dotfiles/readme.md
2025-11-23 22:45:02 -06:00

12 KiB

TODO working on changes to this now

Old config before granular module + flakes

https://git.joshuabell.xyz/ringofstorms/dotfiles/src/commit/741363b361dbb1f7f08dad81c3d7b3bd2cdae093

Old Config prior to per system flake approach

https://git.joshuabell.xyz/ringofstorms/dotfiles/~files/6527f67145fe047df57b4778c154dde580ec04c4

Old modules from multi branch flake approach

First Install on new Machine

NixOS install

  1. Install nix minimal: (new with btrfs backing)
# Partition main drive with btrfs
lsblk
echo "Read the above output and determine what drive to install NixOS on"
read -p "Enter device name: " DEVICE

# Partitioning
echo "Creating partitions on $DEVICE..."
parted /dev/$DEVICE -- mklabel gpt # make GPT partition table
parted /dev/$DEVICE -- mkpart NIXROOT 2GB 100% # make root partition (2GB offset for boot)
parted /dev/$DEVICE -- mkpart ESP fat32 1MB 2GB # make boot partition, 1MB alignment offset
parted /dev/$DEVICE -- set 2 esp on # make boot partition bootable

ROOT=$DEVICE"1"
BOOT=$DEVICE"2"

# Encryption Luks
prompt="Use encryption on root partition?" var=ENC && read -r -p "$prompt (y/n) [n]: " resp && resp=$(echo "$resp" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]'); [[ "$resp" == "y" || "$resp" == "yes" || "$resp" == "1" ]] && export $var=true || export $var=false
if [ $ENC = true ]; then
  while true; do
    echo "Setting up encrypted root, you will want to save the passphrase somewhere!"
    cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/$ROOT
    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
      echo "Encryption setup successful"
      cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/$ROOT cryptroot
      break
    elif [ $? -eq 2 ]; then
      echo "Missmatched passphrase, try again or select NO to cancel encryption"
    else
      prompt="Failed to setup encrypted root, continue without encryption?" var=CON && read -r -p "$prompt (y/n) [n]: " resp && resp=$(echo "$resp" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]'); [[ "$resp" == "y" || "$resp" == "yes" || "$resp" == "1" ]] && export $var=true || export $var=false
      if [ $CON = true ]; then
        ENC=false
        break
      fi
    fi
  done
fi

if [ $ENC = true ]; then ROOTP="/dev/mapper/cryptroot" ; else ROOTP="/dev/$ROOT"; fi

# Formatting
echo "Formatting drives..."
mkfs.fat -F 32 -n NIXBOOT /dev/$BOOT
mkfs.btrfs -fL NIXROOT $ROOTP

# Subvolumes
prompt="Use subvolumes for nix store and snapshots?" var=SUBV && read -r -p "$prompt (y/n) [n]: " resp && resp=$(echo "$resp" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]'); [[ "$resp" == "y" || "$resp" == "yes" || "$resp" == "1" ]] && export $var=true || export $var=false
if [ $SUBV = true ]; then
  mount $ROOTP /mnt
  btrfs subvolume create /mnt/root
  btrfs subvolume create /mnt/nix
  btrfs subvolume create /mnt/snapshots
  umount /mnt
fi

if [ $SUBV = true ]; then
  mount $ROOTP /mnt
  mount -o subvol=root,compress=zstd,noatime $ROOTP /mnt
  mkdir -p /mnt/{nix,boot,.snapshots}
  mount -o subvol=nix,compress=zstd,noatime $ROOTP /mnt/nix
  mount -o subvol=snapshots,compress=zstd,noatime $ROOTP /mnt/.snapshots
  mount -o umask=077 /dev/disk/by-label/NIXBOOT /mnt/boot
else
  mount -o compress=zstd,noatime $ROOTP /mnt
  mkdir -p /mnt/boot
  mount -o umask=077 /dev/disk/by-label/NIXBOOT /mnt/boot
fi

