Solving the distribution problem

[DanPartelly]

I propose exploring the idea of distributing netlab directly from git repository, using Nix flakes. See if it can be used to ease to distribute Netlab in all distros supporting Nix

Inspired by my bikeshedding here in #2479

First, Nix is a package manager, and should not be confounded with Nixos, a Linux distribution built with Nix at the core.

What is Nix ?
What are flakes ?

How can it help us ? Proper delivery of Netlab and dependencies on any system capable of installing Nix package manager. And you get a development environment with that as well on any distro.

How can I install Nix, the package manager

Install it from Determinate systems, the company of Eelco Dolstra, the creator of Nixos, the operating system.

Sample Nix enable repository:

Hashicorp's founder ghostty terminal

This proposal is one of explorative nature. It doesn't propose we do anything at all beyond that, There are limitations (for example the host system must run libvirt and qemu and provide the needed kernel module but we could at least theoretically provide everything else ) and challenges but first lets us see if its something worth pursuing.

[DanPartelly]

EDIT: Found a bug. See post below.

So being a saturday with little to do, and ipspace asking me for at least something on other distros, here is the proof of concept. Why just explore when you can hack ?

1. Get Linux distribution of your choice . Any of them, really , weirder the better. Only requirement is that nix runs on it.
2. Install docker / libvirt / qemu , add your user etc
3. Install Determinate Nix installer
4. Follow instructions
5. Install netlab with containerlab, vagrant, dependencies and what not with this command:

nix profile add github:DanPartelly/netlab-up

6. Pray your distro sets LC_ env vars correctly else latest ansible fails. export LC_ALL=C.UTF-8 will deliver if aint.

7. What you get is locked to specific versions of dependencies (atm the May release of Nixos ) and reproducible. If it works now, it will work till Linux becomes Windows.

8. Use netlab.

9. Complain about bugs to me

10. Play with nix shells using the flake

11. Play with devenvs using the flake.

12. Enjoy.

13. It works for me (TM) hacked in 1h so there might be many dragons.

[DanPartelly]

Please add /home/xxx/.nix-profile/bin/ to sudo secure path for now, where "xxx" is your user name. Disable kvm-ok in netlab preferences. I do not build it in the flake.

[ddutt]

@DanPartelly : I presume this doesn't take away the ability to install on Ubuntu/RHEL etc that already exists? In other words, you're not asking me to install nix package manager on my distro?

[DanPartelly]

@ddutt This is mainly my attempt to solve the problem of netlab distribution in a generic way without writing N install scripts for N package managers. If your system is unsupported by netlab, this may be an easy and generic way to get it working fast and safely. I did this because Ivan kept hinting me that I contribute some scripts to install netlab on the distros I use, but I do not like install scripts. And I do not like broken dependencies.

I do not ask anyone of doing anything really. If people want to test on distros not supporting netlab , OK. It does need nix, the package manager.

it doesn't removes anything from netlab, or really adds anything. The flake is on my github. If one installs the nix package manager on a system using the determinate installer, you will basically get an elf rpath "jail" parallel system which does not interact in any way with libraries on your existing system. It also doesn't interact with your distro's native package manager, everything gets stored in /nix . You can use your distro's package manager and nix in parallel without any ill effects.

[ipspace]

First, Nix is a package manager, and should not be confounded with Nixos, a Linux distribution built with Nix at the core.

This gives me flasbacks of "let a 100 package managers blossom" (https://xkcd.com/1987/ as well as https://xkcd.com/927/)

Furthermore, while I understand your frustration with pip & friends, that's not the problem we're solving with the netlab installations scripts. You nicely described the bigger problem:

1. Get Linux distribution of your choice . Any of them, really , weirder the better. Only requirement is that nix runs on it.
2. Install docker / libvirt / qemu , add your user etc
3. Install Determinate Nix installer
   ...

Many networking engineers are far away from being able to get those done. That's why we try to make it as simple as possible:

• Take Ubuntu (preferably a throwaway VM or some such)
• Execute three commands to get netlab installed
• Execute netlab install to get everything else installed.

Anything beyond that is "you obviously know your Linux, so feel free to do whatever you like, but we won't be able to help you"

Having said that, if you feel like having a Nix package is valuable, and are willing to maintain it, I'd love to have one more installation method for non-Ubuntu distributions to add to https://github.com/ipspace/netlab/blob/dev/docs/install.md#creating-the-lab-environment

[DanPartelly]

Many networking engineers are far away from being able to get those done. That's why we try to make it as simple as >possible:

* Take Ubuntu (preferably a throwaway VM or some such)

* Execute three commands to get **netlab** installed

* Execute **netlab install** to get everything else installed.

In this is the case, have you thought of having an appliance image of the project which you boot in the VM , and all is there, already installed ?

Having said that, if you feel like having a Nix package is valuable, and are willing to maintain it, I'd love to have one more

That's the big if. It is only valuable to me if it brings Netlab to more users. And that's what I'm trying to do. Personally, I can run netlab just about anywhere given required Hw support.

[ddutt]

What @ipspace said.

[ipspace]

In this is the case, have you thought of having an appliance image of the project which you boot in the VM , and all is there, already installed ?

I did, and decided that I don't want to be in that business. That's the GNS3/EVE-NG sweet spot.

If you want to use netlab, you will have to build your own boxes or containers anyway because the vendors won't do it for you, and we can't do it due to licensing restrictions. Having to start a Ubuntu VM is a nice easy first hurdle on that journey ;)

That's the big if. It is only valuable to me if it brings Netlab to more users. And that's what I'm trying to do.

Thanks a million, but I have no idea how relevant non-Debian-ish distros are.