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

<refnamediv>
  <refname>nix-pack-closure</refname>
  <refpurpose>pack the closure of a store path into a single file that
  can be unpacked with
  <command>nix-unpack-closure</command></refpurpose>
</refnamediv>

<refsynopsisdiv>
  <cmdsynopsis>
    <command>nix-pack-closure</command>
    <arg choice='plain' rep='repeat'><replaceable>paths</replaceable></arg>
  </cmdsynopsis>
</refsynopsisdiv>


<refsection><title>Description</title>

<para>The command <command>nix-pack-closure</command> packs the
contents of the store paths <replaceable>paths</replaceable> and
<emphasis>all their dependencies</emphasis> into a single file, which
is written to standard output.  (That is, it
<emphasis>serialises</emphasis> <replaceable>paths</replaceable>.)
The output can then be unpacked into the Nix store of another machine
using <command>nix-unpack-closure</command>.</para>

<para>Together, <command>nix-pack-closure</command> and
<command>nix-unpack-closure</command> provide a quick and easy way to
deploy a package to a different machine.  However, as the output of
<command>nix-pack-closure</command> tends to be rather large (since it
contains all dependencies), it’s not very efficient.
<command>nix-push</command> and <command>nix-pull</command> are more
efficient, but are also a bit more cumbersome to use.</para>

</refsection>


<refsection><title>Examples</title>

<para>To copy some instance of Subversion with all its dependencies to
another machine:

<screen>
$ nix-pack-closure /nix/store/hj232g1r...-subversion-1.3.0 > svn.closure

<lineannotation>Copy <!-- !!! <filename> --> svn.closure to the remote machine, then on the remote machine do:</lineannotation>
$ nix-unpack-closure &lt; svn.closure</screen>

</para>

<para>Copy the program <command>azureus</command> with all its
dependencies to the machine <literal>scratchy</literal>:

<screen>
$ nix-pack-closure $(which azureus) | ssh scratchy nix-unpack-closure</screen>
    
</para>

</refsection>


</refentry>