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+Title: nix-store
+
+# Name
+
+`nix-store` - manipulate or query the Nix store
+
+# Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` *operation* [*options…*] [*arguments…*]
+ [`--option` *name* *value*]
+ [`--add-root` *path*]
+ [`--indirect`]
+
+# Description
+
+The command `nix-store` performs primitive operations on the Nix store.
+You generally do not need to run this command manually.
+
+`nix-store` takes exactly one *operation* flag which indicates the
+subcommand to be performed. These are documented below.
+
+# Common options
+
+This section lists the options that are common to all operations. These
+options are allowed for every subcommand, though they may not always
+have an effect.
+
+ - `--add-root` *path*
+ Causes the result of a realisation (`--realise` and
+ `--force-realise`) to be registered as a root of the garbage
+ collector. The root is stored in *path*, which must be inside a
+ directory that is scanned for roots by the garbage collector
+ (i.e., typically in a subdirectory of `/nix/var/nix/gcroots/`)
+ *unless* the `--indirect` flag is used.
+
+ If there are multiple results, then multiple symlinks will be
+ created by sequentially numbering symlinks beyond the first one
+ (e.g., `foo`, `foo-2`, `foo-3`, and so on).
+
+ - `--indirect`
+ In conjunction with `--add-root`, this option allows roots to be
+ stored *outside* of the GC roots directory. This is useful for
+ commands such as `nix-build` that place a symlink to the build
+ result in the current directory; such a build result should not be
+ garbage-collected unless the symlink is removed.
+
+ The `--indirect` flag causes a uniquely named symlink to *path* to
+ be stored in `/nix/var/nix/gcroots/auto/`. For instance,
+
+ ```console
+ $ nix-store --add-root /home/eelco/bla/result --indirect -r ...
+
+ $ ls -l /nix/var/nix/gcroots/auto
+ lrwxrwxrwx 1 ... 2005-03-13 21:10 dn54lcypm8f8... -> /home/eelco/bla/result
+
+ $ ls -l /home/eelco/bla/result
+ lrwxrwxrwx 1 ... 2005-03-13 21:10 /home/eelco/bla/result -> /nix/store/1r11343n6qd4...-f-spot-0.0.10
+ ```
+
+ Thus, when `/home/eelco/bla/result` is removed, the GC root in the
+ `auto` directory becomes a dangling symlink and will be ignored by
+ the collector.
+
+ > **Warning**
+ >
+ > Note that it is not possible to move or rename indirect GC roots,
+ > since the symlink in the `auto` directory will still point to the
+ > old location.
+
+<!-- end list -->
+
+# Operation `--realise`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` {`--realise` | `-r`} *paths…* [`--dry-run`]
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--realise` essentially “builds” the specified store
+paths. Realisation is a somewhat overloaded term:
+
+ - If the store path is a *derivation*, realisation ensures that the
+ output paths of the derivation are [valid](../glossary.md) (i.e.,
+ the output path and its closure exist in the file system). This
+ can be done in several ways. First, it is possible that the
+ outputs are already valid, in which case we are done
+ immediately. Otherwise, there may be [substitutes](../glossary.md)
+ that produce the outputs (e.g., by downloading them). Finally, the
+ outputs can be produced by performing the build action described
+ by the derivation.
+
+ - If the store path is not a derivation, realisation ensures that the
+ specified path is valid (i.e., it and its closure exist in the file
+ system). If the path is already valid, we are done immediately.
+ Otherwise, the path and any missing paths in its closure may be
+ produced through substitutes. If there are no (successful)
+ subsitutes, realisation fails.
+
+The output path of each derivation is printed on standard output. (For
+non-derivations argument, the argument itself is printed.)
+
+The following flags are available:
+
+ - `--dry-run`
+ Print on standard error a description of what packages would be
+ built or downloaded, without actually performing the operation.
+
+ - `--ignore-unknown`
+ If a non-derivation path does not have a substitute, then silently
+ ignore it.
