# Installing Jarl and adopting an existing BIND server

This guide targets Debian/Ubuntu with BIND 9.20 (`bind9` package,
`/etc/bind`, user and group `bind`, AppArmor). Other layouts work too: every
path is configurable in `/etc/jarl/jarl.yaml` (see
[configuration.md](configuration.md)).

The migration is designed to be safe. Your current configuration is
imported into Jarl and checked with `named-checkconf` before named is
touched. Adopting keeps a copy of the old `named.conf`, and if named fails
to load Jarl's configuration the old one is put back automatically.

## 1. Build

Each release is already built: the Debian packages are in the Gitea
package registry ([below](#from-the-package-registry)), and the release
page (https://gitea.adbraun.lol/adam/jarl/releases) has the packages, the
linux tarballs, and the CLI for Linux, macOS and Windows. Build it yourself
for an unreleased version.

Jarl is two static binaries with no runtime dependencies (SQLite is
compiled in). Building needs Go 1.27 or newer, on any machine:

```sh
make            # bin/jarld and bin/jarl
make test       # optional: unit and integration tests
make dist       # optional: dist/jarl-<version>-linux-{amd64,arm64}.tar.gz
```

If you build on another machine, copy the binaries plus the `deploy/`,
`docs/` and `contrib/` directories to the DNS server, or build a Debian
package (below) and copy that.

## 2. Install the files

There are two ways: a Debian package, which is easiest to upgrade and
remove, or `make install`.

### With the Debian packages

There are two packages:

| Package | Holds | Install it |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| `jarl` | the server: `jarld`, its systemd units, the docs | on the DNS server |
| `jarl-cli` | the `jarl` CLI, its bash completion, the ACME hooks | wherever you manage Jarl from; `jarl` depends on it |

#### From the package registry

Every release is published to Gitea's Debian registry (amd64 and arm64).
Add it to apt once, and apt then finds `jarl-cli` by itself and
`apt upgrade` brings new releases:

```sh
sudo install -d /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo curl -fsSL https://gitea.adbraun.lol/api/packages/adam/debian/repository.key -o /etc/apt/keyrings/jarl.asc
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/jarl.asc] https://gitea.adbraun.lol/api/packages/adam/debian stable main" \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jarl.list
sudo apt update
sudo apt install jarl
```

The packages are as visible as the Gitea account that owns them, not the
repository: with a public account, apt needs no login even if the
repository is private. For a private or limited account, give apt a token
with the `read:package` scope in `/etc/apt/auth.conf.d/jarl.conf` (mode
0600):

```
machine gitea.adbraun.lol/api/packages/adam/debian
login adam
password <token>
```

#### From files

Download the two `.deb` files from the release page, or build them:

```sh
make deb                                  # dist/jarl_0.1.0_amd64.deb and dist/jarl-cli_0.1.0_amd64.deb
make deb DEB_ARCH=arm64                   # for another architecture (also armhf, i386, ...)
sudo apt install ./dist/jarl_0.1.0_amd64.deb ./dist/jarl-cli_0.1.0_amd64.deb
```

Give apt both files: `jarl` needs `jarl-cli` of the same version.
`make deb` needs only `dpkg-deb` (no root, no debhelper) and cross-builds
for any architecture Go supports. apt also installs `bind9` (recommended)
if it's missing. Installing the server package:

* puts `jarld` in `/usr/bin`, its bash completion in
  `/usr/share/bash-completion/completions`, the systemd units in
  `/usr/lib/systemd/system` (`jarl.service`, and `jarl-backup.service`
  with its daily `jarl-backup.timer`), the sysusers and tmpfiles files
  in `/usr/lib`, and the docs in `/usr/share/doc/jarl`;
* creates the `jarl` user (in group `bind`) and Jarl's directories, and
  writes `/etc/jarl/jarl.yaml` from the example on the first install. No
  file in `/etc` belongs to the package, so your configuration is never
  replaced or asked about on upgrades;
* turns on the daily database backup, `jarl-backup.timer`
  ([operations.md](operations.md#backups)). It does nothing until the
  database exists. If you turn it off (`systemctl disable
  jarl-backup.timer`), upgrades leave it off;
* doesn't start jarld: continue with [3. Configure](#3-configure), then
  `systemctl enable --now jarl` in step 8.

