6 @documentencoding UTF-8
7 @settitle GNU Guix Reference Manual
12 @c Identifier of the OpenPGP key used to sign tarballs and such.
13 @set OPENPGP-SIGNING-KEY-ID 3CE464558A84FDC69DB40CFB090B11993D9AEBB5
16 Copyright @copyright{} 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Ludovic Courtès@*
17 Copyright @copyright{} 2013, 2014, 2016 Andreas Enge@*
18 Copyright @copyright{} 2013 Nikita Karetnikov@*
19 Copyright @copyright{} 2014, 2015, 2016 Alex Kost@*
20 Copyright @copyright{} 2015, 2016 Mathieu Lirzin@*
21 Copyright @copyright{} 2014 Pierre-Antoine Rault@*
22 Copyright @copyright{} 2015 Taylan Ulrich Bayırlı/Kammer@*
23 Copyright @copyright{} 2015, 2016, 2017 Leo Famulari@*
24 Copyright @copyright{} 2015, 2016, 2017 Ricardo Wurmus@*
25 Copyright @copyright{} 2016 Ben Woodcroft@*
26 Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017 Chris Marusich@*
27 Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017 Efraim Flashner@*
28 Copyright @copyright{} 2016 John Darrington@*
29 Copyright @copyright{} 2016 ng0@*
30 Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017 Jan Nieuwenhuizen@*
31 Copyright @copyright{} 2016 Julien Lepiller@*
32 Copyright @copyright{} 2016 Alex ter Weele@*
33 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Clément Lassieur@*
34 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Mathieu Othacehe@*
35 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Federico Beffa@*
36 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Carlo Zancanaro@*
37 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Thomas Danckaert@*
38 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 humanitiesNerd@*
39 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Christopher Allan Webber@*
40 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Marius Bakke@*
41 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Hartmut Goebel@*
42 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Maxim Cournoyer@*
43 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Tobias Geerinckx-Rice@*
44 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 George Clemmer@*
45 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Andy Wingo@*
46 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Arun Isaac
48 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
49 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
50 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
51 Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A
52 copy of the license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free
53 Documentation License''.
56 @dircategory System administration
58 * Guix: (guix). Manage installed software and system configuration.
59 * guix package: (guix)Invoking guix package. Installing, removing, and upgrading packages.
60 * guix gc: (guix)Invoking guix gc. Reclaiming unused disk space.
61 * guix pull: (guix)Invoking guix pull. Update the list of available packages.
62 * guix system: (guix)Invoking guix system. Manage the operating system configuration.
65 @dircategory Software development
67 * guix environment: (guix)Invoking guix environment. Building development environments with Guix.
68 * guix build: (guix)Invoking guix build. Building packages.
69 * guix pack: (guix)Invoking guix pack. Creating binary bundles.
73 @title GNU Guix Reference Manual
74 @subtitle Using the GNU Guix Functional Package Manager
75 @author The GNU Guix Developers
78 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
79 Edition @value{EDITION} @*
87 @c *********************************************************************
91 This document describes GNU Guix version @value{VERSION}, a functional
92 package management tool written for the GNU system.
95 * Introduction:: What is Guix about?
96 * Installation:: Installing Guix.
97 * Package Management:: Package installation, upgrade, etc.
98 * Programming Interface:: Using Guix in Scheme.
99 * Utilities:: Package management commands.
100 * GNU Distribution:: Software for your friendly GNU system.
101 * Contributing:: Your help needed!
103 * Acknowledgments:: Thanks!
104 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license of this manual.
105 * Concept Index:: Concepts.
106 * Programming Index:: Data types, functions, and variables.
109 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
113 * Binary Installation:: Getting Guix running in no time!
114 * Requirements:: Software needed to build and run Guix.
115 * Running the Test Suite:: Testing Guix.
116 * Setting Up the Daemon:: Preparing the build daemon's environment.
117 * Invoking guix-daemon:: Running the build daemon.
118 * Application Setup:: Application-specific setup.
120 Setting Up the Daemon
122 * Build Environment Setup:: Preparing the isolated build environment.
123 * Daemon Offload Setup:: Offloading builds to remote machines.
127 * Features:: How Guix will make your life brighter.
128 * Invoking guix package:: Package installation, removal, etc.