+
+ - `--check`
+ This option allows you to check whether a derivation is
+ deterministic. It rebuilds the specified derivation and checks
+ whether the result is bitwise-identical with the existing outputs,
+ printing an error if that’s not the case. The outputs of the
+ specified derivation must already exist. When used with `-K`, if an
+ output path is not identical to the corresponding output from the
+ previous build, the new output path is left in
+ `/nix/store/name.check.`
+
+ See also the `build-repeat` configuration option, which repeats a
+ derivation a number of times and prevents its outputs from being
+ registered as “valid” in the Nix store unless they are identical.
+
+Special exit codes:
+
+ - `100`
+ Generic build failure, the builder process returned with a non-zero
+ exit code.
+
+ - `101`
+ Build timeout, the build was aborted because it did not complete
+ within the specified `timeout`.
+
+ - `102`
+ Hash mismatch, the build output was rejected because it does not
+ match the [`outputHash` attribute of the
+ derivation](../expressions/advanced-attributes.md).
+
+ - `104`
+ Not deterministic, the build succeeded in check mode but the
+ resulting output is not binary reproducable.
+
+With the `--keep-going` flag it's possible for multiple failures to
+occur, in this case the 1xx status codes are or combined using binary
+or.
+
+ 1100100
+ ^^^^
+ |||`- timeout
+ ||`-- output hash mismatch
+ |`--- build failure
+ `---- not deterministic
+
+## Examples
+
+This operation is typically used to build store derivations produced by
+[`nix-instantiate`](nix-instantiate.md):
+
+```console
+$ nix-store -r $(nix-instantiate ./test.nix)
+/nix/store/31axcgrlbfsxzmfff1gyj1bf62hvkby2-aterm-2.3.1
+```
+
+This is essentially what [`nix-build`](nix-build.md) does.
+
+To test whether a previously-built derivation is deterministic:
+
+```console
+$ nix-build '<nixpkgs>' -A hello --check -K
+```
+
+# Operation `--serve`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--serve` [`--write`]
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--serve` provides access to the Nix store over stdin and
+stdout, and is intended to be used as a means of providing Nix store
+access to a restricted ssh user.
+
+The following flags are available:
+
+ - `--write`
+ Allow the connected client to request the realization of
+ derivations. In effect, this can be used to make the host act as a
+ remote builder.
+
+## Examples
+
+To turn a host into a build server, the `authorized_keys` file can be
+used to provide build access to a given SSH public key:
+
+```console
+$ cat <<EOF >>/root/.ssh/authorized_keys
+command="nice -n20 nix-store --serve --write" ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAA...
+EOF
+```
+
+# Operation `--gc`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--gc` [`--print-roots` | `--print-live` | `--print-dead`] [`--max-freed` *bytes*]
+
+## Description
+
+Without additional flags, the operation `--gc` performs a garbage
+collection on the Nix store. That is, all paths in the Nix store not
+reachable via file system references from a set of “roots”, are deleted.
+
+The following suboperations may be specified:
+
+ - `--print-roots`
+ This operation prints on standard output the set of roots used by
+ the garbage collector.
+
+ - `--print-live`
+ This operation prints on standard output the set of “live” store
+ paths, which are all the store paths reachable from the roots. Live
+ paths should never be deleted, since that would break consistency —
+ it would become possible that applications are installed that
+ reference things that are no longer present in the store.
+
+ - `--print-dead`
+ This operation prints out on standard output the set of “dead” store
+ paths, which is just the opposite of the set of live paths: any path
+ in the store that is not live (with respect to the roots) is dead.
+
+By default, all unreachable paths are deleted. The following options
+control what gets deleted and in what order:
+
+ - `--max-freed` *bytes*
+ Keep deleting paths until at least *bytes* bytes have been deleted,
+ then stop. The argument *bytes* can be followed by the
+ multiplicative suffix `K`, `M`, `G` or `T`, denoting KiB, MiB, GiB
+ or TiB units.
