#+TITLE: ops-jrz1 VM Testing Workflow and VPS Deployment with Package Resolution Fixes #+DATE: 2025-10-21 #+KEYWORDS: nixos, vps, deployment, vm-testing, nixpkgs-unstable, package-resolution, matrix, vultr #+COMMITS: 6 #+COMPRESSION_STATUS: uncompressed * Session Summary ** Date: 2025-10-21 (Day 9 of ops-jrz1 project - Continuation session) ** Focus Area: VM testing workflow implementation, package resolution debugging, and production VPS deployment This session focused on implementing VM testing as a pre-deployment validation step, discovering and fixing critical package availability issues, and deploying the ops-jrz1 configuration to the production VPS. The work validated the VM testing workflow by catching deployment-breaking issues before they could affect production. * Accomplishments - [X] Researched ops-base deployment patterns and historical approaches from worklogs - [X] Fixed VM configuration build (package resolution for mautrix bridges) - [X] Validated production configuration builds successfully - [X] Discovered and fixed nixpkgs stable vs unstable package availability mismatch - [X] Updated module function signatures to accept pkgs-unstable parameter - [X] Configured ACME (Let's Encrypt) for production deployment - [X] Retrieved hardware-configuration.nix from running VPS - [X] Configured production host (hosts/ops-jrz1.nix) with clarun.xyz domain - [X] Deployed to VPS using nixos-rebuild boot (safe deployment method) - [X] Created 6 commits documenting VM setup, package fixes, and deployment config - [X] Validated VM testing workflow catches deployment issues early * Key Decisions ** Decision 1: Use VM Testing Before VPS Deployment (Option 3 from ops-base patterns) - Context: User provided VPS IP (45.77.205.49) and asked about deployment approach - Options considered: 1. Build locally, deploy remotely - Test build before touching production 2. Build & deploy on VPS directly - Simpler, faster with VPS cache 3. Safe testing flow - Build locally, deploy with nixos-rebuild boot, reboot to test - Rationale: - VPS is running live production services (Matrix homeserver with 2 weeks uptime) - nixos-rebuild boot doesn't activate until reboot (safer than switch) - Previous generation available in GRUB for rollback if needed - Matches historical deployment pattern from ops-base worklogs - Impact: Deployment approach minimizes risk to running production services ** Decision 2: Fix Module Package References to Use pkgs-unstable (Option 2) - Context: VM build failed with "attribute 'mautrix-slack' missing" error - Problem: ops-jrz1 uses nixpkgs 24.05 stable for base, but mautrix packages only in unstable - Options considered: 1. Use unstable for everything - Affects entire system unnecessarily 2. Fix modules to use pkgs-unstable parameter - Precise scoping, self-documenting 3. Override per configuration - Repetitive, harder to maintain - Rationale: - Keeps stable base system (NixOS core, security updates) - Only Matrix packages from unstable (under active development) - Self-documenting (modules explicitly show they need unstable) - Precise scoping (doesn't affect entire system stability) - User feedback validated this was proper approach vs Option 1 - Impact: Enables building while maintaining system stability with hybrid approach ** Decision 3: Permit olm-3.2.16 Despite Security Warnings - Context: Deprecated olm library with known CVEs (CVE-2024-45191, CVE-2024-45192, CVE-2024-45193) - Problem: Required by all mautrix bridges, no alternatives currently available - Rationale: - Matrix bridges require olm for end-to-end encryption - Upstream Matrix.org confirms exploits unlikely in practical conditions - Vulnerability is cryptography library side-channel issues, not network exploitable - Documented explicitly in configuration for future review - Acceptable risk for bridge functionality until alternatives available - Impact: Enables Matrix bridge functionality with informed security trade-off ** Decision 4: Enable Services in Production Host Configuration - Context: hosts/ops-jrz1.nix had placeholder disabled service configs - Problem: Need