fix(ci): memory-bounded eval — one output per nix process

check.yml has been permanently red since the runner container was
capped at 2 GB (uncapped, it OOM'd the whole 4 GB VPS). Root cause,
measured with GNU time (eval-cache off): `nix flake check --no-build`
walks every output in ONE evaluator process and peaks at ~6.0 GB RSS
on this repo — the checks.* suite alone is ~15 runNixOSTests, each a
full NixOS eval, all accumulating in one heap.

New tools/ci-eval.sh: identical coverage (all checks.* drvPaths, both
nixosConfigurations toplevels, the HM activationPackage — enumerated
dynamically, no drift), one fresh nix process per output so the heap is
freed between outputs. Cold per-output peaks: worst check 0.99 GB
(hardware-toggles), nomarchy toplevel 0.78 GB, HM 0.60 GB; the one
outlier is nomarchy-live at 2.69 GB (live-ISO eval), which fits the
2 GB cap only via the container's swap allowance (docker's default
--memory-swap is 2x memory). check.yml and bump.yml both call the
script now; bump.yml also gains max-jobs=1/cores=2 (it had no limits,
so its V1 build gate could spawn parallel builders in the capped
container). ROADMAP's stale "no CI today" corrected: bump.yml landed
8fded63 on schedule 2026-07-06.

Verified: V1+ — ci-eval.sh green locally end-to-end (3m22s, tree peak
2.75 GB = nomarchy-live's process); per-output peaks measured
individually. The decisive proof is the next Actions run on the VPS
itself — watch the nomarchy-live step; if it OOMs there, the runner
needs swap allowed: --memory=2g --memory-swap=6g.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

.gitea/workflows/bump.yml

@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 90
     env:
       NIX_CONFIG: |
+        max-jobs = 1
+        cores = 2
         experimental-features = nix-command flakes
         sandbox = false
       NIX_SSL_CERT_FILE: /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt
@@ -68,9 +70,12 @@ jobs:
           fi
         id: update
 
-      - name: Gate — nix flake check (eval only)
+      - name: Gate — evaluate every output (eval tier, memory-bounded)
+        # Per-output processes, not one big `nix flake check --no-build`:
+        # the single-process walk peaks ~6 GB RSS and OOMs inside the
+        # runner's 2 GB container cap (details in tools/ci-eval.sh).
         if: steps.update.outputs.changed == '1'
-        run: nix flake check --no-build
+        run: bash tools/ci-eval.sh
 
       - name: Gate — V1 build (toplevel + home-manager)
         if: steps.update.outputs.changed == '1'

.gitea/workflows/check.yml

@@ -57,11 +57,15 @@ jobs:
           curl -L "https://releases.nixos.org/nix/nix-${NIX_VERSION}/install" | sh -s -- --no-daemon
           echo "$HOME/.nix-profile/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
 
-      - name: nix flake check (eval only)
+      - name: Evaluate every output (eval tier, memory-bounded)
-        # Full module-system evaluation of every output — both nixos
+        # Same coverage as `nix flake check --no-build` — both nixos
         # configs, the home config, the checks.* derivations (instantiated,
-        # not run) and the downstream template through lib.mkFlake.
+        # not run) and the downstream template through lib.mkFlake — but
-        run: nix flake check --no-build
+        # ONE output per nix process. A single process walking everything
+        # peaks at ~6.0 GB RSS (measured 2026-07-12): it OOM'd the 4 GB
+        # VPS itself, and can never fit this runner's 2 GB container cap.
+        # Per-output processes cap at the largest single output (~1 GB).
+        run: bash tools/ci-eval.sh
 
       - name: Python syntax (all tracked scripts)
         # Every tracked *.py — theme-sync, the installer composers

agent/JOURNAL.md

@@ -19,6 +19,28 @@ Template:
 
