path: root/doc/manual/nix-build.xml

<refentry xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook"
          xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">

<refnamediv>
  <refname>nix-build</refname>
  <refpurpose>build a Nix expression</refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

<refsynopsisdiv>
  <cmdsynopsis>
    <command>nix-build</command>
    <xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="opt-common-syn.xml#xpointer(/nop/*)" />
    <arg><option>--arg</option> <replaceable>name</replaceable> <replaceable>value</replaceable></arg>
    <arg>
      <group choice='req'>
        <arg choice='plain'><option>--attr</option></arg>
        <arg choice='plain'><option>-A</option></arg>
      </group>
      <replaceable>attrPath</replaceable>
    </arg>
    <arg><option>--add-drv-link</option></arg>
    <arg><option>--drv-link </option><replaceable>drvlink</replaceable></arg>
    <arg><option>--no-out-link</option></arg>
    <arg>
      <group choice='req'>
        <arg choice='plain'><option>--out-link</option></arg>
        <arg choice='plain'><option>-o</option></arg>
      </group>
      <replaceable>outlink</replaceable>
    </arg>
    <arg choice='plain' rep='repeat'><replaceable>paths</replaceable></arg>
  </cmdsynopsis>
</refsynopsisdiv>

<refsection><title>Description</title>

<para>The <command>nix-build</command> command builds the derivations
described by the Nix expressions in <replaceable>paths</replaceable>.
If the build succeeds, it places a symlink to the result in the
current directory.  The symlink is called <filename>result</filename>.
If there are multiple Nix expressions, or the Nix expressions evaluate
to multiple derivations, multiple sequentially numbered symlinks are
created (<filename>result</filename>, <filename>result-2</filename>,
and so on).</para>

<para>If no <replaceable>paths</replaceable> are specified, then
<command>nix-build</command> will use <filename>default.nix</filename>
in the current directory, if it exists.</para>

<para><command>nix-build</command> is essentially a wrapper around
<link
linkend="sec-nix-instantiate"><command>nix-instantiate</command></link>
(to translate a high-level Nix expression to a low-level store
derivation) and <link
linkend="rsec-nix-store-realise"><command>nix-store
--realise</command></link> (to build the store derivation).</para>

<warning><para>The result of the build is automatically registered as
a root of the Nix garbage collector.  This root disappears
automatically when the <filename>result</filename> symlink is deleted
or renamed.  So don’t rename the symlink.</para></warning>

</refsection>


<refsection><title>Options</title>

<para>See also <xref linkend="sec-common-options" />.  All options not
listed here are passed to <command>nix-store --realise</command>,
except for <option>--arg</option> and <option>--attr</option> /
<option>-A</option> which are passed to
<command>nix-instantiate</command>.</para>

<variablelist>

  <varlistentry><term><option>--add-drv-link</option></term>
  
    <listitem><para>Add a symlink in the current directory to the
    store derivation produced by <command>nix-instantiate</command>.
    The symlink is called <filename>derivation</filename> (which is
    numbered in the case of multiple derivations).  The derivation is
    a root of the garbage collector until the symlink is deleted or
    renamed.</para></listitem>
    
  </varlistentry>

  <varlistentry><term><option>--drv-link</option> <replaceable>drvlink</replaceable></term>
  
    <listitem><para>Change the name of the symlink to the derivation
    created when <option>--add-drv-link</option> is used from
    <filename>derivation</filename> to
    <replaceable>drvlink</replaceable>.</para></listitem>

  </varlistentry>

  <varlistentry><term><option>--no-out-link</option></term>
  
    <listitem><para>Do not create a symlink to the output path.  Note
    that as a result the output does not become a root of the garbage
    collector, and so might be deleted by <command>nix-store
    --gc</command>.</para></listitem>

  </varlistentry>

  <varlistentry xml:id='opt-out-link'><term><option>--out-link</option> /
  <option>-o</option> <replaceable>outlink</replaceable></term>
  
    <listitem><para>Change the name of the symlink to the output path
    created unless <option>--no-out-link</option> is used from
    <filename>result</filename> to
    <replaceable>outlink</replaceable>.</para></listitem>

  </varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</refsection>


<refsection><title>Examples</title>

<screen>
$ nix-build pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix -A firefox
store derivation is /nix/store/qybprl8sz2lc...-firefox-1.5.0.7.drv
/nix/store/d18hyl92g30l...-firefox-1.5.0.7

$ ls -l result
lrwxrwxrwx  <replaceable>...</replaceable>  result -> /nix/store/d18hyl92g30l...-firefox-1.5.0.7

$ ls ./result/bin/
firefox  firefox-config</screen>

</refsection>


</refentry>