actual service configuration for VPS deployment - Rationale: - VPS already running Matrix homeserver and Forgejo from ops-base - Continuity requires same services enabled in ops-jrz1 - Configuration from SSH inspection: clarun.xyz domain, delpadtech workspace - Matches running system to avoid service disruption - Impact: Seamless transition from ops-base to ops-jrz1 configuration ** Decision 5: Use dlei@duck.com for ACME Email - Context: Let's Encrypt requires email for certificate expiration notices - Rationale: - Historical pattern from ops-base worklog (2025-10-01-vultr-vps-https-lets-encrypt-setup.org) - Email not publicly exposed, only for CA notifications - Matches previous VPS deployment pattern - Impact: Enables automatic HTTPS certificate management * Problems & Solutions | Problem | Solution | Learning | |---------|----------|----------| | VM build failed: "attribute 'mautrix-slack' missing" at modules/mautrix-slack.nix:58 | 1. Identified root cause: pkgs from nixpkgs 24.05 stable lacks mautrix packages
2. Updated module function signatures to accept pkgs-unstable parameter
3. Changed package defaults from pkgs.* to pkgs-unstable.*
4. Fixed 5 references across 4 modules | NixOS modules need explicit parameters passed via specialArgs. Package availability differs significantly between stable and unstable channels. Module option defaults must use the correct package set. | | Module function signatures missing pkgs-unstable parameter | Added pkgs-unstable to function parameters in all 4 modules: mautrix-slack.nix, mautrix-whatsapp.nix, mautrix-gmessages.nix, dev-services.nix | Module parameters must be explicitly declared in function signature before use. Nix will error on undefined variables. | | VM flake check failed: "Package 'olm-3.2.16' is marked as insecure" | 1. Added permittedInsecurePackages to VM flake.nix pkgs-unstable config
2. Added permittedInsecurePackages to hosts/ops-jrz1-vm.nix nixpkgs.config
3. Documented security trade-off with explicit comments | Insecure package permissions must be set both in pkgs-unstable import (flake.nix) AND in nixpkgs.config (host config). Different scopes require different permission locations. | | Production build failed with same olm error | Added permittedInsecurePackages to production flake.nix pkgs-unstable config AND configuration.nix | Same permission needed in both VM and production. Permissions in specialArgs pkgs-unstable don't automatically apply to base pkgs. | | ACME configuration missing for production | Added security.acme block to configuration.nix with acceptTerms and defaults.email from ops-base pattern | ACME requires explicit terms acceptance and email configuration. Pattern matches historical deployment from ops-base/docs/worklogs/2025-10-01-vultr-vps-https-lets-encrypt-setup.org | | VM testing attempted GUI console (qemu-kvm symbol lookup error for pipewire) | Recognized GUI not needed for validation - build success validates package availability | VM runtime testing not required when goal is package resolution validation. Successful build proves all packages resolve correctly. GUI errors in QEMU don't affect headless VPS deployment. | * Technical Details ** Code Changes - Total files modified/created: 9 - Commits made: 6 - Key files changed: - `flake.nix` - Added ops-jrz1-vm configuration, configured pkgs-unstable with olm permission for both VM and production - `configuration.nix` - Updated boot loader (/dev/vda), network (ens3), added ACME config, added olm permission - `hosts/ops-jrz1-vm.nix` - Created VM testing config with services enabled, olm permission - `hosts/ops-jrz1.nix` - Updated from placeholder to production config (clarun.xyz, delpadtech) - `hardware-configuration.nix` - Created from VPS nixos-generate-config output - `modules/mautrix-slack.nix` - Added pkgs-unstable parameter, changed default package - `modules/mautrix-whatsapp.nix` - Added pkgs-unstable parameter, changed default package - `modules/mautrix-gmessages.nix` - Added pkgs-unstable parameter, changed default package - `modules/dev-services.nix` - Added pkgs-unstable parameter, changed 2 package references ** Commit History ``` 40e5501 Fix: Add olm permission to pkgs-unstable in production config 0cbbb19 Allow olm-3.2.16 for mautrix bridges in production 982d288 Add ACME configuration for Let's Encrypt certificates 413a44a Configure ops-jrz1 for production deployment to Vultr VPS 4c38331 Fix Matrix package references to use nixpkgs-unstable b8e00b7 Add VM testing configuration for pre-deployment validation ``` ** Commands Used ### Package reference fixes ```bash # Find all package references that need updating rg "pkgs\.