diff --git a/flake.lock b/flake.lock
index 05ed3b7..177441e 100644
--- a/flake.lock
+++ b/flake.lock
@@ -37,27 +37,10 @@
         "type": "github"
       }
     },
-    "nixpkgs-unstable": {
-      "locked": {
-        "lastModified": 1686501370,
-        "narHash": "sha256-G0WuM9fqTPRc2URKP9Lgi5nhZMqsfHGrdEbrLvAPJcg=",
-        "owner": "nixos",
-        "repo": "nixpkgs",
-        "rev": "75a5ebf473cd60148ba9aec0d219f72e5cf52519",
-        "type": "github"
-      },
-      "original": {
-        "owner": "nixos",
-        "ref": "nixos-unstable",
-        "repo": "nixpkgs",
-        "type": "github"
-      }
-    },
     "root": {
       "inputs": {
         "home-manager": "home-manager",
-        "nixpkgs": "nixpkgs",
-        "nixpkgs-unstable": "nixpkgs-unstable"
+        "nixpkgs": "nixpkgs"
       }
     }
   },
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 062aeb4..2581a7d 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
   description = "Sneexy's custom nixos configs";
 
   inputs = {
+    # TODO: dear god there is a lot here. can we remove some? or try to split them?
+
     # nixpkgs from the unstable branch. since stable is a bit too dated
     # for my personal taste
     nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-unstable";
@@ -22,6 +24,9 @@
     # packages, such as modified linux kernels (which we do use here)
     chaotic.url = "github:chaotic-cx/nyx/nyxpkgs-unstable";
 
+    # flake that allows for installing system and user flatpaks
+    nix-flatpak.url = "github:gmodena/nix-flatpak";
+
     # catppuccin's nix thingy for theming applications with catppuccin directly inside
     # of the config
     catppuccin.url = "github:catppuccin/nix";
@@ -56,6 +61,7 @@
     nixpkgs,
     nixpkgs-master,
     chaotic,
+    nix-flatpak,
     catppuccin,
     home-manager,
     plasma-manager,
@@ -64,86 +70,64 @@
     ...
   } @ inputs: let
     inherit (self) outputs;
-    # our systems are all x86_64 unfortunately
-    systems = [
-      "x86_64-linux"
-    ];
-    # This is a function that generates an attribute by calling a function you
-    # pass to it, with each system as an argument
-    forAllSystems = nixpkgs.lib.genAttrs systems;
   in {
-    # Your custom packages
-    # Accessible through 'nix build', 'nix shell', etc
-    packages = forAllSystems (system: import ./pkgs nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system});
-    # Formatter for your nix files, available through 'nix fmt'
-    # Other options beside 'alejandra' include 'nixpkgs-fmt'
-    formatter = forAllSystems (system: nixpkgs.legacyPackages.${system}.alejandra);
-
-    # Your custom packages and modifications, exported as overlays
-    overlays = import ./overlays {inherit inputs;};
-    # Reusable nixos modules you might want to export
-    # These are usually stuff you would upstream into nixpkgs
-    nixosModules = import ./modules/nixos;
-    # Reusable home-manager modules you might want to export
-    # These are usually stuff you would upstream into home-manager
-    homeManagerModules = import ./modules/home-manager;
+    nixosModules = {
+      declarativeHome = { ... }: {
+        # thanks to https://determinate.systems/posts/declarative-gnome-configuration-with-nixos for teaching how to use this home manager module
+        imports = [ home-manager.nixosModules.home-manager ];
+        config = {
+          home-manager.useGlobalPkgs = true;
+          home-manager.useUserPackages = true;
+        };
+      };
+      defaults = { ... }: {
+        # globally allow unfree packages
+        nixpkgs.config.allowUnfree = true;
+        # flakes, duh
+        nix.settings = {
+          experimental-features = [ "nix-command" "flakes" ];
+          auto-optimise-store = true;
+        };
+      };
+    };
 
