Add remote build setup instructions.

Signed-off-by: Farah Ayyad <[email protected]>

docs/src/SUMMARY.md

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 - [Reference Implementations](ref_impl/reference_implementations.md)
   - [Development](ref_impl/development.md)
     - [Build and Run](ref_impl/build_and_run.md)
+    - [Running Remote Build on NixOS](ref_impl/remote_build_setup.md)
     - [Installer](ref_impl/installer.md)
     - [Cross-Compilation](ref_impl/cross_compilation.md)
     - [Creating Application VM](ref_impl/creating_appvm.md)

docs/src/ref_impl/development.md

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 Ghaf Framework is free software, currently under active development. The scope of target support is updated with development progress:
 
 - [Build and Run](./build_and_run.md)
+- [Running Remote Build on NixOS](./remote_build_setup.md)
 - [Installer](./installer.md)
 - [Cross-Compilation](./cross_compilation.md)
 - [Creating Application VM](./creating_appvm.md)

docs/src/ref_impl/remote_build_setup.md

@@ -0,0 +1,227 @@
+<!--
+    Copyright 2022-2023 TII (SSRC) and the Ghaf contributors
+    SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-4.0
+-->
+
+# Running Remote Build on NixOS
+
+To set up a remote build on NixOS:
+
+1. Identify required SSH keys for remote SSH connection.
+2. Set up configurations.
+
+If you hit an issue, check [Troubleshooting](./remote_build_setup.md#troubleshooting).
+
+
+### 1. Configuring SSH Keys
+
+> This step assumes that public SSH keys were generated and copied (*ssh-copy-id*) both for normal and root users. For more information, see [Setting up public key authentication](https://www.ssh.com/academy/ssh/copy-id#setting-up-public-key-authentication).
+
+Before you begin, make sure an SSH connection is established to the remote host for both normal and root users:
+
+```
+ssh USER@IP_ADDRESS_OF_REMOTE_MACHINE
+nix store ping --store ssh://USER@REMOTE_IP_ADDRESS
+```
+
+
+#### 1.1. [Local Machine] Configuring SSH Keys
+
+Do the following on a local machine:
+
+1. Change directory to Home Directory with SSH:
+    ```
+    cd .ssh
+    ```
+
+    The public keys of the remote machine are located in the *known_hosts* file. These keys are created and configured after the *ssh-copy-id* command. Make sure the keys are there. If they are not there:
+
+    1. Access the remote machine.
+    2. Run `cd /etc/ssh`.
+    3. Retrieve and copy the public keys.
+    4. Go back to the local machine and paste them into *known_hosts*.
+
+
+2. Navigate to the `/etc/ssh/` directory:
+    ```
+    cd /etc/ssh
+    ```
+
+    Make sure the *ssh_known_hosts* file contains the same public keys as the remote machine (same as `.ssh/knwon_hosts`). Otherwise, specify it in the `configuration.nix` file.
+
+3. Use CMD as the root user:
+   ```
+   sudo -i
+   ```
+4. Make sure the root user’s keys are different from the user’s keys:
+   ```
+   cd .ssh
+   ```
+    > **TIP**:`.ssh` is a user-level access and `/etc/ssh` is system-wide.
+
+
+#### 1.2. Accessing Remote Machine Using SSH
+
+Do the following:
+
+1. Navigate the *authorized_keys* file:
+   ```
+   ssh USER@IP_ADDRESS_OF_REMOTE_MACHINE
+   cd .ssh
+   sudo nano authorized_keys
+   ```
+2. Make sure that both user and root public keys for the local machine are located there:
+
+   * The user’s public key can be obtained from `/home/username/.ssh/id_rsa.pub`.
+   * The root user's public key can be obtained from `/root/.ssh/id_rsa.pub`.
+
+
+### 2. Setting Up Configuration Files
+
+#### 2.1. [Local Machine] Setting Up Configuration Files
+
+Do the following on a local machine:
+
+1. Set configuration variables in `configuration.nix` and `nix.conf`:
+   1. Use the following commands:
+        ```
+        cd /etc/nixos
+        sudo nano configuration.nix 
+        ```
+   2. Add lib in the header like so: `{ config, pkgs, lib, ... }:`.
+   3. Edit the `nix.conf` file:
+        ```
+        environment.etc."nix/nix.conf".text = lib.mkForce ''
+            # Your custom nix.conf content here
+            builders = @/etc/nix/machines
+            require-sigs = false
+            max-jobs = 0 # to use remote build by default not local
+            substituters = https://cache.nixos.org/
+            trusted-public-keys = cache.nixos.org-1:6pb16ZPMQpcDShjY= cache.farah:STwtDRDeIDa...
+            build-users-group = nixbld
+            trusted-users = root farahayyad
+            experimental-features = nix-command flakes
+        '';
+        ```
