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@ -8,26 +8,45 @@ myst:
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(packaging-existing-software)=
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# Packaging existing software with Nix
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One of Nix's primary use-cases is in addressing common difficulties encountered while packaging software, like managing dependencies.
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One of Nix's primary use-cases is in addressing common difficulties encountered with packaging software, such as specifying and obtaining dependencies.
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In the long term, Nix helps tremendously in alleviating that stress, but when *first* packaging existing software with Nix, it's common to encounter missing dependencies preventing builds from succeeding.
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In the long term, Nix helps tremendously with alleviating such problems.
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But when *first* packaging existing software with Nix, it's common to encounter errors that seem inscrutable.
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In this tutorial, you'll create your first Nix derivations to package C/C++ software, taking advantage of the [Nixpkgs Standard Environment](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#part-stdenv) (`stdenv`) which automates much of the work of building self-contained C/C++ packages.
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## Introduction
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The tutorial begins by considering `hello`, an implementation of "hello world" which only requires dependencies provided by `stdenv`.
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In this tutorial, you'll create your first [Nix derivations](https://nix.dev/manual/nix/2.18/language/derivations) to package C/C++ software, taking advantage of the [Nixpkgs Standard Environment](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#part-stdenv) (`stdenv`), which automates much of the work involved.
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### What will you learn?
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The tutorial begins with `hello`, an implementation of "hello world" which only requires dependencies already provided by `stdenv`.
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Next, you will build more complex packages with their own dependencies, leading you to use additional derivation features.
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You'll encounter and address Nix error messages, build failures, and a host of other issues, developing your iterative debugging techniques along the way.
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:::{note}
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A _package_ is an informally defined Nixpkgs concept referring to a Nix derivation representing an installation of some project.
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Packages have mostly standardised attributes and output layouts, allowing them to be discovered in searches and installed into environments alongside other packages.
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### What do you need?
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For the purposes of this tutorial, "package" means something like "result of a derivation"; this is the artifact you or others will use, as a consequence of having "packaged existing software with Nix".
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- Familiarity with the Unix shell and plain text editors
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- You should be confident with [reading the Nix language](reading-nix-language). Feel free to go back and work through the tutorial first.
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### How long does it take?
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Going through all the steps carefully will take around 60 minutes.
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## Your first package
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:::{note}
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<!--
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TODO: link to the Nix manual glossary entry once it's in a released build:
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https://hydra.nixos.org/job/nix/master/build.x86_64-linux/latest/download/manual/glossary.html#package
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-->
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A _package_ is a loosely defined concept that refers to either a collection of files and other data, or a {term}`Nix expression` representing such a collection before it comes into being.
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Packages in Nixpkgs have a conventional structure, allowing them to be discovered in searches and composed in environments alongside other packages.
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For the purposes of this tutorial, a "package" is a Nix language function that will evaluate to a derivation.
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It will enable you or others to produce an artifact for practical use, as a consequence of having "packaged existing software with Nix".
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:::
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## A simple project
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To start, consider this skeleton derivation:
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```nix
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@ -38,37 +57,42 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation { };
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This is a function which takes an attribute set containing `stdenv`, and produces a derivation (which currently does nothing).
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As you progress through this tutorial, you will update this several times, adding more details while following the general pattern.
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### A package function
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### Hello, World!
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GNU Hello is an implementation of the "hello world" program, with source code accessible [from the GNU Project's FTP server](https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/hello/).
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To begin, you should add a `name` attribute to the set passed to `mkDerivation`; every derivation needs a name, and Nix will throw `error: derivation name missing` without one.
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To begin, add a `name` attribute to the set passed to `mkDerivation`.
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Every package needs a name and a version, and Nix will throw `error: derivation name missing` without.
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```diff
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...
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stdenv.mkDerivation {
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+ name = "hello";
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...
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+ pname = "hello";
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+ version = "2.12.1";
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```
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Next, you will download the [latest version](https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/hello/hello-2.12.1.tar.gz) of `hello` using `fetchzip`, which takes the URI path to the download file and a SHA256 hash of its contents.
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Next, you will declare a dependency on the latest version of `hello`, and instruct Nix to use `fetchzip` to download the [source code archive](https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/hello/hello-2.12.1.tar.gz).
