From 3c2e26a1d96a4046f45ebc1a19ee87dda5651e64 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: clover caruso <git@paperclover.net>
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 2026 21:50:24 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Boot the Zenith installer with its usual wired SSH address

Share static networking between the installer and installed system. Start key-only SSH automatically so installation can proceed from the Mac after USB boot.

Assisted-by: gpt-6
---
 flake.nix                |  3 +++
 nixos/zenith-network.nix | 10 ++++++++++
 nixos/zenith.nix         | 10 ++--------
 readme.md                |  5 +++++
 4 files changed, 20 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
 create mode 100644 nixos/zenith-network.nix

diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index 0e6d8f35a89986aa5bdfa284e26f943afe482696..30220e04120f5e931eb4ed49ed103c62827811ee 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -14,10 +14,13 @@
       system = "x86_64-linux";
       modules = [
         "${nixpkgs}/nixos/modules/installer/cd-dvd/installation-cd-minimal.nix"
+        ./nixos/zenith-network.nix
         ({ lib, pkgs, ... }: {
           networking.hostName = "infra-2-installer";
+          networking.networkmanager.enable = lib.mkForce false;
           boot.zfs.forceImportRoot = false;
           users.users.root.openssh.authorizedKeys.keys = [ (lib.fileContents ./config/admin.pub) ];
+          services.openssh.enable = true;
           services.openssh.settings = {
             PasswordAuthentication = false;
             KbdInteractiveAuthentication = false;
diff --git a/nixos/zenith-network.nix b/nixos/zenith-network.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..34ac0759d7065889e8058d1bdcfdef3acffbb4d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nixos/zenith-network.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  networking.useDHCP = false;
+  networking.interfaces.enp4s0.useDHCP = false;
+  networking.interfaces.enp4s0.ipv4.addresses = [
+    { address = "10.0.0.1"; prefixLength = 24; }
+    { address = "192.168.0.1"; prefixLength = 24; }
+  ];
+  networking.defaultGateway = { address = "10.0.0.2"; interface = "enp4s0"; };
+  networking.nameservers = [ "1.1.1.1" "1.0.0.1" ];
+}
diff --git a/nixos/zenith.nix b/nixos/zenith.nix
index bfc305b7af553891346cec4bf64e058873668e2f..e58bf97a9a51d2345c7e819608ae9ba19c298fff 100644
--- a/nixos/zenith.nix
+++ b/nixos/zenith.nix
@@ -3,16 +3,10 @@ let
   adminKey = lib.fileContents ../config/admin.pub;
 in
 {
+  imports = [ ./zenith-network.nix ];
+
   networking.hostName = "zenith";
   networking.hostId = "4fa19ccb";
-  networking.useDHCP = false;
-  networking.interfaces.enp4s0.useDHCP = false;
-  networking.interfaces.enp4s0.ipv4.addresses = [
-    { address = "10.0.0.1"; prefixLength = 24; }
-    { address = "192.168.0.1"; prefixLength = 24; }
-  ];
-  networking.defaultGateway = { address = "10.0.0.2"; interface = "enp4s0"; };
-  networking.nameservers = [ "1.1.1.1" "1.0.0.1" ];
   networking.firewall.allowedTCPPorts = [ 80 443 ];
   networking.firewall.interfaces.enp4s0.allowedTCPPorts = [ 445 ];
 
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index c91927fe33714fcb548110994a168dd623a67aa2..c209024dce5d47fdf7b662629c7a709828f73674 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ dashboard image. It does not install automatically. The physical installation
 uses `#zenith` after generating its hardware configuration; the existing data
 pool and service state follow the [handoff](tools/legacy-handoff.md).
 
+On Zenith, the live installer uses the same wired addresses and gateway as the
+installed system. Once firmware boots the USB, connect from this Mac with
+`ssh root@10.0.0.1`. SSH starts automatically and accepts the admin key only;
+no monitor, local login, or DHCP address lookup is needed after USB boot.
+
 ## filesystem layout
 
 The computer mounts the ZFS root dataset under `/srv`, meaning "server," loosely
-- 
2.54.0