dataserver

A NixOS configuration for my data server

About

This configuration is designed for a remote data VPS on Vultr.

Installation

1. Go to https://channels.nixos.org to find the latest stable minimal x86_64 ISO url.
2. Deploy a server in Vultr using the custom ISO link from earlier. I chose a Cloud Compute plan with AMD High Performance, 1 vCPU and 1 GB RAM, and auto backups disabled.
3. Log into the web console and copy over ssh keys to perform the rest of the installation via ssh.

   mkdir ~/.ssh
   curl -L https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME.keys > ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

   The following steps can now be performed via SSH (ssh nixos@ip).
4. Log into root and set up packages.

   sudo -i
   nix-shell -p git
   set -o vi

5. Partition the disk, where the swap is the same size as allocated RAM. MBR partitioning is required or the VPS may not recognize any bootable partitions.

   parted /dev/vda -- mklabel msdos
   parted /dev/vda -- mkpart primary 1MB -2GB
   parted /dev/vda -- mkpart primary linux-swap -2GB 100%

6. Format each partition. I recommend ext4 over btrfs because a VPS generally doesn't need CoW or snapshot features, and ext4 is slightly faster and uses less storage.

   mkfs.ext4 -L main /dev/vda1
   mkswap -L swap /dev/vda2
   swapon /dev/vda2
   mount /dev/disk/by-label/main /mnt

7. Generate a configuration derived from hardware if you're starting from scratch without this repository.

   nixos-generate-config --root /mnt

8. Clone this configuration and move files into the appropriate locations. Be sure to double check the hardware configuration for descrepancies.
9. Copy SSH public keys for server access. If you do not do this, you will be locked out of the server.

   cp /home/nixos/.ssh/authorized_keys /mnt/etc/nixos/keys.pub

10. Install the operating system.

    nixos-install --no-root-passwd --flake .#dataserver

11. In the Vultr dashboard, remove the custom ISO. This will trigger a VPS reboot. Then verify you can access the server via SSH (ssh nixos@ip).
12. Make sure to port 25 is unblocked on the VPS or server you are using. For example, Vultr blocks port 25 on all instances by default and will only unblock the port after submitting support request.