     # NixOS configuration entrypoint
     # Available through 'nixos-rebuild --flake .#your-hostname'
     nixosConfigurations = {
-      # main laptop i use daily
+      # my main laptop, a thinkpad t480
       "thunkpad" = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem rec {
-        specialArgs = {inherit inputs outputs;};
-        modules = [
-          # specific configs for thunkpad/t480
+        # boowomp sound effect
+        system = "x86_64-linux";
+        specialArgs = {
+          inherit inputs outputs;
+          pkgs-master = nixpkgs-master.legacyPackages.${system};
+        };
+        modules = with self.nixosModules; [
           ./machines/thunkpad
-          # shared/common config
-          ./nixos/configuration.nix
-          # fingerprint modules
-          nixos-06cb-009a-fingerprint-sensor.nixosModules.open-fprintd
-          nixos-06cb-009a-fingerprint-sensor.nixosModules.python-validity
+          declarativeHome ./users/ruben
+          # flatpaks
+          nix-flatpak.nixosModules.nix-flatpak
           # nyx repo
           chaotic.nixosModules.default
         ];
       };
-      # secondary 2 in 1 device, not really used
-      "thonkpad" = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
-        specialArgs = {inherit inputs outputs;};
-        modules = [
-          # nixos configuration file (and others) for thonkpad
+      # my secondary laptop, a thinkpad yoga 14...?
+      "thonkpad" = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem rec {
+        # boowomp sound effect x2
+        system = "x86_64-linux";
+        specialArgs = {
+          inherit inputs outputs;
+          pkgs-master = nixpkgs-master.legacyPackages.${system};
+        };
+        modules = with self.nixosModules; [
           ./machines/thonkpad
-          # shared/common config
-          ./nixos/configuration.nix
+          declarativeHome ./users/ruben
+          # flatpaks
+          nix-flatpak.nixosModules.nix-flatpak
           # nyx repo
           chaotic.nixosModules.default
         ];
       };
     };
-
-    # Standalone home-manager configuration entrypoint
-    # Available through 'home-manager --flake .#your-username@your-hostname'
-    homeConfigurations = {
-      # TODO: theres probably a better way to do this/specify one home config for all devices
-      # main device
-      "ruben@thunkpad" = home-manager.lib.homeManagerConfiguration {
-        pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.x86_64-linux; # Home-manager requires 'pkgs' instance
-        extraSpecialArgs = {inherit inputs outputs;};
-        modules = [
-          ./home-manager/home.nix
-          # cat cat cat meow 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛
-          catppuccin.homeManagerModules.catppuccin
-        ];
-      };
-      # secondary device
-      "ruben@thonkpad" = home-manager.lib.homeManagerConfiguration {
-        pkgs = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.x86_64-linux; # Home-manager requires 'pkgs' instance
-        extraSpecialArgs = {inherit inputs outputs;};
-        modules = [
-          ./home-manager/home.nix
-          # cat cat cat meow 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛
-          catppuccin.homeManagerModules.catppuccin
-        ];
-      };
-    };
   };
 }
diff --git a/machines/thonkpad/default.nix b/machines/thonkpad/default.nix
index 741c2f5..fc89d97 100644
--- a/machines/thonkpad/default.nix
+++ b/machines/thonkpad/default.nix
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
   imports = [
     # Include the results of the hardware scan.
     ./hardware-configuration.nix
+    # use shared configuration
+    ../../nixos.nix
   ];
 
   # who up thonking they
diff --git a/machines/thunkpad/default.nix b/machines/thunkpad/default.nix
index e381da2..e9ec770 100644
--- a/machines/thunkpad/default.nix
+++ b/machines/thunkpad/default.nix
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
   imports = [
     # Include the results of the hardware scan.
     ./hardware-configuration.nix
+    # use shared configuration
+    ../../nixos.nix
   ];
 