+
+The behaviour of the collector is also influenced by the
+`keep-outputs` and `keep-derivations` variables in the Nix
+configuration file.
+
+By default, the collector prints the total number of freed bytes when it
+finishes (or when it is interrupted). With `--print-dead`, it prints the
+number of bytes that would be freed.
+
+## Examples
+
+To delete all unreachable paths, just do:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store --gc
+deleting `/nix/store/kq82idx6g0nyzsp2s14gfsc38npai7lf-cairo-1.0.4.tar.gz.drv'
+...
+8825586 bytes freed (8.42 MiB)
+```
+
+To delete at least 100 MiBs of unreachable paths:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store --gc --max-freed $((100 * 1024 * 1024))
+```
+
+# Operation `--delete`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--delete` [`--ignore-liveness`] *paths…*
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--delete` deletes the store paths *paths* from the Nix
+store, but only if it is safe to do so; that is, when the path is not
+reachable from a root of the garbage collector. This means that you can
+only delete paths that would also be deleted by `nix-store --gc`. Thus,
+`--delete` is a more targeted version of `--gc`.
+
+With the option `--ignore-liveness`, reachability from the roots is
+ignored. However, the path still won’t be deleted if there are other
+paths in the store that refer to it (i.e., depend on it).
+
+## Example
+
+```console
+$ nix-store --delete /nix/store/zq0h41l75vlb4z45kzgjjmsjxvcv1qk7-mesa-6.4
+0 bytes freed (0.00 MiB)
+error: cannot delete path `/nix/store/zq0h41l75vlb4z45kzgjjmsjxvcv1qk7-mesa-6.4' since it is still alive
+```
+
+# Operation `--query`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` {`--query` | `-q`}
+ {`--outputs` | `--requisites` | `-R` | `--references` |
+ `--referrers` | `--referrers-closure` | `--deriver` | `-d` |
+ `--graph` | `--tree` | `--binding` *name* | `-b` *name* | `--hash` |
+ `--size` | `--roots`}
+ [`--use-output`] [`-u`] [`--force-realise`] [`-f`]
+ *paths…*
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--query` displays various bits of information about the
+store paths . The queries are described below. At most one query can be
+specified. The default query is `--outputs`.
+
+The paths *paths* may also be symlinks from outside of the Nix store, to
+the Nix store. In that case, the query is applied to the target of the
+symlink.
+
+## Common query options
+
+ - `--use-output`; `-u`
+ For each argument to the query that is a store derivation, apply the
+ query to the output path of the derivation instead.
+
+ - `--force-realise`; `-f`
+ Realise each argument to the query first (see [`nix-store
+ --realise`](#operation---realise)).
+
+## Queries
+
+ - `--outputs`
+ Prints out the [output paths](../glossary.md) of the store
+ derivations *paths*. These are the paths that will be produced when
+ the derivation is built.
+
+ - `--requisites`; `-R`
+ Prints out the [closure](../glossary.md) of the store path *paths*.
+
+ This query has one option:
+
+ - `--include-outputs`
+ Also include the output path of store derivations, and their
+ closures.
+
+ This query can be used to implement various kinds of deployment. A
+ *source deployment* is obtained by distributing the closure of a
+ store derivation. A *binary deployment* is obtained by distributing
+ the closure of an output path. A *cache deployment* (combined
+ source/binary deployment, including binaries of build-time-only
+ dependencies) is obtained by distributing the closure of a store
+ derivation and specifying the option `--include-outputs`.
+
+ - `--references`
+ Prints the set of [references](../glossary.md) of the store paths
+ *paths*, that is, their immediate dependencies. (For *all*
+ dependencies, use `--requisites`.)
+
+ - `--referrers`
+ Prints the set of *referrers* of the store paths *paths*, that is,
+ the store paths currently existing in the Nix store that refer to
+ one of *paths*. Note that contrary to the references, the set of
+ referrers is not constant; it can change as store paths are added or
+ removed.