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:::{note}
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`fetchzip` can fetch [more archives](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#fetchurl) than just zip files!
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`fetchzip` can fetch [more archives](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#fetchurl) than just] zip files!
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:::
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The hash cannot be known until after the tarball has been downloaded and unpacked, but Nix will complain if the hash supplied to `fetchzip` was incorrect, so it is common practice to supply a fake one with `lib.fakeSha256` and change the derivation definition after Nix reports the correct hash:
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The hash cannot be known until after the archive has been downloaded and unpacked.
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Nix will complain if the hash supplied to `fetchzip` is incorrect.
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It is common practice to supply a fake one with `lib.fakeSha256` and change the derivation definition after Nix reports the correct hash:
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```nix
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# hello.nix
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{ lib
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, stdenv
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, fetchzip
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{
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lib,
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stdenv,
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fetchzip,
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}:
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stdenv.mkDerivation {
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name = "hello";
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pname = "hello";
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version = "2.12.1";
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src = fetchzip {
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url = "https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/hello/hello-2.12.1.tar.gz";
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@ -77,7 +101,7 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
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}
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```
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Save this file to `hello.nix` and try to build it with `nix-build`, observing your first build failure:
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Save this file to `hello.nix` and run `nix-build` to observe your first build failure:
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```console
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$ nix-build hello.nix
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@ -97,22 +121,24 @@ error: cannot evaluate a function that has an argument without a value ('lib')
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Problem: the expression in `hello.nix` is a *function*, which only produces its intended output if it is passed the correct *arguments*.
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### A new command
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`lib` is available from `nixpkgs`, which must be imported with another Nix expression in order to pass it as an argument to this derivation.
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### Building with `nix-build`
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The recommended way to do this is to create a `default.nix` in the same directory as `hello.nix`, with the following contents:
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`lib` is available from [`nixpkgs`](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/), which must be imported with another Nix expression in order to pass it as an argument to this derivation.
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The recommended way to do this is to create a `default.nix` file in the same directory as `hello.nix`, with the following contents:
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```nix
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# default.nix
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let
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pkgs = import <nixpkgs> { };
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nixpkgs = fetchTarball "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/tarball/nixos-22.11";
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pkgs = import nixpkgs { config = {}; overlays = []; };
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in
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{
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hello = pkgs.callPackage ./hello.nix { };
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}
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```
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This allows you to use `nix-build -A hello` to realize the derivation in `hello.nix`, similar to the current convention used in `nixpkgs`.
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This allows you to run `nix-build -A hello` to realize the derivation in `hello.nix`, similar to the current convention used in Nixpkgs.
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:::{note}
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[`callPackage`] automatically passes attributes from `pkgs` to the given function, if they match attributes required by that function's argument attrset.
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@ -141,17 +167,20 @@ error:
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```
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### Finding the file hash
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As expected, the incorrect file hash caused an error, and Nix helpfully provided the correct one, which you can now substitute into `hello.nix` to replace `lib.fakeSha256`:
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As expected, the incorrect file hash caused an error, and Nix helpfully provided the correct one.
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In `hello.nix`, replace `lib.fakeSha256` with the correct hash:
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```nix
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# hello.nix
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{ lib
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, stdenv
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, fetchzip
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{
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lib,
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stdenv,
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fetchzip,
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}:
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stdenv.mkDerivation {
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name = "hello";
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pname = "hello";
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version = "2.12.1";
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src = fetchzip {
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url = "https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/hello/hello-2.12.1.tar.gz";
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@ -179,7 +208,7 @@ building
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Great news: the derivation built successfully!
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The console output shows that `configure` was called, which produced a `Makefile` that was then used to build the project.
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It wasn't necessary to write any build instructions in this case because the `stdenv` build system is based on `autoconf`, which automatically detected the structure of the project directory.
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It wasn't necessary to write any build instructions in this case because the `stdenv` build system is based on [GNU Autoconf](https://www.gnu.org/software/autoconf/), which automatically detected the structure of the project directory.