echo "Generating nixos-config..."
nixos-generate-config --root /mnt

prompt="Add swap file?" var=SWP && read -r -p "$prompt (y/n) [n]: " resp && resp=$(echo "$resp" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]'); [[ "$resp" == "y" || "$resp" == "yes" || "$resp" == "1" ]] && export $var=true || export $var=false
if [ $SWP = true ]; then
  SIZE=$(grep MemTotal /proc/meminfo | awk 'function ceil(x, y){y=int(x); return(x>y? y+1:y)} {print ceil($2/1024/1024)}')
  read -r -p "Custom size in GB? [$SIZE]" SIZE_OVERRIDE
  SIZE="${SIZE_OVERRIDE:-$SIZE}"

  SWAP_DEVICE='  swapDevices = [ { device = "/.swapfile"; size = $SIZE * 1024; } ];'
  sed -i "/swapDevices/c\\$SWAP_DEVICE" /mnt/etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix
  echo "Added swap device to hardware configuration"
fi

echo "Getting initial config for Jason"
curl -o /mnt/etc/nixos/jason.nix https://gist.joshuabell.xyz/ringofstorms/jason-nix/raw/HEAD/jason.nix
sed -i '/\.\/hardware-configuration.nix/a \      ./jason.nix' /mnt/etc/nixos/configuration.nix
echo "Added config to imports of configuration.nix"

echo "Installing nixos"
sudo nixos-install
  • Partitions
    • parted /dev/DEVICE -- mklabel gpt - make GPT partition table
    • parted /dev/DEVICE -- mkpart NIXROOT 2GB 100% - make root partition (2GB offset for boot)
    • parted /dev/DEVICE -- mkpart ESP fat32 1MB 2GB - make boot partition (2GB)
    • parted /dev/DEVICE -- set 2 esp on - make boot bootable
  • LUKS Encryption (optional)
    • cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/DEVICE_1
      • Create passphrase and save to bitwarden
    • cryptsetup luksOpen /dev/DEVUCE_1 cryptroot
    • Create keyfile for auto-unlock (optional)
      • dd if=/dev/random of=/tmp/keyfile_DEVICE_1 bs=1024 count=4
      • chmod 400 /tmp/keyfile
      • cryptsetup luksAddKey /dev/DEVICE_1 /tmp/keyfile_DEVICE_1
  • Formatting
  • mkfs.btrfs -L NIXROOT /dev/mapper/cryptroot
    • /dev/sda1 if not encyrpted instead of dev mapper cryptroot
  • mkfs.fat -F 32 -n NIXBOOT /dev/DEVICE_2
  • Create btrfs subvolumes (optional: for better snapshot perf)
    • mount /dev/mapper/cryptroot /mnt (/dev/sda1 for non encrypted)
    • btrfs subvolume create /mnt/root
    • btrfs subvolume create /mnt/nix
    • btrfs subvolume create /mnt/snapshots
    • umount /mnt
  • Mount (with sub vols above)
    • mount -o subvol=root,compress=zstd,noatime /dev/mapper/cryptroot /mnt
    • mkdir -p /mnt/{nix,boot,.snapshots}
    • mount -o subvol=nix,compress=zstd,noatime /dev/mapper/cryptroot /mnt/nix
    • mount -o subvol=snapshots,compress=zstd,noatime /dev/mapper/cryptroot /mnt/.snapshots
    • mount -o umask=077 /dev/disk/by-label/NIXBOOT /mnt/boot
  • Mount (with no sub vols)
    • mount -o compress=zstd,noatime /dev/mapper/cryptroot /mnt
    • mkdir -p /mnt/boot
    • mount -o umask=077 /dev/disk/by-label/NIXBOOT /mnt/boot
  • Add SWAP device (optional)
    • in hardware config
swapDevices = [
  {
    device = "/.swapfile";
    size = 32 * 1024; # 32GB
  }
];
  • Copy keyfile for auto-unlock (optional)
    • cp /tmp/keyfile_DEVICE_1 /mnt/boot/keyfile_DEVICE_1
    • chmod 400 /mnt/boot/keyfile_DEVICE_1
  • If Encrypted keyfile exists
    • Add to hardware config
boot.initrd.secrets = {
  "/keyfile_DEVICE_1" = "/boot/keyfile_DEVICE_1";
};

