Replace the duplicate-host check with a live Proxmox query, drop deployedTargets

variables.nix's deployedTargets was a manually-maintained list with no
enforcement keeping it in sync with reality -- it caused two separate
false refusals in a row (naming a VM as deployed well after it had been
destroyed, then matching a target against itself once the list was
"corrected"). Static files can't track whether a resource still actually
exists.

create-proxmox-resource.sh's duplicate-host guard now queries the
Proxmox node directly (qm/pct's own name/hostname config, matched
against --host) instead. Also fixes a gap in that live check: it
originally swallowed ssh failures and would have silently treated "can't
reach the node" the same as "checked, nothing there" -- it now refuses
instead of guessing when the node can't be reached.

deployedTargets is removed entirely from variables.nix since nothing
else in the repo consumed it once this script no longer does; README.md's
Hosts table remains the sole source of truth for "(real, deployed)"
status. CLAUDE.md and the script's own --help/comments updated to match.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

CLAUDE.md

@@ -93,9 +93,10 @@ Beyond `codex-setup.sh`/`codex-maintenance.sh` above, `scripts/` also has:
   (`--force-rebuild` to skip that and always rebuild), and probes
   nix-cache's substituter/remote-builder reachability once up front rather
   than letting every `nix build` call retry against it individually.
-  Refuses to create a target whose host identity already has a real
-  deployment elsewhere (`variables.nix`'s `deployedTargets`) unless
-  `--allow-duplicate-host` is passed. `--dry-run` throughout both modes.
+  Refuses to create a target whose host identity already exists live on
+  the node (checked directly via `qm`/`pct`, not any file in this repo)
+  unless `--allow-duplicate-host` is passed. `--dry-run` throughout both
+  modes.
 - `scripts/env.sh` — shared config (`PROXMOX_HOST`, storage pool, bridge,
   default cores/memory) sourced by `create-proxmox-resource.sh`. Add new
   cross-script config here instead of duplicating it per-script.

README.md

@@ -21,17 +21,19 @@ list:
 | `linode-minimal` | Minimal NixOS host profile on a Linode VPS (real, deployed) |
 | `proxmox-minimal` | Minimal NixOS host profile on Proxmox (real, deployed — previously the flat `nix-minimal` target) |
 | `lxc-minimal` | Minimal NixOS host profile in a Proxmox LXC container |
-| `linode-nix-cache` / `proxmox-nix-cache` / `lxc-nix-cache` | Local Nix binary cache and remote builder (`proxmox-nix-cache` is the real, deployed one — previously the flat `nix-cache` target) |
+| `linode-nix-cache` / `proxmox-nix-cache` / `lxc-nix-cache` | Local Nix binary cache and remote builder (`lxc-nix-cache` is the real, deployed one — previously `proxmox-nix-cache`, itself previously the flat `nix-cache` target) |
 | `linode-server` / `proxmox-server` / `lxc-server` | Storage, NFS, backup, and monitoring exporter host (`proxmox-server` is the real, deployed one — previously the flat `server` target) |
 | `linode-docker` / `proxmox-docker` / `lxc-docker` | Docker host for the main container stack (`proxmox-docker` is the real, deployed one — previously the flat `docker` target) |
 | `linode-gui` / `proxmox-gui` / `lxc-gui` | Cinnamon desktop workstation (`proxmox-gui` is the real, deployed one — previously the flat `nixos` target) |
 | `proxmox-pxe-boot` / `lxc-pxe-boot` | HTTP/iPXE boot asset host (`proxmox-pxe-boot` is the real, deployed one — previously the flat `pxe-boot` target) |
 | `linode-tailscale-exit-node` / `proxmox-tailscale-exit-node` / `lxc-tailscale-exit-node` | Tailscale exit node (no deployed target yet; `lxc-tailscale-exit-node` is the one planned for actual use) |
 
-The "(real, deployed)" targets above are also tracked machine-readably in
-`variables.nix`'s `deployedTargets` — keep both in sync when a deployment
-changes. `scripts/create-proxmox-resource.sh` reads that list to refuse
-creating a same-identity duplicate of an already-deployed host by accident.
+This table is the only place "(real, deployed)" status is tracked — there's
+no separate machine-readable copy to keep in sync. `scripts/create-proxmox-resource.sh`
+guards against creating a same-identity duplicate of an already-deployed host
+by checking the Proxmox node itself (live `qm`/`pct` state) rather than any
+file in this repo, since a static list can't track whether a resource still
+actually exists.
 
 Each buildtype's `hosts/<name>/host.nix` carries the per-machine identity
 (hostname, hostId, per-machine secrets, `system.stateVersion`) that must stay

docs/nix-cache.md

@@ -59,6 +59,15 @@ On `nix-cache`, install the matching public key used by `nixremote` authorized k
 The committed `nixremote` authorized keys are public SSH keys only. Keep the
 matching private keys on client hosts and out of the repository.
 