(mautrix|matrix-continuwuity)" modules/ # Test local build after fixes nix build .#nixosConfigurations.ops-jrz1.config.system.build.toplevel -L # Validate flake syntax nix flake check ``` ### VPS investigation ```bash # Test SSH connectivity and check running services ssh root@45.77.205.49 "hostname && nixos-version" ssh root@45.77.205.49 'systemctl list-units --type=service --state=running | grep -E "(matrix|mautrix|continuwuit)"' # Retrieve hardware configuration ssh root@45.77.205.49 'cat /etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix' # Check secrets setup ssh root@45.77.205.49 'ls -la /run/secrets/' ``` ### Deployment commands ```bash # Sync repository to VPS rsync -avz --exclude '.git' --exclude 'result' --exclude 'result-*' --exclude '*.qcow2' --exclude '.specify' \ /home/dan/proj/ops-jrz1/ root@45.77.205.49:/root/ops-jrz1/ # Deploy using safe boot method (doesn't activate until reboot) ssh root@45.77.205.49 'cd /root/ops-jrz1 && nixos-rebuild boot --flake .#ops-jrz1' # After reboot, switch would be: # ssh root@45.77.205.49 'nixos-rebuild switch --flake .#ops-jrz1' ``` ## Architecture Notes ### Hybrid nixpkgs Approach (Stable Base + Unstable Overlay) The configuration uses a two-tier package strategy: - **Base system (pkgs)**: nixpkgs 24.05 stable for core NixOS, systemd, security - **Matrix packages (pkgs-unstable)**: nixpkgs-unstable for Matrix ecosystem Implemented via specialArgs in flake.nix: ```nix specialArgs = { pkgs-unstable = import nixpkgs-unstable { system = "x86_64-linux"; config = { allowUnfree = true; permittedInsecurePackages = ["olm-3.2.16"]; }; }; }; ``` Modules access via function parameters: ```nix { config, pkgs, pkgs-unstable, lib, ... }: ``` ### Package Availability Differences **nixpkgs 24.05 stable does NOT include:** - mautrix-slack - mautrix-whatsapp - mautrix-gmessages - matrix-continuwuity (Conduwuit Matrix homeserver) **nixpkgs-unstable includes all of the above** because Matrix ecosystem under active development. ### ACME Certificate Management Pattern From ops-base historical deployment (2025-10-01): - security.acme.acceptTerms = true (required) - security.acme.defaults.email for notifications - nginx virtualHosts with enableACME = true and forceSSL = true - HTTP-01 challenge (requires port 80 open) - Automatic certificate renewal 30 days before expiration ### VM Testing Workflow Purpose: Catch deployment issues before they affect production **Approach:** 1. Create ops-jrz1-vm configuration with services enabled (test-like) 2. Build VM: `nix build .#nixosConfigurations.ops-jrz1-vm.config.system.build.vm` 3. Successful build validates package resolution, module evaluation, secrets structure 4. Runtime testing optional (GUI limitations in some environments) **Benefits demonstrated:** - Caught package availability mismatch before VPS deployment - Validated olm permission configuration needed - Verified module function signatures - Tested configuration without touching production ### VPS Current State (Before Deployment) - Hostname: jrz1 - NixOS: 25.11 unstable - Running services: Matrix (continuwuity), mautrix-slack, Forgejo, PostgreSQL, nginx, fail2ban, netdata - Uptime: 2 weeks (Matrix homeserver stable) - Secrets: /run/secrets/matrix-registration-token, /run/secrets/acme-email - Domain: clarun.xyz - Previous config: ops-base (unknown location on VPS) * Process and Workflow ** What Worked Well - VM testing workflow caught critical deployment issue before production - Historical worklog research provided proven deployment patterns - Incremental fixes (module by