dotfiles/hosts/linode

Linode setup

https://www.linode.com/docs/guides/install-nixos-on-linode/#prepare-your-linode https://nixos.org/download/

• shutdown linode
• delete existing disks and configuration profiles
• Create Disks
  • installer: ext4 1280 MB
  • swap: swap 512 MB
  • nixos: ext4 all remaining space
• Create two configuration profiles, one for the installer and one to boot NixOS. For each profile, disable all of the options under Filesystem/Boot Helpers and set the Configuration Profile to match the following:
  • installer profile
    • Label: installer
    • Kernel: Direct Disk
    • /dev/sda: nixos
    • /dev/sdb: swap
    • /dev/sdc: installer
    • root / boot device: Standard: /dev/sdc
  • nixos profile
    • Label: nixos
    • Kernel: GRUB 2
    • /dev/sda: nixos
    • /dev/sdb: swap
    • root / boot device: Standard: /dev/sda
• Setup installer.
  • rescue mode with installer as /dev/sda
  • Open LISH

# Update SSL certificates to allow HTTPS connections:
update-ca-certificates
# set the iso url to a variable
iso=https://channels.nixos.org/nixos-24.11/latest-nixos-minimal-x86_64-linux.iso
# verify sda disk is installer (~1GB)
lsblk
curl -L https://channels.nixos.org/nixos-24.11/latest-nixos-minimal-x86_64-linux.iso.sha256
# Download the ISO, write it to the installer disk, and verify the checksum:
curl -L $iso | tee >(dd of=/dev/sda) | sha256sum
# verify the shas are the same then shutdown system
shutdown 0

• Boot the installer configuration profile and install nixos (open GLISH and sudo -i && passwd #simple pass ssh into machine for easier copy paste, rerun passwd with a more secure password here if desired)

  • mount /dev/sda /mnt
  • swapon /dev/sdb
  • nixos-generate-config --root /mnt
  • cd /mnt/etc/nixos

• TODO rewrite device modifiers like they say in the tutorial? I had issues with linode's device labeling so I am leaving it to uuids, this could bite me in the future idk

  • copy linode.nix into remote server and import it into configuration.nix
    • update ssh key for root user if needed
  • nixos-install
  • shutdown 0

• delete the installer configuration profile in linode, boot into nixos configuration profile

tada, should be able to ssh with root and ssh key defined in earlier in linode.nix