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ops-jrz1/docs/worklogs/2025-10-21-ops-jrz1-vm-testing-vps-deployment-package-fixes.org
Dan 64246a6615 Deploy Generation 31 with sops-nix secrets management 
Successfully deployed ops-jrz1 Matrix platform to production VPS using
extracted modules from ops-base. Validated deployment workflow following
ops-base best practices: boot -> reboot -> verify.

Changes:
- Pin sops-nix to June 2024 version for nixpkgs 24.05 compatibility
- Configure sops secrets for Matrix registration token and ACME email
- Add encrypted secrets.yaml (safe to commit, encrypted with age)
- Document deployment process and lessons learned

All services verified running:
- Matrix homeserver (matrix-continuwuity): conduwuit 0.5.0-rc.8
- nginx: Proxying Matrix and Forgejo
- PostgreSQL 15.10: Database services
- Forgejo 7.0.12: Git platform

Generated with Claude Code

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
2025-10-21 21:32:23 -07:00

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ops-jrz1 VM Testing Workflow and VPS Deployment with Package Resolution Fixes

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

  • Researched ops-base deployment patterns and historical approaches from worklogs
  • Fixed VM configuration build (package resolution for mautrix bridges)
  • Validated production configuration builds successfully
  • Discovered and fixed nixpkgs stable vs unstable package availability mismatch
  • Updated module function signatures to accept pkgs-unstable parameter
  • Configured ACME (Let's Encrypt) for production deployment
  • Retrieved hardware-configuration.nix from running VPS
  • Configured production host (hosts/ops-jrz1.nix) with clarun.xyz domain
  • Deployed to VPS using nixos-rebuild boot (safe deployment method)
  • Created 6 commits documenting VM setup, package fixes, and deployment config
  • 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<br>2. Updated module function signatures to accept pkgs-unstable parameter<br>3. Changed package defaults from pkgs.* to pkgs-unstable.*<br>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<br>2. Added permittedInsecurePackages to hosts/ops-jrz1-vm.nix nixpkgs.config<br>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

rg "pkgs\.(mautrix|matrix-continuwuity)" modules/

nix build .#nixosConfigurations.ops-jrz1.config.system.build.toplevel -L

nix flake check ```

### VPS investigation ```bash

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)"'

ssh root@45.77.205.49 'cat /etc/nixos/hardware-configuration.nix'

ssh root@45.77.205.49 'ls -la run/secrets' ```

### Deployment commands ```bash

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/

ssh root@45.77.205.49 'cd /root/ops-jrz1 && nixos-rebuild boot –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

{ config, pkgs, lib, … }:

{ config, pkgs, pkgs-unstable, lib, … }: ```

### Package option default update ```nix

package = mkOption { type = types.package; default = pkgs.mautrix-slack; description = "Package providing the bridge executable."; };

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