SkaraboxOS

SkaraboxOS is an opinionated and simplified headless NixOS installer.

It provides a flake template which combines:

• Creating a bootable ISO, installable on an USB key.
• nixos-anywhere to install NixOS headlessly.
• disko to format the drives using native ZFS encryption with remote unlocking through ssh.
• sops-nix to handle secrets.
• deploy-rs to deploy updates.

This repository does not invent any of those wonderful tools. It merely provides an opinionated way to make them all fit together for a seamless experience.

Why?

Because the landscape of installing NixOS could be better and this repository is an attempt at that. By being more opinionated, it allows you to get setup faster.

By the way, the name SkaraboxOS comes from the scarab (the animal), box (for the server) and OS (for Operating System). Scarab is spelled with a k because it's kool. A scarab is a very strong animal representing well what this repository's intention.

Hardware Requirements

SkaraboxOS expects a particular hardware layout:

• 1 SSD or NVMe drive for the OS.
• 2 Hard drives that will store data. Capacity depends on the amount of data that will be stored. They will be formatted in Raid 1 (mirror) so each hard drive should have the same size.

WARNING: The 3 disks will be formatted and completely wiped out of data.

Installation Process Overview

1. Download the flake template.
2. Generate a ISO and format a USB key.
3. Boot server on USB key and get its IP address.
4. Generate secrets on laptop, update some default values.
5. Run installer from laptop.
6. Done!

At the end of the process, the server will:

• Have an encrypted ZFS root partition using the NVMe drive, unlockable remotely through ssh.
• Have an encrypted ZFS data hard drives.
• Be accessible through ssh for administration and updates.

Services can then be installed by using NixOS options directly or through Self Host Blocks. The latter, similarly to SkaraboxOS, provides an opinionated way to configure services in a seamless way.

Caution

Following the steps WILL ERASE THE CONTENT of any disk on that server.

Installation

1. Boot on the NixOS installer. You just need to boot, no need to install.

   1. First, create the .iso file.

   $ nix build github:ibizaman/skarabox#beacon

   2. Copy the .iso file to a USB key. This WILL ERASE THE CONTENT of the USB key.

   $ nix run nixpkgs#usbimager

   • Select ./result/iso/beacon.iso file in row 1 (...).
   • Select USB key in row 3.
   • Click write (arrow down) in row 2.
   3. Plug the USB stick in the server. Choose to boot on it.

   You will be logged in automatically with user nixos.

   4. Note down the IP address of the server. For that, follow the steps that appeared when booting on the USB stick.

2. Connect to the installer and install

   1. Create a directory and download the template.

   $ mkdir myskarabox
   $ cd myskarabox
   $ nix flake init --template github:ibizaman/skarabox

   2. Open the new flake.nix file and generate whatever it needs. Also, open the other files and see how to generate them too. All the instructions are included.

   Note the root_passphrase file will contain a passphrase that will need to be provided every time the server boots up.

   3. Run the following command replacing <ip> with the IP address you got in the previous step.

   $ nix run github:nix-community/nixos-anywhere -- \
     --flake .#skarabox' \
     --ssh-option "IdentitiesOnly=yes" \
     --disk-encryption-keys /tmp/root_passphrase root_passphrase \
     --disk-encryption-keys /tmp/data_passphrase data_passphrase \
     nixos@<ip>

   You will be prompted for a password, enter "skarabox123" without the double quotes.

   4. The server will reboot into NixOS on its own.

   5. Decrypt the SSD and the Hard Drives.

   Run the following command.

   $ ssh -p 2222 root@<ip> -o IdentitiesOnly=yes -i ssh_skarabox

   It will prompt you a first time to verify the key fingerprint.

   The authenticity of host '[<ip>]:2222 ([<ip>]:2222)' can't be established.
   ED25519 key fingerprint is SHA256:<redacted>.
   This key is not known by any other names.
   Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])?

   Just enter "yes" followed by pressing on the Enter key. Next time the server will boot, you will not need to do this step.

   Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])? yes
   Warning: Permanently added '[<ip>]:2222' (ED25519) to the list of known hosts.

   You will be prompted a second time, this time to enter the root passphrase. Copy the content of the root_passphrase file and paste it and press Enter. No * will appear upon pasting but just press Enter.

   Enter passphrase for 'root':

   The connection will disconnect automatically. This is normal behavior.

   Connection to <ip> closed.

   Now, the hard drives are decrypted and the server continues to boot.

   It's a good idea to make sure you can login correctly, at least the first time. See next section.

Normal Operations

1. Login

$ ssh -p 22 skarabox@<ip> -o IdentitiesOnly=yes -i ssh_skarabox

2. Reboot

$ ssh -p 22 skarabox@<ip> -o IdentitiesOnly=yes -i ssh_skarabox reboot

You will then be required to decrypt the hard drives as explained above.

3. Deploy an Update

Modify the ./configuration.nix file then run:

nix run nixpkgs#deploy-rs

4. Edit secrets

nix run nixpkgs#sops secrets.yaml

Post Installation Checklist

These items act as a checklist that you should go through to make sure your installation is robust. How to proceed with each item is highly dependent on which hardware you have so it is hard for Skarabox to give a detailed explanation here. If you have any question, don't hesitate to open a GitHub issue.

Domain Name

Get your external IP Address by connecting to your home network and going to https://api.ipify.org/.

• Buy a cheap domain name. I recommend https://porkbun.com/ because I use it and know it works but others work too.
• Configure the domain's DNS entries to have:
  • A record: Your domain name to your external IP Address.
  • A record: * (yes, a literal "asterisk") to your external IP Address.

To check if this setup works, you will first need to go through the step below too.

Router Configuration

These items should happen on your router. Usually, connecting to it is done by entering one of the following IP addresses in your browser: 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.1.254.

• Reduce the DHCP pool to the bounds .100 to .200, inclusive. This way, you are left with some space to statically allocate some IPs.
• Statically assign the IP address of the server.
• Enable port redirection for ports to the server IP:
  • 80 to 80.
  • 443 to 443.
  • A random port to 22 to be able to ssh into your server from abroad.
  • A random port to 2222 to be able to start the server from abroad.

To check if this setup works, you can connect to another network (like using the tethered connection from your phone or connecting to another WiFi network) and then ssh into your server like above, but instead of using the IP address, use the domain name:

$ ssh -p 22 skarabox@<domainname> -o IdentitiesOnly=yes -i ssh_skarabox

Add Services

I do recommend using the sibling project Self Host Blocks to setup services like Vaultwarden, Nextcloud and others.

Contribute

To start a VM with the beacon, run:

nix run .#beacon-test

To test the installer, run:

nix run github:nix-community/nixos-anywhere -- --flake .#installer --vm-test

Links

• https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/modules/profiles/installation-device.nix
• https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/modules/installer/cd-dvd/installation-cd-base.nix
• https://github.com/nix-community/nixos-anywhere/blob/main/docs/howtos/no-os.md#installing-on-a-machine-with-no-operating-system