+
+ - `--referrers-closure`
+ Prints the closure of the set of store paths *paths* under the
+ referrers relation; that is, all store paths that directly or
+ indirectly refer to one of *paths*. These are all the path currently
+ in the Nix store that are dependent on *paths*.
+
+ - `--deriver`; `-d`
+ Prints the [deriver](../glossary.md) of the store paths *paths*. If
+ the path has no deriver (e.g., if it is a source file), or if the
+ deriver is not known (e.g., in the case of a binary-only
+ deployment), the string `unknown-deriver` is printed.
+
+ - `--graph`
+ Prints the references graph of the store paths *paths* in the format
+ of the `dot` tool of AT\&T's [Graphviz
+ package](http://www.graphviz.org/). This can be used to visualise
+ dependency graphs. To obtain a build-time dependency graph, apply
+ this to a store derivation. To obtain a runtime dependency graph,
+ apply it to an output path.
+
+ - `--tree`
+ Prints the references graph of the store paths *paths* as a nested
+ ASCII tree. References are ordered by descending closure size; this
+ tends to flatten the tree, making it more readable. The query only
+ recurses into a store path when it is first encountered; this
+ prevents a blowup of the tree representation of the graph.
+
+ - `--graphml`
+ Prints the references graph of the store paths *paths* in the
+ [GraphML](http://graphml.graphdrawing.org/) file format. This can be
+ used to visualise dependency graphs. To obtain a build-time
+ dependency graph, apply this to a store derivation. To obtain a
+ runtime dependency graph, apply it to an output path.
+
+ - `--binding` *name*; `-b` *name*
+ Prints the value of the attribute *name* (i.e., environment
+ variable) of the store derivations *paths*. It is an error for a
+ derivation to not have the specified attribute.
+
+ - `--hash`
+ Prints the SHA-256 hash of the contents of the store paths *paths*
+ (that is, the hash of the output of `nix-store --dump` on the given
+ paths). Since the hash is stored in the Nix database, this is a fast
+ operation.
+
+ - `--size`
+ Prints the size in bytes of the contents of the store paths *paths*
+ — to be precise, the size of the output of `nix-store --dump` on
+ the given paths. Note that the actual disk space required by the
+ store paths may be higher, especially on filesystems with large
+ cluster sizes.
+
+ - `--roots`
+ Prints the garbage collector roots that point, directly or
+ indirectly, at the store paths *paths*.
+
+## Examples
+
+Print the closure (runtime dependencies) of the `svn` program in the
+current user environment:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store -qR $(which svn)
+/nix/store/5mbglq5ldqld8sj57273aljwkfvj22mc-subversion-1.1.4
+/nix/store/9lz9yc6zgmc0vlqmn2ipcpkjlmbi51vv-glibc-2.3.4
+...
+```
+
+Print the build-time dependencies of `svn`:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store -qR $(nix-store -qd $(which svn))
+/nix/store/02iizgn86m42q905rddvg4ja975bk2i4-grep-2.5.1.tar.bz2.drv
+/nix/store/07a2bzxmzwz5hp58nf03pahrv2ygwgs3-gcc-wrapper.sh
+/nix/store/0ma7c9wsbaxahwwl04gbw3fcd806ski4-glibc-2.3.4.drv
+... lots of other paths ...
+```
+
+The difference with the previous example is that we ask the closure of
+the derivation (`-qd`), not the closure of the output path that contains
+`svn`.
+
+Show the build-time dependencies as a tree:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store -q --tree $(nix-store -qd $(which svn))
+/nix/store/7i5082kfb6yjbqdbiwdhhza0am2xvh6c-subversion-1.1.4.drv
++---/nix/store/d8afh10z72n8l1cr5w42366abiblgn54-builder.sh
++---/nix/store/fmzxmpjx2lh849ph0l36snfj9zdibw67-bash-3.0.drv
+| +---/nix/store/570hmhmx3v57605cqg9yfvvyh0nnb8k8-bash
+| +---/nix/store/p3srsbd8dx44v2pg6nbnszab5mcwx03v-builder.sh
+...