+        For more information, see the [nix.conf](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/command-ref/conf-file) section of the Nix Reference Manual.
+   4. Rebuild NixOS by running:
+        ```
+        sudo nixos-rebuild switch
+        ```
+2. Create or set the machines file:
+   1. Use the following commands:
+        ```
+        cd /etc/nixos
+        sudo nano machines 
+        ```
+   2. Specify the SSH settings:
+        ```
+        [ssh://]USER@HOST target-spec [SSH identity file] [max-jobs] [speed factor]
+        [supported-features] [mandatory-features] [ssh-public-key-encoded]
+        ```
+        * Parameters inside ‘[ ]’ are optional.
+        * The ssh-public-key-encoded is the base-64 encoded public key of the remote machine. Get the encoding using:
+            ```
+            echo -n "your_public_key_here" | base64
+            ```
+        * If omitted, SSH will use its regular known_hosts file.
+
+        For more information, see the [Remote Builds](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/advanced-topics/distributed-builds.html) section of the Nix Reference Manual.
+
+
+#### 2.2. [Remote Machine] Setting Up Configuration Files
+
+Do the following on a remote machine:
+
+1. Specify the sshd_config settings:
+   1. Use the following commands:
+        ```
+        cd /etc/ssh
+        sudo nano sshd_config
+        ```
+   2. Make sure *PubkeyAuthentication* is set as *yes*.
+2. Specify the `/etc/nix/nix.conf` settings:
+   1. Use the following commands:
+        ```
+        cd /etc/nix
+        sudo nano nix.conf
+        ```
+   2. Edit the `nix.conf` file:
+        ```
+        trusted-public-keys = cache.nixos.org-1:61o0gWypbMrAURk...
+        build-users-group = nixbld
+        require-sigs = false
+        trusted-users = root farahayyad jk
+        binary-caches = https://cache.nixos.org/
+        substituters = https://cache.nixos.org/
+        system-features = nixos-test benchmark big-parallel kvm
+        binary-cache-public-keys = cache.nixos.org-1:6NCHD59X43...
+        experimental-features = nix-command flakes
+        ```
+   3. Run the following command to restart daemon and update all the preceding changes:
+        ```
+        systemctl restart nix-daemon.service
+        ```
+
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+* [Single-User Nix Installation Issues](./remote_build_setup.md#single-user-nix-installation-issues)
+* [VPN Setup for Remote Access](./remote_build_setup.md#vpn-setup-for-remote-access)
+* [Private Key on Local Machine Not Matching Public Key on Remote Machine](./remote_build_setup.md#private-key-on-local-machine-not-matching-public-key-on-remote-machine)
+
+
+### Single-User Nix Installation Issues
+
+This issue typically arises when Nix is installed in a single-user mode on the remote machine, which can create permission issues during multi-user operations.
+
+If an operation fails with the following error message:
+
+```
+could not set permissions on '/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user' to 755: Operation not permitted
+```
+
+reinstall Nix in a multi-user setup:
+
+* Uninstall Nix using a single-user mode:
+
+    ```
+    rm -rf /nix
+    ```
+* Install Nix in a multi-user mode:
+
+    ```
+    sh <(curl -L https://nixos.org/nix/install) --daemon
+    ```
+
+For more information about Nix security modes, see the [Security](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/installation/nix-security) section of the Nix Reference Manual.
+
+
+### VPN Setup for Remote Access
+
+A VPN is needed, if the local machine is not on the same local network as your remote build machine. 
+
+To set up a VPN using [OpenConnect](https://www.infradead.org/openconnect/), do the following:
+
+* Install OpenConnect:
+
+```
+nix-env -iA nixos.openconnect
+```
+
+* Establish a VPN connection:
+
+```
+sudo openconnect --protocol=gp -b access.tii.ae
+```
+
+* Once authenticated, you establish a secure connection to your network. Use `ssh USER@IP_ADDRESS_OF_REMOTE_MACHINE` to check if it is possible to connect to the remote machine.
+
+
+### Private Key on Local Machine Not Matching Public Key on Remote Machine
+
+Using mismatched key pairs could result in the Permission denied error.
+
+Ensure and double-check that you are using the right key pairs.
+
+If you choose to use/present your local’s RSA private key, make sure that it is the corresponding RSA public key that is in the remote’s authorized_file, not the ED25519 or ECDSA public keys.