 ---
 
+## 2026-07-12 — CI OOM: memory-bounded eval for check.yml/bump.yml
+- **Task:** Bernardo: check.yml always red since he capped the runner
+  container at 2 GB (uncapped it OOM'd the whole 4 GB VPS); bump.yml
+  status unknown.
+- **Did:** Measured (GNU time, eval-cache off): one-process `nix flake
+  check --no-build` peaks **6.0 GB** RSS — that's the whole story. New
+  `tools/ci-eval.sh`: same coverage, ONE output per nix process (heap
+  freed between outputs); both workflows now call it. bump.yml also got
+  max-jobs=1/cores=2. Facts: bump.yml WORKS — landed 8fded63 on
+  2026-07-06, on schedule; ROADMAP's "no CI today" was stale → fixed.
+- **Verified:** V1+ — ci-eval.sh ran green locally end-to-end (3:22);
+  per-output cold peaks measured: worst check 0.99 GB
+  (hardware-toggles), nomarchy toplevel 0.78 GB, HM 0.60 GB, **except
+  nomarchy-live 2.69 GB** (live ISO eval) — fits only with the
+  container's swap allowance (docker default --memory-swap = 2×memory);
+  if Bernardo set swap off, that one output still OOMs → server-side
+  one-liner (--memory=2g --memory-swap=6g) or a skip-hatch decision.
+- **Pending:** real proof is the next push's Actions run on the VPS —
+  watch nomarchy-live's step; can't be verified from this machine.
+- **Next suggestion:** confirm green run on the remote, then hardware
+  V3 batch.
+
 ## 2026-07-12 — parallel fingerprint-or-password (interactive, promoted)
 - **Task:** Bernardo promoted the PROPOSED "fingerprint or password in
   parallel" item live; wants it default-on for fingerprint-PAM users.

docs/ROADMAP.md

@@ -1000,10 +1000,18 @@ Design/decision records and a running log of shipped work (items marked
   shrinks the security-patch latency the single-input model otherwise imposes
   (users are gated on the maintainer for nixpkgs CVEs), since a fix is usually
   already eval/build/VM-tested and one hardware promotion away from `v1` —
-  worth fast-laning lock-only/security bumps ahead of feature batches. The repo
+  worth fast-laning lock-only/security bumps ahead of feature batches.
-  has **no CI today** (manual `nix flake update` only). Explicitly *not* a
+  **Shipped since:** `.gitea/workflows/check.yml` (eval tier on every main
-  binary cache: compile-from-source is a deliberate values call (Gentoo-style),
+  push) and `bump.yml` (Monday 05:17 UTC scheduled lock bump, eval + V1
-  so this automates the *config/lock* channel, not artifact distribution.
+  build gate, auto-lands on green — first landing 8fded63, 2026-07-06).
+  2026-07-12: both gates moved from one big `nix flake check --no-build`
+  (~6.0 GB peak RSS — OOM'd the 4 GB VPS, then could never fit the
+  runner's 2 GB container cap) to `tools/ci-eval.sh`, one output per nix
+  process (worst single output: nomarchy-live at 2.69 GB — needs the
+  container's default swap allowance; everything else ≤ 1 GB). Explicitly
+  *not* a binary cache: compile-from-source is a deliberate values call
+  (Gentoo-style), so this automates the *config/lock* channel, not
+  artifact distribution.
 - ✓ **Opt-in auto-commit of state mutations (in-flake state, Phase 4):**
   `settings.autoCommit` (menu: **System › Auto-commit**, self-gated on the
   flake being a git repo) makes every `apply`/`set` also `git commit`

tools/ci-eval.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# CI eval tier — same coverage as `nix flake check --no-build`, bounded
+# memory. One evaluator process walking every output accumulates ~6.0 GB
+# peak RSS on this repo (measured 2026-07-12, eval-cache off): that
+# OOM'd the whole 4 GB VPS behind git.bemagri.xyz, and can never fit the
+# runner's 2 GB container cap. Evaluating ONE output per fresh nix
+# process caps the peak at the largest single output (~0.93 GB,
+# downstream-template-system): the heap is freed when each process
+# exits. Wall time is worse (shared nixpkgs re-eval per process);
+# irrelevant next to the memory cap. Used by .gitea/workflows/check.yml
+# and bump.yml; runs anywhere (`bash tools/ci-eval.sh`).
+set -euo pipefail
+
+sys=${1:-x86_64-linux}
+
+list() {
+  nix eval --raw ".#$1" \
+    --apply 'a: builtins.concatStringsSep "\n" (builtins.attrNames a)'
+}
+
+evaluate() {
+  echo "eval: $1"
+  nix eval --raw ".#$1" >/dev/null
+}
+
+for a in $(list "checks.$sys"); do
+  evaluate "checks.$sys.$a.drvPath"
+done
+for c in $(list nixosConfigurations); do
+  evaluate "nixosConfigurations.$c.config.system.build.toplevel.drvPath"
+done
+for h in $(list homeConfigurations); do
+  evaluate "homeConfigurations.$h.activationPackage.drvPath"
+done
+echo "ci-eval: all outputs evaluated."