+nix-cache's own SSH *host* key is trusted declaratively via
+`programs.ssh.knownHosts` in `modules/nix-cache/remote-builder-client.nix`,
+sourced from `vars.nixCacheHostKey` (`variables.nix`) — every client rebuild
+picks it up automatically, so distributed builds don't fail with "Host key
+verification failed" on a client that has never manually SSH'd to nix-cache
+before. If nix-cache's host key is ever rotated or the host rebuilt from
+scratch, update `vars.nixCacheHostKey` to match its new
+`/etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub`.
+
 ## Manual verification
 
 After deployment:

modules/common/aliases.nix

@@ -17,6 +17,26 @@ let
       --refresh \
       --flake git+https://${vars.lanDomain}/beatzaplenty/nixos.git#$(cat /etc/flake-target)
   '';
+
+  # lxc-* hosts pre-seed their SSH host key at build time (see
+  # modules/platforms/lxc.nix) so sops-nix's .sops.yaml recipient matches on
+  # first boot -- without it, secrets permanently fail to decrypt (see that
+  # file's comment for the confirmed failure). That requires --impure plus
+  # NIXOS_HOST_KEYS_DIR pointing at the repo's host-keys/ dir, same pattern
+  # docs/auto-installer.md uses for the installer ISO. A function, not a
+  # shellAlias, since the target name has to interpolate into the middle of
+  # the flake attribute path, not just append after it. Must be run from the
+  # repo root, same as every other host-keys/ command in this repo.
+  buildImageFn = ''
+    buildImage() {
+      if [ -z "$1" ]; then
+        echo "usage: buildImage <flake-target>  (e.g. lxc-docker)" >&2
+        return 1
+      fi
+      NIXOS_HOST_KEYS_DIR="$(pwd)/host-keys" nix build --impure \
+        ".#nixosConfigurations.$1.config.system.build.tarball"
+    }
+  '';
 in
 {
   programs.bash = {
@@ -25,5 +45,6 @@ in
       "Switch-nix" = mySwitchCmd;
       "Test-nix" = myTestCmd;
     };
+    initExtra = buildImageFn;
   };
 }

modules/nix-cache/remote-builder-client.nix

@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@
   #   sudo install -d -m 0700 /root/.ssh
   #   sudo install -m 0600 ./nixremote /root/.ssh/nixremote
   #   sudo ssh -i /root/.ssh/nixremote nixremote@nix-cache nix-store --version
+  # Trust nix-cache's SSH host key declaratively so the nix-daemon (root)
+  # can connect the first time without a manual ssh-keyscan/known_hosts
+  # step on every new client.
+  programs.ssh.knownHosts.${vars.nixCacheHost} = {
+    hostNames = [ vars.nixCacheHost ];
+    publicKey = vars.nixCacheHostKey;
+  };
+
   nix = {
     distributedBuilds = true;
 

scripts/create-proxmox-resource.sh

@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@
 #
 # SAFETY:
 #   - The default (create) mode only ever creates a NEW resource -- it
-#     refuses to run if the target VMID already exists on the node.
+#     refuses to run if the target VMID already exists on the node, or if
+#     a VM/CT identified as --host already exists under any other VMID
+#     (checked live against the node; --allow-duplicate-host overrides).
 #   - --modify only ever touches a resource you name explicitly via
 #     --vmid, shows exactly what will change first, and (outside
 #     --dry-run) always requires typing that VMID back to confirm before
@@ -56,10 +58,11 @@ Create mode (default):
   --force-rebuild                Skip the "does the node already have this
                                   image" check -- always build fresh and
                                   overwrite what's there.
-  --allow-duplicate-host        Required if --host already has a real
-                                deployment elsewhere (variables.nix's
-                                deployedTargets) -- otherwise refused, since
-                                it'd share that host's hostName/hostId.
+  --allow-duplicate-host        Required if a VM/CT identified as --host
+                                already exists on the node (checked live via
+                                qm/pct, not any file in this repo) --
+                                otherwise refused, since it'd share that
+                                host's hostName/hostId.
 
