diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'doc')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/manual/src/SUMMARY.md.in | 8 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/manual/src/architecture/store/path.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store.md | 61 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store/closure.md | 29 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store/terminology.md | 32 |
5 files changed, 64 insertions, 68 deletions
diff --git a/doc/manual/src/SUMMARY.md.in b/doc/manual/src/SUMMARY.md.in index 9c2ae2ad3..a95c385e4 100644 --- a/doc/manual/src/SUMMARY.md.in +++ b/doc/manual/src/SUMMARY.md.in @@ -68,12 +68,8 @@ - [nix.conf](command-ref/conf-file.md) - [Architecture](architecture/architecture.md) - [Store](architecture/store/store.md) - - [Store Object](architecture/store/store.md#store-object) - - [Reference](architecture/store/store.md#reference) - - [Operations](architecture/store/store.md#operations) - - [Closure](architecture/store/store.md#closure) - - [Files and Processes](architecture/store/store.md#files-and-processes) - - [Build system terminology](architecture/store/store.md#build-system-terminology) + - [Closure](architecture/store/store/closure.md) + - [Build system terminology](architecture/store/build-system-terminology.md) - [Store Path](architecture/store/path.md) - [Digest](architecture/store/path.md#digest) - [Input Addressing](architecture/store/path.md#input-addressing) diff --git a/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/path.md b/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/path.md index 5a18df67a..039d8b1c6 100644 --- a/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/path.md +++ b/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/path.md @@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ This means a store path is not just derived from the referenced store object its It is important which store a given store object belongs to: Files in the store object can contain store paths, and processes may read these paths. -Nix can only guarantee [referential integrity](store.md#closure) if store paths do not cross store boundaries. +Nix can only guarantee [referential integrity](store/closure.md) if store paths do not cross store boundaries. Therefore one can only copy store objects to a different store if diff --git a/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store.md b/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store.md index 920d483d5..9f580f9da 100644 --- a/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store.md +++ b/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store.md @@ -89,35 +89,6 @@ As it keeps track of references, it can [garbage-collect][garbage-collection] un [ store ] --> collect garbage --> [ store' ] - -## Closure {#closure} - -Nix stores ensure [referential integrity][referential-integrity]: for each store object in the store, all the store objects it references must also be in the store. - -The set of all store objects reachable by following references from a given initial set of store objects is called a *closure*. - -Adding, building, copying and deleting store objects must be done in a way that preserves referential integrity: - -- A newly added store object cannot have references, unless it is a build task. - -- Build results must only refer to store objects in the closure of the build inputs. - - Building a store object will add appropriate references, according to the build task. - -- Store objects being copied must refer to objects already in the destination store. - - Recursive copying must either proceed in dependency order or be atomic. - -- We can only safely delete store objects which are not reachable from any reference still in use. - - <!-- more details in section on garbage collection, link to it once it exists --> - -[referential-integrity]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referential_integrity -[garbage-collection]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_collection_(computer_science) -[immutable-object]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immutable_object -[opaque-data-type]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opaque_data_type -[unique-identifier]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unique_identifier - ## Files and Processes {#files-and-processes} Nix maps between its store model and the [Unix paradigm][unix-paradigm] of [files and processes][file-descriptor], by encoding immutable store objects and opaque identifiers as file system primitives: files and directories, and paths. @@ -178,35 +149,3 @@ Examples: To make store objects accessible to processes, stores ultimately have to expose store objects through the file system. -## A [Rosetta stone][rosetta-stone] for build system terminology {#build-system-terminology} - -The Nix store's design is comparable to other build systems. -Usage of terms is, for historic reasons, not entirely consistent within the Nix ecosystem, and still subject to slow change. - -The following translation table points out similarities and equivalent terms, to help clarify their meaning and inform consistent use in the future. - -| generic build system | Nix | [Bazel][bazel] | [Build Systems à la Carte][bsalc] | programming language | -| -------------------------------- | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------ | -| data (build input, build result) | store object | [artifact][bazel-artifact] | value | value | -| build instructions | builder | ([depends on action type][bazel-actions]) | function | function | -| build task | derivation | [action][bazel-action] | `Task` | [thunk][thunk] | -| build plan | derivation graph | [action graph][bazel-action-graph], [build graph][bazel-build-graph] | `Tasks` | [call graph][call-graph] | -| build | build | build | application of `Build` | evaluation | -| persistence layer | store | [action cache][bazel-action-cache] | `Store` | heap | - -All of these systems share features of [declarative programming][declarative-programming] languages, a key insight first put forward