2026-02-13 20:02:17 -08:00
3 changed files with 50 additions and 36 deletions
--- a/docs/changelog.d/update-unifi-pulumi-plan.infra.md
+++ b/docs/changelog.d/update-unifi-pulumi-plan.infra.md
@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Updated UniFi Pulumi plan: switched provider to ubiquiti-community/unifi, added config backup step, fixed safety guard and 1Password paths.
--- a/docs/how-to/plans/add-unifi-pulumi-stack.md
+++ b/docs/how-to/plans/add-unifi-pulumi-stack.md
@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 title: "Plan: Add UniFi Pulumi Stack"
-modified: 2026-02-11
+modified: 2026-02-13
 tags:
  - how-to
  - plans
@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ tags:
 # Plan: Add UniFi Pulumi Stack

 > **Status:** Planned (not yet executed)
-> **Blocked by:** Ethernet switch purchase and cabling
+> **Blocked by:** 1Password credential setup (API key)

 ## Background

@ -24,13 +24,13 @@ The UniFi Express 7 (UX7) is the home WiFi router, currently unmanaged. This pla
 - **Consistency** — joins the existing Pulumi stacks for Tailscale ACLs and DNS
 - **Network segmentation** — declare main/guest/IoT WiFi networks with proper firewall zones

-### Why This Is Blocked
+### Ethernet Requirement (Resolved)

-The UX7 has one LAN port, currently connected to [[sifaka]]. Modifying WiFi settings over WiFi would sever the management connection mid-apply. We need:
+The UX7 has one LAN port. Modifying WiFi settings over WiFi would sever the management connection mid-apply. This was resolved by installing:

 1. **Two switches** (UniFi Switch Flex Mini recommended) daisy-chained:
   - Switch A by the router: connects UX7, sifaka
-   - Switch B on the desk (~12ft cable): connects indri, ringtail, and optionally gilbert
+   - Switch B on the desk (~12ft cable): connects indri and gilbert
 2. **Cat6 Ethernet cables**: one ~12ft run between switches, plus short cables for each device

 ```
@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ UniFi Express 7 [LAN port]
       ├── sifaka (short cable)
       └── ~12ft Cat6 ──→ Switch B (on desk)
                            ├── indri (Cat6)
-                            ├── ringtail (Cat6)
-                            └── (gilbert via USB-C adapter, optional)
+                            └── gilbert (USB-C adapter)
 ```

 Daisy-chaining is standard Layer 2 networking — no speed loss per device, no subnet impact. The only shared bottleneck is the 1 Gbps uplink between the two switches, which is more than adequate for homelab use. UniFi Flex Minis will appear in the UX7's controller for monitoring and eventual Pulumi management.
@ -52,25 +51,38 @@ Before starting the execution session:
 - [ ] Purchase 2x UniFi Switch Flex Mini (USW-Flex-Mini)
 - [ ] Purchase Cat6 cables: 1x ~12ft, 3-4x short (~3ft)
 - [ ] Cable everything up and verify all devices have network connectivity
- [ ] Verify indri has an active wired Ethernet connection: `networksetup -getinfo "Ethernet"` should show an IP address
+- [ ] Verify the machine running Pulumi (gilbert) has an active wired Ethernet connection as its default route: `route -n get default` should show a non-Wi-Fi interface
+- [ ] **Back up the UX7 configuration** via `https://192.168.1.1` → Settings → System → Backup, and download a `.unf` backup file. Store it safely before making any IaC changes. This provides a rollback path if a provider bug corrupts network or firewall state.
 - [ ] Create an API key on the UX7 via `https://192.168.1.1` → Settings → Control Plane → API (preferred over username/password for IaC)
- [ ] Store UniFi credentials in 1Password: vault `blumeops`, item `unifi - blumeops`, fields `api_key` and `url`
+- [ ] Store UniFi API key in 1Password: vault `blumeops`, item `unifi`, category `API_CREDENTIAL`
 - [ ] Verify Pulumi CLI version is >= v3.147.0 (`pulumi version`)

-## Provider: filipowm/unifi via `pulumi package add`
+## Provider: ubiquiti-community/unifi via `pulumi package add`

-We use `pulumi package add terraform-provider filipowm/unifi 1.0.0` to consume the [filipowm fork](https://github.com/filipowm/terraform-provider-unifi) of the UniFi Terraform provider directly from Pulumi. This approach:
+We use `pulumi package add terraform-provider ubiquiti-community/unifi` to consume the [ubiquiti-community fork](https://github.com/ubiquiti-community/terraform-provider-unifi) of the UniFi Terraform provider directly from Pulumi. This approach:

 - **Generates a local Python SDK** in `./sdks/unifi/` and adds a package reference to `Pulumi.yaml`
- **Supports zone-based firewalls** — needed for main/guest/IoT WiFi segmentation and a dedicated blumeops services subnet
 - **Supports API key authentication** — cleaner than username/password for IaC
- **Actively maintained** — v1.0.0, 520+ commits, not the abandoned upstream
+- **Actively maintained** — v0.41.12 (Jan 2026), responsive maintainer, 12 releases since Oct 2025
 - **Uses Pulumi Cloud state** — same as existing stacks, free tier
 - **No fork/bridge maintenance** — just re-run `pulumi package add` on new provider versions
+- **Broader ecosystem** — part of the [ubiquiti-community](https://github.com/ubiquiti-community) org alongside go-unifi, unifi-api, and other tools

-### Why Not pulumiverse_unifi?
+### Why Not Other Providers?