129 * Substitutes:: Downloading pre-built binaries.
130 * Packages with Multiple Outputs:: Single source package, multiple outputs.
131 * Invoking guix gc:: Running the garbage collector.
132 * Invoking guix pull:: Fetching the latest Guix and distribution.
133 * Invoking guix pack:: Creating software bundles.
134 * Invoking guix archive:: Exporting and importing store files.
138 * Official Substitute Server:: One particular source of substitutes.
139 * Substitute Server Authorization:: How to enable or disable substitutes.
140 * Substitute Authentication:: How Guix verifies substitutes.
141 * Proxy Settings:: How to get substitutes via proxy.
142 * Substitution Failure:: What happens when substitution fails.
143 * On Trusting Binaries:: How can you trust that binary blob?
145 Programming Interface
147 * Defining Packages:: Defining new packages.
148 * Build Systems:: Specifying how packages are built.
149 * The Store:: Manipulating the package store.
150 * Derivations:: Low-level interface to package derivations.
151 * The Store Monad:: Purely functional interface to the store.
152 * G-Expressions:: Manipulating build expressions.
156 * package Reference :: The package data type.
157 * origin Reference:: The origin data type.
161 * Invoking guix build:: Building packages from the command line.
162 * Invoking guix edit:: Editing package definitions.
163 * Invoking guix download:: Downloading a file and printing its hash.
164 * Invoking guix hash:: Computing the cryptographic hash of a file.
165 * Invoking guix import:: Importing package definitions.
166 * Invoking guix refresh:: Updating package definitions.
167 * Invoking guix lint:: Finding errors in package definitions.
168 * Invoking guix size:: Profiling disk usage.
169 * Invoking guix graph:: Visualizing the graph of packages.
170 * Invoking guix environment:: Setting up development environments.
171 * Invoking guix publish:: Sharing substitutes.
172 * Invoking guix challenge:: Challenging substitute servers.
173 * Invoking guix copy:: Copying to and from a remote store.
174 * Invoking guix container:: Process isolation.
175 * Invoking guix weather:: Assessing substitute availability.
177 Invoking @command{guix build}
179 * Common Build Options:: Build options for most commands.
180 * Package Transformation Options:: Creating variants of packages.
181 * Additional Build Options:: Options specific to 'guix build'.
182 * Debugging Build Failures:: Real life packaging experience.
186 * System Installation:: Installing the whole operating system.
187 * System Configuration:: Configuring the operating system.
188 * Documentation:: Browsing software user manuals.
189 * Installing Debugging Files:: Feeding the debugger.
190 * Security Updates:: Deploying security fixes quickly.
191 * Package Modules:: Packages from the programmer's viewpoint.
192 * Packaging Guidelines:: Growing the distribution.
193 * Bootstrapping:: GNU/Linux built from scratch.
194 * Porting:: Targeting another platform or kernel.
198 * Limitations:: What you can expect.
199 * Hardware Considerations:: Supported hardware.
200 * USB Stick and DVD Installation:: Preparing the installation medium.
201 * Preparing for Installation:: Networking, partitioning, etc.
202 * Proceeding with the Installation:: The real thing.
203 * Installing GuixSD in a VM:: GuixSD playground.
204 * Building the Installation Image:: How this comes to be.
208 * Using the Configuration System:: Customizing your GNU system.
209 * operating-system Reference:: Detail of operating-system declarations.
210 * File Systems:: Configuring file system mounts.
211 * Mapped Devices:: Block device extra processing.
212 * User Accounts:: Specifying user accounts.
213 * Locales:: Language and cultural convention settings.
214 * Services:: Specifying system services.
215 * Setuid Programs:: Programs running with root privileges.
216 * X.509 Certificates:: Authenticating HTTPS servers.
217 * Name Service Switch:: Configuring libc's name service switch.
218 * Initial RAM Disk:: Linux-Libre bootstrapping.
219 * Bootloader Configuration:: Configuring the boot loader.
220 * Invoking guix system:: Instantiating a system configuration.
221 * Running GuixSD in a VM:: How to run GuixSD in a virtual machine.
222 * Defining Services:: Adding new service definitions.
226 * Base Services:: Essential system services.
227 * Scheduled Job Execution:: The mcron service.
228 * Log Rotation:: The rottlog service.
