disko/docs/disko-install.md

# disko-install

**disko-install** enhances the normal `nixos-install` with disko's partitioning feature.
It can be started from the NixOS installer but it can also be used to create bootable USB-Sticks from your normal workstation.
Furthermore `disko-install` has a mount mode that will only mount but not destroy existing partitions.
The mount mode can be used to mount and repair existing NixOS installations.
This document provides a comprehensive guide on how to use **disko-install**, including examples for typical usage scenarios.

## Requirements

- a Linux system with Nix installed.
- a target disk or partition for the NixOS installation.
- a Nix flake that defines your desired NixOS configuration.

## Usage

### Fresh Installation

For a fresh installation, where **disko-install** will handle partitioning and setting up the disk, use the following syntax:

```console
sudo nix run 'github:nix-community/disko#disko-install' -- --flake <flake-url>#<flake-attr> --disk <disk-name> <disk-device>
```

Example:

First run `nixos-generate-config --root /tmp/config --no-filesystems` and
edit `configuration.nix` to your liking.

Than add the following `flake.nix` inside `/tmp/config/etc/nixos`.
In this example we assume a system that has been booted with EFI:

```nix
{
  inputs.nixpkgs.url = "github:nixos/nixpkgs?ref=nixos-unstable";
  inputs.disko.url = "github:nix-community/disko";
  inputs.disko.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";

  outputs = { self, disko, nixpkgs }: {
    nixosConfigurations.mymachine = nixpkgs.legacyPackages.x86_64-linux.nixos [
      ./configuration.nix
      disko.nixosModules.disko
      {
        disko.devices = {
          disk = {
            main = {
              # When using disko-install, we will overwrite this value from the commandline
              device = "/dev/disk/by-id/some-disk-id";
              type = "disk";
              content = {
                type = "gpt";
                partitions = {
                  MBR = {
                    type = "EF02"; # for grub MBR
                    size = "1M";
                  };
                  ESP = {
                    type = "EF00";
                    size = "500M";
                    content = {
                      type = "filesystem";
                      format = "vfat";
                      mountpoint = "/boot";
                    };
                  };
                  root = {
                    size = "100%";
                    content = {
                      type = "filesystem";
                      format = "ext4";
                      mountpoint = "/";
                    };
                  };
                };
              };
            };
          };
        };
      }
    ];
  };
}
```

Identify the device name that you want to install NixOS to:

```console
$ lsblk
NAME        MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda           8:0    1 14.9G  0 disk
└─sda1        8:1    1 14.9G  0 part
zd0         230:0    0   10G  0 disk
├─zd0p1     230:1    0  500M  0 part
└─zd0p2     230:2    0  9.5G  0 part /mnt
nvme0n1     259:0    0  1.8T  0 disk
├─nvme0n1p1 259:1    0    1G  0 part /boot
├─nvme0n1p2 259:2    0   16M  0 part
├─nvme0n1p3 259:3    0  250G  0 part
└─nvme0n1p4 259:4    0  1.6T  0 part
```

In our example, we want to install to a USB-stick (/dev/sda):

```console
$ sudo nix run 'github:nix-community/disko#disko-install' -- --flake '/tmp/config/etc/nixos#mymachine' --disk main /dev/sda
```

Afterwards you can test your USB-stick by either selecting during the boot
or attaching it to a qemu-vm:

```
$ sudo qemu-kvm -enable-kvm -hda /dev/sda
```

### Persisting boot entries to EFI vars flash

**disko-install** is designed for NixOS installations on portable storage or disks that may be transferred between computers.
As such, it does not modify the host's NVRAM by default.
To ensure your NixOS installation boots seamlessly on new hardware or to prioritize it in your current machine's boot order,
use the --write-efi-boot-entries option:

```console
$ sudo nix run 'github:nix-community/disko#disko-install' -- --write-efi-boot-entries --flake '/tmp/config/etc/nixos#mymachine' --disk main /dev/sda
```

This command installs NixOS with **disko-install** and sets the newly installed system as the default boot option,
without affecting the flexibility to boot from other devices if needed.

### Using disko-install in an offline installer

If you want to **disko-install** from a customer installer without internet, you need to make sure that
next the toplevel of your NixOS closure that you plan to install, it also needs **diskoScript** and
all the flake inputs for evaluation.

#### Example configuration to install

Add this to your flake.nix output:

```nix
{
  nixosConfigurations.your-machine = inputs.nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
    system = "x86_64-linux";
    # to pass this flake into your configuration (see the example below)
    specialArgs = {inherit self;};
    modules = [
      {
        # TODO: add your NixOS configuration here, don't forget your hardware-configuration.nix as well!
        boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;
        imports = [ self.inputs.disko.nixosModules.disko ];
        disko.devices = {
          disk = {
            vdb = {
              device = "/dev/disk/by-id/some-disk-id";
              type = "disk";
              content = {
                type = "gpt";
                partitions = {
                  ESP = {
                    type = "EF00";
                    size = "500M";
                    content = {
                      type = "filesystem";
                      format = "vfat";
                      mountpoint = "/boot";
                    };
                  };
                  root = {
                    size = "100%";
                    content = {
                      type = "filesystem";
                      format = "ext4";
                      mountpoint = "/";
                    };
                  };
                };
              };
            };
          };
        };
      }
    ];
  };
}
```

#### Example for a NixOS installer

```nix
# `self` here is referring to the flake `self`, you may need to pass it using `specialArgs` or define your NixOS installer configuration
# in the flake.nix itself to get direct access to the `self` flake variable.
{ pkgs, self, ... }:
let
  dependencies = [
    pkgs.stdenv.drvPath
    self.nixosConfigurations.your-machine.config.system.build.toplevel
    self.nixosConfigurations.your-machine.config.system.build.diskoScript
  ] ++ builtins.map (i: i.outPath) (builtins.attrValues self.inputs);

  closureInfo = pkgs.closureInfo { rootPaths = dependencies; };
in
# Now add `closureInfo` to your NixOS installer
{
  environment.etc."install-closure".source = "${closureInfo}/store-paths";

  environment.systemPackages = [
    (pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "install-nixos-unattended" ''
      set -eux
      # Replace "/dev/disk/by-id/some-disk-id" with your actual disk ID
      exec ${pkgs.disko}/bin/disko-install --flake "${self}#your-machine" --disk vdb "/dev/disk/by-id/some-disk-id"
    '')
  ];
}
```

Also see the [NixOS test of disko-install](https://github.com/nix-community/disko/blob/master/tests/disko-install/default.nix) that also runs without internet.