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R""(
# Examples
* Create a new flake:
```console
# nix flake new hello
# cd hello
```
* Build the flake in the current directory:
```console
# nix build
# ./result/bin/hello
Hello, world!
```
* Run the flake in the current directory:
```console
# nix run
Hello, world!
```
* Start a development shell for hacking on this flake:
```console
# nix develop
# unpackPhase
# cd hello-*
# configurePhase
# buildPhase
# ./hello
Hello, world!
# installPhase
# ../outputs/out/bin/hello
Hello, world!
```
# Description
Nix is a tool for building software, configurations and other
artifacts in a reproducible and declarative way. For more information,
see the [Nix homepage](https://nixos.org/) or the [Nix
manual](https://nixos.org/manual/nix/stable/).
# Installables
Many `nix` subcommands operate on one or more *installables*. These are
command line arguments that represent something that can be built in
the Nix store. Here are the recognised types of installables:
* **Flake output attributes**: `nixpkgs#hello`
These have the form *flakeref*[`#`*attrpath*], where *flakeref* is a
flake reference and *attrpath* is an optional attribute path. For
more information on flakes, see [the `nix flake` manual
page](./nix3-flake.md). Flake references are most commonly a flake
identifier in the flake registry (e.g. `nixpkgs`) or a path
(e.g. `/path/to/my-flake` or `.`).
If *attrpath* is omitted, Nix tries some default values; for most
subcommands, the default is `defaultPackage.`*system*
(e.g. `defaultPackage.x86_64-linux`), but some subcommands have
other defaults. If *attrpath* *is* specified, *attrpath* is
interpreted as relative to one or more prefixes; for most
subcommands, these are `packages.`*system*,
`legacyPackages.*system*` and the empty prefix. Thus, on
`x86_64-linux` `nix build nixpkgs#hello` will try to build the
attributes `packages.x86_64-linux.hello`,
`legacyPackages.x86_64-linux.hello` and `hello`.
* **Store paths**: `/nix/store/v5sv61sszx301i0x6xysaqzla09nksnd-hello-2.10`
These are paths inside the Nix store, or symlinks that resolve to a
path in the Nix store.
* **Store derivations**: `/nix/store/p7gp6lxdg32h4ka1q398wd9r2zkbbz2v-hello-2.10.drv`
Store derivations are store paths with extension `.drv` and are a
low-level representation of a build-time dependency graph used
internally by Nix. By default, if you pass a store derivation to a
`nix` subcommand, it will operate on the *output paths* of the
derivation. For example, `nix path-info` prints information about
the output paths:
```console
# nix path-info --json /nix/store/p7gp6lxdg32h4ka1q398wd9r2zkbbz2v-hello-2.10.drv
[{"path":"/nix/store/v5sv61sszx301i0x6xysaqzla09nksnd-hello-2.10",…}]
```
If you want to operate on the store derivation itself, pass the
`--derivation` flag.
* **Nix attributes**: `--file /path/to/nixpkgs hello`
When the `-f` / `--file` *path* option is given, installables are
interpreted as attribute paths referencing a value returned by
evaluating the Nix file *path*.
* **Nix expressions**: `--expr '(import <nixpkgs> {}).hello.overrideDerivation (prev: { name = "my-hello"; })'`.
When the `--expr` option is given, all installables are interpreted
as Nix expressions. You may need to specify `--impure` if the
expression references impure inputs (such as `<nixpkgs>`).
For most commands, if no installable is specified, the default is `.`,
i.e. Nix will operate on the default flake output attribute of the
flake in the current directory.
# Nix stores
Most `nix` subcommands operate on a *Nix store*.
TODO: list store types, options
)""
|
