Applications Directory Fix

machines/universeair/app-fix.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+{config, pkgs, lib, ...}: {
+  # Nix-darwin does not link installed applications to the user environment. This means apps will not show up
+  # in spotlight, and when launched through the dock they come with a terminal window. This is a workaround.
+  # Upstream issue: https://github.com/LnL7/nix-darwin/issues/214
+  system.activationScripts.applications.text = lib.mkForce ''
+    echo "setting up /Applications..." >&2
+    applications="/Applications"
+    nix_apps="$applications/Nix Apps"
+
+    # Delete the directory to remove old links
+    rm -rf "$nix_apps"
+    mkdir -p "$nix_apps"
+    find ${config.system.build.applications}/Applications -maxdepth 1 -type l -exec readlink '{}' + |
+        while read src; do
+            # Spotlight does not recognize symlinks, it will ignore directory we link to the applications folder.
+            # It does understand MacOS aliases though, a unique filesystem feature. Sadly they cannot be created
+            # from bash (as far as I know), so we use the oh-so-great Apple Script instead.
+            /usr/bin/osascript -e "
+                set fileToAlias to POSIX file \"$src\" 
+                set applicationsFolder to POSIX file \"$nix_apps\"
+                tell application \"Finder\"
+                    make new alias at applicationsFolder to fileToAlias
+                    # This renames the alias; 'mpv.app alias' -> 'mpv.app'
+                    set name of result to \"$(rev <<< "$src" | cut -d'/' -f1 | rev)\"
+                end tell
+            " 1>/dev/null
+        done
+  '';
+}