+```
+
+Show all paths that depend on the same OpenSSL library as `svn`:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store -q --referrers $(nix-store -q --binding openssl $(nix-store -qd $(which svn)))
+/nix/store/23ny9l9wixx21632y2wi4p585qhva1q8-sylpheed-1.0.0
+/nix/store/5mbglq5ldqld8sj57273aljwkfvj22mc-subversion-1.1.4
+/nix/store/dpmvp969yhdqs7lm2r1a3gng7pyq6vy4-subversion-1.1.3
+/nix/store/l51240xqsgg8a7yrbqdx1rfzyv6l26fx-lynx-2.8.5
+```
+
+Show all paths that directly or indirectly depend on the Glibc (C
+library) used by `svn`:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store -q --referrers-closure $(ldd $(which svn) | grep /libc.so | awk '{print $3}')
+/nix/store/034a6h4vpz9kds5r6kzb9lhh81mscw43-libgnomeprintui-2.8.2
+/nix/store/15l3yi0d45prm7a82pcrknxdh6nzmxza-gawk-3.1.4
+...
+```
+
+Note that `ldd` is a command that prints out the dynamic libraries used
+by an ELF executable.
+
+Make a picture of the runtime dependency graph of the current user
+environment:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store -q --graph ~/.nix-profile | dot -Tps > graph.ps
+$ gv graph.ps
+```
+
+Show every garbage collector root that points to a store path that
+depends on `svn`:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store -q --roots $(which svn)
+/nix/var/nix/profiles/default-81-link
+/nix/var/nix/profiles/default-82-link
+/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/eelco/profile-97-link
+```
+
+# Operation `--add`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--add` *paths…*
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--add` adds the specified paths to the Nix store. It
+prints the resulting paths in the Nix store on standard output.
+
+## Example
+
+```console
+$ nix-store --add ./foo.c
+/nix/store/m7lrha58ph6rcnv109yzx1nk1cj7k7zf-foo.c
+```
+
+# Operation `--add-fixed`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--add-fixed` [`--recursive`] *algorithm* *paths…*
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--add-fixed` adds the specified paths to the Nix store.
+Unlike `--add` paths are registered using the specified hashing
+algorithm, resulting in the same output path as a fixed-output
+derivation. This can be used for sources that are not available from a
+public url or broke since the download expression was written.
+
+This operation has the following options:
+
+ - `--recursive`
+ Use recursive instead of flat hashing mode, used when adding
+ directories to the store.
+
+## Example
+
+```console
+$ nix-store --add-fixed sha256 ./hello-2.10.tar.gz
+/nix/store/3x7dwzq014bblazs7kq20p9hyzz0qh8g-hello-2.10.tar.gz
+```
+
+# Operation `--verify`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--verify` [`--check-contents`] [`--repair`]
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--verify` verifies the internal consistency of the Nix
+database, and the consistency between the Nix database and the Nix
+store. Any inconsistencies encountered are automatically repaired.
+Inconsistencies are generally the result of the Nix store or database
+being modified by non-Nix tools, or of bugs in Nix itself.
+
+This operation has the following options:
+
+ - `--check-contents`
+ Checks that the contents of every valid store path has not been
+ altered by computing a SHA-256 hash of the contents and comparing it
+ with the hash stored in the Nix database at build time. Paths that
+ have been modified are printed out. For large stores,
+ `--check-contents` is obviously quite slow.
+
+ - `--repair`
+ If any valid path is missing from the store, or (if
+ `--check-contents` is given) the contents of a valid path has been
+ modified, then try to repair the path by redownloading it. See
+ `nix-store --repair-path` for details.
+
+# Operation `--verify-path`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--verify-path` *paths…*
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--verify-path` compares the contents of the given store
+paths to their cryptographic hashes stored in Nix’s database. For every
+changed path, it prints a warning message. The exit status is 0 if no
+path has changed, and 1 otherwise.