229 * Networking Services:: Network setup, SSH daemon, etc.
230 * X Window:: Graphical display.
231 * Printing Services:: Local and remote printer support.
232 * Desktop Services:: D-Bus and desktop services.
233 * Database Services:: SQL databases, key-value stores, etc.
234 * Mail Services:: IMAP, POP3, SMTP, and all that.
235 * Messaging Services:: Messaging services.
236 * Telephony Services:: Telephony services.
237 * Monitoring Services:: Monitoring services.
238 * Kerberos Services:: Kerberos services.
239 * Web Services:: Web servers.
240 * Certificate Services:: TLS certificates via Let's Encrypt.
241 * DNS Services:: DNS daemons.
242 * VPN Services:: VPN daemons.
243 * Network File System:: NFS related services.
244 * Continuous Integration:: The Cuirass service.
245 * Power management Services:: The TLP tool.
246 * Audio Services:: The MPD.
247 * Virtualization Services:: Virtualization services.
248 * Version Control Services:: Providing remote access to Git repositories.
249 * Miscellaneous Services:: Other services.
253 * Service Composition:: The model for composing services.
254 * Service Types and Services:: Types and services.
255 * Service Reference:: API reference.
256 * Shepherd Services:: A particular type of service.
260 * Software Freedom:: What may go into the distribution.
261 * Package Naming:: What's in a name?
262 * Version Numbers:: When the name is not enough.
263 * Synopses and Descriptions:: Helping users find the right package.
264 * Python Modules:: A touch of British comedy.
265 * Perl Modules:: Little pearls.
266 * Java Packages:: Coffee break.
267 * Fonts:: Fond of fonts.
271 * Building from Git:: The latest and greatest.
272 * Running Guix Before It Is Installed:: Hacker tricks.
273 * The Perfect Setup:: The right tools.
274 * Coding Style:: Hygiene of the contributor.
275 * Submitting Patches:: Share your work.
279 * Programming Paradigm:: How to compose your elements.
280 * Modules:: Where to store your code?
281 * Data Types and Pattern Matching:: Implementing data structures.
282 * Formatting Code:: Writing conventions.
287 @c *********************************************************************
289 @chapter Introduction
292 GNU Guix@footnote{``Guix'' is pronounced like ``geeks'', or ``ɡiːks''
293 using the international phonetic alphabet (IPA).} is a package
294 management tool for the GNU system. Guix makes it easy for unprivileged
295 users to install, upgrade, or remove packages, to roll back to a
296 previous package set, to build packages from source, and generally
297 assists with the creation and maintenance of software environments.
299 @cindex user interfaces
300 Guix provides a command-line package management interface
301 (@pxref{Invoking guix package}), a set of command-line utilities
302 (@pxref{Utilities}), as well as Scheme programming interfaces
303 (@pxref{Programming Interface}).
305 Its @dfn{build daemon} is responsible for building packages on behalf of
306 users (@pxref{Setting Up the Daemon}) and for downloading pre-built
307 binaries from authorized sources (@pxref{Substitutes}).
309 @cindex extensibility of the distribution
310 @cindex customization, of packages
311 Guix includes package definitions for many GNU and non-GNU packages, all
312 of which @uref{https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html, respect the
313 user's computing freedom}. It is @emph{extensible}: users can write
314 their own package definitions (@pxref{Defining Packages}) and make them
315 available as independent package modules (@pxref{Package Modules}). It
316 is also @emph{customizable}: users can @emph{derive} specialized package
317 definitions from existing ones, including from the command line
318 (@pxref{Package Transformation Options}).
320 @cindex Guix System Distribution
322 You can install GNU@tie{}Guix on top of an existing GNU/Linux system
323 where it complements the available tools without interference
324 (@pxref{Installation}), or you can use it as part of the standalone
325 @dfn{Guix System Distribution} or GuixSD (@pxref{GNU Distribution}).
326 With GNU@tie{}GuixSD, you @emph{declare} all aspects of the operating
327 system configuration and Guix takes care of instantiating the
328 configuration in a transactional, reproducible, and stateless fashion
329 (@pxref{System Configuration}).
331 @cindex functional package management
332 Under the hood, Guix implements the @dfn{functional package management}
333 discipline pioneered by Nix (@pxref{Acknowledgments}).
