clan-core/docs/site/index.md

# Getting Started

Welcome to your simple guide on starting a new Clan project.

## What's Inside

We've put together a straightforward guide to help you out:

- [**Starting with a New Clan Project**](#starting-with-a-new-clan-project): Create a new Clan from scratch.
- [**Integrating Clan using Flake-Parts**](getting-started/flake-parts.md)

---

## **Starting with a New Clan Project**

Create your own clan with these initial steps.

### Prerequisites

#### Linux

Clan depends on nix installed on your system. Run the following command to install nix.

```bash
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf -L https://install.determinate.systems/nix | sh -s -- install
```

#### NixOS

If you run NixOS the `nix` binary is already installed.

You will also need to enable the `flakes` and `nix-commands` experimental features.

```bash
# /etc/nix/nix.conf or ~/.config/nix/nix.conf
experimental-features = nix-command flakes
```

#### Other

Clan doesn't offer dedicated support for other operating systems yet.

### Step 1: Add Clan CLI to Your Shell

Add the Clan CLI into your development workflow:

```bash
nix shell git+https://git.clan.lol/clan/clan-core#clan-cli
```

### Step 2: Initialize Your Project

Set the foundation of your Clan project by initializing it as follows:

```bash
clan flakes create my-clan
```

This command creates the `flake.nix` and `.clan-flake` files for your project.

### Step 3: Verify the Project Structure

Ensure that all project files exist by running:

```bash
tree
```

This should yield the following:

```bash
.
├── flake.nix
├── machines
│   ├── jon
│   │   ├── configuration.nix
│   │   └── hardware-configuration.nix
│   └── sara
│       ├── configuration.nix
│       └── hardware-configuration.nix
└── modules
    └── shared.nix

5 directories, 6 files
```

!!! success

    You just successfully bootstrapped your first clan directory.

---

### What's Next?

- [**Deploy Machines**](./getting-started/machines.md): Learn how to deploy to any remote machine.
- **Machine Configuration**: Declare behavior and configuration of machines.

---

### Edit Flake.nix

Open the `flake.nix` file and set a unique `clanName` if you want you can also set an optional `clanIcon` or even a per `machineIcon`. These will be used by our future clan GUI.

### Remote into the target machine

**Right now clan assumes that you already have NixOS running on the target machine.**

If that is not the case you can use our [installer image](getting-started/installer.md) that automatically generates an endpoint reachable over TOR with a random ssh password.

On the remote execute:
1. Generate a hardware-config.nix 
    ```bash
    nixos-generate-config --root /etc/nixos --no-filesystems
    ```
2. Copy it over and put it into you `machines/jon/hardware-config.nix` folder
    ```bash
    scp -r root@<jon-ip>:/etc/nixos/hardware-config.nix ./machines/jon
    ```
3. Find the remote disk id by executing on the remote:
    ```bash
    lsblk --output NAME,ID-LINK,FSTYPE,SIZE,MOUNTPOINT
    ```
4. Edit the following fields inside the `flake.nix`
    - `clan.networking.targetHost = pkgs.lib.mkDefault "root@<IP_ADDRESS>";`
    - `clan.diskLayouts.singleDiskExt4 = {
                  device = "/dev/disk/by-id/__CHANGE_ME__";
                };`

5. Generate secrets used by clan modules by executing
    ```bash
    clan facts generate
    ```

### **Next Steps**
Ready to expand? Explore how to install a new machine with the helpful documentation [here](getting-started/machines.md).
Ready to explore more?

- **Adding New Machines to your setup**. [Follow our templates](templates/index.md)

- **Use a USB drive to Set Up Machines**: Setting up new computers remotely is easy with an USB stick. [Learn how](getting-started/machines.md).

---