+
+## Example
+
+To verify the integrity of the `svn` command and all its dependencies:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store --verify-path $(nix-store -qR $(which svn))
+```
+
+# Operation `--repair-path`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--repair-path` *paths…*
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--repair-path` attempts to “repair” the specified paths
+by redownloading them using the available substituters. If no
+substitutes are available, then repair is not possible.
+
+> **Warning**
+>
+> During repair, there is a very small time window during which the old
+> path (if it exists) is moved out of the way and replaced with the new
+> path. If repair is interrupted in between, then the system may be left
+> in a broken state (e.g., if the path contains a critical system
+> component like the GNU C Library).
+
+## Example
+
+```console
+$ nix-store --verify-path /nix/store/dj7a81wsm1ijwwpkks3725661h3263p5-glibc-2.13
+path `/nix/store/dj7a81wsm1ijwwpkks3725661h3263p5-glibc-2.13' was modified!
+ expected hash `2db57715ae90b7e31ff1f2ecb8c12ec1cc43da920efcbe3b22763f36a1861588',
+ got `481c5aa5483ebc97c20457bb8bca24deea56550d3985cda0027f67fe54b808e4'
+
+$ nix-store --repair-path /nix/store/dj7a81wsm1ijwwpkks3725661h3263p5-glibc-2.13
+fetching path `/nix/store/d7a81wsm1ijwwpkks3725661h3263p5-glibc-2.13'...
+…
+```
+
+# Operation `--dump`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--dump` *path*
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--dump` produces a NAR (Nix ARchive) file containing the
+contents of the file system tree rooted at *path*. The archive is
+written to standard output.
+
+A NAR archive is like a TAR or Zip archive, but it contains only the
+information that Nix considers important. For instance, timestamps are
+elided because all files in the Nix store have their timestamp set to 0
+anyway. Likewise, all permissions are left out except for the execute
+bit, because all files in the Nix store have 444 or 555 permission.
+
+Also, a NAR archive is *canonical*, meaning that “equal” paths always
+produce the same NAR archive. For instance, directory entries are
+always sorted so that the actual on-disk order doesn’t influence the
+result. This means that the cryptographic hash of a NAR dump of a
+path is usable as a fingerprint of the contents of the path. Indeed,
+the hashes of store paths stored in Nix’s database (see `nix-store -q
+--hash`) are SHA-256 hashes of the NAR dump of each store path.
+
+NAR archives support filenames of unlimited length and 64-bit file
+sizes. They can contain regular files, directories, and symbolic links,
+but not other types of files (such as device nodes).
+
+A Nix archive can be unpacked using `nix-store
+--restore`.
+
+# Operation `--restore`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--restore` *path*
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--restore` unpacks a NAR archive to *path*, which must
+not already exist. The archive is read from standard input.
+
+# Operation `--export`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--export` *paths…*
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--export` writes a serialisation of the specified store
+paths to standard output in a format that can be imported into another
+Nix store with `nix-store --import`. This is like `nix-store
+--dump`, except that the NAR archive produced by that command doesn’t
+contain the necessary meta-information to allow it to be imported into
+another Nix store (namely, the set of references of the path).
+
+This command does not produce a *closure* of the specified paths, so if
+a store path references other store paths that are missing in the target
+Nix store, the import will fail. To copy a whole closure, do something
+like:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store --export $(nix-store -qR paths) > out
+```
+
+To import the whole closure again, run:
+
+```console
+$ nix-store --import < out
+```
+
+# Operation `--import`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--import`
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--import` reads a serialisation of a set of store paths
+produced by `nix-store --export` from standard input and adds those
+store paths to the Nix store. Paths that already exist in the Nix store
+are ignored. If a path refers to another path that doesn’t exist in the
+Nix store, the import fails.
+
+# Operation `--optimise`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--optimise`
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--optimise` reduces Nix store disk space usage by finding
+identical files in the store and hard-linking them to each other. It
+typically reduces the size of the store by something like 25-35%. Only
+regular files and symlinks are hard-linked in this manner. Files are
+considered identical when they have the same NAR archive serialisation:
+that is, regular files must have the same contents and permission
+(executable or non-executable), and symlinks must have the same
+contents.