`jarl-cli` installs `/usr/bin/jarl`, its completion, and
`/usr/share/doc/jarl-cli` (the CLI, ACME and permissions docs, and the
acme.sh and lego hooks in `contrib/`).

**Upgrading**: `sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade` with the registry, or
install the newer files the same way. A running
jarld is restarted, and upgrades its database as it starts. Up to 0.1.0
everything was one `jarl` package; installing the two new ones over it
moves `/usr/bin/jarl` to `jarl-cli` by itself.

**Removing** (`sudo apt remove jarl`) stops jarld and the backup timer and
removes the server (the CLI stays until you remove `jarl-cli` too), but named keeps running with the configuration Jarl
last wrote. Even `apt purge jarl` keeps `/etc/jarl`, `/var/lib/jarl` (the
database), `/var/backups/jarl` and the
files in `/etc/bind/jarl`, `/var/lib/bind/jarl` and `/var/cache/bind/jarl`,
since named.conf may still include them. Remove them by hand once named no
longer uses them.

### Just the CLI, on another machine

To manage Jarl servers from your laptop or another server, install only
`jarl-cli`. It needs nothing else and changes nothing on the machine (no
users, services or directories):

```sh
sudo apt install jarl-cli      # with the registry above; or: sudo apt install ./jarl-cli_0.1.0_amd64.deb
jarl config set server https://ns1.adbraun.lol:8053
jarl config set token
```

Elsewhere, download the CLI from the release page:
`jarl-cli-<version>-<os>-<arch>` for Linux, macOS (`darwin`) and Windows
(`.exe`), with their checksums in `SHA256SUMS`. It is one static file; put
it in your PATH as `jarl` (on macOS, `xattr -d com.apple.quarantine jarl`
lets an unsigned download run). `make cli-dist` builds the same files, and
`make` builds it for this machine in `bin/`. [cli.md](cli.md)
explains the setup, and several servers in one configuration.

### With make install

On the DNS server, as root:

```sh
make install           # or: make install PREFIX=/usr
```

This installs:

| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `/usr/local/bin/jarld`, `/usr/local/bin/jarl` | daemon and CLI |
| `/usr/local/share/bash-completion/completions/jarl`, `.../jarld` | bash completion (loaded automatically by the `bash-completion` package) |
| `/etc/systemd/system/jarl.service` | systemd unit (`Type=notify`, sandboxed) |
| `/etc/systemd/system/jarl-backup.service`, `jarl-backup.timer` | the daily database backup ([operations.md](operations.md#backups)) |
| `/usr/lib/sysusers.d/jarl.conf` | creates the `jarl` system user and adds it to group `bind` |
| `/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/jarl.conf` | creates `/etc/jarl`, `/var/lib/jarl`, `/etc/bind/jarl`, `/var/lib/bind/jarl`, `/var/cache/bind/jarl`, `/var/backups/jarl` |
| `/etc/jarl/jarl.yaml` | example configuration (only if none exists) |
| `/usr/local/share/doc/jarl/` | these docs and the acme.sh hook |

Then create the user and directories:

```sh
systemd-sysusers jarl.conf
systemd-tmpfiles --create jarl.conf
chgrp jarl /etc/jarl/jarl.yaml
systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable --now jarl-backup.timer   # daily backups; idle until the database exists
```

Without `make` (from a release tarball), the same steps are:

```sh
install -m 0755 jarld jarl /usr/local/bin/
install -m 0644 deploy/systemd/jarl.service deploy/systemd/jarl-backup.service deploy/systemd/jarl-backup.timer /etc/systemd/system/
install -m 0644 deploy/sysusers.d/jarl.conf /usr/lib/sysusers.d/
install -m 0644 deploy/tmpfiles.d/jarl.conf /usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/
systemd-sysusers jarl.conf && systemd-tmpfiles --create jarl.conf
jarld config --example > /etc/jarl/jarl.yaml
chgrp jarl /etc/jarl/jarl.yaml && chmod 0640 /etc/jarl/jarl.yaml
systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl enable --now jarl-backup.timer
```

