feat(cmdeploy): add ssh_host chatmail.ini option to deploy remotely, recommend localhost deployment as default

.github/workflows/test-and-deploy-ipv4only.yaml

@@ -85,21 +85,21 @@ jobs:
           ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org "sed -i 's#disable_ipv6 = False#disable_ipv6 = True#' relay/chatmail.ini"
           ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org "sed -i 's/#\s*mtail_address/mtail_address/' relay/chatmail.ini"
 
-      - run: ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org "cd relay && scripts/cmdeploy run --verbose --skip-dns-check --ssh-host localhost"
+      - run: ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org "cd relay && scripts/cmdeploy run --verbose --skip-dns-check"
 
       - name: set DNS entries
         run: |
           ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org chown opendkim:opendkim -R /etc/dkimkeys
-          ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org "cd relay && scripts/cmdeploy dns --zonefile staging-generated.zone --ssh-host localhost"
+          ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org "cd relay && scripts/cmdeploy dns --zonefile staging-generated.zone"
           ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org cat relay/staging-generated.zone >> .github/workflows/staging-ipv4.testrun.org-default.zone
           cat .github/workflows/staging-ipv4.testrun.org-default.zone
           scp .github/workflows/staging-ipv4.testrun.org-default.zone root@ns.testrun.org:/etc/nsd/staging-ipv4.testrun.org.zone
           ssh root@ns.testrun.org nsd-checkzone staging-ipv4.testrun.org /etc/nsd/staging-ipv4.testrun.org.zone
           ssh root@ns.testrun.org systemctl reload nsd
 
       - name: cmdeploy test
-        run: ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org "cd relay && CHATMAIL_DOMAIN2=ci-chatmail.testrun.org scripts/cmdeploy test --slow --ssh-host localhost"
+        run: ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org "cd relay && CHATMAIL_DOMAIN2=ci-chatmail.testrun.org scripts/cmdeploy test --slow"
 
       - name: cmdeploy dns
-        run: ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org "cd relay && scripts/cmdeploy dns -v --ssh-host localhost"
+        run: ssh root@staging-ipv4.testrun.org "cd relay && scripts/cmdeploy dns -v"
 

.github/workflows/test-and-deploy.yaml

@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - run: |
           cmdeploy init staging2.testrun.org
+          sed -i 's/^ssh_host/#ssh_host/' chatmail.ini
           sed -i 's/#\s*mtail_address/mtail_address/' chatmail.ini
 
       - run: cmdeploy run --verbose --skip-dns-check

chatmaild/src/chatmaild/config.py

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ class Config:
     def __init__(self, inipath, params):
         self._inipath = inipath
         self.mail_domain = params["mail_domain"]
+        self.ssh_host = params.get("ssh_host", self.mail_domain)
         self.max_user_send_per_minute = int(params.get("max_user_send_per_minute", 60))
         self.max_user_send_burst_size = int(params.get("max_user_send_burst_size", 10))
         self.max_mailbox_size = params.get("max_mailbox_size", "500M")

chatmaild/src/chatmaild/ini/chatmail.ini.f

@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 # mail domain (MUST be set to fully qualified chat mail domain)
 mail_domain = {mail_domain}
 
+# Where to deploy the relay - if unspecified, mail_domain will be used.
+ssh_host = localhost
+
 #
 # If you only do private test deploys, you don't need to modify any settings below
 #

cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/cmdeploy.py

@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def run_cmd_options(parser):
 def run_cmd(args, out):
     """Deploy chatmail services on the remote server."""
 
-    ssh_host = args.ssh_host if args.ssh_host else args.config.mail_domain
+    ssh_host = args.ssh_host if args.ssh_host else args.config.ssh_host
     sshexec = get_sshexec(ssh_host)
     require_iroh = args.config.enable_iroh_relay
     strict_tls = args.config.tls_cert_mode == "acme"
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ def run_cmd(args, out):
     pyinf = "pyinfra --dry" if args.dry_run else "pyinfra"
 
     cmd = f"{pyinf} --ssh-user root {ssh_host} {deploy_path} -y"
-    if ssh_host in ["localhost", "@docker"]:
+    if ssh_host in ["localhost", "@local", "@docker"]:
         cmd = f"{pyinf} @local {deploy_path} -y"
 
     if version.parse(pyinfra.__version__) < version.parse("3"):
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ def dns_cmd_options(parser):
 
 def dns_cmd(args, out):
     """Check DNS entries and optionally generate dns zone file."""
-    ssh_host = args.ssh_host if args.ssh_host else args.config.mail_domain
+    ssh_host = args.ssh_host if args.ssh_host else args.config.ssh_host
     sshexec = get_sshexec(ssh_host, verbose=args.verbose)
     tls_cert_mode = args.config.tls_cert_mode
     strict_tls = tls_cert_mode == "acme"
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ def status_cmd_options(parser):
 def status_cmd(args, out):
     """Display status for online chatmail instance."""
 