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### Build result
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Check your working directory for the result:
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@ -189,7 +218,7 @@ $ ls
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default.nix hello.nix result
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```
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This `result` is a symbolic link to a Nix store location containing the built binary; you can call `./result/bin/hello` to execute this program:
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This `result` is a [symbolic link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_link) to a Nix store location containing the built binary; you can call `./result/bin/hello` to execute this program:
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```console
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$ ./result/bin/hello
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@ -200,15 +229,17 @@ Congratulations, you have successfully packaged your first program with Nix!
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Next, you'll package another piece of software with external-to-`stdenv` dependencies that present new challenges, requiring you to make use of more `mkDerivation` features.
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## Something bigger
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## A package with dependencies
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Now you will package a somewhat more complicated program, [`icat`](https://github.com/atextor/icat), which allows you to render images in your terminal.
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To start, modify the `default.nix` from the previous section by adding a new attribute for `icat`:
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Change the `default.nix` from the previous section by adding a new attribute for `icat`:
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```nix
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# default.nix
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let
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pkgs = import <nixpkgs> { };
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nixpkgs = fetchTarball "https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/tarball/nixos-22.11";
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pkgs = import nixpkgs { config = {}; overlays = []; };
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in
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{
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hello = pkgs.callPackage ./hello.nix { };
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@ -216,39 +247,44 @@ in
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}
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```
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Now copy `hello.nix` to a new file, `icat.nix`, and update the `name` attribute in that file:
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Copy `hello.nix` to a new file `icat.nix`, and update the `pname` and `version` attributes in that file:
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```nix
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# icat.nix
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{ lib
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, stdenv
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, fetchzip
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{
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lib,
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stdenv,
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fetchzip,
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}:
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stdenv.mkDerivation {
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name = "icat";
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pname = "icat";
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version = "v0.5";
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src = fetchzip {
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...
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# ...
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};
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}
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```
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Now to download the source code.
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`icat`'s upstream repository is hosted on [GitHub](https://github.com/atextor/icat), so you should modify the previous [source fetcher](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#chap-pkgs-fetchers), this time using `fetchFromGitHub` instead of `fetchzip`, updating the argument attribute set to the function accordingly:
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|
|
`icat`'s upstream repository is hosted on [GitHub](https://github.com/atextor/icat), so you should replace the previous [source fetcher](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#chap-pkgs-fetchers).
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This time you will use [`fetchFromGitHub`](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#fetchfromgithub) instead of `fetchzip`, by updating the argument attribute set to the function accordingly:
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```nix
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# icat.nix
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{ lib
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, stdenv
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, fetchFromGitHub
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|
{
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lib,
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stdenv,
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fetchFromGitHub,
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}:
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|
|
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|
|
stdenv.mkDerivation {
|
|
|
|
|
name = "icat";
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|
|
|
pname = "icat";
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|
|
|
version = "v0.5";
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|
|
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|
src = fetchFromGitHub {
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|
...
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|
# ...
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|
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|
|
};
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}
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|
```
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|
|
@ -256,19 +292,27 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
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|
|
### Fetching source from GitHub
|
|
|
|
|
While `fetchzip` required `url` and `sha256` arguments, more are needed for [`fetchFromGitHub`](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#fetchfromgithub).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The source is hosted on GitHub at `https://github.com/atextor/icat`, which already gives the first two arguments:
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|
|
|
|
- `owner`: the name of the account controlling the repository; `owner = "atextor";`
|
|
|
|
|
- `repo`: the name of the repository to fetch; `repo = "icat";`
|
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|
|
|
The source is URL is `https://github.com/atextor/icat`, which already gives the first two arguments:
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|
|
- `owner`: the name of the account controlling the repository
|
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|
|
|
|
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|
|
You can navigate to the project's [Tags page](https://github.com/atextor/icat/tags) to find a suitable `rev`, such as the git commit hash or tag (e.g. `v1.0`) corresponding to the release you want to fetch.
