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Matchbox
What it is
Matchbox is free, open-source, self-hosted software for matching bare-metal machines with profiles and provisioning clusters over a network. It provisions Fedora CoreOS or Flatcar Linux through Ignition configuration. Machines can be assigned to profiles using hardware labels such as MAC addresses or UUIDs. For startup, Matchbox can chainload through iPXE and render network-boot configuration for iPXE and GRUB2 clients. HTTP endpoints and an authenticated gRPC API let clients create or update resources; the gRPC connection uses TLS credentials for client authentication and protected communication. The maker documents Terraform use and supplies a Terraform provider plugin. Matchbox runs as a Linux binary, container image, or Kubernetes deployment. Poseidon also provides dnsmasq as a container for DHCP, TFTP, and DNS services. The maker describes it for client machines in labs or datacenters. Installation guidance calls for checking release signatures with the maker’s GPG key. Kubernetes examples use ephemeral emptyDir storage and recommend persistent storage when available.
For and against
For
- Free, open-source self-hosted service
- Matches machines by MAC address or UUID
- Supports iPXE and GRUB2 network booting
- Offers HTTP and authenticated gRPC APIs
- Runs as binary, container, or Kubernetes deployment
Against
- No free trial is listed
- Example Kubernetes manifests use ephemeral storage
- Persistent storage replacement may be required
The verdict
Matchbox combines hardware-based machine matching with network booting and Ignition provisioning. Its deployment options and APIs fit teams operating self-hosted bare-metal infrastructure.
Who it suits
It suits teams managing bare-metal client machines in a lab or datacenter, especially those provisioning Fedora CoreOS or Flatcar Linux over a network.
Plans and prices
Matchbox
Open-source software · self-hosted service
Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- APIs
- Matchbox provides HTTP endpoints and an authenticated gRPC API for clients to create or update resources.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Audience
- The maker describes Matchbox as serving client machines in a lab or datacenter.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Boot support
- Matchbox can chainload via iPXE and render network boot configuration for iPXE and GRUB2 clients.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- The service can run as a Linux binary, a container image, or on a Kubernetes cluster.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Hardware matching
- Machines can be matched to profiles by hardware labels such as MAC address or UUID.matchbox.psdn.io · read 7 Oct 2026
- Integration
- The maker documents Terraform usage and provides a Terraform provider plugin for Matchbox.matchbox.psdn.io · read 7 Oct 2026
- Operational limit
- The example Kubernetes manifests use ephemeral emptyDir storage, and the guide recommends replacing it with persistent storage when available.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Provisioning
- It provisions Fedora CoreOS or Flatcar Linux using Ignition configuration.matchbox.psdn.io · read 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Matchbox matches bare-metal machines to profiles for PXE booting and provisioning clusters.matchbox.psdn.io · read 7 Oct 2026
- Related tools
- Poseidon provides dnsmasq as a container for DHCP, TFTP, and DNS services.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Release verification
- The installation guide instructs users to verify release signatures with the maker's GPG signing key.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Security
- The gRPC API uses TLS credentials for client authentication and a secure communication channel.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