 Modify mode (reconfigure an EXISTING resource -- requires --modify):
   --modify                Switch to modify mode.
@@ -286,25 +289,57 @@ fi
 # feeds straight into the guest's real hostname) disagree with host.nix.
 [[ -z "$name" ]] && name="$host"
 
-# --- refuse to duplicate a host that's already really deployed ----------
-# Checked by hostName, not exact flake target: proxmox-server being
-# deployed also blocks --type lxc --host server, since both would carry
-# the same hosts/server/host.nix identity (hostName, hostId).
-if [[ "$allow_duplicate_host" -eq 0 ]]; then
-  deployed_targets_json="$(nix eval --json --no-use-registries --no-accept-flake-config \
-    --file "${repo_root}/variables.nix" deployedTargets)"
-  for dt in $(echo "$deployed_targets_json" | jq -r '.[]'); do
-    dt_hostname="$(nix eval --raw --no-use-registries --no-accept-flake-config \
-      "${repo_root}#nixosConfigurations.${dt}.config.networking.hostName" 2>/dev/null || true)"
-    if [[ "$dt_hostname" == "$host" ]]; then
-      echo "ERROR: '${host}' already has a real deployment (${dt}, per variables.nix's" >&2
-      echo "deployedTargets). Creating ${flake_target} would share its hostName/hostId --" >&2
-      echo "refusing by default. Pass --allow-duplicate-host if you really mean to spin" >&2
-      echo "up a separate test instance of this host (it'll still get its own distinct" >&2
-      echo "sops key and VMID, never touching ${dt})." >&2
-      exit 1
-    fi
-  done
+# --- refuse to duplicate a host that's already live on the node ---------
+# Queries the node itself (qm/pct's own name/hostname config), not any
+# static list in this repo -- a file can't track whether a resource still
+# actually exists, and this used to be checked against variables.nix's
+# deployedTargets, which drifted stale (it kept naming a VM as "the real
+# deployment" well after that VM had been destroyed, blocking its own
+# redeploy) until that list was dropped in favour of this live check. This
+# only catches guests identified with the default --name (== --host, what
+# this script itself always uses unless --name is overridden) -- a guest
+# manually renamed on the node afterwards wouldn't match, but nothing here
+# creates guests that way.
+if [[ "$allow_duplicate_host" -eq 1 ]]; then
+  echo
+  echo "--allow-duplicate-host: skipping the check for an existing '${host}' on ${node}."
+elif [[ "$dry_run" -eq 1 ]]; then
+  echo
+  echo "[dry-run] would check ${node} for an existing VM/CT identified as '${host}'"
+else
+  echo
+  echo "==> Checking ${node} for an existing VM/CT identified as '${host}'..."
+  ssh_check_status=0
+  existing="$(ssh "$ssh_target" bash -s -- "$host" <<'REMOTE_SCRIPT'
+target="$1"
+for id in $(qm list 2>/dev/null | awk 'NR>1{print $1}'); do
+  n="$(qm config "$id" 2>/dev/null | grep -oP '^name:\s*\K\S+' || true)"
+  [[ "$n" == "$target" ]] && echo "vm ${id} ${n}"
+done
+for id in $(pct list 2>/dev/null | awk 'NR>1{print $1}'); do
+  n="$(pct config "$id" 2>/dev/null | grep -oP '^hostname:\s*\K\S+' || true)"
+  [[ "$n" == "$target" ]] && echo "lxc ${id} ${n}"
+done
+REMOTE_SCRIPT
+  )" || ssh_check_status=$?
+  if [[ "$ssh_check_status" -ne 0 ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: couldn't reach ${node} (ssh exited ${ssh_check_status}) to check for an" >&2
+    echo "existing '${host}' resource -- refusing to guess. Fix connectivity and retry," >&2
+    echo "or pass --allow-duplicate-host if you're sure none exists (this skips the" >&2
+    echo "check entirely)." >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
+  if [[ -n "$existing" ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: '${host}' already exists on ${node}:" >&2
+    echo "$existing" | while read -r kind id n; do
+      echo "  - ${kind} VMID ${id} (${n})" >&2
+    done
+    echo "Refusing to create a second resource sharing this identity. Pass" >&2
+    echo "--allow-duplicate-host to create one anyway (it gets its own distinct" >&2
+    echo "sops key and VMID -- the existing resource(s) above are left untouched)," >&2
+    echo "or use --modify to reconfigure the existing one instead." >&2
+    exit 1
+  fi
 fi
 
 echo "Target: ${flake_target} (host=${host}, type=${type}) -> Proxmox resource '${name}'"