### Why the jarl user is in group bind

jarld runs as `jarl`, not root. Membership of `bind` lets it read named's
configuration and `/etc/bind/rndc.key` (for `named-checkconf` and `rndc`),
and give the files it generates to group `bind` so named can read them.
named in turn can't write Jarl's configuration (`/etc/bind/jarl` is 2750),
but it can write journals in `/var/lib/bind/jarl` (2770).

## 3. Configure

Edit `/etc/jarl/jarl.yaml`. The defaults match Debian's BIND 9.20 layout,
so usually only `listen` and `tls` need changes:

```yaml
listen:
  - "127.0.0.1:8053"     # always keep localhost for the local CLI and hooks
  - "192.168.1.2:8053"   # a management address for the web UI
tls:
  cert_file: /etc/jarl/tls/fullchain.pem
  key_file: /etc/jarl/tls/privkey.pem
```

Keep the web UI and API **off the internet**: listen on localhost and a
management network only, and restrict the port in your firewall. When the
server becomes internet-facing for DNS, that changes nothing for Jarl.

A plain-HTTP listener is fine on localhost. Anything reachable over the
network should use TLS, either with `tls:` above or behind a reverse proxy
that terminates TLS (set `trusted_proxies` so client IPs in the audit log
are right). See "TLS certificate from Let's Encrypt" below.

Check the result with `jarld config` (prints the effective configuration).

## 4. Back up BIND

Jarl keeps a copy of `named.conf`, but take your own backup anyway:

```sh
tar czf /root/bind-before-jarl-$(date +%F).tgz /etc/bind /var/lib/bind /var/cache/bind
```

## 5. Create the database and the first administrator

```sh
sudo -u jarl jarld init --token -u adam \
    --nameservers ns1.adbraun.lol. --contact hostmaster@adbraun.lol
```

It asks for the administrator's password. Name the account after yourself
(`-u`, default `admin`): each person should have their own account, with
their own [two-factor login](permissions.md#two-factor-login), which you
can turn on under Account once you have logged in. `--token` also prints an API token for the CLI, shown only
once. `--nameservers` and `--contact` are the defaults for zones you create
later, and you can change them in the UI or with `jarl settings set`.

## 6. Import the current configuration

```sh
sudo -u jarl jarld import --dry-run   # see what would be imported
sudo -u jarl jarld import
```

The importer reads `/etc/bind/named.conf` and everything it includes: ACLs,
keys, options, logging, views, zones, and every primary zone file (with
comments, `$TTL`, `$ORIGIN` and `$INCLUDE`; `$GENERATE` ranges are expanded
into individual records). It converts legacy
spellings (`master`/`slave`/`masters`) and keeps `rndc.key` as an include.

If everything validates, the import is applied as changeset #2. Jarl writes
its files into `/etc/bind/jarl` and `/var/lib/bind/jarl`, but **named keeps
running on the old configuration**. If there are problems, the import is
left as an open changeset to fix in the web UI or CLI first, and the
command tells you what is wrong.

Look at what Jarl generated before going further:

```sh
less /etc/bind/jarl/named.conf
ls -R /var/lib/bind/jarl
sudo -u jarl jarld check    # validation + named-checkconf -z
```

## 7. Adopt: switch named over to Jarl

```sh
sudo jarld adopt
```

This needs root because it rewrites `/etc/bind/named.conf`:

1. bumps the serial of every primary zone, so secondaries and caches notice
   the change,
2. saves `named.conf` as `named.conf.pre-jarl-<date>` and replaces it with a
   single `include "/etc/bind/jarl/named.conf";`,
3. runs `named-checkconf`, `rndc reconfig` and reloads every zone,
4. checks that named serves every zone with the new serial.