   # who up thunking they
diff --git a/modules/home-manager/default.nix b/modules/home-manager/default.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 45aae31..0000000
--- a/modules/home-manager/default.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-# Add your reusable home-manager modules to this directory, on their own file (https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Module).
-# These should be stuff you would like to share with others, not your personal configurations.
-{
-  # List your module files here
-  # my-module = import ./my-module.nix;
-}
diff --git a/modules/nixos/default.nix b/modules/nixos/default.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 8605069..0000000
--- a/modules/nixos/default.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-# Add your reusable NixOS modules to this directory, on their own file (https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Module).
-# These should be stuff you would like to share with others, not your personal configurations.
-{
-  # List your module files here
-  # my-module = import ./my-module.nix;
-}
diff --git a/nixos/configuration.nix b/nixos.nix
similarity index 97%
rename from nixos/configuration.nix
rename to nixos.nix
index d067410..1ea1567 100644
--- a/nixos/configuration.nix
+++ b/nixos.nix
@@ -19,18 +19,12 @@
 
     # You can also split up your configuration and import pieces of it here:
     # ./users.nix
-
-    # specify users in a seperate config file (since its only me on this system, anyways)
-    ./users.nix
   ];
 
   nixpkgs = {
     # You can add overlays here
     overlays = [
       # Add overlays your own flake exports (from overlays and pkgs dir):
-      outputs.overlays.additions
-      outputs.overlays.modifications
-      outputs.overlays.unstable-packages
 
       # You can also add overlays exported from other flakes:
       # neovim-nightly-overlay.overlays.default
diff --git a/overlays/default.nix b/overlays/default.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index a13ea3c..0000000
--- a/overlays/default.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-# This file defines overlays
-{inputs, ...}: {
-  # This one brings our custom packages from the 'pkgs' directory
-  additions = final: _prev: import ../pkgs {pkgs = final;};
-
-  # This one contains whatever you want to overlay
-  # You can change versions, add patches, set compilation flags, anything really.
-  # https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Overlays
-  modifications = final: prev: {
-    # example = prev.example.overrideAttrs (oldAttrs: rec {
-    # ...
-    # });
-  };
-
-  # When applied, the unstable nixpkgs set (declared in the flake inputs) will
-  # be accessible through 'pkgs.unstable'
-  unstable-packages = final: _prev: {
-    unstable = import inputs.nixpkgs-unstable {
-      system = final.system;
-      config.allowUnfree = true;
-    };
-  };
-}
diff --git a/pkgs/default.nix b/pkgs/default.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 3d9e23c..0000000
--- a/pkgs/default.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-# Custom packages, that can be defined similarly to ones from nixpkgs
-# You can build them using 'nix build .#example'
-pkgs: {
-  # example = pkgs.callPackage ./example { };
-}
diff --git a/nixos/users.nix b/users/ruben/default.nix
similarity index 87%
rename from nixos/users.nix
rename to users/ruben/default.nix
index 6bd9ca5..3b62d9f 100644
--- a/nixos/users.nix
+++ b/users/ruben/default.nix
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 { config, pkgs, lib, ... }:
 
 {
-  home-manager.users.ruben = ../home-manager/home.nix;
+  home-manager.users.ruben = ./home.nix;
 
   # myself :D
   users.users."ruben" = {
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
     description = "Ruben";
     shell = pkgs.zsh;
     extraGroups = [ "wheel" "plugdev" "dialout" "libvirtd" ] ++ (lib.optional config.networking.networkmanager.enable "networkmanager");
+    initialHashedPassword = "changeme";
 
     openssh.authorizedKeys.keys = [ ''ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIO+V3b6oKMTLEBq8AKjdNF5ZwJGXuWTrS2u9QaEypBYP sneexy@disroot.org'' ];
   };
diff --git a/home-manager/home.nix b/users/ruben/home.nix
similarity index 75%
rename from home-manager/home.nix
rename to users/ruben/home.nix
index 6e94a05..51aa7f1 100644
--- a/home-manager/home.nix
+++ b/users/ruben/home.nix
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 # Use this to configure your home environment (it replaces ~/.config/nixpkgs/home.nix)
 {
   inputs,
-  outputs,
   lib,
   config,
   pkgs,
@@ -10,11 +9,11 @@
 }: {
   # You can import other home-manager modules here
   imports = [
-    # If you want to use modules your own flake exports (from modules/home-manager):
-    # outputs.homeManagerModules.example
+    # import the flatpaks home-manager nix
+    flatpaks.homeManagerModules.nix-flatpak
 
