diff options
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/manual/introduction/about-nix.xml | 70 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/manual/introduction/quick-start.xml | 33 |
2 files changed, 81 insertions, 22 deletions
diff --git a/doc/manual/introduction/about-nix.xml b/doc/manual/introduction/about-nix.xml index 4860b3d38fab..54c18a1e6127 100644 --- a/doc/manual/introduction/about-nix.xml +++ b/doc/manual/introduction/about-nix.xml @@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ version="5.0" xml:id="ch-about-nix"> -<title>Introduction</title> +<title>About Nix</title> <para>Nix is a <emphasis>purely functional package manager</emphasis>. This means that it treats packages like values in purely functional @@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ store</emphasis>, usually the directory subdirectory such as <programlisting> -/nix/store/nlc4z5y1hm8w9s8vm6m1f5hy962xjmp5-firefox-12.0 +/nix/store/b6gvzjyb2pg0kjfwrjmg1vfhh54ad73z-firefox-33.1/ </programlisting> -where <literal>nlc4z5…</literal> is a unique identifier for the +where <literal>b6gvzjyb2pg0…</literal> is a unique identifier for the package that captures all its dependencies (it’s a cryptographic hash of the package’s build dependency graph). This enables many powerful features.</para> @@ -165,12 +165,6 @@ skip building from source and download a pre-built binary instead if it knows about it. <emphasis>Nix channels</emphasis> provide Nix expressions along with pre-built binaries.</para> -<!-- -<para>source deployment model (like <a -href="http://www.gentoo.org/">Gentoo</a>) and a binary model (like -RPM)</para> ---> - </simplesect> @@ -193,10 +187,48 @@ collection</emphasis> (Nixpkgs).</para> </simplesect> +<simplesect><title>Managing build environments</title> + +<para>Nix is extremely useful for developers as it makes it easy to +automatically set up the the build environment for a package. Given a +Nix expression that describes the dependencies of your package, the +command <command>nix-shell</command> will build or download those +dependencies if they’re not already in your Nix store, and then start +a Bash shell in which all necessary environment variables (such as +compiler search paths) are set.</para> + +<para>For example, the following command gets all dependencies of the +Pan newsreader, as described by <link +xlink:href="https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/pkgs/applications/networking/newsreaders/pan/default.nix">its +Nix expression</link>:</para> + +<screen> +$ nix-shell '<nixpkgs>' -A pan +</screen> + +<para>You’re then dropped into a shell where you can edit, build and test +the package:</para> + +<screen> +[nix-shell]$ tar xf $src +[nix-shell]$ cd pan-* +[nix-shell]$ ./configure +[nix-shell]$ make +[nix-shell]$ ./pan/gui/pan +</screen> + +<!-- +<para>Since Nix packages are reproducible and have complete dependency +specifications, Nix makes an excellent basis for <a +href="[%root%]hydra">a continuous build system</a>.</para> +--> + +</simplesect> + + <simplesect><title>Portability</title> -<para>Nix should run on most Unix systems, including Linux and Mac OS -X.</para> +<para>Nix runs on Linux and Mac OS X.</para> </simplesect> @@ -206,20 +238,22 @@ X.</para> <para>NixOS is a Linux distribution based on Nix. It uses Nix not just for package management but also to manage the system configuration (e.g., to build configuration files in -<filename>/etc</filename>). This means, among other things, that it’s -possible to easily roll back the entire configuration of the system to -an earlier state. Also, users can install software without root +<filename>/etc</filename>). This means, among other things, that it +is easy to roll back the entire configuration of the system to an +earlier state. Also, users can install software without root privileges. For more information and downloads, see the <link xlink:href="http://nixos.org/">NixOS homepage</link>.</para> </simplesect> -<!-- other features: +<simplesect><title>License</title> -- build farms -- reproducibility (Nix expressions allows whole configuration to be rebuilt) +<para>Nix is released under the terms of the <link +xlink:href="http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/lgpl-2.1.html">GNU +LGPLv2.1 or (at your option) any later version</link>.</para> + +</simplesect> ---> </chapter> diff --git a/doc/manual/introduction/quick-start.xml b/doc/manual/introduction/quick-start.xml index 396b7b167aff..0d13651e0ab3 100644 --- a/doc/manual/introduction/quick-start.xml +++ b/doc/manual/introduction/quick-start.xml @@ -28,10 +28,11 @@ in the channel: <screen> $ nix-env -qa -docbook-xml-4.2 -firefox-1.0pre-PR-0.10.1 -hello-2.1.1 -libxslt-1.1.0 +docbook-xml-4.3 +docbook-xml-4.5 +firefox-33.0.2 +hello-2.9 +libxslt-1.1.28 <replaceable>...</replaceable></screen> </para></step> @@ -62,6 +63,28 @@ $ nix-env -e hello</screen> </para></step> +<step><para>You can also test a package without installing it: + +<screen> +$ nix-shell -p hello +</screen> + +This builds or downloads GNU Hello and its dependencies, then drops +you into a Bash shell where the <command>hello</command> command is +present, all without affecting your normal environment: + +<screen> +[nix-shell:~]$ hello +Hello, world! + +[nix-shell:~]$ exit + +$ hello +hello: command not found +</screen> + +</para></step> + <step><para>To keep up-to-date with the channel, do: <screen> @@ -72,6 +95,7 @@ The latter command will upgrade each installed package for which there is a “newer” version (as determined by comparing the version numbers).</para></step> +<!-- <step><para>You can also install specific packages directly from your web browser. For instance, you can go to <link xlink:href="http://hydra.nixos.org/jobset/nixpkgs/trunk/channel/latest" @@ -81,6 +105,7 @@ the program <command>nix-install-package</command>. A window should appear asking you whether it’s okay to install the package. Say <literal>Y</literal>. The package and all its dependencies will be installed.</para></step> +--> <step><para>If you're unhappy with the result of a <command>nix-env</command> action (e.g., an upgraded package turned |