Prepare the controller
Start from a NixOS live USB with Internet access, configure the lab and keys, then prepare client systems and the network installer.
Operator overview
How one controller prepares the whole room.
See what the room needs, how a client is installed and updated, and what happens when you need to reset, recover, or roll back.
01 · Requirements
Check your lab before installing.
The room needs a compatible controller, reachable clients, an agreed network plan, and an operator who can review the resulting systems.
- 01PCs
- x86_64 controller and clients with UEFI boot. Validate one representative workstation before preparing the rest of the room.
- 02Local network
- Clients must reach the controller. The network must permit network boot and deployment traffic, including where client Internet is restricted.
- 03Addressing
- Institutional DHCP and static lab addresses share one interface on a /24 lab subnet. Agree the plan with the network administrator.
- 04Controller Internet
- Required for setup and software inputs not already available. Prepare systems before installing or updating clients without Internet access.
- 05Installation diskErases disk
- The standard installer erases the selected disk after confirmation. Preserve required files elsewhere first.
- 06Operator
- Someone who can manage deployment credentials, review proposed changes and their effects, run the documented workflow, and verify results. The included Agent Skill can help prepare configuration changes.
The PC count and machine-specific settings are configurable. Size controller storage for your chosen software; the configuration range is not a tested performance limit.
02 · Installation
Install over the LAN. Boot from the local disk.
Prepare once at the controller boundary, then deliver the result to each target through the permitted local network.
Identify the client
Network-boot with UEFI, identify the workstation, select the intended disk, and confirm installation.
Install locally
The prepared system comes from the controller over the LAN. The installed PC then boots from its own disk.
Clients do not need Internet for installation or system updates.
Prepared systems come from the controller over the permitted LAN. The controller still needs Internet for setup and new inputs; Nixorium does not authenticate to captive portals or bypass network restrictions.
03 · Daily operation
Make changes from the controller.
Edit the lab configuration, build the changed systems centrally, review the result, and deploy to a selected workstation or the client group.
- 01EditLab configuration
- 02BuildOn the controller
- 03ReviewCheck the result
- 04DeployOperator action
Check one result before extending a change across the room. The controller is updated separately. Clients automatically log in to the shared student account; the controller can also serve as the teacher's workstation and presents an account chooser.
04 · Recovery
Three different ways back.
System configuration, student-home state, and retained files have separate recovery paths. Choose the one that matches the event.
01For the next class
Reset the student home
At reboot, the current home becomes a read-only local snapshot and the clean template becomes active again.
02For a missing file
Recover a recent session
An administrator can retrieve files from retained local snapshots. The current default keeps up to five.
03For a system change
Return to a NixOS generation
Use an available previous generation for the managed operating system. Student files remain separate.
Home history uses local Btrfs snapshots. Docker data, the npm cache, and user-installed global npm tools are excluded. Disk failure or reinstallation can remove this history. Preserve important files and deployment keys separately.
05 · Compatibility
Check the fit for your lab.
The project has explicit defaults and boundaries. Validate the combinations your room actually needs.
Can I keep Windows?
Windows detection is enabled in the boot configuration. The standard installer erases the selected disk and does not preserve Windows on it. An existing operating system on another disk may be detectable, but the disk, EFI, and firmware arrangement needs its own validation before rollout.
What classroom tools are included?
Nixorium includes GNOME, a browser, an editor, Git, and development tools. Veyon is configured for classroom viewing. The default GNOME bridge is view-only; the optional native Wayland path requires screen-sharing consent. Check the interactions you need on your hardware.
Can students use containers?
The v2 development line provides rootless Docker under each user’s account. Student container storage is temporary and excluded from home snapshots. Additional images require Internet access or a separately provided registry.
Which version does this page describe?
This site describes development snapshot v2.0.0-beta.3. GitHub Releases lists published versions. Use the documentation at your chosen tag; an older stable release may not include every feature shown here.
06 · Get started
Prepare your first controller.
Choose a release, review the setup guide and lab configuration template, then validate one machine before preparing the room.