module) easier to debug than batch changes - Local build testing before VPS deployment validated configuration - SSH investigation of running VPS informed configuration decisions - User feedback loop corrected initial weak reasoning (Option 1 vs Option 2) - Git commits at logical checkpoints preserved intermediate working states ** What Was Challenging - Initial attempt to fix package references forgot to add pkgs-unstable to function signatures - olm permission needed in BOTH flake.nix specialArgs AND configuration.nix - Understanding that pkgs-unstable permissions don't automatically apply to pkgs - VM GUI testing didn't work in terminal environment (but wasn't needed) - Deployment still running at end of session (long download time) - Multiple rounds of rsync + build to iterate on fixes ** What Would Have Helped - Earlier recognition that build success validates package resolution (VM runtime not needed) - Understanding that permittedInsecurePackages needs to be in multiple locations - Clearer mental model of flake specialArgs vs nixpkgs.config scoping * Learning and Insights ** Technical Insights - NixOS modules require explicit function parameters; specialArgs only provides them at module boundary - Package availability differs dramatically between stable (24.05) and unstable channels - Matrix ecosystem packages rarely make it into stable due to rapid development pace - Insecure package permissions must be set in BOTH pkgs-unstable import AND nixpkgs.config - VM build success is sufficient validation for package resolution; runtime testing is optional - VM testing can run in environments without GUI (build-only validation) - nixos-rebuild boot is safer than switch for production deployments (activate on reboot) - GRUB generations provide rollback path if deployment breaks boot - ops-base worklogs contain valuable deployment patterns and historical decisions ** Process Insights - Research historical worklogs before choosing deployment approach - User feedback critical for correcting reasoning flaws (Option 1 vs 2 decision) - Incremental fixes with test builds catch issues early - Local build validation before VPS deployment prevents partial failures - SSH investigation of running system informs configuration accuracy - Git commits at working states enable bisecting issues - Background bash commands allow multitasking during long builds ** Architectural Insights - Hybrid stable+unstable approach balances system stability with package availability - Module function signatures make dependencies explicit and self-documenting - specialArgs provides clean dependency injection to NixOS modules - Package permissions have different scopes (import-time vs config-time) - VM configurations useful for validation even without runtime testing - Secrets already in place from ops-base (/run/secrets/) simplify migration - Hardware config from running system (nixos-generate-config) ensures boot compatibility ** Security Insights - olm library deprecation with CVEs is acceptable risk for Matrix bridge functionality - Upstream Matrix.org assessment: exploits unlikely in practical network conditions - Explicit documentation of security trade-offs critical for future review - Side-channel attacks in cryptography libraries different risk profile than network exploits - ACME email for Let's Encrypt notifications not publicly exposed - SSH key-based authentication maintained throughout deployment * Context for Future Work ** Open Questions - Will the VPS deployment complete successfully? (still downloading packages at session end) - Will services remain running after reboot to new ops-jrz1 configuration? - Do Matrix bridges need additional configuration beyond module defaults? - Should we establish automated testing of VM builds in CI? - How to handle olm deprecation long-term? (wait for upstream alternatives) - Should we add monitoring for ACME certificate renewal failures? ** Next Steps - Wait for nixos-rebuild boot to complete on VPS - Reboot VPS to activate ops-jrz1 configuration - Verify all services start successfully (matrix-continuwuity, mautrix-slack, forgejo, postgresql, nginx) - Test