+
+After completion, or when the command is interrupted, a report on the
+achieved savings is printed on standard error.
+
+Use `-vv` or `-vvv` to get some progress indication.
+
+## Example
+
+```console
+$ nix-store --optimise
+hashing files in `/nix/store/qhqx7l2f1kmwihc9bnxs7rc159hsxnf3-gcc-4.1.1'
+...
+541838819 bytes (516.74 MiB) freed by hard-linking 54143 files;
+there are 114486 files with equal contents out of 215894 files in total
+```
+
+# Operation `--read-log`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` {`--read-log` | `-l`} *paths…*
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--read-log` prints the build log of the specified store
+paths on standard output. The build log is whatever the builder of a
+derivation wrote to standard output and standard error. If a store path
+is not a derivation, the deriver of the store path is used.
+
+Build logs are kept in `/nix/var/log/nix/drvs`. However, there is no
+guarantee that a build log is available for any particular store path.
+For instance, if the path was downloaded as a pre-built binary through a
+substitute, then the log is unavailable.
+
+## Example
+
+```console
+$ nix-store -l $(which ktorrent)
+building /nix/store/dhc73pvzpnzxhdgpimsd9sw39di66ph1-ktorrent-2.2.1
+unpacking sources
+unpacking source archive /nix/store/p8n1jpqs27mgkjw07pb5269717nzf5f8-ktorrent-2.2.1.tar.gz
+ktorrent-2.2.1/
+ktorrent-2.2.1/NEWS
+...
+```
+
+# Operation `--dump-db`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--dump-db` [*paths…*]
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--dump-db` writes a dump of the Nix database to standard
+output. It can be loaded into an empty Nix store using `--load-db`. This
+is useful for making backups and when migrating to different database
+schemas.
+
+By default, `--dump-db` will dump the entire Nix database. When one or
+more store paths is passed, only the subset of the Nix database for
+those store paths is dumped. As with `--export`, the user is responsible
+for passing all the store paths for a closure. See `--export` for an
+example.
+
+# Operation `--load-db`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--load-db`
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--load-db` reads a dump of the Nix database created by
+`--dump-db` from standard input and loads it into the Nix database.
+
+# Operation `--print-env`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--print-env` *drvpath*
+
+## Description
+
+The operation `--print-env` prints out the environment of a derivation
+in a format that can be evaluated by a shell. The command line arguments
+of the builder are placed in the variable `_args`.
+
+## Example
+
+```console
+$ nix-store --print-env $(nix-instantiate '<nixpkgs>' -A firefox)
+…
+export src; src='/nix/store/plpj7qrwcz94z2psh6fchsi7s8yihc7k-firefox-12.0.source.tar.bz2'
+export stdenv; stdenv='/nix/store/7c8asx3yfrg5dg1gzhzyq2236zfgibnn-stdenv'
+export system; system='x86_64-linux'
+export _args; _args='-e /nix/store/9krlzvny65gdc8s7kpb6lkx8cd02c25c-default-builder.sh'
+```
+
+# Operation `--generate-binary-cache-key`
+
+## Synopsis
+
+`nix-store` `--generate-binary-cache-key` *key-name* *secret-key-file* *public-key-file*
+
+## Description
+
+This command generates an [Ed25519 key pair](http://ed25519.cr.yp.to/)
+that can be used to create a signed binary cache. It takes three
+mandatory parameters:
+
+1. A key name, such as `cache.example.org-1`, that is used to look up
+ keys on the client when it verifies signatures. It can be anything,
+ but it’s suggested to use the host name of your cache (e.g.
+ `cache.example.org`) with a suffix denoting the number of the key
+ (to be incremented every time you need to revoke a key).
+
+2. The file name where the secret key is to be stored.
+
+3. The file name where the public key is to be stored.