comment: true title: Apply your Config description: How to apply a node with wire.#

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What does it mean to 'apply'?#

Once you have created a hive, you can now "apply" your configuration to nodes in your hive. Simply, "applying" is the term used by wire to describe deploying the config.

::: info Applying a node typically involves pushing keys, evaluating the node's NixOS system, building the node's NixOS system, and running switch-to-configuration, depending on which specific goal is used. :::

The simplest way to apply is simply running:

$ wire apply switch

Which will switch to each node's NixOS system in your hive and push secrets (the equivalent to nixos-rebuild's nixos-rebuild switch).

::: details Apply Goal Flowchart The following is an illustrative flowchart of how each step in the apply execution is ran.

Depending on the specific goal certain steps will not run, for example the Switch to Configuration step will never run if the goal is build.

flowchart TD
    A(Test Connection) --> |IP / Hostname| B(Push Keys)

    C(Evaluate NixOS System)

    B --> C
    C -->|.drv Path| local
    C -->|.drv Path| remote

    subgraph remote[Remote Node]
        D(Push To Node)
        D --> E(Build NixOS System)
        E -->|Built System| H(Push To Node)
    end

    subgraph local[Local Node]
        direction RL
        G(Build NixOS System Locally)
    end

    G --> F(Switch To Configuration)
    H --> F

:::

Apply goals#

wire apply accepts a goal, which include verbs which will be familiar to nixos-rebuild users such as switch, boot, and test, alongside additional verbs like keys and push.

wire apply keys#

wire will push all deployment keys to nodes, and do nothing else. While running this goal, option deployment.keys.<name>.uploadAt has no effect and all keys will be pushed. Read the secret management guide to learn more about wire deployment keys.

wire apply push#

wire will "push" (equivalent to nix copy) the .drv file that can produce the node's NixOS system when built.

wire apply build#

Sister to wire apply push, wire will build the node's NixOS system and ensure the output path exists on the node. Depending on deployment.buildOnTarget, the .drv file may be built on the machine invoking wire or the node itself.

wire apply [switch|boot|test|dry-activate]#

Type wire apply --help or read the reference to read more.

Applying locally#

If deployment.allowLocalDeployment is true, and the machine invoking wire's host name is equivalent to a node's name, wire will apply that node to the local machine. Goals like push and build, wont actually "push" anything as the paths already exists on the local machine.

When applying to your local machine, wire can interactively run sudo! wire will prompt for your password, meaning wire can be ran as any user in the wheel group.

Applying specific nodes#

Use the --on argument to specify which nodes in your hive to apply:

$ wire apply --on node-a

Further examples, including how you can utilise tags, can be found on the Targeting Nodes page.