# Self-growing NixOS appliance images with systemd-repart

DevFeed: [Self-growing NixOS appliance images with systemd-repart](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/self-growing-nixos-appliance-images-with-systemd-repart-32426.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://nixcademy.com/posts/auto-growing-nixos-appliance-images-with-systemd-repart/>)

Author: Jacek Galowicz

Published: 2025-10-03T00:00:00Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [Nixcademy Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/nixcademy-blog.md>)

Topics: [Nix](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/nix.md>), [systemd](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/systemd.md>), [Linux](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/linux.md>), [Disk image](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/disk-image.md>), [systems](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/systems.md>)

Tags: [boot](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/boot.md>), [build](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/build.md>), [how-to](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/how-to.md>), [linux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linux.md>), [partitions](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/partitions.md>), [systemd](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/systemd.md>)

## AI overview

This tutorial explains how to build small, bootable NixOS appliance images with systemd-repart that expand to use the available disk during the first boot. It introduces the approach as part of a series covering image minimization, OTA updates, and cross-compilation.

## Source excerpt

How to build small, self-inflating NixOS images with systemd-repart that automatically repartition to use the full disk on the first boot.