If any step fails, the previous `named.conf` is restored and named is
reloaded. Afterwards, check that the answers match:

```sh
dig @127.0.0.1 adbraun.lol SOA +short
dig @127.0.0.1 -x 192.168.1.1 +short
```

From now on, change DNS only through Jarl. Hand edits to the generated
files are detected as drift and are never silently overwritten (see
[operations.md](operations.md)).

**Going back.** `cp /etc/bind/named.conf.pre-jarl-<date> /etc/bind/named.conf && rndc reconfig`
restores the old setup. Your old zone files were never modified.

## 8. Start the daemon

```sh
systemctl enable --now jarl
systemctl status jarl
journalctl -u jarl -f
```

Open `https://<management-address>:8053/` and log in as `admin`.

## 9. Set up the CLI

On the server itself, root needs nothing: `sudo jarl status` and every
other command use jarld's local socket without a token
([cli.md](cli.md#on-the-server-itself)).

On other machines, or as an ordinary user, give the CLI a server and a
token:

```sh
jarl config set server https://ns1.adbraun.lol:8053
jarl config set token          # paste the token from 'jarld init' at the prompt
jarl status
jarl zone list
```

The CLI's settings are stored in `~/.config/jarl/config.yaml` (mode 0600;
macOS and Windows use their own folders, see [cli.md](cli.md#setup)).
`JARL_SERVER` and `JARL_TOKEN` override them, which is handy in scripts.
Create more tokens in the web UI (Account → API tokens) or with
`jarl token create NAME`. See [cli.md](cli.md).

## Optional: query statistics

To see query volume, top names and clients in the UI and CLI, set
`stats: {enabled: true}` in `/etc/jarl/jarl.yaml` and restart jarl. See
[stats.md](stats.md).

## TLS certificate from Let's Encrypt

Jarl can publish the DNS-01 challenge for its own certificate. On the DNS
server, run certbot with the hooks against the local listener:

```sh
# As yourself (with an admin token configured): a service account and a
# token that can only touch _acme-challenge TXT records.
jarl user create certbot --no-password --role acme
jarl token create certbot --user certbot --role acme -q > certbot.token
sudo install -m 0600 certbot.token /etc/jarl/certbot.token && rm certbot.token

# certbot runs as root and reads the token from the file.
sudo certbot certonly --manual --preferred-challenges dns \
  --manual-auth-hook 'jarl --server http://127.0.0.1:8053 --token @/etc/jarl/certbot.token acme certbot-auth' \
  --manual-cleanup-hook 'jarl --server http://127.0.0.1:8053 --token @/etc/jarl/certbot.token acme certbot-cleanup' \
  -d ns1.adbraun.lol
```

certbot keeps its keys readable only by root, so give jarld a copy after
each renewal with a deploy hook, `/etc/letsencrypt/renewal-hooks/deploy/jarl`:

```sh
#!/bin/sh
set -e
install -d -m 0750 -g jarl /etc/jarl/tls
install -m 0640 -g jarl "$RENEWED_LINEAGE/fullchain.pem" "$RENEWED_LINEAGE/privkey.pem" /etc/jarl/tls/
systemctl reload jarl
```

`systemctl reload jarl` sends SIGHUP, and jarld rereads the certificate
without dropping connections. More in [acme.md](acme.md).

## Upgrading

```sh
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade      # Debian packages from the registry
make && sudo make install && sudo systemctl restart jarl   # make install
```

Database migrations run automatically at startup. Before an upgrade, take
a backup (it is safe while jarld runs); `jarld restore` puts it back if
needed:

```sh
sudo -u jarl jarld backup
```

## Uninstalling

```sh
cp /etc/bind/named.conf.pre-jarl-<date> /etc/bind/named.conf   # or write a named.conf that includes Jarl's files
rndc reconfig
systemctl disable --now jarl jarl-backup.timer
make uninstall
```

`/etc/bind/jarl` and `/var/lib/bind/jarl` contain plain named.conf and zone
files that keep working without Jarl. `make uninstall` leaves them,
Jarl's database and its backups in place.