try preservation

hosts/i001/preservation.nix

@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+{ ... }:
+{
+  preservation = {
+    enable = true;
+
+    # Preserve system-wide directories and files at /persist
+    preserveAt = {
+      "/persist" = {
+        hideMounts = true;
+
+        # Directories to persist (bind-mount by default)
+        directories = [
+          "/var/log"
+          "/var/lib/nixos"
+          "/var/lib/systemd/coredump"
+          "/var/lib/systemd/timers"
+
+          "/etc/nixos"
+          "/etc/ssh"
+
+          "/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections"
+          "/var/lib/bluetooth"
+          "/var/lib/NetworkManager"
+          "/var/lib/iwd"
+          "/var/lib/fail2ban"
+        ];
+
+        # Files to persist
+        files = [
+          # Persist machine-id early (initrd)
+          { file = "/etc/machine-id"; inInitrd = true; }
+
+          # SSH host keys: ensure correct handling with symlinks
+          { file = "/etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key"; how = "symlink"; configureParent = true; }
+          { file = "/etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key"; how = "symlink"; configureParent = true; }
+        ];
+
+        # Per-user persistence
+        users = {
+          luser = {
+            directories = [
+              ".ssh"
+              ".gnupg"
+
+              "projects"
+              ".config/nixos-config"
+
+              ".config/atuin"
+              ".local/share/atuin"
+
+              ".local/share/zoxide"
+
+              # KDE
+              ".config/kdeconnect"
+
+              # Chrome
+              ".config/google-chrome"
+
+              # neovim ros_neovim
+              ".local/state/nvim_ringofstorms_helium"
+            ];
+            files = [ ];
+          };
+        };
+      };
+    };
+  };
+
+  # Configure intermediate system-wide directories that may need custom modes
+  # (Example: none required beyond defaults here.)
+
+  # If you need custom ownership/modes for parent directories, use tmpfiles:
+  # systemd.tmpfiles.settings.preservation = {
+  #   "/foo".d = { user = "foo"; group = "bar"; mode = "0775"; };
+  #   "/foo/bar".d = { user = "bar"; group = "bar"; mode = "0755"; };
+  # };
+}