-The `pulumiverse_unifi` PyPI package bridges from `paultyng/terraform-provider-unifi`, which is in maintenance mode. It lacks zone-based firewalls, API key auth, and many newer resource types. The filipowm fork is the active community successor.
+| Provider | Why Not |
+|----------|---------|
+| `pulumiverse_unifi` | Bridges `paultyng/terraform-provider-unifi`, which is abandoned. No API key auth, no newer resource types. |
+| `filipowm/unifi` | Maintainer unresponsive since April 2025. Critical bug ([#94](https://github.com/filipowm/terraform-provider-unifi/issues/94)): applying `unifi_network` resources wipes all zone-based firewall rules. Unmerged community fix PRs. |
+| `paultyng/unifi` | Abandoned since March 2023. No API key auth, no zone-based firewall. |
+
+### Zone-Based Firewall: Deferred
+
+The ubiquiti-community provider does not yet support zone-based firewall resources ([#77](https://github.com/ubiquiti-community/terraform-provider-unifi/issues/77)). Zone-based firewall rules will be managed manually in the UX7 web UI until provider support lands. This is acceptable because:
+
+- The initial goal is bringing networks, WLANs, and DHCP under IaC
+- Network segmentation (which needs firewall zones) is a future phase
+- The filipowm provider — the only one with zone firewall support — has a showstopper bug that makes it unusable for this purpose anyway

 ## Network Segmentation Goals

@ -124,7 +136,7 @@ Following the conventions of `pulumi/tailscale/` and `pulumi/gandi/`:
 ```
 pulumi/unifi/
 ├── Pulumi.yaml                  # name: blumeops-unifi, python runtime, uv toolchain
-│                                # includes parameterized package reference for filipowm/unifi
+│                                # includes parameterized package reference for ubiquiti-community/unifi
 ├── Pulumi.home-network.yaml     # Stack config: router_url, site
 ├── pyproject.toml               # Python >=3.11, pulumi>=3.0.0
 ├── sdks/unifi/                  # Generated Python SDK from pulumi package add
@ -140,18 +152,21 @@ pulumi/unifi/

 | Variable | Value | Notes |
 |----------|-------|-------|
-| `UNIFI_API_KEY` | from 1Password | API key created in UX7 control plane |
-| `UNIFI_API` | `https://192.168.1.1:443` | No `/api` suffix — SDK auto-discovers `/proxy/network` for UniFi OS |
+| `UNIFI_API_KEY` | `op read "op://blumeops/unifi/credential"` | API key created in UX7 control plane |
+| `UNIFI_API` | `https://192.168.1.1` | No `/api` suffix — SDK auto-discovers `/proxy/network` for UniFi OS |
 | `UNIFI_INSECURE` | `true` | UX7 uses a self-signed TLS certificate |

 ### Safety Guard

-The `__main__.py` must fail fast before creating any Pulumi resources if:
+The `__main__.py` must fail fast before creating any Pulumi resources if the default network route goes through Wi-Fi. This prevents accidentally modifying WiFi settings while connected over WiFi (which would sever the management connection mid-apply).

-1. **Wrong host** — `platform.node()` is not `indri`
-2. **No wired connection** — `networksetup -getinfo "Ethernet"` shows no active Ethernet
+The check works as follows:

-This prevents accidentally running the stack from gilbert over WiFi.
+1. Run `route -n get default` and extract the `interface:` field (e.g., `en5`)
+2. Run `networksetup -listallhardwareports` and find which hardware port owns that interface
+3. If the hardware port is `Wi-Fi`, abort with an error
+
+This is host-agnostic — it works on both gilbert (where the Ethernet adapter is `AX88179A` on `en5`) and indri (where it's `Ethernet` on `en0`).

 ## Execution Steps

@ -161,7 +176,7 @@ This prevents accidentally running the stack from gilbert over WiFi.
 mkdir -p pulumi/unifi
 cd pulumi/unifi
 # Create Pulumi.yaml, pyproject.toml, .gitignore, __main__.py
-pulumi package add terraform-provider filipowm/unifi 1.0.0
+pulumi package add terraform-provider ubiquiti-community/unifi
 # This generates sdks/unifi/ and updates Pulumi.yaml with package reference
 pulumi install
 uv sync
@ -171,7 +186,7 @@ uv sync

 Create `Pulumi.yaml`, `Pulumi.home-network.yaml`, `pyproject.toml`, `.gitignore`, and `__main__.py`. The main program should declare:

- **Ethernet safety guard** (hostname + wired connection check)
+- **Ethernet safety guard** (verify default route is not Wi-Fi)
 - **Default LAN network** resource (corporate, `192.168.1.0/24`, DHCP)
 - **WiFi WLAN** resources (commented out initially — need SSID names and IDs from the controller)
 - **Exports** for router IP, network ID, subnet
@ -181,12 +196,12 @@ Create `Pulumi.yaml`, `Pulumi.home-network.yaml`, `pyproject.toml`, `.gitignore`
 Create `mise-tasks/unifi-preview` and `mise-tasks/unifi-up` following the pattern from `tailnet-up`/`dns-up`:

 ```bash
-UNIFI_API_KEY=$(op read "op://blumeops/unifi - blumeops/api_key")
-export UNIFI_API="https://192.168.1.1:443"
+UNIFI_API_KEY=$(op read "op://blumeops/unifi/credential")
+export UNIFI_API="https://192.168.1.1"
 export UNIFI_INSECURE="true"
 ```

-### Step 4: Initialize Stack (on indri)
+### Step 4: Initialize Stack

 ```fish
 cd pulumi/unifi
@ -210,9 +225,7 @@ Adjust `__main__.py` resource properties to match the actual controller state un

 ### Step 6: Documentation Updates

- Create `docs/reference/infrastructure/unifi.md` reference card
- Update `docs/reference/infrastructure/hosts.md` — link UniFi row to `[[unifi|Details]]`
- Update `docs/reference/reference.md` — add `[[unifi]]` to Infrastructure section
+- Update `docs/reference/infrastructure/unifi.md` — remove `(planned)` markers, update provider to ubiquiti-community
 - Add changelog fragment

 ### Step 7: Verify
@ -223,15 +236,16 @@ Adjust `__main__.py` resource properties to match the actual controller state un

 ## Known Limitations

- **macOS-specific guard** — the `networksetup` check only works on macOS, which is fine since indri is permanently macOS
+- **macOS-specific guard** — the `networksetup` and `route` checks only work on macOS, which is fine since the stack is run from gilbert or indri, both permanently macOS
 - **User group ID discovery** — the provider may not expose a `get_user_group` data source. Must be discovered manually from the controller API (`/proxy/network/api/s/default/rest/usergroup`) and hardcoded

 ## Future Considerations

- **Firewall rules** — declare zone-based firewall rules after the initial import is stable
+- **Zone-based firewall rules** — manage via Pulumi once ubiquiti-community adds support ([#77](https://github.com/ubiquiti-community/terraform-provider-unifi/issues/77)). Until then, configure manually in the UX7 web UI.
+- **Network segmentation** — depends on zone-based firewall support; see goals above
 - **UnPoller** — add Prometheus metrics exporter for UniFi gear, integrates with existing Grafana stack
 - **Switch management** — manage the USW-Flex-Minis via the same Pulumi stack once adopted into the UX7 controller
- **Provider updates** — re-run `pulumi package add terraform-provider filipowm/unifi <new-version>` to update
+- **Provider updates** — re-run `pulumi package add terraform-provider ubiquiti-community/unifi` to update

 ## Reference Pattern Files

--- a/docs/reference/infrastructure/unifi.md
+++ b/docs/reference/infrastructure/unifi.md
@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ ISP Modem
            ├── sifaka (Synology NAS)
            └── ~12ft Cat6 ──→ Switch B (on desk)
                                 ├── indri (Mac Mini, primary server)
-                                 ├── ringtail (Raspberry Pi)
-                                 └── (gilbert via USB-C adapter, optional)
+                                 └── gilbert (USB-C adapter)
 ```

 All wired devices share the `192.168.1.0/24` subnet. The two daisy-chained UniFi Switch Flex Minis provide enough ports for all devices while using the UX7's single LAN port.
@ -67,7 +66,7 @@ See [[add-unifi-pulumi-stack]] for the full implementation plan.

 ## Authentication

-The provider uses an API key created in the UX7 control plane (Settings → Control Plane → API). The key is stored in 1Password (`op://blumeops/unifi - blumeops/api_key`) and injected via mise task environment variables.
+The provider uses an API key created in the UX7 control plane (Settings → Control Plane → API). The key is stored in 1Password (`op://blumeops/unifi/credential`) and injected via mise task environment variables.

 ## Related
				`@ -0,0 +1 @@`
				`Updated UniFi Pulumi plan: switched provider to ubiquiti-community/unifi, added config backup step, fixed safety guard and 1Password paths.`