diff --git a/NOTES.md b/NOTES.md
index ec97cab..4956683 100644
--- a/NOTES.md
+++ b/NOTES.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # ToDo's
 
+- this looks awesome: https://github.com/erictossell/nixflakes/tree/main
 - https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Binary_Cache
 - build a good abstraction for systems 
   - allows setting nixpkgs.localSystem per systems
diff --git a/flake.lock b/flake.lock
index 57930cd..808a29a 100644
--- a/flake.lock
+++ b/flake.lock
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@
         ]
       },
       "locked": {
-        "lastModified": 1699378729,
-        "narHash": "sha256-WH3CEdPqp1wQeE5hi0yik+MwwSQelFUZCnB3Iqwa1wE=",
+        "lastModified": 1699436319,
+        "narHash": "sha256-gRYGKnYfXE1dugjGJ0Xx5P3x3BOT505gxEFxDBohSiM=",
         "owner": "nix-community",
         "repo": "emacs-overlay",
-        "rev": "4f81073c44bfa46c97cdd739345e6dc05494c69a",
+        "rev": "dc09405b5f031852d3e930b1fa91e973b5206ef8",
         "type": "github"
       },
       "original": {
@@ -296,11 +296,11 @@
     },
     "nur": {
       "locked": {
-        "lastModified": 1699388282,
-        "narHash": "sha256-alOfCpz7ZU/oTks9HOlTsiooR41xAju3gPwoWnMzapo=",
+        "lastModified": 1699450798,
+        "narHash": "sha256-kNunBwAmToJjX+7aMwO/W9U2ZMw6ym9H9XIJgrfvjUY=",
         "owner": "nix-community",
         "repo": "NUR",
-        "rev": "7b7f05a1669f4552b22490b271683dd0f0d0833a",
+        "rev": "3cfab74a8aafa5b6229f47582cc9d9b22085a577",
         "type": "github"
       },
       "original": {
diff --git a/home-mods/audio/default.nix b/home-mods/audio/default.nix
index 0a07a49..b09c997 100644
--- a/home-mods/audio/default.nix
+++ b/home-mods/audio/default.nix
@@ -3,14 +3,15 @@
 , inputs
 , ...
 }: {
-  xdg.configFile."easyeffects/output/quiet.json".source = ./default.json;
+  # xdg.configFile."easyeffects/output/default.json".source = ./default.json;
   services.easyeffects = {
     enable = true;
-    preset = "default";
+    # preset = "default";
     package = pkgs.unstable-pkgs.easyeffects;
   };
 
   home.packages = with pkgs.unstable-pkgs; [
     spotify
+    ncspot
   ];
 }
diff --git a/home-mods/common/default.nix b/home-mods/common/default.nix
index dce4e44..39dec3a 100644
--- a/home-mods/common/default.nix
+++ b/home-mods/common/default.nix
@@ -4,4 +4,5 @@
 , ...
 }: {
   home.homeDirectory = "/home/${config.home.username}";
+  xdg.enable = true;
 }
diff --git a/home-mods/dev/default.nix b/home-mods/dev/default.nix
deleted file mode 100644
index 8dac6b8..0000000
--- a/home-mods/dev/default.nix
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,68 +0,0 @@
-{ lib
-, pkgs
-, config
-, inputs
-, ...
-}: {
-  xdg.enable = true;
-
-  programs.alacritty = {
-    enable = true;
-    settings = {
-      window.opacity = 0.88;
-      window.dimensions = {
-        lines = 40;
-        columns = 150;
-      };
-    };
-  };
-  services = {
-    emacs = {
-      package = lib.mkForce pkgs.unstable-pkgs.emacs-unstable-pgtk;
-    };
-  };
-
-  home = {
-    sessionVariables = {
-      TERMINAL = "alacritty";
-    };
-
-    packages = with pkgs.unstable-pkgs; [
-      any-nix-shell
-      atool
-      aspell
-      aspellDicts.en
-      aspellDicts.en-computers
-      aspellDicts.en-science
-      aspellDicts.de
-      binutils
-      cmake
-      curl
-      direnv
-      emacs-unstable-pgtk
-      fd
-      gnutls
-      gnumake
-      gcc
-      imagemagick
-      libtool
-      nodejs_20
-      nil
-      nixpkgs-fmt
-      pandoc
-      python311Full
-      rcm
-      (lib.mkIf config.services.gpg-agent.enable
-        pinentry-emacs)
-      (ripgrep.override { withPCRE2 = true; })
-      shellcheck
-      shfmt
-      statix
-      texlive.combined.scheme-full
-      tokei
-      wget
-      wl-clipboard
-      zstd
-    ];
-  };
-}
diff --git a/home-mods/shell/default.nix b/home-mods/shell/default.nix
index 414a573..22f6434 100644
--- a/home-mods/shell/default.nix
+++ b/home-mods/shell/default.nix
@@ -18,6 +18,17 @@ let
 in
 {
   programs = {
+    alacritty = {
+      enable = true;
+      settings = {
+        window.opacity = 0.88;
+        window.dimensions = {
+          lines = 40;
+          columns = 150;
+        };
+      };
+    };
+
     rbw = {
       enable = true;
       settings = {
@@ -123,7 +134,7 @@ in
     emacs = {
       enable = true;
       defaultEditor = true;
-      package = lib.mkDefault pkgs.unstable-pkgs.emacs-pgtk-unstable;
+      package = lib.mkDefault pkgs.unstable-pkgs.emacs-pgtk;
     };
   };
 
@@ -145,12 +156,51 @@ in
       # onChange = "${config.home.homeDirectory}/.config/emacs/bin/doom sync";
     };
 
+    sessionVariables = {
+      TERMINAL = "alacritty";
+    };
+
     packages = with pkgs.unstable-pkgs; [
       btop
       config.services.emacs.package
       imagemagick
       rust-motd
       zellij
+      any-nix-shell
+      atool
+      aspell
+      aspellDicts.en
+      aspellDicts.en-computers
+      aspellDicts.en-science
+      aspellDicts.de
+      binutils
+      cmake
+      curl
+      direnv
+      fd
+      gnutls
+      gnumake
+      gcc
+      imagemagick
+      libtool
+      nodejs_20
+      nil
+      nixpkgs-fmt
+      pandoc
+      python311Full
+      rcm
+      (lib.mkIf config.services.gpg-agent.enable
+        pinentry-emacs)
+      (ripgrep.override { withPCRE2 = true; })
+      shellcheck
+      shfmt
+      statix
+      texlive.combined.scheme-full
+      tokei
+      wget
+      wl-clipboard
+      zstd
+
     ];
   };
 }
diff --git a/users/tester.nix b/users/tester.nix
index 050ebc8..063239f 100644
--- a/users/tester.nix
+++ b/users/tester.nix
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
 , ...
 }: {
   imports = [
+    ../home-mods/audio
     ../home-mods/common
     ../home-mods/desktop
-    ../home-mods/dev
     ../home-mods/firefox
     ../home-mods/plasma
     ../home-mods/shell
diff --git a/users/tristand.nix b/users/tristand.nix
index 36ac1c5..7827d5c 100644
--- a/users/tristand.nix
+++ b/users/tristand.nix
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@
 , ...
 }: {
   imports = [
+    ../home-mods/audio
     ../home-mods/common
     ../home-mods/desktop
-    ../home-mods/dev
     ../home-mods/firefox
     ../home-mods/plasma
     ../home-mods/shell