FAQ/Bare Metal Deployment: Difference between revisions

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~~When it comes down to it, Nix is just a fairly basic build tool, and~~

~~Nixpkgs brings some fancy build helpers.~~

NixOS's [https://nixos.org/nixos/manual/index.html#sec-writing-modules module system]

Non-Nix bare metal deployments are typically maintained with a "converging" configuration manager like Puppet or Chef. NixOS's [https://nixos.org/nixos/manual/index.html#sec-writing-modules module system]

~~would replace Puppet/Chef/etc's~~ per-host configuration mechanisms,

replaces these tools for per-host configuration mechanisms,

like declaring various services, monitoring options, and configuration

file contents.

file contents. This makes the installation and configuration of your deployment fully declarative.

This module system can be used to easily create virtual machines

This module system can also be used to easily create virtual machines

equivalent to the finally deployed image. This VM can then be used to

run testing to ensure the service would behave as required.

Hydra is the Nix ecosystem's build ~~system~~, which can provide a nice

Hydra is the Nix ecosystem's build server, which can provide a nice

breakdown of dependencies and more naturally (when compared to Jenkins

etc.) understands the robust build dependency tree inherent to Nix's

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[https://hydra.nixos.org/job/nixos/trunk-combined/tested#tabs-constituents https://hydra.nixos.org/job/nixos/trunk-combined/tested#tabs-constituents].

The VMs that are ~~build~~ from a machine's configuration can easily be

The VMs that are built from a machine's configuration can easily be

integrated with [https://nixos.org/nixos/manual/index.html#sec-nixos-tests NixOS's test infrastructure]

and Hydra to automatically verify package updates and system

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These integration tests and builds can be robustly distributed across

a build fleet using [https://~~nixos~~.~~org~~/nix/~~manual~~/~~index.html#chap~~-distributed-builds Nix's built in distributed build mechanism].

a build fleet using [https://nix.dev/manual/nix/stable/advanced-topics/distributed-builds Nix's built in distributed build mechanism].

Unlike Jenkins and many other CI tools, the remote builders require no

additional setup or specific software installed, beyond the standard

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NixOS ecosystem, however can be accomplished using PXE-boot images and

auto-run boot up phases which run disk formatting steps. For some

prior work, check out [~~http~~://github.com/grahamc/packet-provision-nixos-ipxe/ ~~http~~://github.com/grahamc/packet-provision-nixos-ipxe/].

prior work, check out [https://github.com/grahamc/packet-provision-nixos-ipxe/ https://github.com/grahamc/packet-provision-nixos-ipxe/].

The parts around system configuration and package installation is

completely and thoroughly covered by the module system and system

configuration options that exist.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-When it comes down to it, Nix is just a fairly basic build tool, and
-Nixpkgs brings some fancy build helpers.
-NixOS's [https://nixos.org/nixos/manual/index.html#sec-writing-modules module system]
+Non-Nix bare metal deployments are typically maintained with a "converging" configuration manager like Puppet or Chef. NixOS's [https://nixos.org/nixos/manual/index.html#sec-writing-modules module system]
-would replace Puppet/Chef/etc's per-host configuration mechanisms,
+replaces these tools for per-host configuration mechanisms,
 like declaring various services, monitoring options, and configuration
-file contents.
+file contents. This makes the installation and configuration of your deployment fully declarative.
-This module system can be used to easily create virtual machines
+This module system can also be used to easily create virtual machines
 equivalent to the finally deployed image. This VM can then be used to
 run testing to ensure the service would behave as required.
-Hydra is the Nix ecosystem's build system, which can provide a nice
+Hydra is the Nix ecosystem's build server, which can provide a nice
 breakdown of dependencies and more naturally (when compared to Jenkins
 etc.) understands the robust build dependency tree inherent to Nix's
@@ Line 21: / Line 19: @@
 [https://hydra.nixos.org/job/nixos/trunk-combined/tested#tabs-constituents https://hydra.nixos.org/job/nixos/trunk-combined/tested#tabs-constituents].
-The VMs that are build from a machine's configuration can easily be
+The VMs that are built from a machine's configuration can easily be
 integrated with [https://nixos.org/nixos/manual/index.html#sec-nixos-tests NixOS's test infrastructure]
 and Hydra to automatically verify package updates and system
@@ Line 27: / Line 25: @@
 These integration tests and builds can be robustly distributed across
-a build fleet using [https://nixos.org/nix/manual/index.html#chap-distributed-builds Nix's built in distributed build mechanism].
+a build fleet using [https://nix.dev/manual/nix/stable/advanced-topics/distributed-builds Nix's built in distributed build mechanism].
 Unlike Jenkins and many other CI tools, the remote builders require no
 additional setup or specific software installed, beyond the standard
@@ Line 44: / Line 42: @@
 NixOS ecosystem, however can be accomplished using PXE-boot images and
 auto-run boot up phases which run disk formatting steps. For some
-prior work, check out [http://github.com/grahamc/packet-provision-nixos-ipxe/ http://github.com/grahamc/packet-provision-nixos-ipxe/].
+prior work, check out [https://github.com/grahamc/packet-provision-nixos-ipxe/ https://github.com/grahamc/packet-provision-nixos-ipxe/].
 The parts around system configuration and package installation is
 completely and thoroughly covered by the module system and system
 configuration options that exist.