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|
|
```
|
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|
|
owner = "atextor";
|
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|
|
```
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|
|
- `repo`: the name of the repository to fetch
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
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|
|
repo = "icat";
|
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|
|
``````
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|
|
Navigate to the project's [Tags page](https://github.com/atextor/icat/tags) to find a suitable [Git revision](https://git-scm.com/docs/revisions) (`rev`), such as the Git commit hash or tag (e.g. `v1.0`) corresponding to the release you want to fetch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In this case, the latest release tag is `v0.5`.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As in the `hello` example, a hash must also be supplied.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This time, instead of using `lib.fakeSha256` and letting `nix-build` report the correct one in an error, you can fetch the correct hash in the first place with the `nix-prefetch-url` command.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need the SHA256 hash of the *contents* of the tarball (as opposed to the hash of the tarball file itself), so you will need to pass the `--unpack` and `--type sha256` arguments too:
|
|
|
|
|
You need the SHA256 hash of the *contents* of the tarball (as opposed to the hash of the tarball file itself).
|
|
|
|
|
Therefore pass the `--unpack` and `--type sha256` arguments:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```console
|
|
|
|
|
$ nix-prefetch-url --unpack https://github.com/atextor/icat/archive/refs/tags/v0.5.tar.gz --type sha256
|
|
|
|
|
@ -276,17 +320,19 @@ path is '/nix/store/p8jl1jlqxcsc7ryiazbpm7c1mqb6848b-v0.5.tar.gz'
|
|
|
|
|
0wyy2ksxp95vnh71ybj1bbmqd5ggp13x3mk37pzr99ljs9awy8ka
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Now you can supply the correct hash to `fetchFromGitHub`:
|
|
|
|
|
Set the correct hash for `fetchFromGitHub`:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```nix
|
|
|
|
|
# icat.nix
|
|
|
|
|
{ lib
|
|
|
|
|
, stdenv
|
|
|
|
|
, fetchFromGitHub
|
|
|
|
|
{
|
|
|
|
|
lib,
|
|
|
|
|
stdenv,
|
|
|
|
|
fetchFromGitHub,
|
|
|
|
|
}:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
stdenv.mkDerivation {
|
|
|
|
|
name = "icat";
|
|
|
|
|
pname = "icat";
|
|
|
|
|
version = "v0.5";
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
src = fetchFromGitHub {
|
|
|
|
|
owner = "atextor";
|
|
|
|
|
@ -298,7 +344,8 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Missing dependencies
|
|
|
|
|
Running `nix-build` with the new `icat` attribute, an entirely new issue is reported:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Running `nix-build` with the new `icat` attribute, an entirely new issue is reported:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```console
|
|
|
|
|
$ nix-build -A icat
|
|
|
|
|
@ -324,20 +371,23 @@ error: builder for '/nix/store/l5wz9inkvkf0qhl8kpl39vpg2xfm2qpy-icat.drv' failed
|
|
|
|
|
A compiler error!
|
|
|
|
|
The `icat` source was pulled from GitHub, and Nix tried to build what it found, but compilation failed due to a missing dependency: the `imlib2` header.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you [search for `imlib2` on search.nixos.org](https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=23.05&from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&type=packages&query=imlib2), you'll find that `imlib2` is already in `nixpkgs`.
|
|
|
|
|
If you [search for `imlib2` on search.nixos.org](https://search.nixos.org/packages?query=imlib2), you'll find that `imlib2` is already in Nixpkgs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You can add this package to your build environment by adding `imlib2` to the set of inputs to the expression in `icat.nix`, and then adding `imlib2` to the list of `buildInputs` in `stdenv.mkDerivation`:
|
|
|
|
|
Add this package to your build environment by adding `imlib2` to the arguments of the function in `icat.nix`.
|
|
|
|
|
Then add the argument's value `imlib2` to the list of `buildInputs` in `stdenv.mkDerivation`:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```nix
|
|
|
|
|
# icat.nix
|
|
|
|
|
{ lib
|
|
|
|
|
, stdenv
|
|
|
|
|
, fetchFromGitHub
|
|
|
|
|
, imlib2
|
|
|
|
|
{
|
|
|
|
|
lib,
|
|
|
|
|
stdenv,
|
|
|
|
|
fetchFromGitHub,
|
|
|
|
|
imlib2,
|
|
|
|
|
}:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
stdenv.mkDerivation {
|
|
|
|
|
name = "icat";
|
|
|
|
|
pname = "icat";
|
|
|
|
|
version = "v0.5";
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
src = fetchFromGitHub {
|
|
|
|
|
owner = "atextor";
|
|
|
|
|
@ -372,30 +422,99 @@ error: builder for '/nix/store/bw2d4rp2k1l5rg49hds199ma2mz36x47-icat.drv' failed
|
|
|
|
|
For full logs, run 'nix log /nix/store/bw2d4rp2k1l5rg49hds199ma2mz36x47-icat.drv'.