334 In Guix, the package build and installation process is seen
335 as a @emph{function}, in the mathematical sense. That function takes inputs,
336 such as build scripts, a compiler, and libraries, and
337 returns an installed package. As a pure function, its result depends
338 solely on its inputs---for instance, it cannot refer to software or
339 scripts that were not explicitly passed as inputs. A build function
340 always produces the same result when passed a given set of inputs. It
341 cannot alter the environment of the running system in
342 any way; for instance, it cannot create, modify, or delete files outside
343 of its build and installation directories. This is achieved by running
344 build processes in isolated environments (or @dfn{containers}), where only their
345 explicit inputs are visible.
348 The result of package build functions is @dfn{cached} in the file
349 system, in a special directory called @dfn{the store} (@pxref{The
350 Store}). Each package is installed in a directory of its own in the
351 store---by default under @file{/gnu/store}. The directory name contains
352 a hash of all the inputs used to build that package; thus, changing an
353 input yields a different directory name.
355 This approach is the foundation for the salient features of Guix: support
356 for transactional package upgrade and rollback, per-user installation, and
357 garbage collection of packages (@pxref{Features}).
360 @c *********************************************************************
362 @chapter Installation
364 @cindex installing Guix
365 GNU Guix is available for download from its website at
366 @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/guix/}. This section describes the
367 software requirements of Guix, as well as how to install it and get
370 Note that this section is concerned with the installation of the package
371 manager, which can be done on top of a running GNU/Linux system. If,
372 instead, you want to install the complete GNU operating system,
373 @pxref{System Installation}.
375 @cindex foreign distro
376 When installed on a running GNU/Linux system---thereafter called a
377 @dfn{foreign distro}---GNU@tie{}Guix complements the available tools
378 without interference. Its data lives exclusively in two directories,
379 usually @file{/gnu/store} and @file{/var/guix}; other files on your
380 system, such as @file{/etc}, are left untouched.
382 Once installed, Guix can be updated by running @command{guix pull}
383 (@pxref{Invoking guix pull}).
386 * Binary Installation:: Getting Guix running in no time!
387 * Requirements:: Software needed to build and run Guix.
388 * Running the Test Suite:: Testing Guix.
389 * Setting Up the Daemon:: Preparing the build daemon's environment.
390 * Invoking guix-daemon:: Running the build daemon.
391 * Application Setup:: Application-specific setup.
394 @node Binary Installation
395 @section Binary Installation
397 @cindex installing Guix from binaries
398 This section describes how to install Guix on an arbitrary system from a
399 self-contained tarball providing binaries for Guix and for all its
400 dependencies. This is often quicker than installing from source, which
401 is described in the next sections. The only requirement is to have
404 Installing goes along these lines:
408 @cindex downloading Guix binary
409 Download the binary tarball from
410 @indicateurl{ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/guix/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz},
411 where @var{system} is @code{x86_64-linux} for an @code{x86_64} machine
412 already running the kernel Linux, and so on.
414 @c The following is somewhat duplicated in ``System Installation''.
415 Make sure to download the associated @file{.sig} file and to verify the
416 authenticity of the tarball against it, along these lines:
419 $ wget ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/guix/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz.sig
420 $ gpg --verify guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz.sig
423 If that command fails because you do not have the required public key,
424 then run this command to import it:
427 $ gpg --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --recv-keys @value{OPENPGP-SIGNING-KEY-ID}
431 and rerun the @code{gpg --verify} command.
432 @c end authentication part
439 # tar --warning=no-timestamp -xf \
440 guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz
441 # mv var/guix /var/ && mv gnu /
444 This creates @file{/gnu/store} (@pxref{The Store}) and @file{/var/guix}.
445 The latter contains a ready-to-use profile for @code{root} (see next
448 Do @emph{not} unpack the tarball on a working Guix system since that
449 would overwrite its own essential files.
451 The @code{--warning=no-timestamp} option makes sure GNU@tie{}tar does
452 not emit warnings about ``implausibly old time stamps'' (such
453 warnings were triggered by GNU@tie{}tar 1.26 and older; recent
455 They stem from the fact that all the
456 files in the archive have their modification time set to zero (which
457 means January 1st, 1970.) This is done on purpose to make sure the
458 archive content is independent of its creation time, thus making it
462 Make @code{root}'s profile available under @file{~/.guix-profile}:
465 # ln -sf /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile \
469 Source @file{etc/profile} to augment @code{PATH} and other relevant
470 environment variables:
473 # GUIX_PROFILE=$HOME/.guix-profile ; \
474 source $GUIX_PROFILE/etc/profile
478 Create the group and user accounts for build users as explained below
479 (@pxref{Build Environment Setup}).
