agent starts once the device is registered and agent.yaml exists.
+        unitConfig.ConditionPathIsReadWrite = "/etc/step-agent/agent.yaml";
+
+        environment = {
+          HOME = "/var/lib/step-agent";
+          RUNTIME_DIRECTORY = "/run/step-agent";
+        };
+
+        serviceConfig = {
+          Type = "notify";
+          WatchdogSec = "60s";
+          ExecStart = "${lib.getExe pkgs.step-agent} start";
+          ExecReload = "${pkgs.coreutils}/bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID";
+          User = "step-agent";
+          Group = "step-agent";
+          ConfigurationDirectory = "step-agent";
+          StateDirectory = "step-agent";
+          Restart = "always";
+          RestartSec = 10;
+
+          ProtectSystem = true;
+          ProtectHome = "read-only";
+          PrivateTmp = true;
+          SecureBits = "keep-caps";
+          AmbientCapabilities = [ "CAP_IPC_LOCK" "CAP_CHOWN" "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE" "CAP_FOWNER" ];
+          CapabilityBoundingSet = [ "CAP_SYSLOG" "CAP_IPC_LOCK" "CAP_CHOWN" "CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE" "CAP_FOWNER" ];
+          DeviceAllow = [ "/dev/tpmrm0 rw" ];
+          ReadWritePaths = [ "-/dev/tpmrm0" ];
+
+          LimitNOFILE = 65536;
+          LimitMEMLOCK = "infinity";
+        };
+      };
+
+      # Restart the agent when its configuration changes, such as after registering.
+      systemd.paths.step-agent-restart = {
+        wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
+        pathConfig.PathChanged = "/etc/step-agent/agent.yaml";
+      };
+
+      systemd.services.step-agent-restart.serviceConfig = {
+        Type = "oneshot";
+        ExecStart = "${config.systemd.package}/bin/systemctl restart step-agent.service";
+      };
+
+      # Let the agent restart units and manage NetworkManager connections.
+      security.polkit.enable = true;
+      security.polkit.extraConfig = ''
+        polkit.addRule(function(action, subject) {
+          if (subject.user == "step-agent") {
+            if (action.id == "org.freedesktop.systemd1.manage-units") {
+              return polkit.Result.YES;
+            }
+            if (action.id.indexOf("org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.") == 0) {
+              return polkit.Result.YES;
+            }
+          }
+        });
+      '';
+
+      # Publish the agent's PKCS#11 server to p11-kit clients. The module path has
+      # to be explicit: the agent searches FHS locations that do not exist on NixOS.
+      environment.etc."pkcs11/modules/step-agent.module".text = ''
+        module: ${pkgs.p11-kit}/lib/pkcs11/p11-kit-client.so
+        server-address: unix:path=/run/step-agent/step-agent-pkcs11.sock
+      '';
+    }
+    ```
+
+3. Rebuild your system:
+
+    ```bash
+    sudo nixos-rebuild switch
+    ```
+
+4. Register the device with your team:
+
+    ```bash
+    sudo step-agent register [team name]
+    ```
+
+    Registration writes `agent.yaml` into `/etc/step-agent`,
+    which systemd creates and keeps writable through `ConfigurationDirectory=`.
+    Do not manage `agent.yaml` with `environment.etc`:
+    that produces a read-only symlink into the Nix store, and the service refuses to start.
+
+5. Check that it was installed correctly:
+
+    ```bash
+    step-agent version
+    ```
+
+    Output:
+
+    ```bash
+    step-agent/0.67.3 (linux/amd64)
+    Release Date: 2026-05-19 15:50 UTC
+    ```
+
+
 ## Registering and approving endpoints
 
 ### Self-registration
@@ -327,6 +499,8 @@ sudo systemctl enable --now step-agent
 sudo systemctl enable --now step-agent-restart.path
 ```
 
+On NixOS, `nixos-rebuild switch` enables and starts both units, so skip this step.
+
 If you get any errors, check the agent’s status:
 
 ```bash
@@ -355,6 +529,9 @@ modutil -dbdir ~/.pki/nssdb -add step-agent \
 export P11_KIT_SERVER_ADDRESS=unix:path=$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/step-agent/step-agent-pkcs11.sock
 ```
 
+On NixOS, `p11-kit-client.so` lives in the Nix store rather than under `/usr/lib`.
+Point `modutil` at it with `-libfile $(nix eval --raw nixpkgs#p11-kit)/lib/pkcs11/p11-kit-client.so`.
+
 Next, start Chrome from the command line.
 
 In Chrome, you should now have access to certificates managed by Smallstep.
@@ -379,6 +556,8 @@ To uninstall the Smallstep Agent from a Linux system:
    sudo apt-get remove step-agent
    ```
 
+   **For NixOS:** remove `./step-agent.nix` from your `imports` list, then run `sudo nixos-rebuild switch`.
+
 2. Optionally, remove configuration and certificate files:
 
    ```bash

platform/troubleshooting-agent.mdx

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-updated_at: February 03, 2026
+updated_at: July 27, 2026
 title: Troubleshooting Guide
 html_title: Smallstep Troubleshooting Guide
 description: Troubleshoot Smallstep Device Identity issues. Diagnose platform, MDM, and endpoint problems with step-by-step guidance.
@@ -560,6 +560,11 @@ Quick reference for platform-specific commands and file locations.
 | Collect logs | `step-agent logs collect --log-dir /var/lib/step-agent/logs` |
 | Agent configuration | `/etc/step-agent/agent.yaml` |
 
+On NixOS these paths are the same, with two differences.
+There is no `/usr/bin/step-agent`: the binary is a Nix store path on your `PATH`.
+And `step-agent doctor` reports p11-kit as missing unless the client module is registered by its store path,
+as shown in [the NixOS install instructions](./smallstep-agent.mdx#nixos).
+
 <Alert severity="info">
 If the agent won't start, check for this message in the logs:
 ```

step-cli/installation.mdx

@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ Big shout out to the maintainers of these packages! We appreciate you.
 
 #### NixOS
 
-Install the [`step-cli`](https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=20.09&show=step-cli&from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&query=step-cli) package on NixOS.
+Install the [`step-cli`](https://search.nixos.org/packages?show=step-cli&from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&query=step-cli) package on NixOS.
 
 #### FreeBSD