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+<refentry xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook"
+          xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
+          xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
+          xml:id="sec-nix-shell">
+
+<refmeta>
+  <refentrytitle>nix-shell</refentrytitle>
+  <manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
+  <refmiscinfo class="source">Nix</refmiscinfo>
+  <refmiscinfo class="version"><xi:include href="version.txt" parse="text"/></refmiscinfo>
+</refmeta>
+
+<refnamediv>
+  <refname>nix-shell</refname>
+  <refpurpose>start an interactive shell based on a Nix expression</refpurpose>
+</refnamediv>
+
+<refsynopsisdiv>
+  <cmdsynopsis>
+    <command>nix-shell</command>
+    <xi:include xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude" href="opt-common-syn.xml#xmlns(db=http://docbook.org/ns/docbook)xpointer(/db:nop/*)" />
+    <arg><option>--arg</option> <replaceable>name</replaceable> <replaceable>value</replaceable></arg>
+    <arg><option>--argstr</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>--command</option> <replaceable>cmd</replaceable></arg>
+    <arg><option>--exclude</option> <replaceable>regexp</replaceable></arg>
+    <arg><option>--pure</option></arg>
+    <arg choice='plain' rep='repeat'><replaceable>paths</replaceable></arg>
+  </cmdsynopsis>
+</refsynopsisdiv>
+
+<refsection><title>Description</title>
+
+<para>The command <command>nix-shell --run-env</command> will build
+the dependencies of the specified derivation, but not the derivation
+itself.  It will then start an interactive shell in which all
+environment variables defined by the derivation have been set to their
+corresponding values, and the script <literal>$stdenv/setup</literal>
+has been sourced.  This is useful for reproducing the environment of a
+derivation for development.</para>
+
+</refsection>
+
+
+<refsection><title>Options</title>
+
+<para>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>.  <phrase condition="manual">See
+also <xref linkend="sec-common-options" />.</phrase></para>
+
+<variablelist>
+
+  <varlistentry><term><option>--command</option> <replaceable>cmd</replaceable></term>
+
+    <listitem><para>In the environment of the derivation, run the
+    shell command <replaceable>cmd</replaceable> instead of starting
+    an interactive shell.  However, if you end the shell command with
+    <literal>return</literal>, you still get an interactive shell.
+    This can be useful for doing any additional
+    initialisation.</para></listitem>
+
+  </varlistentry>
+
+  <varlistentry><term><option>--exclude</option> <replaceable>regexp</replaceable></term>
+
+    <listitem><para>Do not build any dependencies whose store path
+    matches the regular expression <replaceable>regexp</replaceable>.
+    This option may be specified multiple times.</para></listitem>
+
+  </varlistentry>
+
+  <varlistentry><term><option>--pure</option></term>
+
+    <listitem><para>If this flag is specified, the environment is
+    almost entirely cleared before the interactive shell is started,
+    so you get an environment that more closely corresponds to the
+    “real” Nix build.  A few variables, in particular
+    <envar>HOME</envar>, <envar>USER</envar> and
+    <envar>DISPLAY</envar>, are retained.  Note that
+    <filename>~/.bashrc</filename> and (depending on your Bash
+    installation) <filename>/etc/bashrc</filename> are still sourced,
+    so any variables set there will affect the interactive
+    shell.</para></listitem>
+
+  </varlistentry>
+
+</variablelist>
+
+<para>The following common options are supported:</para>
+
+<variablelist condition="manpage">
+  <xi:include href="opt-common.xml#xmlns(db=http://docbook.org/ns/docbook)xpointer(//db:variablelist[@xml:id='opt-common']/*)" />
+</variablelist>
+
+</refsection>
+
+
+<refsection><title>Examples</title>
+
+<para>To build the dependencies of the package Pan, and start an
+interactive shell in which to build it:
+
+<screen>
+$ nix-shell '&lt;nixpkgs>' -A pan
+$ unpackPhase
+$ cd pan-*
+$ configurePhase
+$ buildPhase
+$ ./pan/gui/pan
+</screen>
+
+To clear the environment first, and do some additional automatic
+initialisation of the interactive shell:
+
+<screen>
+$ nix-shell '&lt;nixpkgs>' -A pan --pure \
+    --command 'export NIX_DEBUG=1; export NIX_CORES=8; return'
+</screen>
+
+</para>
+
+</refsection>
+
+
+<refsection condition="manpage"><title>Environment variables</title>
+
+<variablelist>
+  <xi:include href="env-common.xml#xmlns(db=http://docbook.org/ns/docbook)xpointer(//db:variablelist[@xml:id='env-common']/*)" />
+</variablelist>
+
+</refsection>
+
+
+</refentry>