{
  description = "Emile's Nix Dotfiles";

  inputs = {
    # nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-24.05";
    nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-24.11";
    #nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";

    #home-manager = {
    #  url = "github:nix-community/home-manager";
    #  inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
    #};

    spicetify-nix = {
      url = "github:Gerg-L/spicetify-nix";
      inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
    };

    nixcord.url = "github:kaylorben/nixcord";

    grub2-themes.url = "github:vinceliuice/grub2-themes";

    # is this necessary? (aren't I enabling it in `configuration.nix` anyways?)
    hyprland.url = "github:hyprwm/Hyprland";

    swww.url = "github:LGFae/swww";

    # TODO: declarative flatpak management
    nix-flatpak.url = "github:gmodena/nix-flatpak/?ref=v0.4.1";

    ags.url = "github:Aylur/ags";

    hyprpanel.url = "github:Jas-SinghFSU/HyprPanel";

    # colmena.url = "github:zhaofengli/colmena";
    colmena.url = "github:zhaofengli/colmena/?rev=47b6414d800c8471e98ca072bc0835345741a56a";
    # alternative to colmena (currently in testing)
    #deploy-rs.url = "github:serokell/deploy-rs";

    #wishlist.url = "path:/home/me/nixdots/flakes/wishlist";
  };

  outputs = {
    self,
    nixpkgs,
    #home-manager,
    hyprland,
    grub2-themes,
    nixcord,
    colmena,
    #deploy-rs,
    ...
  } @ inputs: let
    system = "x86_64-linux";

    pkgs = import nixpkgs {
      inherit system;

      config = {
        allowUnfree = true;
      };
    };

    # TODO: come back to this its really cool
    # this is just something I'm experimenting with
    PROJECT_ROOT = builtins.toString ./.;
  in {
    # `nix develop` shell
    devShells."x86_64-linux".default = pkgs.mkShell {
      buildInputs = [
        #colmena-new
      ];
    };

    nixosConfigurations = {
      # i be on my puter fr
      myputer = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
        # nix passes these to every single module
        specialArgs = {inherit inputs pkgs;};

        modules = [
          ./hosts/myputer
          grub2-themes.nixosModules.default
        ];
      };

      # my laptop 0w0
      lolcathost = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
        specialArgs = {inherit inputs pkgs;};

        modules = [
          ./hosts/lolcathost
          grub2-themes.nixosModules.default
        ];
      };

      # meine vps
      # hyrule = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
      #   # manually set system architecture since
      #   # this is for a remote deployment
      #   system = "x86_64-linux";
      #   specialargs = {inherit inputs pkgs;};
      #
      #   modules = [
      #     ./hosts/hyrule
      #   ];
      # };
    };

    # remote deployment with deploy-rs
    # deploy.nodes.hyrule = {
    #   hostname = "imbored.dev";
    #   # create a primary profile called "system"
    #   profiles.system = {
    #     user = "root"; # user to deploy to
    #     path = deploy-rs.lib.x86_64-linux.activate.nixos self.nixosConfigurations.hyrule;
    #
    #     # ssh configuration for reaching the server
    #     sshUser = "ae";
    #     #interactiveSudo = true; # TODO: use this and revoke passwordless sudo for ae
    #     sshOpts = ["-i" "/home/me/.ssh/id_hyrule"];
    #     remoteBuild = false; # build locally then deploy to remote host
    #   };
    # };

    # remote deployment to my servers!!
    colmenaHive = colmena.lib.makeHive {
      meta = {
        # set nixpkgs global
        nixpkgs = pkgs;
        # set nixpkgs per server
        nodeNixpkgs = {
          hyrule = import nixpkgs {
            system = "x86_64-linux";
            config.allowUnfree = false;
          };
        };

        # we can use `specialArgs.inputs` to inject wishlist into hyrule's module
        #specialArgs.inputs = with inputs; {inherit wishlist;};
      };

      # meine vps
      hyrule = import ./hosts/hyrule;
    };
  };
}