-    ssh_host = args.ssh_host if args.ssh_host else args.config.mail_domain
+    ssh_host = args.ssh_host if args.ssh_host else args.config.ssh_host
     sshexec = get_sshexec(ssh_host, verbose=args.verbose)
 
     out.green(f"chatmail domain: {args.config.mail_domain}")

cmdeploy/src/cmdeploy/tests/plugin.py

@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ def maildomain(chatmail_config):
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
-def sshdomain(maildomain):
-    return os.environ.get("CHATMAIL_SSH", maildomain)
+def sshdomain(chatmail_config):
+    return os.environ.get("CHATMAIL_SSH", chatmail_config.ssh_host)
 
 
 @pytest.fixture

doc/source/getting_started.rst

@@ -16,26 +16,19 @@ You will need the following:
 
 -  Control over a domain through a DNS provider of your choice.
 
--  A Debian 12 **deployment server** with reachable SMTP/SUBMISSIONS/IMAPS/HTTPS ports.
+-  A Debian 12 server with reachable SMTP/SUBMISSIONS/IMAPS/HTTPS ports.
    IPv6 is encouraged if available. Chatmail relay servers only require
    1GB RAM, one CPU, and perhaps 10GB storage for a few thousand active
    chatmail addresses.
 
--  A Linux or Unix **build machine** with key-based SSH access to the root
-   user of the deployment server.
-   You must add a passphrase-protected private key to your local ssh-agent because you
-   can’t type in your passphrase during deployment.
-   (An ed25519 private key is required due to an `upstream bug in
-   paramiko <https://github.com/paramiko/paramiko/issues/2191>`_)
-
 
 Setup with ``scripts/cmdeploy``
 -------------------------------------
 
 We use ``chat.example.org`` as the chatmail domain in the following
 steps. Please substitute it with your own domain.
 
-1. Setup the initial DNS records for your deployment server.
+1. Setup the initial DNS records for your relay.
    The following is an example in the
    familiar BIND zone file format with a TTL of 1 hour (3600 seconds).
    Please substitute your domain and IP addresses.
@@ -55,22 +48,25 @@ steps. Please substitute it with your own domain.
       The ``mta-sts`` CNAME and ``_mta-sts`` TXT records
       are not needed for such domains.
 
-2. On your local PC, clone the repository and bootstrap the Python
+2. Login to the server with SSH, clone the repository and bootstrap the Python
    virtualenv.
 
    ::
 
+       ssh root@chat.example.org
        git clone https://github.com/chatmail/relay
        cd relay
        scripts/initenv.sh
 
-3. On your local build machine (PC), create a chatmail configuration file
+3. Then, create a chatmail configuration file
    ``chatmail.ini``:
 
    ::
 
        scripts/cmdeploy init chat.example.org  # <-- use your domain
 
+   .. note::
+
    To use self-signed TLS certificates
    instead of Let's Encrypt,
    use a domain name starting with ``_``
@@ -81,13 +77,7 @@ steps. Please substitute it with your own domain.
    See the :doc:`overview`
    for details on certificate provisioning.
 
-4. Verify that SSH root login to the deployment server server works:
-
-   ::
-
-       ssh root@chat.example.org  # <-- use your domain
-
-5. From your local build machine, setup and configure the remote deployment server:
+4. Now run the deployment script to install the relay to the server:
 
    ::
 
@@ -98,26 +88,31 @@ steps. Please substitute it with your own domain.
    configure at your DNS provider (it can take some time until they are
    public).
 
-Other helpful commands
-----------------------
+Next Steps
+----------
 
-To check the status of your deployment server running the chatmail service:
+Now you should display and check all recommended DNS records
+to enable federation with other relays:
 
 ::
 
-   scripts/cmdeploy status
+   scripts/cmdeploy dns
 
-To display and check all recommended DNS records:
+You should also test whether your chatmail service is working correctly:
 
 ::
 
-   scripts/cmdeploy dns
+   scripts/cmdeploy test
+
+Other Helpful Commands
+----------------------
 
-To test whether your chatmail service is working correctly:
+To check the status of your chatmail relay:
 
 ::
 
-   scripts/cmdeploy test
+   scripts/cmdeploy status
+
 
 To measure the performance of your chatmail service:
 
@@ -159,8 +154,9 @@ This starts a local live development cycle for chatmail web pages:
    directory and generating HTML files and copying assets to the
    ``www/build`` directory.
 
--  Starts a browser window automatically where you can “refresh” as
-   needed.
+-  if you are running scripts/cmdeploy webdev on the relay itself,
+   you need to configure a route in /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
+   to expose the build directory.
 
 Custom web pages
 ----------------
@@ -178,7 +174,7 @@ Disable automatic address creation
 --------------------------------------------------------
 
 If you need to stop address creation, e.g. because some script is wildly
-creating addresses, login with ssh to the deployment machine and run:
+creating addresses, login with ssh to the relay and run:
 
 ::
 
@@ -198,23 +194,3 @@ and all other relays will accept connections from it
 without requiring certificate verification.
 This is useful for experimental setups and testing.
 
-Migrating to a new build machine
-----------------------------------
-
-To move or add a build machine,
-clone the relay repository on the new build machine, and copy the ``chatmail.ini`` file from the old build machine.
-Make sure ``rsync`` is installed, then initialize the environment:
-
-::
-
-   ./scripts/initenv.sh
-
-Run safety checks before a new deployment:
-
-::
-
-   ./scripts/cmdeploy dns
-   ./scripts/cmdeploy status
-
-If you keep multiple build machines (ie laptop and desktop), keep ``chatmail.ini`` in sync between
-them.