declarative.space
hackathon.
Nix permits self-hosting. Now make it for everyone.
Register your team →Nix already gives you reproducible builds, declarative configuration, and full control over your software stack. The foundations for self-hosting are here—but most people can't use them.
This hackathon challenges you to close that gap. Build tools, interfaces, and systems that make Nix-powered self-hosting accessible to everyone—not just the experts.
When & where
March 5–6, 2026 at PlanetNix @ Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA 91101.
Teams
1–4 people. Form a team on-site or come solo and find one. All skill levels welcome.
Format
Build, then demo. Each team gets a short live demo slot. Show working software, not slides.
Teams form, hacking begins
Show up at PlanetNix on March 5. Find your team, pick a problem, start building.
Demos at 4 pm, prizes after
Hacking continues through the day. At 4 pm, we call each team by name to demo. Jury deliberates, prizes awarded.
A NixOS appliance your parents could run as their home server
What if nix build could prove a binary matches its source—and a non-developer could verify it?
A mesh cache that shares Nix store paths over the local network at a conference
What if your phone could cryptographically attest that its OS was built from a public config?
A declarative personal cloud: email, files, calendar, contacts, all defined in one flake
Peer-to-peer secret sharing for teams—no third-party vault service
These are sparks, not boundaries. Build whatever you want. The only test: does it give a real person more control over their own computing?
All prizes are per team unless noted otherwise.
| Place | Prize | Specs | Qty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | MNT Reform | i.MX8MQ processor | 1x |
| 64 GB DDR5 SODIMM RAM | 32 GB Crucial 5600 MHz | 2x | |
| 32 GB DDR5 SODIMM RAM | 16 GB Crucial 5600 MHz | 2x | |
| 2nd | 128 GB DDR5 SODIMM RAM | 32 GB Crucial 5600 MHz | 4x |
| YubiKey | NFC USB-C | 4x | |
| 3rd | 64 GB DDR5 SODIMM RAM | 16 GB Crucial 5600 MHz | 4x |
| YubiKey | NFC USB-C | 4x | |
| 4th | iFixit Pro Kit | 64x S2 steel bits & more | 4x |
| YubiKey | NFC USB-C | 4x | |
| Newegg Gift Card | $100 | 1x | |
| 5th | iFixit Pro Kit | 64x S2 steel bits & more | 4x |
Ready to hack?
Register your team by creating a GitHub issue. We will call teams by name on Friday at 4 pm for demos.
Register your team →