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You can see a few warnings which should be corrected in the upstream code, but the important bit for this tutorial is `fatal error: X11/Xlib.h: No such file or directory`: another dependency is missing.
|
|
|
|
|
You can see a few warnings which should be corrected in the upstream code.
|
|
|
|
|
But the important bit for this tutorial is `fatal error: X11/Xlib.h: No such file or directory`: another dependency is missing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Finding packages
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
:::{note}
|
|
|
|
|
Determining from where to source a dependency is currently a somewhat-involved process: it helps to become familiar with searching the `nixpkgs` source for keywords.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consider using `nix-locate` from the [`nix-index`](https://github.com/nix-community/nix-index) tool to find derivations that provide what you need.
|
|
|
|
|
:::
|
|
|
|
|
Determining from where to source a dependency is currently a somewhat involved, because package names don't always correspond to library or program names.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You will need the `Xlib.h` headers from the `X11` C package, the Nixpkgs derivation for which is `libX11`, available in the `xorg` package set.
|
|
|
|
|
There are multiple ways to figure this out:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### `search.nixos.org`
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
:::{tip}
|
|
|
|
|
The easiest way to find what you need is on search.nixos.org/packages.
|
|
|
|
|
:::
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unfortunately in this case, [searching for `x11`](https://search.nixos.org/packages?query=x11) produces too many irrelevant results because X11 is ubiquitous.
|
|
|
|
|
On the left side bar there is a list package sets, and [selecting `xorg`](https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=23.11&buckets={%22package_attr_set%22%3A[%22xorg%22]%2C%22package_license_set%22%3A[]%2C%22package_maintainers_set%22%3A[]%2C%22package_platforms%22%3A[]}&query=x11) shows something promising.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In case all else fails, it helps to become familiar with searching the [Nixpkgs source code](https://github.com/nixos/nixpkgs) for keywords.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Git and `rg`
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To find name assignments in the source, search for `"<keyword> ="`.
|
|
|
|
|
For example, these are the search results for [`"x11 = "`](https://github.com/search?q=repo%3ANixOS%2Fnixpkgs+%22x11+%3D%22&type=code) or [`"libx11 ="`](https://github.com/search?q=repo%3ANixOS%2Fnixpkgs+%22libx11+%3D%22&type=code) on Github .
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Or fetch a local clone of the repository and use `rg`.
|
|
|
|
|
Nixpkgs is huge.
|
|
|
|
|
Only clone the latest revision if you don't want to wait a long time:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```console
|
|
|
|
|
$ nix-shell -p git ripgrep
|
|
|
|
|
[nix-shell:~]$ git glone https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs --depth 1
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To narrow down results, specify which subdirectory you want to search:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```console
|
|
|
|
|
[nix-shell:~]$ rg "x11 =" pkgs
|
|
|
|
|
pkgs/tools/X11/primus/default.nix
|
|
|
|
|
21: primus = if useNvidia then primusLib_ else primusLib_.override { nvidia_x11 = null; };
|
|
|
|
|
22: primus_i686 = if useNvidia then primusLib_i686_ else primusLib_i686_.override { nvidia_x11 = null; };
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
pkgs/applications/graphics/imv/default.nix
|
|
|
|
|
38: x11 = [ libGLU xorg.libxcb xorg.libX11 ];
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
pkgs/tools/X11/primus/lib.nix
|
|
|
|
|
14: if nvidia_x11 == null then libGL
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
pkgs/top-level/linux-kernels.nix
|
|
|
|
|
573: ati_drivers_x11 = throw "ati drivers are no longer supported by any kernel >=4.1"; # added 2021-05-18;
|
|
|
|
|
... <a lot more results>
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Since `rg` is case sensitive by default,
|
|
|
|
|
Add `-i` to make sure you don't miss anything:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
[nix-shell:~]$ rg -i "libx11 =" pkgs
|
|
|
|
|
pkgs/applications/version-management/monotone-viz/graphviz-2.0.nix
|
|
|
|
|
55: ++ lib.optional (libX11 == null) "--without-x";
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
|
|
|
|
|
14191: libX11 = xorg.libX11;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