scripts/env.sh

@@ -88,13 +88,60 @@ nix_extra_opts() {
   fi
   export NIX_EXTRA_OPTS_DECIDED=1
   NIX_OPTS=()
-  if ! curl --silent --fail --max-time 3 "http://${NIX_CACHE_HOST}/nix-cache-info" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+
+  # Retry a couple of times, 1s apart, before believing either check --
+  # belt-and-suspenders against a genuine multi-second blip (nix-cache
+  # restarting), on top of the fix below. Worst case (~11s total, host
+  # genuinely gone) is still nowhere near the 15s+ *per lookup* nix's own
+  # substituter retries would cost if this check didn't exist at all.
+  local attempt cache_up=0 builder_up=0
+  for attempt in 1 2 3; do
+    if curl --silent --fail --max-time 3 "http://${NIX_CACHE_HOST}/nix-cache-info" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      cache_up=1
+      break
+    fi
+    [[ "$attempt" -lt 3 ]] && sleep 1
+  done
+
+  if [[ "$cache_up" -eq 0 ]]; then
     echo "nix-cache (http://${NIX_CACHE_HOST}) is unreachable -- skipping it (substituter + remote builder) for the rest of this run." >&2
     NIX_OPTS=(--option substituters "https://cache.nixos.org/" --builders "")
-  elif ! timeout 3 bash -c "cat < /dev/tcp/${NIX_CACHE_HOST}/22" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo "nix-cache's SSH remote builder (nixremote@${NIX_CACHE_HOST}:22) is unreachable -- disabling remote builds for the rest of this run." >&2
-    NIX_OPTS=(--builders "")
+  else
+    for attempt in 1 2 3; do
+      # `exec 3<>/dev/tcp/...` just opens the fd and returns -- it does NOT
+      # read from it. Confirmed live this is load-bearing, not stylistic:
+      # the previous `cat < /dev/tcp/.../22` blocked forever and always hit
+      # the timeout even against a perfectly healthy nix-cache, because
+      # sshd sends its banner and then holds the connection open waiting
+      # for the client to speak next -- `cat` never sees EOF, so this
+      # check reported "unreachable" unconditionally, 100% of the time,
+      # regardless of whether the remote builder was actually up.
+      if timeout 3 bash -c "exec 3<>/dev/tcp/${NIX_CACHE_HOST}/22" 2>/dev/null; then
+        builder_up=1
+        break
+      fi
+      [[ "$attempt" -lt 3 ]] && sleep 1
+    done
+    if [[ "$builder_up" -eq 0 ]]; then
+      echo "nix-cache's SSH remote builder (nixremote@${NIX_CACHE_HOST}:22) is unreachable -- disabling remote builds for the rest of this run." >&2
+      NIX_OPTS=(--builders "")
+    fi
+  fi
+
+  # `printf '%q '` with a genuinely empty NIX_OPTS still runs one format
+  # pass over a missing argument and yields the literal `'' ` rather than
+  # an empty string (confirmed live) -- a subprocess that later does
+  # `eval "NIX_OPTS=(${NIX_EXTRA_OPTS})"` (the branch above, for e.g.
+  # sync-host-keys.sh reusing this process's decision) would then rebuild
+  # a 1-element array holding an empty string instead of a 0-element
+  # array, and `nix-shell "${NIX_OPTS[@]}" -p <pkg>` chokes on that stray
+  # element as a bogus positional argument. Guard the empty case
+  # explicitly so nix-cache being reachable (NIX_OPTS legitimately empty)
+  # round-trips as truly empty instead.
+  if [[ ${#NIX_OPTS[@]} -gt 0 ]]; then
+    printf -v NIX_EXTRA_OPTS '%q ' "${NIX_OPTS[@]}"
+  else
+    NIX_EXTRA_OPTS=""
   fi
-  printf -v NIX_EXTRA_OPTS '%q ' "${NIX_OPTS[@]}"
   export NIX_EXTRA_OPTS
 }

variables.nix

@@ -19,6 +19,15 @@
 
   remoteBuilderUser = "nixremote"; # remote builder SSH user
 
+  # nix-cache's own SSH host public key (not a secret — the private half
+  # never leaves the host). Wired into every client's
+  # programs.ssh.knownHosts by modules/nix-cache/remote-builder-client.nix
+  # so distributed builds don't hit "Host key verification failed" on a
+  # fresh client that has never manually ssh'd to nix-cache before. Update
+  # this if nix-cache's host key is ever rotated or the host is rebuilt
+  # from scratch.
+  nixCacheHostKey = "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIHrMKZlIGUd3pH9G3AqbsruqUGjxIXMAZw52u9MwiBCn lxc-nix-cache";
+
   # Public keys authorized to SSH in as remoteBuilderUser on the nix-cache
   # host (modules/nix-cache/server.nix) — one per client host that's allowed
   # to use it as a distributed builder.
@@ -147,20 +156,4 @@
     keep = 20; # number of rotated logs to retain before deleting the oldest
   };
 
-  # Flake targets with a real, currently-running deployment somewhere —
-  # matches README.md's Hosts table "(real, deployed)" annotations; update
-  # both together. Not consumed by any NixOS module (nothing in the actual
-  # system config should behave differently because of this) — it's read
-  # by scripts/create-proxmox-resource.sh to refuse creating a same-identity
-  # duplicate of an already-deployed host (shared hostName/hostId) unless
-  # you explicitly pass --allow-duplicate-host.
-  deployedTargets = [
-    "linode-minimal"
-    "proxmox-minimal"
-    "proxmox-nix-cache"
-    "proxmox-server"
-    "proxmox-docker"
-    "proxmox-gui"
-    "proxmox-pxe-boot"
-  ];
 }