HTTPS access to clarun.xyz and git.clarun.xyz - Confirm ACME certificates obtained from Let's Encrypt - Test Matrix homeserver functionality - Validate Slack bridge still working - Document any post-deployment issues or fixes needed - Create worklog for deployment completion session - Consider adding VM build to pre-commit hooks or CI ** Related Work - Previous worklog: 2025-10-14-migration-strategy-and-planning.org (strategic planning session) - Previous worklog: 2025-10-13-phase-3-module-extraction.org (module extraction from ops-base) - ops-base worklog: 2025-10-01-vultr-vps-https-lets-encrypt-setup.org (ACME pattern reference) - ops-base worklog: 2025-09-30-vultr-vps-boot-fix-matrix-forgejo-deployment-success.org (nixos-rebuild boot pattern) - Related issue: mautrix bridge dependency on deprecated olm library - Next worklog: Will document deployment completion, reboot, and service verification ** Technical Debt Identified - olm-3.2.16 deprecated with CVEs - need to monitor for alternatives - VM testing workflow not yet integrated into automated testing - No monitoring/alerting configured for ACME renewal failures - Deployment approach manual (rsync + ssh); could use deploy-rs or colmena - No rollback testing performed (trust in GRUB generations) - Documentation of VM testing workflow not yet written - No pre-commit hook to validate flake builds before commit * Raw Notes ## Session Flow Timeline ### Phase 1: Status Assessment and Planning (Start) - User asked about deployment next steps after previous session - I provided status summary: 53.4% MVP complete, 3+ phases done - User expressed interest in VM testing workflow: "I like VM Test First" - Goal: Make VM testing regular part of workflow for certain deploys ### Phase 2: VM Configuration Creation - Created hosts/ops-jrz1-vm.nix with VM-specific settings - Updated flake.nix to add ops-jrz1-vm configuration - Attempted VM build, discovered package availability error ### Phase 3: Package Resolution Debugging - Error: "attribute 'mautrix-slack' missing" at modules/mautrix-slack.nix:58 - Root cause: pkgs from nixpkgs 24.05 stable lacks mautrix packages - Researched ops-base to understand their approach (uses unstable for everything) - Proposed Option 1: Use unstable everywhere - User feedback: "2 and 4 are the same reason and not a good one. 3. Simplicity isn't a reason if it potentially introduces future complexity. 1. is a good reason." - Revised to Option 2: Fix modules to use pkgs-unstable parameter ### Phase 4: Module Fixes Implementation - Updated 4 module function signatures to accept pkgs-unstable - Changed 5 package references from pkgs.* to pkgs-unstable.* - Discovered olm permission needed in multiple locations - Added permittedInsecurePackages to VM flake config - Added permittedInsecurePackages to VM host config - VM build succeeded! ### Phase 5: Production Configuration - User provided VPS IP: 45.77.205.49 - User asked about deployment approach (local vs VPS build) - Researched ops-base deployment patterns from worklogs - Found historical use of nixos-rebuild boot (safe deployment) - User agreed: "I like the look of Option 3, a reboot is fine" ### Phase 6: VPS Investigation - SSH to VPS to check current state - Found: NixOS 25.11 unstable, Matrix + services running, 2 weeks uptime - Retrieved hardware-configuration.nix from VPS - Checked secrets: /run/secrets/matrix-registration-token exists - Found domain: clarun.xyz - No ops-base repo found on VPS (config location unknown) ### Phase 7: Production Config Updates - Created hardware-configuration.nix locally from VPS output - Updated configuration.nix: boot loader (/dev/vda), network (ens3), SSH keys, Nix flakes - Added ACME configuration (dlei@duck.com from ops-base pattern) - Updated hosts/ops-jrz1.nix: enabled services, clarun.xyz domain, delpadtech workspace - Added olm permission to production flake and configuration ### Phase 8: Production Build Testing - Built ops-jrz1 config locally to validate - Build succeeded - confirmed all package references working - Committed production configuration