pkgs/servers/x11/xorg/default.nix
|
|
|
|
|
1119: libX11 = callPackage ({ stdenv, pkg-config, fetchurl, xorgproto, libpthreadstubs, libxcb, xtrans, testers }: stdenv.mkDerivation (finalAttrs: {
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
pkgs/servers/x11/xorg/overrides.nix
|
|
|
|
|
147: libX11 = super.libX11.overrideAttrs (attrs: {
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### `nix-locate`
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Consider using `nix-locate` from the [`nix-index`](https://github.com/nix-community/nix-index) tool to find derivations that provide what you need.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Adding package sets as dependencies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Add this to your derivation's input attribute set and to `buildInputs`:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```nix
|
|
|
|
|
# icat.nix
|
|
|
|
|
{ lib
|
|
|
|
|
, stdenv
|
|
|
|
|
, fetchFromGitHub
|
|
|
|
|
, imlib2
|
|
|
|
|
, xorg
|
|
|
|
|
{
|
|
|
|
|
lib,
|
|
|
|
|
stdenv,
|
|
|
|
|
fetchFromGitHub,
|
|
|
|
|
imlib2,
|
|
|
|
|
xorg,
|
|
|
|
|
}:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
stdenv.mkDerivation {
|
|
|
|
|
name = "icat";
|
|
|
|
|
pname = "icat";
|
|
|
|
|
version = "v0.5";
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
src = fetchFromGitHub {
|
|
|
|
|
owner = "atextor";
|
|
|
|
|
@ -414,7 +533,10 @@ Only add the top-level `xorg` derivation to the input attrset, rather than the f
|
|
|
|
|
Because Nix is lazily-evaluated, using `xorg.libX11` means that we only include the `libX11` attribute and the derivation doesn't actually include all of `xorg` into the build context.
|
|
|
|
|
:::
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Fixing build failures
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Run the last command again:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```console
|
|
|
|
|
$ nix-build -A icat
|
|
|
|
|
this derivation will be built:
|
|
|
|
|
@ -438,28 +560,36 @@ error: builder for '/nix/store/x1d79ld8jxqdla5zw2b47d2sl87mf56k-icat.drv' failed
|
|
|
|
|
The missing dependency error is solved, but there is now another problem: `make: *** No rule to make target 'install'. Stop.`
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### `installPhase`
|
|
|
|
|
The `stdenv` is automatically working with the `Makefile` that comes with `icat`: you can see in the console output that `configure` and `make` are executed without issue, so the `icat` binary is compiling successfully.
|
|
|
|
|
`stdenv` is automatically working with the `Makefile` that comes with `icat`.
|
|
|
|
|
The console output showas that `configure` and `make` are executed without issue, so the `icat` binary is compiling successfully.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The failure occurs when the `stdenv` attempts to run `make install`: the `Makefile` included in the project happens to lack an `install` target, and the `README` in the `icat` repository only mentions using `make` to build the tool, leaving the installation step up to users.
|
|
|
|
|
The failure occurs when the `stdenv` attempts to run `make install`.
|
|
|
|
|
The `Makefile` included in the project happens to lack an `install` target.
|
|
|
|
|
The `README` in the `icat` repository only mentions using `make` to build the tool, leaving the installation step up to users.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To add this step to your derivation, use the [`installPhase` attribute](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#ssec-install-phase), which contains a list of command strings to execute to perform the installation.
|
|
|
|
|
To add this step to your derivation, use the [`installPhase` attribute](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#ssec-install-phase).
|
|
|
|
|
It contains a list of command strings that are executed to perform the installation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Because the `make` step completes successfully, the `icat` executable is available in the build directory, and you only need to copy it from there to the output directory.
|
|
|
|
|
Because `make` finishes successfully, the `icat` executable is available in the build directory.
|
|
|
|
|
You only need to copy it from there to the output directory.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In Nix, the output directory is stored in the `$out` variable, accessible in the derivation's component scripts.
|
|
|
|
|
In Nix, the output directory is stored in the `$out` variable.
|
|
|
|
|
That variable is accessible in the derivation's [`builder` execution environment](https://nix.dev/manual/nix/2.19/language/derivations#builder-execution).
