External Dependencies

External Dependencies Reference

Ghaf relies on a carefully curated set of external dependencies and repositories to provide comprehensive functionality while maintaining security and reliability. This reference documents all external dependencies, their purpose, and integration points.

Primary Dependencies

Core Nix Ecosystem

nixpkgs

Source: github:tiiuae/nixpkgs/britty-gst-python Purpose: Core package repository with Ghaf-specific patches Customizations:

• GStreamer Python bindings fixes
• Security patches for edge computing
• Hardware driver updates

Integration: Base for all package definitions and system configuration

flake-parts

Source: github:hercules-ci/flake-parts Purpose: Modular flake architecture framework Usage: Organizes Ghaf’s modular structure with clean separation of concerns

nixos-generators

Source: github:nix-community/nixos-generators Purpose: Multiple output format generation (ISO, VM images, etc.) Usage: Creates bootable images and VM formats for different platforms

Hardware and Platform Support

nixos-hardware

Source: github:NixOS/nixos-hardware Purpose: Hardware-specific configurations and optimizations Hardware Supported:

• Lenovo laptop series
• ASUS hardware configurations
• Generic x86_64 optimizations

jetpack-nixos

Source: github:anduril/jetpack-nixos Purpose: NVIDIA Jetpack SDK integration for Jetson platforms Features:

• CUDA runtime and drivers
• TensorRT inference engine
• DeepStream multimedia processing
• L4T (Linux for Tegra) kernel

microvm.nix

Source: github:astro/microvm.nix Purpose: Lightweight virtualization framework Capabilities:

• Fast VM startup and shutdown
• Minimal resource overhead
• Declarative VM configuration
• Integration with host networking

Development and Testing

ci-test-automation

Source: github:tiiuae/ci-test-automation Purpose: Automated testing framework for Ghaf configurations Test Types:

• Hardware compatibility testing
• Security validation
• Performance benchmarking
• Integration testing

treefmt-nix

Source: github:numtide/treefmt-nix Purpose: Code formatting and linting across multiple languages Supported Languages:

• Nix (nixfmt-rfc-style)
• Python (ruff)
• Shell scripts (shellcheck)
• JavaScript/TypeScript (prettier)

Security and Communication

ghafpkgs

Source: github:tiiuae/ghafpkgs Purpose: Ghaf-specific package collection and overlays Contents:

• Security-focused applications
• Custom system utilities
• Hardware-specific tools

givc

Source: github:tiiuae/givc Purpose: Guest Inter-VM Communication framework Features:

• Secure message passing between VMs
• Authentication and authorization
• Resource sharing protocols

ctrl-panel

Source: github:tiiuae/ctrl-panel Purpose: System control and monitoring interface Capabilities:

• VM lifecycle management
• System monitoring and metrics
• User interface for system control

wireguard-gui

Source: github:tiiuae/wireguard-gui Purpose: Graphical interface for WireGuard VPN management Features:

• VPN tunnel configuration
• Connection status monitoring
• Network isolation management

Specialized Tools

spectrum-config

Source: github:tiiuae/spectrum-config Purpose: Radio spectrum management and configuration Use Cases:

• Software-defined radio integration
• Wireless communication optimization
• Spectrum analysis tools

pkgs-by-name-for-flake-parts

Source: github:drupol/pkgs-by-name-for-flake-parts Purpose: Automatic package discovery and organization Benefits:

• Streamlined package management
• Automatic package exposure
• Consistent naming conventions

Development Dependencies

Build System

systems

Source: github:nix-systems/default Purpose: Standard system definitions for cross-platform builds Platforms: x86_64-linux, aarch64-linux, riscv64-linux

nixpkgs-lib

Source: github:NixOS/nixpkgs/lib Purpose: Nix library functions for advanced flake operations Usage: Utility functions for complex configuration management

Documentation

astro-starlight

Purpose: Documentation site generator Features:

• Multi-language support
• Search functionality
• Mobile-responsive design
• Automatic navigation generation

Dependency Management Strategy

Version Pinning

All dependencies are pinned to specific commits to ensure:

• Reproducibility: Identical builds across environments
• Security: Controlled updates with security review
• Stability: Tested combinations of dependencies

Update Process

1. Security monitoring: Regular CVE scanning of dependencies
2. Compatibility testing: Automated testing with new versions
3. Staged rollout: Gradual deployment across test environments
4. Documentation updates: Maintain current dependency documentation

Dependency Tree

ghaf
├── nixpkgs (core)
│   ├── flake-parts
│   └── nixos-generators
├── hardware-support
│   ├── nixos-hardware
│   ├── jetpack-nixos
│   └── microvm.nix
├── ghaf-ecosystem
│   ├── ghafpkgs
│   ├── givc
│   ├── ctrl-panel
│   └── wireguard-gui
├── development
│   ├── ci-test-automation
│   └── treefmt-nix
└── specialized
    ├── spectrum-config
    └── pkgs-by-name-for-flake-parts

Licensing and Compliance

License Compatibility

All dependencies are compatible with Apache-2.0 license:

• MIT: Compatible, permissive
• BSD: Compatible, permissive
• Apache-2.0: Direct compatibility
• GPL exceptions: Carefully evaluated for compatibility

Supply Chain Security

• SBOM generation: Software Bill of Materials tracking
• Vulnerability scanning: Automated security scanning
• Provenance tracking: Source code and build provenance
• Signature verification: Cryptographic signature validation

Troubleshooting Common Dependency Issues

Build Failures

# Clear Nix cache
nix store gc
nix flake update

# Rebuild with clean cache
nix build .#target --rebuild

Network Issues

# Use alternative substituters
nix build --option substituters "https://cache.nixos.org"

# Increase timeouts
nix build --option connect-timeout 300

Version Conflicts

# Check flake inputs
nix flake show --json | jq '.inputs'

# Update specific input
nix flake lock --update-input nixpkgs

Contributing to Dependencies

Upstream Contributions

Ghaf maintains active relationships with upstream projects:

• nixpkgs: Regular contribution of hardware support and security fixes
• microvm.nix: Performance optimizations and feature enhancements
• jetpack-nixos: Hardware compatibility improvements

Fork Management

For forked dependencies:

1. Minimal changes: Keep forks as close to upstream as possible
2. Clear documentation: Document all changes and reasoning
3. Upstream integration: Work toward upstreaming changes
4. Regular rebasing: Keep forks current with upstream

Next Steps

• See Packages Reference for Ghaf-specific packages
• Check Modules Reference for system modules
• Review Architecture Overview for system integration