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58 lines
5.0 KiB
Markdown
58 lines
5.0 KiB
Markdown
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# Automated NixOS CLI Installer
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NixOS is traditionally either installed by creating and populating filesystems [by hand](https://nixos.org/manual/nixos/stable/index.html#sec-installation-manual-partitioning), or by scripts that each only support one or a limited set of filesystem setups (the graphical installer falls somewhere between the two).
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The mounted filesystems and some hardware aspects are then be captured in a `hardware-configuration.nix`.
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This both completely contradicts the declarative nature and flexibility of Nix(OS).
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In contrast to that, this flake implements a very flexible, declaratively driven and fully automated NixOS installer (framework).
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Hosts can define any number of [disks and partitions](./modules/setup/disks.nix.md) on them.
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If the `fileSystems` use `partlabel`s to identify their devices, then they can be associated with their partitions even before they are formatted -- and can thus automatically be formatted during the installation.
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ZFS [pools and datasets](./modules/setup/zfs.nix.md), and LUKS and ZFS [encryption](./modules/setup/keystore.nix.md) are also supported.
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For setups with ephemeral `/` (root filesystem), [`modules/setup/temproot.nix.md`](./modules/setup/temproot.nix.md) provides various preconfigured setups.
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This, together with convenient defaults for most of the options, means that simple setups (see the `minimal` [example](./hosts/example.nix.md)) only require a handful of config lines, while complex multi-disk setups (see the `raidz` [example](./hosts/example.nix.md)) are just as possible.
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A set of composable [`setup-scripts`](./lib/setup-scripts/) can then [automatically](https://github.com/NiklasGollenstede/nix-functions/blob/master/lib/scripts.nix#substituteImplicit) grab this information and perform a completely automated installation.
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The only thing that the scripts will interactively prompt for are external secrets (e.g., passwords), iff required by the new host.
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When using [`mkSystemsFlake`](./lib/nixos.nix#mkSystemsFlake), the installation can be started with:
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```bash
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nix run .'#'hostname -- install-system /path/to/disk
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```
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Help output with information on available commands and flags is [available here](https://github.com/NiklasGollenstede/nixos-installer/wiki/−−help-Output) or via:
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```bash
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nix run .'#'hostname -- --help
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```
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[`config.installer.commands.*`](./modules/installer.nix.md) can be used to run host-specific commands at various points of the installation, and additional `config.installer.scripts` can [add or replace](./lib/setup-scripts/README.md) new and existing setup commands or functions.
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<!-- This mechanism has been used to, for example, [automatically restore of ZFS backups](#TODO) during the installation, or to [automatically deploy](#TODO) locally built system images tp Hetzner VPSes. -->
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## Repo Layout/Contents
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This is a nix flake repository, so [`flake.nix`](./flake.nix) is the entry point and export mechanism for almost everything.
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[`lib/`](./lib/) defines new library functions which are exported as the `lib` flake output. Other Nix files in this repo use them as `inputs.self.lib`. \
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[`setup-scripts`](./lib/setup-scripts/) contains the implementation for the default setup (system installation and maintenance) commands.
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[`modules/`](./modules/) contains NixOS configuration modules.
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[`bootloader/extlinux`](./modules/bootloader/extlinux.nix.md) enables `extlinux` as alternative bootloader for legacy BIOS environments, because GRUB refuses top be installed to loop-mounted images.
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The modules in [`setup`](./modules/setup/) allow defining a NixOS system's disk and filesystem setup in sufficient detail that a fully automatic installation is possible.
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The [`installer`](./modules/installer.nix.md) module composes the [`setup-scripts`](./lib/setup-scripts/) and the host's `config` into its individual installer.
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There is currently only [one overlay](./overlays/gptfdisk.nix.md) that applies [a patch](./patches/gptfdisk-move-secondary-table.patch) to `sgdisk` (it allows moving the backup GPT table, see [gptfdisk #32](https://sourceforge.net/p/gptfdisk/code/merge-requests/32/)).
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[`hosts/example`](./hosts/example.nix.md) provides some NixOS host definitions that demonstrate different types of disk setups.
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[`example/`](./example/) contains examples for customizing the [installation](./example/install.sh.md) script for the hosts, and this flake's [default config](./example/defaultConfig/flake.nix).
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## License
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All files in this repository ([`nixos-installer`](https://github.com/NiklasGollenstede/nixos-installer)), except `./LICENSE`, are authored by the authors of this repository, and are copyright 2022 - present Niklas Gollenstede.
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See [`patches/README.md#license`](./patches/README.md#license) for the licensing of the included [patches](./patches/).
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All other parts of this software may be used under the terms of the MIT license, as detailed in [`./LICENSE`](./LICENSE).
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This license applies to the files in this repository only.
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Any external packages are built from sources that have their own licenses, which should be the ones indicated in the package's metadata.
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