***Deployment workflow knowledge sharing (disguised as a usability test for our project documentation)***

***Attendees:*** Koen, Kiara, Valentin, Nicolas, Kevin
***Notes&moderation:*** Valentin

	* Kevin drives, Nicolas navigates
	* Task: deploy some program to an unsed VM
	* Start at Fediversity/Fediversity: README.md
		* Need to add public key to ./keys/contributors/keys
			* TODO: no docs there why we need the keys and how to add them:
				* keys used to decrypt secrets stored in the repo
				* https://git.fediversity.eu/Fediversity/Fediversity/issues/84
			* TODO: document that review process needs rekeying https://git.fediversity.eu/Fediversity/Fediversity/issues/85
			* TODO: use keys for machine access, too https://git.fediversity.eu/Fediversity/Fediversity/issues/83
		* Inspecting ./services
			* TODO: Rewrite the introduction https://git.fediversity.eu/Fediversity/Fediversity/issues/86
			* TODO: update Pixelfed service to use an actual secret https://git.fediversity.eu/Fediversity/Fediversity/issues/87
		* Added an SSH public key and re-keyed
			* Tried redeploying the VM to provide the newly added contributor with machine access
			* TODO: check NixOps4 interfaces in a test https://git.fediversity.eu/Fediversity/Fediversity/issues/90
			* A machine was not available any more and NixOps4 broke for us after an update
				* Workaround: https://git.fediversity.eu/Fediversity/Fediversity/pulls/91
				* TODO: https://git.fediversity.eu/Fediversity/Fediversity/issues/90
		* Adding cowsay to a VM
			* Tested if it's already in the VM's environment: no
			* Added it to the VM's config
			* Ran into a code organisation issue that prevents the change as is
				* TODO: https://git.fediversity.eu/Fediversity/Fediversity/issues/93
			* Had some trouble getting `nixops4` to run
				* TODO: https://git.fediversity.eu/Fediversity/Fediversity/issues/94
				* For some reason NixOps4 is building Nix, takes a while
		* Ran cowsay after a successful deployment
			* Finished in 2:20h!
		* Debrief:
			* Koen: There were a lot of moving parts. Would like this to be more of a linear run-through guided by documentation.
				* Eventually I want to be able to do this myself, I'm exactly the target audience of this tooling
				* Target should be about 30 min to get from nothing to the deployment given solid Linux experience
			* Kiara: Learned the overall flow, should be able to get there a lot faster on Monday
				* I might be close to the target audience, but it's still very geared towards somewhat experienced Nix users
			* Kevin:
				* Most frustrating: Didn't know what I was doing, just following arbitrary-sounding instructions
				* Surprisingly easy: Applying the configuration to the deployment just worked (although getting there was hard)
				* What to change (assuming roadblocks removed): Nothing, seems about right. The problem were the roadblocks and lack of written sequential instructions
			* Nicolas:
				* Process felt painful; may be biased from having it working on my end.
				* Documentation is pretty much lacking, this is the biggest issue; far from being content with the current state
					* Part of it will be NixOps4 docs, part Nix docs
						* Leaking errors from any of those will confuse users not intimately familiar with both
					* Need to figure out how to factor those workflows in documentation; e.g. adding keys, factoring configurations are independent problems, can't put them in a meaningful sequence
			* Valentin:
				* Not surprised it took so long; the whole point was to reveal implicit assumptions
				* Since this project is largely a big integrator, we probably have to (co-)own the UX for each of the underlying tools our users interact with
					* Have to strike a balance with things we can fix upstream or where we have to paper over them with a custom wrapper/interface or documentation
				* We should probably map the entire user story starting with essentially two bare machines (client and deployment target), and then work through and iterate on it until it's smooth
					* Client: Freshly installed Debian machine with one user on it
					* Server: Empty machine
		* Decision: Do this once a week to derive tasks for the following days. Record the process and outcomes.
		* Next week: 
			* Start with two fresh machines: Client (Debian) and server (empty)
			* Install Nix and configure a user environment on the client
				* Pull the Fediversity repo and create a minimal NixOS ISO
			* Install NixOS with Proxmox-nix on the server:
				* Boot the installer ISO
				* Deploy to the machine via NixOps4 from a config in Fediversity repo