Add meeting-notes/2025-01-30nixos_deploy_session.md

meeting-notes/2025-01-30nixos_deploy_session.md

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+***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