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diff --git a/doc/manual/src/glossary.md b/doc/manual/src/glossary.md index 3448b971b..70a0eb994 100644 --- a/doc/manual/src/glossary.md +++ b/doc/manual/src/glossary.md @@ -3,14 +3,48 @@ - [derivation]{#gloss-derivation}\ A description of a build action. The result of a derivation is a store object. Derivations are typically specified in Nix expressions - using the [`derivation` primitive](expressions/derivations.md). These are + using the [`derivation` primitive](language/derivations.md). These are translated into low-level *store derivations* (implicitly by `nix-env` and `nix-build`, or explicitly by `nix-instantiate`). + - [content-addressed derivation]{#gloss-content-addressed-derivation}\ + A derivation which has the + [`__contentAddressed`](language/advanced-attributes.md#adv-attr-__contentAddressed) + attribute set to `true`. + + - [fixed-output derivation]{#gloss-fixed-output-derivation}\ + A derivation which includes the + [`outputHash`](language/advanced-attributes.md#adv-attr-outputHash) attribute. + - [store]{#gloss-store}\ The location in the file system where store objects live. Typically `/nix/store`. + From the perspective of the location where Nix is + invoked, the Nix store can be referred to + as a "_local_" or a "_remote_" one: + + + A *local store* exists on the filesystem of + the machine where Nix is invoked. You can use other + local stores by passing the `--store` flag to the + `nix` command. Local stores can be used for building derivations. + + + A *remote store* exists anywhere other than the + local filesystem. One example is the `/nix/store` + directory on another machine, accessed via `ssh` or + served by the `nix-serve` Perl script. + + - [chroot store]{#gloss-chroot-store}\ + A local store whose canonical path is anything other than `/nix/store`. + + - [binary cache]{#gloss-binary-cache}\ + A *binary cache* is a Nix store which uses a different format: its + metadata and signatures are kept in `.narinfo` files rather than in a + Nix database. This different format simplifies serving store objects + over the network, but cannot host builds. Examples of binary caches + include S3 buckets and the [NixOS binary + cache](https://cache.nixos.org). + - [store path]{#gloss-store-path}\ The location in the file system of a store object, i.e., an immediate child of the Nix store directory. @@ -22,6 +56,19 @@ derivation outputs (objects produced by running a build action), or derivations (files describing a build action). + - [input-addressed store object]{#gloss-input-addressed-store-object}\ + A store object produced by building a + non-[content-addressed](#gloss-content-addressed-derivation), + non-[fixed-output](#gloss-fixed-output-derivation) + derivation. + + - [output-addressed store object]{#gloss-output-addressed-store-object}\ + A store object whose store path hashes its content. This + includes derivations, the outputs of + [content-addressed derivations](#gloss-content-addressed-derivation), + and the outputs of + [fixed-output derivations](#gloss-fixed-output-derivation). + - [substitute]{#gloss-substitute}\ A substitute is a command invocation stored in the Nix database that describes how to build a store object, bypassing the normal build @@ -29,6 +76,11 @@ store object by downloading a pre-built version of the store object from some server. + - [substituter]{#gloss-substituter}\ + A *substituter* is an additional store from which Nix will + copy store objects it doesn't have. For details, see the + [`substituters` option](command-ref/conf-file.html#conf-substituters). + - [purity]{#gloss-purity}\ The assumption that equal Nix derivations when run always produce the same output. This cannot be guaranteed in general (e.g., a |