-    # Or modules exported from other flakes (such as nix-colors):
-    # inputs.nix-colors.homeManagerModules.default
+    # If you want to use home-manager modules from other flakes (such as nix-colors):
+    # inputs.nix-colors.homeManagerModule
 
     # You can also split up your configuration and import pieces of it here:
     # ./nvim.nix
@@ -23,12 +22,7 @@
   nixpkgs = {
     # You can add overlays here
     overlays = [
-      # Add overlays your own flake exports (from overlays and pkgs dir):
-      outputs.overlays.additions
-      outputs.overlays.modifications
-      outputs.overlays.unstable-packages
-
-      # You can also add overlays exported from other flakes:
+      # If you want to use overlays exported from other flakes:
       # neovim-nightly-overlay.overlays.default
 
       # Or define it inline, for example:
@@ -52,13 +46,61 @@
     homeDirectory = "/home/ruben";
   };
 
-  # catppuccin flavour
-  catppuccin.flavour = "mocha";
+  # Add stuff for your user as you see fit:
+  programs.neovim.enable = true;
+  home.packages = with pkgs; [
+    btop
+    bat
+    duf
+    fastfetch
+    fd
+    delta
+    lsd
+    ripgrep
+    sd
+    starship
+    zoxide
 
-  # this is a got damn NEO VIMME HOUSE !!
-  home.sessionVariables = {
-    EDITOR = "nvim";
-  };
+    usbutils
+    jq
+    ffmpeg_6-full
+    imagemagick
+    yt-dlp
+
+    firefox
+    thunderbird
+    birdtray
+    libreoffice
+    inkscape gimp
+    kdenlive krita
+    nicotine-plus
+    okteta
+    obsidian
+    obs-studio
+    gpu-screen-recorder-gtk
+
+    gajim
+    cinny-desktop
+    revolt-desktop
+    vesktop
+    signal-desktop
+
+    cartridges
+    prismlauncher
+    retroarch-with-cores
+    pcsx2
+    dolphin-emu
+    dosbox-staging
+    bottles
+    protonup-qt
+    protontricks
+
+    mpv
+    qbittorrent
+    watchmate
+    nextcloud-client
+    ventoy
+  ];
 
   # fuzzy command finder, required by a decent amount of things
   programs.fzf = {
@@ -113,7 +155,27 @@
     };
   };
 
-  xdg.userDirs.enable = true;
+  # this is a got damn NEO VIMME HOUSE !!
+  home.sessionVariables = {
+    EDITOR = "nvim";
+  };
+
+  # flatpaks
+  # TODO: unsure if i should even bother using flatpaks in a configuration/distro like this...
+  # maybe i can fully embrace flatpaks once i've figured out how to remove default packages
+  #services.flatpak.remotes = lib.mkOptionDefault [{
+  #  name = "flathub";
+  #  location = "https://dl.flathub.org/repo/#flathub.flatpakrepo";
+  #}];
+  #
+  #services.flatpak.update.auto.enable = true;
+  #services.flatpak.uninstallUnmanaged = true;
+  # flatpak user packages
+  #services.flatpak.packages = [
+    #{ appId = "com.brave.Browser"; origin = "flathub"; }
+    #"com.obsproject.Studio"
+    #"im.riot.Riot"
+  #];
 
   # music!!
   services.mpd = {
@@ -126,31 +188,10 @@
     '';
   };
 
-  # Add stuff for your user as you see fit:
-  programs.neovim.enable = true;
-  home.packages = with pkgs; [
-    btop
-    bat
-    duf
-    fastfetch
-    fd
-    delta
-    lsd
-    ripgrep
-    sd
-    starship
-    zoxide
+  xdg.userDirs.enable = true;
 
-    usbutils
-    jq
-    ffmpeg_6-full
-    imagemagick
-    yt-dlp
-
-    mpv
-    nextcloud-client
-    ventoy
-  ];
+  # catppuccin flavour
+  catppuccin.flavour = "mocha";
 
   # catppuccin's gtk theme
   gtk = {