97df060588
- Improved API docs from comment - Exit codes are for `nix-build`, not just `nix-store --release` - Make note in tests so the magic numbers are not surprising Picking up where #8387 left off.
126 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
126 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
# Name
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`nix-build` - build a Nix expression
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# Synopsis
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`nix-build` [*paths…*]
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[`--arg` *name* *value*]
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[`--argstr` *name* *value*]
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[{`--attr` | `-A`} *attrPath*]
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[`--no-out-link`]
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[`--dry-run`]
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[{`--out-link` | `-o`} *outlink*]
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# Disambiguation
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This man page describes the command `nix-build`, which is distinct from `nix
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build`. For documentation on the latter, run `nix build --help` or see `man
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nix3-build`.
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# Description
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The `nix-build` command builds the derivations described by the Nix
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expressions in *paths*. If the build succeeds, it places a symlink to
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the result in the current directory. The symlink is called `result`. If
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there are multiple Nix expressions, or the Nix expressions evaluate to
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multiple derivations, multiple sequentially numbered symlinks are
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created (`result`, `result-2`, and so on).
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If no *paths* are specified, then `nix-build` will use `default.nix` in
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the current directory, if it exists.
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If an element of *paths* starts with `http://` or `https://`, it is
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interpreted as the URL of a tarball that will be downloaded and unpacked
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to a temporary location. The tarball must include a single top-level
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directory containing at least a file named `default.nix`.
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`nix-build` is essentially a wrapper around
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[`nix-instantiate`](nix-instantiate.md) (to translate a high-level Nix
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expression to a low-level [store derivation]) and [`nix-store
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--realise`](@docroot@/command-ref/nix-store/realise.md) (to build the store
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derivation).
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[store derivation]: ../glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
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> **Warning**
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>
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> The result of the build is automatically registered as a root of the
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> Nix garbage collector. This root disappears automatically when the
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> `result` symlink is deleted or renamed. So don’t rename the symlink.
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# Options
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All options not listed here are passed to
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[`nix-store --realise`](nix-store/realise.md),
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except for `--arg` and `--attr` / `-A` which are passed to [`nix-instantiate`](nix-instantiate.md).
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- <span id="opt-no-out-link">[`--no-out-link`](#opt-no-out-link)<span>
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Do not create a symlink to the output path. Note that as a result
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the output does not become a root of the garbage collector, and so
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might be deleted by `nix-store --gc`.
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- <span id="opt-dry-run">[`--dry-run`](#opt-dry-run)</span>
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Show what store paths would be built or downloaded.
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- <span id="opt-out-link">[`--out-link`](#opt-out-link)</span> / `-o` *outlink*
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Change the name of the symlink to the output path created from
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`result` to *outlink*.
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{{#include ./status-build-failure.md}}
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{{#include ./opt-common.md}}
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{{#include ./env-common.md}}
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# Examples
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```console
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$ nix-build '<nixpkgs>' --attr firefox
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store derivation is /nix/store/qybprl8sz2lc...-firefox-1.5.0.7.drv
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/nix/store/d18hyl92g30l...-firefox-1.5.0.7
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$ ls -l result
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lrwxrwxrwx ... result -> /nix/store/d18hyl92g30l...-firefox-1.5.0.7
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$ ls ./result/bin/
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firefox firefox-config
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```
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If a derivation has multiple outputs, `nix-build` will build the default
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(first) output. You can also build all outputs:
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```console
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$ nix-build '<nixpkgs>' --attr openssl.all
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```
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This will create a symlink for each output named `result-outputname`.
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The suffix is omitted if the output name is `out`. So if `openssl` has
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outputs `out`, `bin` and `man`, `nix-build` will create symlinks
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`result`, `result-bin` and `result-man`. It’s also possible to build a
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specific output:
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```console
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$ nix-build '<nixpkgs>' --attr openssl.man
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```
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This will create a symlink `result-man`.
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Build a Nix expression given on the command line:
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```console
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$ nix-build --expr 'with import <nixpkgs> { }; runCommand "foo" { } "echo bar > $out"'
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$ cat ./result
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bar
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```
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Build the GNU Hello package from the latest revision of the master
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branch of Nixpkgs:
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```console
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$ nix-build https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/archive/master.tar.gz --attr hello
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```
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