Running Guix System on Hetzner Cloud

Running Guix System on Hetzner Cloud

[Jonathan Brielmaier]

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Hi fellow Guix hackers,

the last weekend I tried to install Guix system on the Hetzner Cloud[0].
First I tried to use Ubuntu, install Guix with the installer script and
then initiate Guix with "guix system init /mnt...". This wasn't
successful as Guix system didn't boot.

So I asked them if they could add the Guix ISO to there ISO image
collection and they did it. At the moment only for my account, not general.

They provide some kind of serial console over the browser. So I just
booted the server with Guix ISO mounted. I went through the graphical
installer, which works very well in this environment :)

During the installation step it fails due to missing "virtio_pci" initrd
modules (see hetzner_cloud_installer_fails.png). In the installer there
was no way to bypass this issue. But rebooting and installing manually
with the configuration below did work :)

I think it would be nice if the installer could handle that as he
already cover the "virtio_scsi" module.

In the end I got a working Guix system for 0,05 € :)

Happy hacking
Jonathan

P.S: Did I already mentioned that the installer is _very_ nice?

[0] https://www.hetzner.com/cloud

;; This is an operating system configuration generated
;; by the graphical installer.

(use-modules (gnu))
(use-service-modules databases desktop mail networking ssh xorg)
(use-package-modules admin vim)

(operating-system
  (locale "en_US.utf8")
  (timezone "Europe/Berlin")
  (keyboard-layout
    (keyboard-layout "de" "deadacute"))
  (bootloader
    (bootloader-configuration
      (bootloader grub-bootloader)
      (target "/dev/sda")
      (keyboard-layout keyboard-layout)))
  (initrd-modules '("virtio_scsi" "virtio_pci"))
  (swap-devices (list "/dev/sda1"))
  (file-systems
    (cons* (file-system
             (mount-point "/")
             (device
               (uuid "713cf8af-e503-45f9-9a10-a0c5a4ce709b"
                     'ext4))
             (type "ext4"))
           %base-file-systems))
  (host-name "guixone")
  (users (cons* (user-account
                  (name "jonathan")
                  (comment "Jonathan Brielmaier")
                  (group "users")
                  (home-directory "/home/jonathan")
                  (supplementary-groups
                    '("wheel" "netdev" "audio" "video")))
                %base-user-accounts))
  (packages
    (append
      (list (specification->package "nss-certs") nmap vim)
      %base-packages))
  (services
    (append
      (list (service dhcp-client-service-type)
	    (dovecot-service)
	    (mysql-service)
            (service openssh-service-type))
      %base-services)))

[-- Attachment #2: hetzner_cloud_installer_fails.png --]
[-- Type: image/png, Size: 68281 bytes --]

Re: Running Guix System on Hetzner Cloud

[Ludovic Courtès]

Hi Jonathan,

Jonathan Brielmaier <jonathan.brielmaier@web.de> skribis:

>   (initrd-modules '("virtio_scsi" "virtio_pci"))

The problem is like the ‘%base-packages’ bug: ‘%base-initrd-modules’ is
not added.  :-/

Filed as <https://issues.guix.gnu.org/issue/36099>.  I’ll push a fix
shortly.

Thanks,
Ludo’.

Re: Running Guix System on Hetzner Cloud

[ng0]

Jonathan Brielmaier transcribed 93K bytes:
> Hi fellow Guix hackers,
> 
> the last weekend I tried to install Guix system on the Hetzner Cloud[0].
> First I tried to use Ubuntu, install Guix with the installer script and
> then initiate Guix with "guix system init /mnt...". This wasn't
> successful as Guix system didn't boot.
> 
> So I asked them if they could add the Guix ISO to there ISO image
> collection and they did it. At the moment only for my account, not general.

How did you convince them? The last 3 times I asked for systems which weren't
in their ISO selection, I was told it isn't possible and I should find ways
to do it myself (which I did then).
 
> They provide some kind of serial console over the browser. So I just
> booted the server with Guix ISO mounted. I went through the graphical
> installer, which works very well in this environment :)
> 
> During the installation step it fails due to missing "virtio_pci" initrd
> modules (see hetzner_cloud_installer_fails.png). In the installer there
> was no way to bypass this issue. But rebooting and installing manually
> with the configuration below did work :)
> 
> I think it would be nice if the installer could handle that as he
> already cover the "virtio_scsi" module.
> 
> In the end I got a working Guix system for 0,05 € :)
> 
> Happy hacking
> Jonathan
> 
> P.S: Did I already mentioned that the installer is _very_ nice?
> 
> [0] https://www.hetzner.com/cloud
> 
> ;; This is an operating system configuration generated
> ;; by the graphical installer.
> 
> (use-modules (gnu))
> (use-service-modules databases desktop mail networking ssh xorg)
> (use-package-modules admin vim)
> 
> (operating-system
>   (locale "en_US.utf8")
>   (timezone "Europe/Berlin")
>   (keyboard-layout
>     (keyboard-layout "de" "deadacute"))
>   (bootloader
>     (bootloader-configuration
>       (bootloader grub-bootloader)
>       (target "/dev/sda")
>       (keyboard-layout keyboard-layout)))
>   (initrd-modules '("virtio_scsi" "virtio_pci"))
>   (swap-devices (list "/dev/sda1"))
>   (file-systems
>     (cons* (file-system
>              (mount-point "/")
>              (device
>                (uuid "713cf8af-e503-45f9-9a10-a0c5a4ce709b"
>                      'ext4))
>              (type "ext4"))
>            %base-file-systems))
>   (host-name "guixone")
>   (users (cons* (user-account
>                   (name "jonathan")
>                   (comment "Jonathan Brielmaier")
>                   (group "users")
>                   (home-directory "/home/jonathan")
>                   (supplementary-groups
>                     '("wheel" "netdev" "audio" "video")))
>                 %base-user-accounts))
>   (packages
>     (append
>       (list (specification->package "nss-certs") nmap vim)
>       %base-packages))
>   (services
>     (append
>       (list (service dhcp-client-service-type)
> 	    (dovecot-service)
> 	    (mysql-service)
>             (service openssh-service-type))
>       %base-services)))

Re: Running Guix System on Hetzner Cloud

[Jonathan Brielmaier]

On 6/6/19 12:37 PM, ng0@n0.is wrote:
> Jonathan Brielmaier transcribed 93K bytes:
>> Hi fellow Guix hackers,
>>
>> the last weekend I tried to install Guix system on the Hetzner Cloud[0].
>> First I tried to use Ubuntu, install Guix with the installer script and
>> then initiate Guix with "guix system init /mnt...". This wasn't
>> successful as Guix system didn't boot.
>>
>> So I asked them if they could add the Guix ISO to there ISO image
>> collection and they did it. At the moment only for my account, not general.
>
> How did you convince them? The last 3 times I asked for systems which weren't
> in their ISO selection, I was told it isn't possible and I should find ways
> to do it myself (which I did then).

I just asked them over a support request :) The Guix ISO is only visible
at my account, I didn't asked yet if they could add it for all customers...

BTW: I built an ISO image with the fix from
https://issues.guix.gnu.org/issue/36099. They added this ISO as well to
my account and now the installation succeeds with the graphical installer :)