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diff --git a/doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-env/install.md b/doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-env/install.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..d754accfe --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-env/install.md @@ -0,0 +1,187 @@ +# Name + +`nix-env --install` - add packages to user environment + +# Synopsis + +`nix-env` {`--install` | `-i`} *args…* + [{`--prebuilt-only` | `-b`}] + [{`--attr` | `-A`}] + [`--from-expression`] [`-E`] + [`--from-profile` *path*] + [`--preserve-installed` | `-P`] + [`--remove-all` | `-r`] + +# Description + +The install operation creates a new user environment, based on the +current generation of the active profile, to which a set of store paths +described by *args* is added. The arguments *args* map to store paths in +a number of possible ways: + + - By default, *args* is a set of derivation names denoting derivations + in the active Nix expression. These are realised, and the resulting + output paths are installed. Currently installed derivations with a + name equal to the name of a derivation being added are removed + unless the option `--preserve-installed` is specified. + + If there are multiple derivations matching a name in *args* that + have the same name (e.g., `gcc-3.3.6` and `gcc-4.1.1`), then the + derivation with the highest *priority* is used. A derivation can + define a priority by declaring the `meta.priority` attribute. This + attribute should be a number, with a higher value denoting a lower + priority. The default priority is `0`. + + If there are multiple matching derivations with the same priority, + then the derivation with the highest version will be installed. + + You can force the installation of multiple derivations with the same + name by being specific about the versions. For instance, `nix-env -i + gcc-3.3.6 gcc-4.1.1` will install both version of GCC (and will + probably cause a user environment conflict\!). + + - If `--attr` (`-A`) is specified, the arguments are *attribute + paths* that select attributes from the top-level Nix + expression. This is faster than using derivation names and + unambiguous. To find out the attribute paths of available + packages, use `nix-env -qaP`. + + - If `--from-profile` *path* is given, *args* is a set of names + denoting installed store paths in the profile *path*. This is an + easy way to copy user environment elements from one profile to + another. + + - If `--from-expression` is given, *args* are Nix + [functions](@docroot@/language/constructs.md#functions) + that are called with the active Nix expression as their single + argument. The derivations returned by those function calls are + installed. This allows derivations to be specified in an + unambiguous way, which is necessary if there are multiple + derivations with the same name. + + - If *args* are [store derivations](@docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation), then these are + [realised](@docroot@/command-ref/nix-store/realise.md), and the resulting output paths + are installed. + + - If *args* are store paths that are not store derivations, then these + are [realised](@docroot@/command-ref/nix-store/realise.md) and installed. + + - By default all outputs are installed for each derivation. That can + be reduced by setting `meta.outputsToInstall`. + +# Flags + + - `--prebuilt-only` / `-b`\ + Use only derivations for which a substitute is registered, i.e., + there is a pre-built binary available that can be downloaded in lieu + of building the derivation. Thus, no packages will be built from + source. + + - `--preserve-installed` / `-P`\ + Do not remove derivations with a name matching one of the + derivations being installed. Usually, trying to have two versions of + the same package installed in the same generation of a profile will + lead to an error in building the generation, due to file name + clashes between the two versions. However, this is not the case for + all packages. + + - `--remove-all` / `-r`\ + Remove all previously installed packages first. This is equivalent + to running `nix-env -e '.*'` first, except that everything happens + in a single transaction. + +{{#include ./opt-common.md}} + +{{#include ../opt-common.md}} + +{{#include ./env-common.md}} + +{{#include ../env-common.md}} + +# Examples + +To install a package using a specific attribute path from the active Nix expression: + +```console +$ nix-env -iA gcc40mips +installing `gcc-4.0.2' +$ nix-env -iA xorg.xorgserver +installing `xorg-server-1.2.0' +``` + +To install a specific version of `gcc` using the derivation name: + +```console +$ nix-env --install gcc-3.3.2 +installing `gcc-3.3.2' +uninstalling `gcc-3.1' +``` + +Using attribute path for selecting a package is preferred, +as it is much faster and there will not be multiple matches. + +Note the previously installed version is removed, since +`--preserve-installed` was not specified. + +To install an arbitrary version: + +```console +$ nix-env --install gcc +installing `gcc-3.3.2' +``` + +To install all derivations in the Nix expression `foo.nix`: + +```console +$ nix-env -f ~/foo.nix -i '.*' +``` + +To copy the store path with symbolic name `gcc` from another profile: + +```console +$ nix-env -i --from-profile /nix/var/nix/profiles/foo gcc +``` + +To install a specific [store derivation] (typically created by +`nix-instantiate`): + +```console +$ nix-env -i /nix/store/fibjb1bfbpm5mrsxc4mh2d8n37sxh91i-gcc-3.4.3.drv +``` + +To install a specific output path: + +```console +$ nix-env -i /nix/store/y3cgx0xj1p4iv9x0pnnmdhr8iyg741vk-gcc-3.4.3 +``` + +To install from a Nix expression specified on the command-line: + +```console +$ nix-env -f ./foo.nix -i -E \ + 'f: (f {system = "i686-linux";}).subversionWithJava' +``` + +I.e., this evaluates to `(f: (f {system = +"i686-linux";}).subversionWithJava) (import ./foo.nix)`, thus selecting +the `subversionWithJava` attribute from the set returned by calling the +function defined in `./foo.nix`. + +A dry-run tells you which paths will be downloaded or built from source: + +```console +$ nix-env -f '<nixpkgs>' -iA hello --dry-run +(dry run; not doing anything) +installing ‘hello-2.10’ +this path will be fetched (0.04 MiB download, 0.19 MiB unpacked): + /nix/store/wkhdf9jinag5750mqlax6z2zbwhqb76n-hello-2.10 + ... +``` + +To install Firefox from the latest revision in the Nixpkgs/NixOS 14.12 +channel: + +```console +$ nix-env -f https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/archive/nixos-14.12.tar.gz -iA firefox +``` + |