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# nixos-anywhere
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**_Install NixOS everywhere via ssh_**
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2023-02-01 22:33:08 +03:00
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<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/numtide/nixos-anywhere/main/docs/logo.png" width="150" height="150">
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[Documentation Index](docs/INDEX.md)
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## README
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Setting up a new machine is time-consuming, and becomes complicated when it
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needs to be done remotely. If you're installing NixOS, the **nixos-anywhere**
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(formerly known as **nixos-remote**) tool allows you to pre-configure the whole
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process including:
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- Disk partitioning and formatting
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- Configuring and installing NixOS
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- Installing additional files and software
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You can then initiate an unattended installation with a single CLI command.
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Since **nixos-anywhere** can access the new machine using SSH, it's ideal for
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remote installations.
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Once you have initiated the command, there is no need to 'babysit' the
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installation. It all happens automatically.
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You can use the stored configuration to repeat the same installation if you need
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to.
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## Overview
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If you have machines on a mix of platforms, you'll need a common installation
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solution that works anywhere. **nixos-anywhere** is ideal in this situation.
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**nixos-anywhere** can be used equally well for cloud servers, bare metal
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servers such as Hetzner, and local servers accessible via a LAN. You can create
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standard configurations, and use the same configuration to create identical
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servers anywhere.
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You first create Nix configurations to specify partitioning, formatting and
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NixOS configurations. Further options can be controlled by a flake and by
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run-time switches.
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Once the configuration has been created, a single command will:
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- Connect to the remote server via SSH
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- Detect whether a NixOS installer is present; if not, it will use the Linux
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`kexec` tool to boot into a Nixos installer.
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- Use the [disko](https://github.com/nix-community/disko) tool to partition and
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format the hard drive
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- Install NixOS
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- Optionally install any Nix packages and other software required.
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- Optionally copy additional files to the new machine
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It's also possible to use **nixos-anywhere** to simplify the installation on a
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machine that has no current operating system, first booting from a NixOS
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installer image. This feature is described in the
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[how-to guide](./docs/howtos.md#installing-on-a-machine-with-no-operating-system).
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It's useful because you can pre-configure your required software and
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preferences, and build the new machine with a single command.
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**Important Note:** Never use a production server as the target. It will be
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completely overwritten and all data lost. This tool should only be used for
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commissioning a new computer or repurposing an old machine once all important
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data has been migrated.
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## Prerequisites
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- Source Machine:
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- Can be any machine with Nix installed, e.g. a NixOS machine.
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- Should be able to build nix derivations for the target platform. Otherwise
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`--build-on-remote` can be used.
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- Target Machine:
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- Unless you're using the option to boot from a NixOS installer image, or
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providing your own `kexec` image, it must be running x86-64 Linux with kexec
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support. Most `x86_64` Linux systems do have kexec support. By providing
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your own [image](./docs/howtos.md#using-your-own-kexec-image) you can also
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perform kexec for other architectures eg aarch64
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- Must have at least 1.5 GB of RAM, excluding swap.
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## How to use nixos-anywhere
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Here’s a quick summary of how to use **nixos-anywhere**. You can find more
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information in the [documentation](./docs).
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The tool doesn't need to be installed, since it can be run directly from this
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repository.
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First create a repo that includes the disk configuration and a
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[flake](https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Flakes) to configure your options. This example
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assumes that flakes have been enabled on your source machine.
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Here’s an example of a simple disk configuration:
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```nix
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{ disks ? [ "/dev/vda" ], ... }:
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{
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disk = {
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main = {
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type = "disk";
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device = builtins.elemAt disks 0;
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content = {
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type = "table";
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format = "gpt";
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partitions = [
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{
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name = "boot";
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start = "0";
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end = "1M";
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flags = [ "bios_grub" ];
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}
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{
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name = "ESP";
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start = "1M";
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end = "512M";
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bootable = true;
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content = {
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type = "filesystem";
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format = "vfat";
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mountpoint = "/boot";
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};
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}
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{
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name = "root";
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start = "512M";
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end = "100%";
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content = {
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type = "filesystem";
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format = "ext4";
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mountpoint = "/";
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};
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}
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];
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};
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};
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};
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}
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```
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The
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[disko repository](https://github.com/nix-community/disko/tree/master/example)
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has several examples of disk configurations. You can adapt them to our own
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needs.