changes ### Phase 9: Deployment Initiation - Synced ops-jrz1 to VPS via rsync - Started nixos-rebuild boot on VPS (running in background) - Deployment downloading 786.52 MiB packages (still running at session end) ## Key Error Messages Encountered ### Package availability error ``` error: attribute 'mautrix-slack' missing at /nix/store/.../modules/mautrix-slack.nix:58:17: 58| default = pkgs.mautrix-slack; ``` Solution: Change to `pkgs-unstable.mautrix-slack` ### Insecure package error ``` error: Package 'olm-3.2.16' in /nix/store/.../pkgs/by-name/ol/olm/package.nix:42 is marked as insecure, refusing to evaluate. Known issues: - The libolm end‐to‐end encryption library used in many Matrix clients and Jitsi Meet has been deprecated upstream, and relies on a cryptography library that has known side‐channel issues... ``` Solution: Add to permittedInsecurePackages in both flake.nix pkgs-unstable config AND configuration.nix ### Module parameter undefined ``` error: undefined variable 'pkgs-unstable' at /nix/store/.../modules/mautrix-slack.nix:58:17: ``` Solution: Add pkgs-unstable to module function signature parameters ## VPS Details Discovered ### Current System Info - Hostname: jrz1 - OS: NixOS 25.11.20250902.d0fc308 (Xantusia) - unstable channel - Current system: /nix/store/z7gvv83gsc6wwc39lybibybknp7kp88z-nixos-system-jrz1-25.11 - Generations: 29 (current from 2025-10-03) ### Running Services - matrix-continuwuity.service - active (running) since Oct 7, 2 weeks uptime - fail2ban.service - forgejo.service - netdata.service - nginx.service - postgresql.service ### Network Config - Interface: ens3 (not eth0) - Boot: Legacy BIOS (/dev/vda MBR, not UEFI) - Firewall: Ports 22, 80, 443 open ### Filesystems ``` /dev/vda4 52G 13G 37G 25% / /dev/vda2 488M 71M 382M 16% /boot swap: /dev/disk/by-uuid/b06bd8f8-0662-459e-9172-eafa9cbdd354 ``` ### Secrets Present - /run/secrets/acme-email - /run/secrets/matrix-registration-token ## Configuration Snippets ### Module function signature update ```nix # Before { config, pkgs, lib, ... }: # After { config, pkgs, pkgs-unstable, lib, ... }: ``` ### Package option default update ```nix # Before package = mkOption { type = types.package; default = pkgs.mautrix-slack; description = "Package providing the bridge executable."; }; # After package = mkOption { type = types.package; default = pkgs-unstable.mautrix-slack; description = "Package providing the bridge executable."; }; ``` ### Flake specialArgs configuration ```nix specialArgs = { pkgs-unstable = import nixpkgs-unstable { system = "x86_64-linux"; config = { allowUnfree = true; permittedInsecurePackages = [ "olm-3.2.16" # Required by mautrix bridges ]; }; }; }; ``` ### ACME configuration ```nix security.acme = { acceptTerms = true; defaults.email = "dlei@duck.com"; }; ``` ## Resources Consulted - ~/proj/ops-base/docs/worklogs/ - Historical deployment patterns - ~/proj/ops-base/docs/worklogs/2025-10-01-vultr-vps-https-lets-encrypt-setup.org - ACME setup - ~/proj/ops-base/docs/worklogs/2025-09-30-vultr-vps-boot-fix-matrix-forgejo-deployment-success.org - nixos-rebuild boot pattern - NixOS module system documentation - specialArgs usage - mautrix bridge deprecation notices for olm library ## User Feedback Highlights - "I like VM Test First, I want to make that a regular part of the workflow for certain deploys" - "2 and 4 are the same reason and not a good one. 3. Simplicity isn't a reason if it potentially introduces future complexity. 1. is a good reason." - "Sounds Great, let's come up with an implementation plan for Option 2" - "ok, the vultr IP is 45.77.205.49" - "I like the look of Option 3, a reboot is fine" * Session Metrics - Commits made: 6 - Files touched: 9 - Files created: 2 (hardware-configuration.nix, hosts/ops-jrz1-vm.nix) - Lines changed: ~100+ across all files - Build attempts: 5+ (VM config iterations + production config) - VPS SSH connections: 10+ - rsync deployments: 3 - Deployment status: In progress (nixos-rebuild boot downloading packages) - Session duration: ~3 hours - Background process: nixos-rebuild boot still running at worklog creation