|
|
|
|
|
Create a `bin` directory within the `$out` directory and copy the `icat` binary there:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
```nix
|
|
|
|
|
# icat.nix
|
|
|
|
|
{ lib
|
|
|
|
|
, stdenv
|
|
|
|
|
, fetchFromGitHub
|
|
|
|
|
, imlib2
|
|
|
|
|
, xorg
|
|
|
|
|
{
|
|
|
|
|
lib,
|
|
|
|
|
stdenv,
|
|
|
|
|
fetchFromGitHub,
|
|
|
|
|
imlib2,
|
|
|
|
|
xorg,
|
|
|
|
|
}:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
stdenv.mkDerivation {
|
|
|
|
|
name = "icat";
|
|
|
|
|
pname = "icat";
|
|
|
|
|
version = "v0.5";
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
src = fetchFromGitHub {
|
|
|
|
|
owner = "atextor";
|
|
|
|
|
@ -478,35 +608,45 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
|
|
|
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Phases and hooks
|
|
|
|
|
Nixpkgs `stdenv.mkDerivation` derivations are separated into [phases](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#sec-stdenv-phases), each of which is intended to control some aspect of the build process.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You saw earlier how `stdenv.mkDerivation` expected the project's `Makefile` to have an `install` target, and failed when it didn't.
|
|
|
|
|
Nixpkgs `stdenv.mkDerivation` derivations are separated into [phases](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#sec-stdenv-phases).
|
|
|
|
|
Each is intended to control some aspect of the build process.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Earlier you observed how `stdenv.mkDerivation` expected the project's `Makefile` to have an `install` target, and failed when it didn't.
|
|
|
|
|
To fix this, you defined a custom `installPhase` containing instructions for copying the `icat` binary to the correct output location, in effect installing it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Up to that point, the `stdenv.mkDerivation` automatically determined the `buildPhase` information for the `icat` package.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
During derivation realisation, there are a number of shell functions ("hooks", in `nixpkgs`) which may execute in each derivation phase, which do things like set variables, source files, create directories, and so on.
|
|
|
|
|
During derivation realisation, there are a number of shell functions ("hooks", in Nixpkgs) which may execute in each derivation phase.
|
|
|
|
|
Hooks do things like set variables, source files, create directories, and so on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
These are specific to each phase, and run both before and after that phase's execution, controlling the build environment and helping to prevent environment-modifying behavior defined within packages from creating sources of nondeterminism within and between Nix derivations.
|
|
|
|
|
These are specific to each phase, and run both before and after that phase's execution.
|
|
|
|
|
They modify the build environment for common operations during the build.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It's good practice when packaging software with Nix to include calls to these hooks in the derivation phases you define, even when you don't make direct use of them; this facilitates easy [overriding](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#chap-overrides) of specific parts of the derivation later, in addition to the previously-mentioned reproducibility benefits.
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It's good practice when packaging software with Nix to include calls to these hooks in the derivation phases you define, even when you don't make direct use of them.
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This facilitates easy [overriding](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/#chap-overrides) of specific parts of the derivation later.
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And it keeps the code tidy and makes it easier to read.
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You should now adjust your `installPhase` to call the appropriate hooks:
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Adjust your `installPhase` to call the appropriate hooks:
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```nix
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# icat.nix
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...
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# ...
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installPhase = ''
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runHook preInstall
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mkdir -p $out/bin
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cp icat $out/bin
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runHook postInstall
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'';
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...
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# ...
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```
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### A successful build
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Running the `nix-build` command once more will finally do what you want, and more safely than before; you can `ls` in the local directory to find a `result` symlink to a location in the Nix store:
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## A successful build
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Running the `nix-build` command once more will finally do what you want, repeatably.
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Call `ls` in the local directory to find a `result` symlink to a location in the Nix store:
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```console
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$ ls
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@ -524,6 +664,9 @@ default.nix hello.nix icat.nix result
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## Next steps
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- [Add your own new packages to Nixpkgs](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md)
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- [](../contributing/how-to-contribute.md)
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- [](../contributing/how-to-get-help.md)
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- [](sharing-dependencies)
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- [](automatic-direnv)
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- [](python-dev-environment)
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