boot.initrd.luks.devices
  1. Install and setup nixos
  • nixos config and hardware config
    • export HOSTNAME=desired_hostname_for_this_machine
    • export USERNAME=desired_username_for_admin_on_this_machine (josh)
    • nixos-generate-config --root /mnt
    • cd /mnt/etc/nixos
    • curl -O --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://git.joshuabell.xyz/ringofstorms/dotfiles/raw/branch/master/onboard.sh
    • chmod +x onboard.sh && ./onboard.sh
    • verify hardware config, run nixos-install
    • reboot
  • log into USERNAME with password1, use passwd to change the password

Easiest to ssh into the machine for these steps so you can copy paste...

  • cat /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
    • On an already onboarded computer copy these and add them to secrets/secrets.nix file
      • nix run github:yaxitech/ragenix -- --rules ~/.config/nixos-config/common/secrets/secrets/secrets.nix -r
    • Maybe copy hardware/configs over and setup, otherwise do it on the client machine
  • git clone nixos-config git clone https://git.joshuabell.xyz/ringofstorms/dotfiles ~/.config/nixos-config
  • Setup config as needed
    • add hosts dir and files needed
  • sudo nixos-rebuild switch --flake ~/.config/nixos-config/hosts/$HOSTNAME
  • Update remote, ssh should work now: cd ~/.config/nixos-config && git remote remove origin && git remote add origin "ssh://git.joshuabell.xyz:3032/ringofstorms/dotfiles" && git pull origin master

Local tooling

  • bitwarden setup/sign into self hosted vault

  • atuin setup

    • if atuin is on enable that mod in configuration.nix, make sure to atuin login get key from existing device
    • TODO move key into secrets and mount it to atuin local share
  • ssh key access, ssh iden in config in nix config

Notes

Dual booting windows?

  • If there is a new boot partition being used than the old windows one, copy over the /boot/EFI/Microsoft folder into the new boot partition, same place
  • If the above auto probing for windows does not work, you can also manually add in a windows.conf in the loader entries: /boot/loader/entries/windows.conf:
title Windows 11
efi   /EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi

Settings references

TODO

Nix Infrastructure & Automation Improvements

  • Replace deployment scripts with deploy-rs for declarative, hands-off host updates.
    Remove manual deploy_linode/deploy_oracle scripts. Use deploy-rs to apply updates across one or all hosts, including remote builds.

  • Add isoImage outputs for every host for instant USB/boot media creation.
    Use:

    packages.x86_64-linux.install-iso = nixosConfigurations.<host>.config.system.build.isoImage;
    

    Then:

    nix build .#packages.x86_64-linux.install-iso
    
  • Document or automate new host bootstrap:

    • Script or steps: boot custom ISO, git clone config, secrets onboarding (agenix), nixos-install with flake config.
    • Provide an example shell script or README note for a single-command initial setup.
  • (Optional) Add an ephemeral “vm-experiment” target for NixOS VM/dev testing.

    • Use new host config with minimal stateful services, then
      nixos-rebuild build-vm --flake .#vm-experiment
  • Remote build reliability:

    • Parametrize/automate remote builder enable/disable.
    • Add quickstart SSH builder key setup instructions per-host in README.
    • (Optional) Use deploy-rs's agent forwarding and improve errors if builder can't be reached at deploy time.
  • Add disko to declaratively manage disk/partition creation for new installs and reinstalls.

  • work on secrets pre ragenix, stormd pre install for all the above bootstrapping steps would be ideal

  • reduce home manager, make per user modules support instead

  • Ensure my neovim undohistory/auto saves don't save .age files as they can be sensitive.

Server hosts

simply run deploy in the host root and it will push changes to the server (or deploy_[oracle|linode] <name> from root)