Linode support

[pikajude]

There is a linode python library: https://github.com/tjfontaine/linode-python

[rushmorem]

I use Linode and have recently started using nixops so I will be working on this if nobody is already doing so.

[artursoler]

@rushmorem Any progress on this? I'm also interested. Thanks!

[rushmorem]

@artursoler I haven't had time to start working on it yet but it's still on my to do list. I hope to work on this sometime this month.

[rushmorem]

I have now started working on this. The scripts to bootstrap a NixOS box will be available at https://github.com/WebEnchanter/nixos-bootstrapper. These are designed to work, not only on Linode but any cloud provider who provides a Debian (or debian based distro like Ubuntu) which should be pretty much any host out there.

[calvinchengx]

+1

Looking forward to this!

[dfoxfranke]

Is anybody still actively working on this? nixos-bootstrapper looks like a good start but obviously it's not the whole solution. Somebody needs to implement the appropriate MachineDefinition subclass.

[dfoxfranke]

I think there's a better way than StackScripts to get NixOS bootstrapped onto a Linode. A StackScript needs to run on top of an official Linode image, and after the script has executed the partition is still around wasting space. A better approach is to run the bootstrap script from a rescue image. Unfortunately, Linode rescue systems are only accessible via Lish, and Lish requires a terminal, but automation can use expect (or similar) to cope with this.

[rushmorem]

@dfoxfranke I'm still actively working on this but right now my hands are full with other commitments. nixos-bootstrapper is but a building block. As it is right now, you can run it from the rescue console or you can use a StackScript. I wanted to give people options to do what they like best. Even if you use a StackScript you can install NixOS into it's own partition and delete the distro supplied by Linode afterwards thereby getting your space back.

I actually use expect myself to automate my provisioning so it's on the roadmap.

[rbvermaa]

You'd only need to use terminal to set root password and enable ssh daemon right?

[rushmorem]

@rbvermaa I'm not sure I follow. Nixops still needs a NixOS base, right?

[dfoxfranke]

@rbvermaa Correct.

@rushmorem It does, but once ssh is spun up you can do the remaining bootstrapping via the usual run_command/upload_file/download_file interface rather than using expect to emulate keystrokes.

[dfoxfranke]

@rushmorem Have you started working on the NixOps codebase, and if so do you have a fork somewhere? This looks like a tempting [couple of] weekend's hack but I want to avoid duplicating effort.

[rushmorem]

@dfoxfranke I hadn't started working on the NixOps codebase yet, so knock yourself out ;)

[dfoxfranke]

I've begun work on this at https://github.com/dfoxfranke/nixops/tree/linode. The first committed change implements support for managing StackScripts. This is completely useless, but made a nice exercise for learning my way around the NixOps codebase and the Linode API.

[lihop]

@dfoxfranke Nice work! I'm really looking forward to linode support! 😃

[teburd]

I would love to use nixops and nix on linode!

[GlennS]

I've been taking a look at this, but have run into a couple of problems depending on which way I approach it.

If I just install a Debian image and try to use nixos-infect (slightly modified to account for the different network devices) to overwrite it, then I bump into this problem with blkid #711

If I create a Linode and boot it into rescue mode, then curl doesn't work https://forum.linode.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=15039

[domenkozar]

https://twitter.com/linode/status/893094141198049281

[danielstaleiny]

any progress on this ???

[GlennS]

Hi daniel,

I'm really sorry, but I haven't done any more work on this. I no longer use NixOps or Linode at work.

Someone has commented on my pull request that they are able to use it and it works for them.

I believe it's just a matter of sorting out the testing to get it over the line.

[grahamc]

NixOps supports backends as plugins, so closing this. A plugin could be made :)