# Rivet Documentation

## Instructions for AI Agents

- For clean Markdown of any page, append `.md` to the page URL
- For section-specific indexes, append `/llms.txt` to any section URL
- For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/_mcp/server

## Docs

- [What is Rivet?](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/overview.md): Configuration management for Linux hosts: compile a self-contained bundle, apply it, and recover cleanly from interruptions.
- [How it works](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/how-it-works.md): Facts, compilation, bundles, the runner, notifications, and the journal.
- [Install from source](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/getting-started/installation.md): Build the rivet binary with Cargo.
- [Your first configuration](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/getting-started/quickstart.md): Create a directory and a file, preview the change, apply it, and repair drift.
- [Manage an application](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/getting-started/application.md): Ship a systemd unit and a validated config file, and restart the service when the config changes.
- [Choosing how to run Rivet](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/operations/modes.md): Compare local, SSH, source-release, and compile-service deployments.
- [SSH from a controller](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/operations/ssh.md): Collect facts, plan, and apply on remote hosts from a Mac or Linux machine.
- [Releases and environments](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/operations/distribution.md): Publish immutable configuration snapshots to S3, GCS, or a directory, and promote them through environments.
- [Agent runs](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/operations/agent.md): Configure rivet run to pull from a source release or the compile service, and run offline.
- [Compile service](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/operations/compile-service.md): Run rivet-server to authenticate hosts and compile their catalogs over HTTPS.
- [Scheduling agent runs](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/operations/scheduling.md): Run rivet run from a systemd timer.
- [Modules](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/guides/modules.md): Compose isolated configuration directories through typed arguments and explicit outputs.
- [Remote module sources](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/guides/remote-modules.md): Pin modules from Git or tar archives, fetch them with rivet init, and compile offline.
- [YAML inputs and data hierarchies](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/guides/data-hierarchy.md): Layer YAML or JSON values by environment and host, with merges, removals, explanations, and SOPS.
- [Manifest and module tests](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/guides/testing.md): Compile isolated scenarios and check resources, outputs, content, and relationships.
- [Syntax and source files](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/syntax.md): The supported HCL subset and configuration loading rules.
- [Values and expressions](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/expressions.md): Strict values, operators, for expressions, splats, references, and fact traversal.
- [Variables, locals, and outputs](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/variables-and-outputs.md): Typed inputs, collection values, isolated module arguments, and catalog outputs.
- [Templates and heredocs](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/templates.md): Render configuration text with interpolation, conditionals, loops, and confined files.
- [Functions](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/functions.md): Built-in functions, plugin functions, sensitivity, and limits.
- [Numeric functions](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/functions/numeric.md): Signatures, behavior, examples, and Rivet compatibility boundaries.
- [String functions](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/functions/strings.md): Signatures, behavior, examples, and Rivet compatibility boundaries.
- [Collection functions](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/functions/collections.md): Signatures, behavior, examples, and Rivet compatibility boundaries.
- [Encoding functions](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/functions/encoding.md): Signatures, behavior, examples, and Rivet compatibility boundaries.
- [Filesystem functions](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/functions/filesystem.md): Signatures, behavior, examples, and Rivet compatibility boundaries.
- [Date and time functions](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/functions/datetime.md): Signatures, behavior, examples, and Rivet compatibility boundaries.
- [Hash and crypto functions](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/functions/hash.md): Signatures, behavior, examples, and Rivet compatibility boundaries.
- [IP network functions](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/functions/network.md): Signatures, behavior, examples, and Rivet compatibility boundaries.
- [Conversion, errors, and sensitivity](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/functions/conversion.md): Signatures, behavior, examples, and Rivet compatibility boundaries.
- [Resource and module expansion](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/expansion.md): Stable named keys, numbered slots, and compile-time iteration values.
- [Resources and relationships](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/relationships.md): Order work and deliver refreshes after verified changes.
- [Metadata and sensitivity](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/metadata.md): Common policy applies inside one meta block on every resource.
- [Facts and custom collectors](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/facts.md): Structured host inventory, static HCL paths, and custom JSON facts.
- [Trusted identity and claims](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/trusted-facts.md): Classify nodes using certificate or JWT claims verified by the compile service.
- [Assets and cloud sources](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/language/assets.md): Acquire content at compilation and ship verified bytes in the bundle.
- [Resource conventions](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/resources/conventions.md): Defaults, unmanaged properties, strict types, and exported attributes.
- [File](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/resources/file.md): Files, directories, symlinks, ownership, safe replacement, and protected backups.
- [Package](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/resources/package.md): Apt repository packages and confined, bundled dpkg archives.
- [User](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/resources/user.md): Local user accounts, passwords, expiry, and home directories.
- [Group](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/resources/group.md): Manage local group existence and GIDs; order account removal deliberately.
- [Group membership](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/resources/group-membership.md): Manage supplementary group entries with additive or exclusive ownership.
- [Exec](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/resources/exec.md): Execute explicit actions with guards, bounded processes, and optional refresh policy.
- [Service](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/resources/service.md): Select a service backend and manage activity, supported properties, and durable refresh actions.
- [Timer](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/resources/timer.md): Manage a systemd timer and its paired oneshot service.
- [SSH authorized key](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/resources/ssh-key.md): Manage one public-key entry while preserving unrelated authorization text.
- [Mount](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/resources/mount.md): Converge current mount state and independently manage its fstab entry.
- [CLI](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/reference/cli.md): Every rivet command, flag, and exit code.
- [Plan, apply, and reports](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/reference/plan-and-apply.md): What plan predicts, how apply proceeds, and what each report status means.
- [Catalogs and bundles](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/reference/bundles.md): What a bundle contains, how it is validated, and how to keep it confidential.
- [Recovery and the journal](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/reference/recovery.md): How Rivet records in-flight work, recovers from interruptions, and keeps history.
- [Capabilities](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/reference/capabilities.md): How hosts advertise which resources they support, and what each capability enables.
- [Limitations](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/reference/limitations.md): What Rivet does not support yet, and design choices to be aware of.
- [Troubleshooting](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/reference/troubleshooting.md): Common errors and refusals, and what to check.
- [Architecture](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/contributing/architecture.md): Separate portable compilation, host execution, and recovery responsibilities.
- [Resource and provider authoring](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/contributing/resource-authoring.md): Registered definitions, typed assets, relationship hooks, and host lifecycle contracts.
- [Subprocess plugins](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/contributing/plugins.md): Install and author resource, service and package provider, function, and shared action plugins.
- [Testing and local docs](https://rivet.chrisboulton.com/contributing/testing.md): Validate the Rust implementation and preview the Fern site without publishing.