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A simple flake may look like this:
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```nix
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{
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inputs.nixpkgs.url = github:NixOS/nixpkgs;
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inputs.disko.url = github:nix-community/disko;
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inputs.disko.inputs.nixpkgs.follows = "nixpkgs";
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outputs = { self, nixpkgs, disko, ... }@attrs: {
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#-----------------------------------------------------------
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# The following line names the configuration as hetzner-cloud
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# This name will be referenced when nixos-remote is run
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#-----------------------------------------------------------
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nixosConfigurations.hetzner-cloud = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem {
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system = "x86_64-linux";
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specialArgs = attrs;
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modules = [
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({modulesPath, ... }: {
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imports = [
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(modulesPath + "/installer/scan/not-detected.nix")
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(modulesPath + "/profiles/qemu-guest.nix")
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disko.nixosModules.disko
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];
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disko.devices = import ./disk-config.nix {
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lib = nixpkgs.lib;
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};
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boot.loader.grub = {
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devices = [ "/dev/sda" ];
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efiSupport = true;
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efiInstallAsRemovable = true;
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};
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services.openssh.enable = true;
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#-------------------------------------------------------
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# Change the line below replacing <insert your key here>
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# with your own ssh public key
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#-------------------------------------------------------
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users.users.root.openssh.authorizedKeys.keys = [ "<insert your key here>" ];
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})
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];
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};
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};
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}
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```
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Once you’ve created the disk configuration and the flake, you can run the tool
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with a single nix command, which may look like this:
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```
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nix run github:numtide/nixos-anywhere -- --flake .#hetzner-cloud root@135.181.254.201
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```
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Note that this command references the URL of your flake, in this case `.#`,
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together with the name of the system `hetzner-cloud`, as highlighted by the
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comment in the sample flake.
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This will configure and build the new NixOS server. Since the configurations are
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defined in the flake, it will not create `/etc/nixos/configuration.nix`. If you
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need to make changes to the configuration in future, you should make the changes
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in the flake, and rebuild using the --flake option as shown below:
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```
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nixos-rebuild --flake <flake URL> switch
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```
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The [Quickstart Guide](./docs/quickstart.md) gives more information on how to
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run **nixos-anywhere** in its simplest form. For more specific instructions to
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suit individual requirements, see the [How To Guide](./docs/howtos.md).
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# Further Reading
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@tfc has written a walkthrough on how use **nixos-anywhere** to bootstrap
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hetzner cloud servers as well as dedicated machines on his
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[blog](https://galowicz.de/2023/04/05/single-command-server-bootstrap/):
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## Related Tools
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**nixos-anywhere** makes use of the
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[disko](https://github.com/nix-community/disko) tool to handle the partitioning
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and formatting of the disks.
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## Licensing and Contribution details
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This software is provided free under the
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[MIT Licence](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT).
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---
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This project is supported by [Numtide](https://numtide.com/).
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![Untitledpng](https://codahosted.io/docs/6FCIMTRM0p/blobs/bl-sgSunaXYWX/077f3f9d7d76d6a228a937afa0658292584dedb5b852a8ca370b6c61dabb7872b7f617e603f1793928dc5410c74b3e77af21a89e435fa71a681a868d21fd1f599dd10a647dd855e14043979f1df7956f67c3260c0442e24b34662307204b83ea34de929d)
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We are a team of independent freelancers that love open source. We help our
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customers make their project lifecycles more efficient by:
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- Providing and supporting useful tools such as this one
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- Building and deploying infrastructure, and offering dedicated DevOps support
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- Building their in-house Nix skills, and integrating Nix with their workflows
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- Developing additional features and tools
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- Carrying out custom research and development.
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[Contact us](https://numtide.com/contact) if you have a project in mind, or if
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you need help with any of our supported tools, including this one. We'd love to
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