So I have been using PopOS/Mint for a couple of years now and I regularly listen to Linux Unplugged and have been getting some FOMO when all they talk about how great NixOS is. So I guess my default starting point is going to be a Vm through VMware. My question is: Is this a good place to start? Should I just use a basic desktop on bare metal to get it running.
I would start with a virtual machine. Then, when the system is debugged, you can copy the configuration files somewhere (GitHub or other storage) and then reproduce the configuration on bare metal.