nix-super/doc/manual/source/command-ref/nix-build.md
John Ericson eb7d7780b1 Rename doc/manual{src -> source}
This is needed to avoid this
https://github.com/mesonbuild/meson/issues/13774 when we go back to
making our subproject directory `src`.
2024-10-14 11:21:24 -04:00

125 lines
3.8 KiB
Markdown
Raw Permalink Blame History

This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters

This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.

# Name
`nix-build` - build a Nix expression
# Synopsis
`nix-build` [*paths…*]
[`--arg` *name* *value*]
[`--argstr` *name* *value*]
[{`--attr` | `-A`} *attrPath*]
[`--no-out-link`]
[`--dry-run`]
[{`--out-link` | `-o`} *outlink*]
# Disambiguation
This man page describes the command `nix-build`, which is distinct from `nix
build`. For documentation on the latter, run `nix build --help` or see `man
nix3-build`.
# Description
The `nix-build` command builds the derivations described by the Nix
expressions in *paths*. If the build succeeds, it places a symlink to
the result in the current directory. The symlink is called `result`. If
there are multiple Nix expressions, or the Nix expressions evaluate to
multiple derivations, multiple sequentially numbered symlinks are
created (`result`, `result-2`, and so on).
If no *paths* are specified, then `nix-build` will use `default.nix` in
the current directory, if it exists.
If an element of *paths* starts with `http://` or `https://`, it is
interpreted as the URL of a tarball that will be downloaded and unpacked
to a temporary location. The tarball must include a single top-level
directory containing at least a file named `default.nix`.
`nix-build` is essentially a wrapper around
[`nix-instantiate`](nix-instantiate.md) (to translate a high-level Nix
expression to a low-level [store derivation]) and [`nix-store
--realise`](@docroot@/command-ref/nix-store/realise.md) (to build the store
derivation).
[store derivation]: @docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
> **Warning**
>
> The result of the build is automatically registered as a root of the
> Nix garbage collector. This root disappears automatically when the
> `result` symlink is deleted or renamed. So dont rename the symlink.
# Options
All options not listed here are passed to
[`nix-store --realise`](nix-store/realise.md),
except for `--arg` and `--attr` / `-A` which are passed to [`nix-instantiate`](nix-instantiate.md).
- <span id="opt-no-out-link">[`--no-out-link`](#opt-no-out-link)<span>
Do not create a symlink to the output path. Note that as a result
the output does not become a root of the garbage collector, and so
might be deleted by `nix-store --gc`.
- <span id="opt-dry-run">[`--dry-run`](#opt-dry-run)</span>
Show what store paths would be built or downloaded.
- <span id="opt-out-link">[`--out-link`](#opt-out-link)</span> / `-o` *outlink*
Change the name of the symlink to the output path created from
`result` to *outlink*.
{{#include ./status-build-failure.md}}
{{#include ./opt-common.md}}
{{#include ./env-common.md}}
# Examples
```console
$ nix-build '<nixpkgs>' --attr firefox
store derivation is /nix/store/qybprl8sz2lc...-firefox-1.5.0.7.drv
/nix/store/d18hyl92g30l...-firefox-1.5.0.7
$ ls -l result
lrwxrwxrwx ... result -> /nix/store/d18hyl92g30l...-firefox-1.5.0.7
$ ls ./result/bin/
firefox firefox-config
```
If a derivation has multiple outputs, `nix-build` will build the default
(first) output. You can also build all outputs:
```console
$ nix-build '<nixpkgs>' --attr openssl.all
```
This will create a symlink for each output named `result-outputname`.
The suffix is omitted if the output name is `out`. So if `openssl` has
outputs `out`, `bin` and `man`, `nix-build` will create symlinks
`result`, `result-bin` and `result-man`. Its also possible to build a
specific output:
```console
$ nix-build '<nixpkgs>' --attr openssl.man
```
This will create a symlink `result-man`.
Build a Nix expression given on the command line:
```console
$ nix-build --expr 'with import <nixpkgs> { }; runCommand "foo" { } "echo bar > $out"'
$ cat ./result
bar
```
Build the GNU Hello package from the latest revision of the master
branch of Nixpkgs:
```console
$ nix-build https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/archive/master.tar.gz --attr hello
```