bitpoll-nix/memory-bank/productContext.md

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# Product Context: Bitpoll Nix Flake
## Why This Project Exists
### Problem Statement
Bitpoll is a valuable Django-based web application for scheduling meetings and conducting polls, but it lacks proper packaging for the Nix ecosystem. NixOS users and organizations wanting to deploy Bitpoll face several challenges:
1. **Complex Manual Setup**: Installing Bitpoll requires manual dependency management and configuration
2. **Reproducibility Issues**: Traditional deployment methods don't guarantee consistent environments
3. **Security Concerns**: Manual installations often lack proper security hardening
4. **Maintenance Overhead**: Updates and system management become complex without proper packaging
### Solution Approach
This Nix flake solves these problems by providing:
- **Declarative Configuration**: Everything defined in Nix expressions
- **Reproducible Builds**: Pinned dependencies ensure consistent deployments
- **Security by Default**: Proper user isolation and systemd hardening
- **Easy Deployment**: Single-command installation and updates
## What Problems It Solves
### For System Administrators
- **Simplified Deployment**: Deploy Bitpoll with a single NixOS configuration
- **Consistent Environments**: Development, staging, and production environments are identical
- **Security Hardening**: Built-in security measures without manual configuration
- **Easy Updates**: Atomic updates and rollbacks through NixOS
### For Developers
- **Development Environment**: Instant development setup with `nix develop`
- **Testing**: Easy testing of different configurations
- **Contribution**: Clear packaging structure for contributing improvements
### For Organizations
- **Compliance**: Reproducible deployments aid in compliance and auditing
- **Reliability**: Reduced deployment failures through declarative configuration
- **Scalability**: Easy replication across multiple servers
## How It Should Work
### User Experience Goals
#### Simple Installation
```bash
# Add to NixOS configuration
services.bitpoll.enable = true;
# Rebuild system
sudo nixos-rebuild switch
```
#### Flexible Configuration
```nix
services.bitpoll = {
enable = true;
port = 8080;
allowedHosts = [ "bitpoll.company.com" ];
secretKeyFile = "/etc/bitpoll/secret";
};
```
#### Development Workflow
```bash
# Clone and develop
git clone <repo>
nix develop
# Instant development environment ready
```
### Expected Behavior
#### Production Deployment
- Service starts automatically on boot
- Proper logging through systemd
- Graceful handling of failures and restarts
- Secure file permissions and user isolation
- Database migrations run automatically
#### Development Environment
- All dependencies available immediately
- Django management commands work out of the box
- Hot reloading for development
- Easy testing of configuration changes
#### Data Management
- All data stored in `/var/lib/bitpoll`
- Proper backup and restore capabilities
- Database migrations handled automatically
- Static files served efficiently
## Target Users
### Primary Users
- **NixOS System Administrators**: Managing Bitpoll deployments
- **DevOps Engineers**: Implementing CI/CD for Bitpoll
- **Organizations**: Deploying internal polling/scheduling systems
### Secondary Users
- **Nix Package Maintainers**: Contributing to the ecosystem
- **Bitpoll Contributors**: Testing and developing Bitpoll itself
- **Security Teams**: Auditing and hardening deployments
## Success Metrics
### Technical Metrics
- Zero-downtime deployments
- Sub-minute startup times
- Successful automatic migrations
- No security vulnerabilities in default configuration
### User Experience Metrics
- Single-command deployment success
- Clear error messages for misconfigurations
- Comprehensive documentation coverage
- Active community adoption
### Operational Metrics
- Reliable service uptime
- Efficient resource utilization
- Successful backup/restore operations
- Easy troubleshooting and debugging