Expand derivation examples (#9048)

Also use fancier formatting so the example blocks are easier to discern
from the description.

Co-authored-by: John Ericson <git@JohnEricson.me>
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Valentin Gagarin 2023-10-20 21:17:28 +02:00 committed by GitHub
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@ -207,6 +207,7 @@
- [output]{#gloss-output}
A [store object] produced by a [derivation].
See [the `outputs` argument to the `derivation` function](@docroot@/language/derivations.md#attr-outputs) for details.
[output]: #gloss-output

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@ -8,8 +8,6 @@ It outputs an attribute set, and produces a [store derivation] as a side effect
[store derivation]: @docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
<!-- FIXME: add a section on output attributes -->
## Input attributes
### Required
@ -17,11 +15,22 @@ It outputs an attribute set, and produces a [store derivation] as a side effect
- [`name`]{#attr-name} ([String](@docroot@/language/values.md#type-string))
A symbolic name for the derivation.
It is added to the [store derivation]'s [path](@docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-store-path) and its [output paths][output path].
It is added to the [store path] of the corresponding [store derivation] as well as to its [output paths](@docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-output-path).
Example: `name = "hello";`
[store path]: @docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-store-path
> **Example**
>
> ```nix
> derivation {
> name = "hello";
> # ...
> }
> ```
>
> The store derivation's path will be `/nix/store/<hash>-hello.drv`.
> The [output](#attr-outputs) paths will be of the form `/nix/store/<hash>-hello[-<output>]`
The store derivation's path will be `/nix/store/<hash>-hello.drv`, and the output paths will be of the form `/nix/store/<hash>-hello[-<output>]`
- [`system`]{#attr-system} ([String](@docroot@/language/values.md#type-string))
The system type on which the [`builder`](#attr-builder) executable is meant to be run.
@ -29,77 +38,175 @@ It outputs an attribute set, and produces a [store derivation] as a side effect
A necessary condition for Nix to build derivations locally is that the `system` attribute matches the current [`system` configuration option].
It can automatically [build on other platforms](../advanced-topics/distributed-builds.md) by forwarding build requests to other machines.
Examples:
`system = "x86_64-linux";`
`system = builtins.currentSystem;`
[`builtins.currentSystem`](@docroot@/language/builtin-constants.md#builtins-currentSystem) has the value of the [`system` configuration option], and defaults to the system type of the current Nix installation.
[`system` configuration option]: @docroot@/command-ref/conf-file.md#conf-system
> **Example**
>
> Declare a derivation to be built on a specific system type:
>
> ```nix
> derivation {
> # ...
> system = "x86_64-linux";
> # ...
> }
> ```
> **Example**
>
> Declare a derivation to be built on the system type that evaluates the expression:
>
> ```nix
> derivation {
> # ...
> system = builtins.currentSystem;
> # ...
> }
> ```
>
> [`builtins.currentSystem`](@docroot@/language/builtin-constants.md#builtins-currentSystem) has the value of the [`system` configuration option], and defaults to the system type of the current Nix installation.
- [`builder`]{#attr-builder} ([Path](@docroot@/language/values.md#type-path) | [String](@docroot@/language/values.md#type-string))
Path to an executable that will perform the build.
Examples:
> **Example**
>
> Use the file located at `/bin/bash` as the builder executable:
>
> ```nix
> derivation {
> # ...
> builder = "/bin/bash";
> # ...
> };
> ```
`builder = "/bin/bash";`
<!-- -->
`builder = ./builder.sh;`
> **Example**
>
> Copy a local file to the Nix store for use as the builder executable:
>
> ```nix
> derivation {
> # ...
> builder = ./builder.sh;
> # ...
> };
> ```
`builder = "${pkgs.python}/bin/python";`
<!-- -->
> **Example**
>
> Use a file from another derivation as the builder executable:
>
> ```nix
> let pkgs = import <nixpkgs> {}; in
> derivation {
> # ...
> builder = "${pkgs.python}/bin/python";
> # ...
> };
> ```
### Optional
- [`args`]{#attr-args} ([List](@docroot@/language/values.md#list) of [String](@docroot@/language/values.md#type-string)) Default: `[ ]`
- [`args`]{#attr-args} ([List](@docroot@/language/values.md#list) of [String](@docroot@/language/values.md#type-string))
Default: `[ ]`
Command-line arguments to be passed to the [`builder`](#attr-builder) executable.
Example: `args = [ "-c" "echo hello world > $out" ];`
> **Example**
>
> Pass arguments to Bash to interpret a shell command:
>
> ```nix
> derivation {
> # ...
> builder = "/bin/bash";