by Eelco Dolstra et al. in [Imposing a Memory Management Discipline on Software Deployment][immdsd] (2004), elaborated in his PhD thesis [The Purely Functional Software Deployment Model][phd-thesis] (2006), and further refined by Andrey Mokhov et al. in [Build Systems à la Carte][bsalc] (2018). - -[rosetta-stone]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone -[bazel]: https://bazel.build/start/bazel-intro -[bazel-artifact]: https://bazel.build/reference/glossary#artifact -[bazel-actions]: https://docs.bazel.build/versions/main/skylark/lib/actions.html -[bazel-action]: https://bazel.build/reference/glossary#action -[bazel-action-graph]: https://bazel.build/reference/glossary#action-graph -[bazel-build-graph]: https://bazel.build/reference/glossary#build-graph -[bazel-action-cache]: https://bazel.build/reference/glossary#action-cache -[thunk]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunk -[call-graph]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_graph -[declarative-programming]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declarative_programming -[immdsd]: https://edolstra.github.io/pubs/immdsd-icse2004-final.pdf -[phd-thesis]: https://edolstra.github.io/pubs/phd-thesis.pdf -[bsalc]: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2018/03/build-systems.pdf diff --git a/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store/closure.md b/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store/closure.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..065b95ffc --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store/closure.md @@ -0,0 +1,29 @@ +# Closure + +Nix stores ensure [referential integrity][referential-integrity]: for each store object in the store, all the store objects it references must also be in the store. + +The set of all store objects reachable by following references from a given initial set of store objects is called a *closure*. + +Adding, building, copying and deleting store objects must be done in a way that preserves referential integrity: + +- A newly added store object cannot have references, unless it is a build task. + +- Build results must only refer to store objects in the closure of the build inputs. + + Building a store object will add appropriate references, according to the build task. + +- Store objects being copied must refer to objects already in the destination store. + + Recursive copying must either proceed in dependency order or be atomic. + +- We can only safely delete store objects which are not reachable from any reference still in use. + + <!-- more details in section on garbage collection, link to it once it exists --> + +[referential-integrity]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referential_integrity +[garbage-collection]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_collection_(computer_science) +[immutable-object]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immutable_object +[opaque-data-type]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opaque_data_type +[unique-identifier]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unique_identifier + + diff --git a/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store/terminology.md b/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store/terminology.md new file mode 100644 index 000000000..3dd7aa756 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/manual/src/architecture/store/store/terminology.md @@ -0,0 +1,32 @@ +# A [Rosetta stone][rosetta-stone] for build system terminology {#build-system-terminology} + +The Nix store's design is comparable to other build systems. +Usage of terms is, for historic reasons, not entirely consistent within the Nix ecosystem, and still subject to slow change. + +The following translation table points out similarities and equivalent terms, to help clarify their meaning and inform consistent use in the future. + +| generic build system | Nix | [Bazel][bazel] | [Build Systems à la Carte][bsalc] | programming language | +| -------------------------------- | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------ | +| data (build input, build result) | store object | [artifact][bazel-artifact] | value | value | +| build instructions | builder | ([depends on action type][bazel-actions]) | function | function | +| build task | derivation | [action][bazel-action] | `Task` | [thunk][thunk] | +| build plan | derivation graph | [action graph][bazel-action-graph], [build graph][bazel-build-graph] | `Tasks` | [call graph][call-graph] | +| build | build | build | application of `Build` | evaluation | +| persistence layer | store | [action cache][bazel-action-cache] | `Store` | heap | + +All of these systems share features of [declarative programming][declarative-programming] languages, a key insight first put forward by Eelco Dolstra et al. in [Imposing a Memory Management Discipline on Software Deployment][immdsd] (2004), elaborated in his PhD thesis [The Purely Functional Software Deployment Model][phd-thesis] (2006), and further refined by Andrey Mokhov et al. in [Build Systems à la Carte][bsalc] (2018). + +[rosetta-stone]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone +[bazel]: https://bazel.build/start/bazel-intro +[bazel-artifact]: https://bazel.build/reference/glossary#artifact +[bazel-actions]: https://docs.bazel.build/versions/main/skylark/lib/actions.html +[bazel-action]: https://bazel.build/reference/glossary#action +[bazel-action-graph]: https://bazel.build/reference/glossary#action-graph +[bazel-build-graph]: https://bazel.build/reference/glossary#build-graph +[bazel-action-cache]: https://bazel.build/reference/glossary#action-cache +[thunk]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunk +[call-graph]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_graph +[declarative-programming]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declarative_programming +[immdsd]: https://edolstra.github.io/pubs/immdsd-icse2004-final.pdf +[phd-thesis]: https://edolstra.github.io/pubs/phd-thesis.pdf +[bsalc]: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2018/03/build-systems.pdf |