482 Run the daemon, and set it to automatically start on boot.
484 If your host distro uses the systemd init system, this can be achieved
487 @c Versions of systemd that supported symlinked service files are not
488 @c yet widely deployed, so we should suggest that users copy the service
491 @c See this thread for more information:
492 @c http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2017-01/msg01199.html
495 # cp ~root/.guix-profile/lib/systemd/system/guix-daemon.service \
497 # systemctl start guix-daemon && systemctl enable guix-daemon
500 If your host distro uses the Upstart init system:
503 # initctl reload-configuration
504 # cp ~root/.guix-profile/lib/upstart/system/guix-daemon.conf /etc/init/
508 Otherwise, you can still start the daemon manually with:
511 # ~root/.guix-profile/bin/guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild
515 Make the @command{guix} command available to other users on the machine,
519 # mkdir -p /usr/local/bin
521 # ln -s /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile/bin/guix
524 It is also a good idea to make the Info version of this manual available
528 # mkdir -p /usr/local/share/info
529 # cd /usr/local/share/info
530 # for i in /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/guix-profile/share/info/* ;
534 That way, assuming @file{/usr/local/share/info} is in the search path,
535 running @command{info guix} will open this manual (@pxref{Other Info
536 Directories,,, texinfo, GNU Texinfo}, for more details on changing the
540 @cindex substitutes, authorization thereof
541 To use substitutes from @code{hydra.gnu.org} or one of its mirrors
542 (@pxref{Substitutes}), authorize them:
545 # guix archive --authorize < ~root/.guix-profile/share/guix/hydra.gnu.org.pub
549 Each user may need to perform a few additional steps to make their Guix
550 environment ready for use, @pxref{Application Setup}.
553 Voilà, the installation is complete!
555 You can confirm that Guix is working by installing a sample package into
559 # guix package -i hello
562 The @code{guix} package must remain available in @code{root}'s profile,
563 or it would become subject to garbage collection---in which case you
564 would find yourself badly handicapped by the lack of the @command{guix}
565 command. In other words, do not remove @code{guix} by running
566 @code{guix package -r guix}.
568 The binary installation tarball can be (re)produced and verified simply
569 by running the following command in the Guix source tree:
572 make guix-binary.@var{system}.tar.xz
576 ... which, in turn, runs:
579 guix pack -s @var{system} --localstatedir guix
582 @xref{Invoking guix pack}, for more info on this handy tool.
585 @section Requirements
587 This section lists requirements when building Guix from source. The
588 build procedure for Guix is the same as for other GNU software, and is
589 not covered here. Please see the files @file{README} and @file{INSTALL}
590 in the Guix source tree for additional details.
592 GNU Guix depends on the following packages:
595 @item @url{http://gnu.org/software/guile/, GNU Guile}, version 2.0.9 or
596 later, including 2.2.x;
597 @item @url{http://gnupg.org/, GNU libgcrypt};
599 @uref{http://gnutls.org/, GnuTLS}, specifically its Guile bindings
600 (@pxref{Guile Preparations, how to install the GnuTLS bindings for
601 Guile,, gnutls-guile, GnuTLS-Guile});
603 @c FIXME: Specify a version number once a release has been made.
604 @uref{https://gitlab.com/guile-git/guile-git, Guile-Git}, from August
606 @item @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/make/, GNU Make}.
609 The following dependencies are optional:
614 @url{http://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/guile-json/, Guile-JSON} will
615 allow you to use the @command{guix import pypi} command (@pxref{Invoking
616 guix import}). It is of
617 interest primarily for developers and not for casual users.
620 @c Note: We need at least 0.10.2 for 'channel-send-eof'.
621 Support for build offloading (@pxref{Daemon Offload Setup}) and
622 @command{guix copy} (@pxref{Invoking guix copy}) depends on
623 @uref{https://github.com/artyom-poptsov/guile-ssh, Guile-SSH},
624 version 0.10.2 or later.
627 When @url{http://zlib.net, zlib} is available, @command{guix publish}
628 can compress build byproducts (@pxref{Invoking guix publish}).
631 Unless @code{--disable-daemon} was passed to @command{configure}, the
632 following packages are also needed:
635 @item @url{http://sqlite.org, SQLite 3};
636 @item @url{http://www.bzip.org, libbz2};
637 @item @url{http://gcc.gnu.org, GCC's g++}, with support for the
641 @cindex state directory
642 When configuring Guix on a system that already has a Guix installation,
643 be sure to specify the same state directory as the existing installation
644 using the @code{--localstatedir} option of the @command{configure}
645 script (@pxref{Directory Variables, @code{localstatedir},, standards,
646 GNU Coding Standards}). The @command{configure} script protects against
647 unintended misconfiguration of @var{localstatedir} so you do not
648 inadvertently corrupt your store (@pxref{The Store}).
650 @cindex Nix, compatibility
651 When a working installation of @url{http://nixos.org/nix/, the Nix package
652 manager} is available, you
653 can instead configure Guix with @code{--disable-daemon}. In that case,
654 Nix replaces the three dependencies above.
656 Guix is compatible with Nix, so it is possible to share the same store
657 between both. To do so, you must pass @command{configure} not only the
658 same @code{--with-store-dir} value, but also the same
659 @code{--localstatedir} value. The latter is essential because it
660 specifies where the database that stores metadata about the store is
661 located, among other things. The default values for Nix are
662 @code{--with-store-dir=/nix/store} and @code{--localstatedir=/nix/var}.
663 Note that @code{--disable-daemon} is not required if
664 your goal is to share the store with Nix.
666 @node Running the Test Suite
667 @section Running the Test Suite
670 After a successful @command{configure} and @code{make} run, it is a good
671 idea to run the test suite. It can help catch issues with the setup or
672 environment, or bugs in Guix itself---and really, reporting test
673 failures is a good way to help improve the software. To run the test
680 Test cases can run in parallel: you can use the @code{-j} option of
681 GNU@tie{}make to speed things up. The first run may take a few minutes
682 on a recent machine; subsequent runs will be faster because the store
683 that is created for test purposes will already have various things in
686 It is also possible to run a subset of the tests by defining the
687 @code{TESTS} makefile variable as in this example:
690 make check TESTS="tests/store.scm tests/cpio.scm"
693 By default, tests results are displayed at a file level. In order to
694 see the details of every individual test cases, it is possible to define
695 the @code{SCM_LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS} makefile variable as in this example:
698 make check TESTS="tests/base64.scm" SCM_LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS="--brief=no"
701 Upon failure, please email @email{bug-guix@@gnu.org} and attach the
702 @file{test-suite.log} file. Please specify the Guix version being used
703 as well as version numbers of the dependencies (@pxref{Requirements}) in
706 Guix also comes with a whole-system test suite that tests complete
707 GuixSD operating system instances. It can only run on systems where
708 Guix is already installed, using:
715 or, again, by defining @code{TESTS} to select a subset of tests to run:
718 make check-system TESTS="basic mcron"
721 These system tests are defined in the @code{(gnu tests @dots{})}
722 modules. They work by running the operating systems under test with
723 lightweight instrumentation in a virtual machine (VM). They can be
724 computationally intensive or rather cheap, depending on whether
725 substitutes are available for their dependencies (@pxref{Substitutes}).
726 Some of them require a lot of storage space to hold VM images.
728 Again in case of test failures, please send @email{bug-guix@@gnu.org}
731 @node Setting Up the Daemon
732 @section Setting Up the Daemon
735 Operations such as building a package or running the garbage collector
736 are all performed by a specialized process, the @dfn{build daemon}, on
737 behalf of clients. Only the daemon may access the store and its
738 associated database. Thus, any operation that manipulates the store
739 goes through the daemon. For instance, command-line tools such as
740 @command{guix package} and @command{guix build} communicate with the
741 daemon (@i{via} remote procedure calls) to instruct it what to do.
743 The following sections explain how to prepare the build daemon's
744 environment. See also @ref{Substitutes}, for information on how to allow
745 the daemon to download pre-built binaries.
