2 files changed, 112 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/doc/manual/introduction/introduction.xml b/doc/manual/introduction/introduction.xml
index 665fef2fb990..12b2cc761063 100644
--- a/doc/manual/introduction/introduction.xml
+++ b/doc/manual/introduction/introduction.xml
@@ -7,5 +7,6 @@
 <title>Introduction</title>
 
 <xi:include href="about-nix.xml" />
+<xi:include href="quick-start.xml" />
 
 </part>
diff --git a/doc/manual/introduction/quick-start.xml b/doc/manual/introduction/quick-start.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..396b7b167aff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/manual/introduction/quick-start.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+<chapter xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook"
+      xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
+      xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
+      version="5.0"
+      xml:id="chap-quick-start">
+
+<title>Quick Start</title>
+
+<para>This chapter is for impatient people who don't like reading
+documentation.  For more in-depth information you are kindly referred
+to subsequent chapters.</para>
+
+<procedure>
+
+<step><para>Install single-user Nix by running the following:
+
+<screen>
+$ curl https://nixos.org/nix/install | sh
+</screen>
+
+This will install Nix in <filename>/nix</filename>. The install script
+will create <filename>/nix</filename> using <command>sudo</command>,
+so make sure you have sufficient rights.  (For other installation
+methods, see <xref linkend="chap-installation"/>.)</para></step>
+
+<step><para>See what installable packages are currently available
+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
+<replaceable>...</replaceable></screen>
+
+</para></step>
+
+<step><para>Install some packages from the channel:
+
+<screen>
+$ nix-env -i hello <replaceable>...</replaceable> </screen>
+
+This should download pre-built packages; it should not build them
+locally (if it does, something went wrong).</para></step>
+
+<step><para>Test that they work:
+
+<screen>
+$ which hello
+/home/eelco/.nix-profile/bin/hello
+$ hello
+Hello, world!
+</screen>
+
+</para></step>
+
+<step><para>Uninstall a package:
+
+<screen>
+$ nix-env -e hello</screen>
+
+</para></step>
+
+<step><para>To keep up-to-date with the channel, do:
+
+<screen>
+$ nix-channel --update nixpkgs
+$ nix-env -u '*'</screen>
+
+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"
+/> and click on any link for the individual packages for your
+platform.  Associate <literal>application/nix-package</literal> with
+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
+out not to work properly), you can go back:
+
+<screen>
+$ nix-env --rollback</screen>
+
+</para></step>
+
+<step><para>You should periodically run the Nix garbage collector
+to get rid of unused packages, since uninstalls or upgrades don't
+actually delete them:
+
+<screen>
+$ nix-collect-garbage -d</screen>
+
+<!--
+The first command deletes old “generations” of your profile (making
+rollbacks impossible, but also making the packages in those old
+generations available for garbage collection), while the second
+command actually deletes them.-->
+
+</para></step>
+
+</procedure>
+
+</chapter>