| name | build |
| description | Build NixOS/darwin/home configs from this flake without activating. Use when user runs /build, says "build <host>", "build the servers", or "check the config builds". |
| argument-hint | [host|group ...] |
| disable-model-invocation | true |
/build: build configs, never activate
Resolve targets
- No args → current host: run
hostname.
- Args → hosts and/or groups. Expand groups, dedupe, keep order.
- Unknown name → list valid hosts/groups, stop.
Groups
servers: download-server-1 home-kvm-hypervisor-1 home-storage-server-1 home-k8s-master-1laptops: ali-framework-laptop ali-work-laptop ali-mba-linuxall: servers + laptops + ali-desktop + ali-steam-deck (= all 9 deploy-rs nodes)
Host registry
| host | attr set | arch | deploy node |
|---|
| ali-desktop | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | yes (root@100.127.142.30, this machine) |
| ali-framework-laptop | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | yes |
| ali-steam-deck | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | yes |
| ali-work-laptop | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | yes |
| ali-mba-linux | nixosConfigurations | aarch64-linux | yes |
| download-server-1 | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | yes |
| home-kvm-hypervisor-1 | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | yes |
| home-storage-server-1 | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | yes |
| home-k8s-master-1 | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | yes |
| home-k8s-server-1 | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | no (node commented out) |
| dev-vm | nixosConfigurations | aarch64-linux | no |
| home-vpn-gateway-1 | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | no |
| home-vpn-gateway-1-vm | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | no |
| installer-iso | nixosConfigurations | x86_64-linux | no |
| ali-mba | darwinConfigurations | aarch64-darwin | no |
| Alisons-MacBook-Pro | darwinConfigurations | aarch64-darwin | no |
| ali | homeConfigurations | x86_64-linux | no |
| deck | homeConfigurations | x86_64-linux | no |
Ground truth for deploy nodes is flake-modules/deploy.nix; trust it over this table.
Arch rules:
- darwin hosts: buildable only on a darwin machine. On Linux: refuse with that reason.
- aarch64-linux hosts: build fine on ali-desktop via qemu binfmt, but expect 2-5x slower; say so up front.
Build commands (sequential, one host at a time)
Shared closure means later hosts mostly cache-hit; sequential keeps error attribution clean.
- NixOS host:
just build <host> (nh path, performance power profile, no sudo)
- darwin (darwin machine only):
nix build .#darwinConfigurations.<name>.system
- home config:
nix build .#homeConfigurations.<name>.activationPackage
Long builds (10-60 min): run via Bash with run_in_background: true. Poll output every
few minutes; post a one-line progress note when something meaningful changes. Never
foreground-block. Do useful prep (e.g. pre-read the next host's config) while waiting.
On failure: debug loop
- Capture the real error. Eval error → rerun
just build <host> --show-trace.
Derivation failure → nix log <failing .drv>.
- Classify:
- untracked file: flake eval only sees git-tracked files. "path ... does not
exist" but file exists on disk →
git add <file> (add OK, commit NOT OK). Most
common failure here after creating new files.
- eval/type/option error → fix the nix code, minimal diff.
- stale fetcher hash → replace with the "got:" hash from the error.
- upstream derivation failure → try patch/override/version pin; if hopeless,
mark FAILED.
- Rebuild ONLY the failed host. Max 5 fix iterations per host, then FAILED, move on.
Hard rules: never git commit/git push. Never sudo. Never activate.
Final report
| host | result | time | notes |
Then Fixes made: file → one-line what/why each. Remind user fixes are uncommitted,
so review and commit yourself.
To activate the current host: user runs just boot/just test/just switch themselves
(needs sudo), or /deploy ali-desktop (root-over-ssh, no local sudo needed).