> args = [ "-c" "echo hello world > $out" ];
> # ...
> };
> ```
- [`outputs`]{#attr-outputs} ([List](@docroot@/language/values.md#list) of [String](@docroot@/language/values.md#type-string)) Default: `[ "out" ]`
- [`outputs`]{#attr-outputs} ([List](@docroot@/language/values.md#list) of [String](@docroot@/language/values.md#type-string))
Default: `[ "out" ]`
Symbolic outputs of the derivation.
Each output name is passed to the [`builder`](#attr-builder) executable as an environment variable with its value set to the corresponding [output path].
Each output name is passed to the [`builder`](#attr-builder) executable as an environment variable with its value set to the corresponding [store path].
[output path]: @docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-output-path
By default, a derivation produces a single output path called `out`.
However, derivations can produce multiple output paths.
By default, a derivation produces a single output called `out`.
However, derivations can produce multiple outputs.
This allows the associated [store objects](@docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-store-object) and their [closures](@docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-closure) to be copied or garbage-collected separately.
Examples:
> **Example**
>
> Imagine a library package that provides a dynamic library, header files, and documentation.
> A program that links against such a library doesnt need the header files and documentation at runtime, and it doesnt need the documentation at build time.
> Thus, the library package could specify:
>
> ```nix
> derivation {
> # ...
> outputs = [ "lib" "dev" "doc" ];
> # ...
> }
> ```
>
> This will cause Nix to pass environment variables `lib`, `dev`, and `doc` to the builder containing the intended store paths of each output.
> The builder would typically do something like
>
> ```bash
> ./configure \
> --libdir=$lib/lib \
> --includedir=$dev/include \
> --docdir=$doc/share/doc
> ```
>
> for an Autoconf-style package.
Imagine a library package that provides a dynamic library, header files, and documentation.
A program that links against such a library doesnt need the header files and documentation at runtime, and it doesnt need the documentation at build time.
Thus, the library package could specify:
The name of an output is combined with the name of the derivation to create the name part of the output's store path, unless it is `out`, in which case just the name of the derivation is used.
```nix
derivation {
# ...
outputs = [ "lib" "dev" "doc" ];
# ...
}
```
> **Example**
>
>
> ```nix
> derivation {
> name = "example";
> outputs = [ "lib" "dev" "doc" "out" ];
> # ...
> }
> ```
>
> The store derivation path will be `/nix/store/<hash>-example.drv`.
> The output paths will be
> - `/nix/store/<hash>-example-lib`
> - `/nix/store/<hash>-example-dev`
> - `/nix/store/<hash>-example-doc`
> - `/nix/store/<hash>-example`
This will cause Nix to pass environment variables `lib`, `dev`, and `doc` to the builder containing the intended store paths of each output.
The builder would typically do something like
You can refer to each output of a derivation by selecting it as an attribute.
The first element of `outputs` determines the *default output* and ends up at the top-level.
```bash
./configure \
--libdir=$lib/lib \
--includedir=$dev/include \
--docdir=$doc/share/doc
```
for an Autoconf-style package.
You can refer to each output of a derivation by selecting it as an attribute, e.g. `myPackage.lib` or `myPackage.doc`.
The first element of `outputs` determines the *default output*.
Therefore, in the given example, `myPackage` is equivalent to `myPackage.lib`.
> **Example**
>
> Select an output by attribute name:
>
> ```nix
> let
> myPackage = derivation {
> name = "example";
> outputs = [ "lib" "dev" "doc" "out" ];
> # ...
> };
> in myPackage.dev
> ```
>
> Since `lib` is the first output, `myPackage` is equivalent to `myPackage.lib`.
<!-- FIXME: refer to the output attributes when we have one -->
@ -123,8 +230,7 @@ It outputs an attribute set, and produces a [store derivation] as a side effect
reside in the Nix store.
- A *derivation* causes that derivation to be built prior to the
present derivation; its default output path is put in the
environment variable.
present derivation. The environment variable is set to the [store path] of the derivation's default [output](#attr-outputs).
- Lists of the previous types are also allowed. They are simply
concatenated, separated by spaces.
@ -132,6 +238,8 @@ It outputs an attribute set, and produces a [store derivation] as a side effect
- `true` is passed as the string `1`, `false` and `null` are
passed as an empty string.
<!-- FIXME: add a section on output attributes -->
## Builder execution
The [`builder`](#attr-builder) is executed as follows: