How to add machines

Machines can be added using the following methods

• Editing nix expressions in flake.nix (i.e. via clan-core.lib.clan)
• Editing machines/machine_name/configuration.nix (automatically included if it exists)
• clan machines create (imperative)

See the complete list of auto-loaded files.

Create a machine

{
    inventory.machines = {
        # Define a machine
        jon = { };
    };

    # Additional NixOS configuration can be added here.
    # machines/jon/configuration.nix will be automatically imported.
    # See: https://docs.clan.lol/guides/more-machines/#automatic-registration
    machines = {
        # jon = { config, ... }: {
        #   environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.asciinema ];
        # };
    };
}

clan machines create jon

Configuring a machine

Add the following to your clan.nix file for each machine. This example demonstrates what is needed based on a machine called jon:

{
    inventory.machines = {
        jon = {
            # Define tags here (optional)
            tags = [ ]; # (1)
        };
        sara = {
            deploy.targetHost = "root@sara";
            tags = [ ];
        };
    };
    # Define additional nixosConfiguration here
    # Or in /machines/jon/configuration.nix (autoloaded)
    machines = {
        jon = { config, pkgs, ... }: {
            users.users.root.openssh.authorizedKeys.keys = [
                "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC..." # elided (2)
            ];
        };
    };
}

1. Tags can be used to automatically add this machine to services later on. - You dont need to set this now.
2. Add your ssh key here - That will ensure you can always login to your machine via ssh in case something goes wrong.

(Optional) Create a configuration.nix

{
    imports = [
        # enables GNOME desktop (optional)
        ../../modules/gnome.nix
    ];

    # Set nixosOptions here
    # Or import your own modules via 'imports'
    # ...
}

(Optional) Renaming a Machine

Older templates included static machine folders like jon and sara. If your setup still uses such static machines, you can rename a machine folder to match your own machine name:

git mv ./machines/jon ./machines/<your-machine-name>

Since your Clan configuration lives inside a Git repository, remember:

• Only files tracked by Git (git add) are recognized.
• Whenever you add, rename, or remove files, run:

git add ./machines/<your-machine-name>

to stage the changes.

(Optional) Removing a Machine

If you want to work with a single machine for now, you can remove other machine entries both from your flake.nix and from the machines directory. For example, to remove the machine sara:

git rm -rf ./machines/sara

Make sure to also remove or update any references to that machine in your nix files or inventory.json if you have any of that