748 * Build Environment Setup:: Preparing the isolated build environment.
749 * Daemon Offload Setup:: Offloading builds to remote machines.
752 @node Build Environment Setup
753 @subsection Build Environment Setup
755 @cindex build environment
756 In a standard multi-user setup, Guix and its daemon---the
757 @command{guix-daemon} program---are installed by the system
758 administrator; @file{/gnu/store} is owned by @code{root} and
759 @command{guix-daemon} runs as @code{root}. Unprivileged users may use
760 Guix tools to build packages or otherwise access the store, and the
761 daemon will do it on their behalf, ensuring that the store is kept in a
762 consistent state, and allowing built packages to be shared among users.
765 When @command{guix-daemon} runs as @code{root}, you may not want package
766 build processes themselves to run as @code{root} too, for obvious
767 security reasons. To avoid that, a special pool of @dfn{build users}
768 should be created for use by build processes started by the daemon.
769 These build users need not have a shell and a home directory: they will
770 just be used when the daemon drops @code{root} privileges in build
771 processes. Having several such users allows the daemon to launch
772 distinct build processes under separate UIDs, which guarantees that they
773 do not interfere with each other---an essential feature since builds are
774 regarded as pure functions (@pxref{Introduction}).
776 On a GNU/Linux system, a build user pool may be created like this (using
777 Bash syntax and the @code{shadow} commands):
779 @c See http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-guix/2013-01/msg00239.html
780 @c for why `-G' is needed.
782 # groupadd --system guixbuild
783 # for i in `seq -w 1 10`;
785 useradd -g guixbuild -G guixbuild \
786 -d /var/empty -s `which nologin` \
787 -c "Guix build user $i" --system \
793 The number of build users determines how many build jobs may run in
794 parallel, as specified by the @option{--max-jobs} option
795 (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon, @option{--max-jobs}}). To use
796 @command{guix system vm} and related commands, you may need to add the
797 build users to the @code{kvm} group so they can access @file{/dev/kvm},
798 using @code{-G guixbuild,kvm} instead of @code{-G guixbuild}
799 (@pxref{Invoking guix system}).
801 The @code{guix-daemon} program may then be run as @code{root} with the
802 following command@footnote{If your machine uses the systemd init system,
803 dropping the @file{@var{prefix}/lib/systemd/system/guix-daemon.service}
804 file in @file{/etc/systemd/system} will ensure that
805 @command{guix-daemon} is automatically started. Similarly, if your
806 machine uses the Upstart init system, drop the
807 @file{@var{prefix}/lib/upstart/system/guix-daemon.conf}
808 file in @file{/etc/init}.}:
811 # guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild
816 This way, the daemon starts build processes in a chroot, under one of
817 the @code{guixbuilder} users. On GNU/Linux, by default, the chroot
818 environment contains nothing but:
820 @c Keep this list in sync with libstore/build.cc! -----------------------
823 a minimal @code{/dev} directory, created mostly independently from the
824 host @code{/dev}@footnote{``Mostly'', because while the set of files
825 that appear in the chroot's @code{/dev} is fixed, most of these files
826 can only be created if the host has them.};
829 the @code{/proc} directory; it only shows the processes of the container
830 since a separate PID name space is used;
833 @file{/etc/passwd} with an entry for the current user and an entry for
837 @file{/etc/group} with an entry for the user's group;
840 @file{/etc/hosts} with an entry that maps @code{localhost} to
844 a writable @file{/tmp} directory.
847 You can influence the directory where the daemon stores build trees
848 @i{via} the @code{TMPDIR} environment variable. However, the build tree
849 within the chroot is always called @file{/tmp/guix-build-@var{name}.drv-0},
850 where @var{name} is the derivation name---e.g., @code{coreutils-8.24}.
851 This way, the value of @code{TMPDIR} does not leak inside build
852 environments, which avoids discrepancies in cases where build processes
853 capture the name of their build tree.
856 The daemon also honors the @code{http_proxy} environment variable for
857 HTTP downloads it performs, be it for fixed-output derivations
858 (@pxref{Derivations}) or for substitutes (@pxref{Substitutes}).
860 If you are installing Guix as an unprivileged user, it is still possible
861 to run @command{guix-daemon} provided you pass @code{--disable-chroot}.
862 However, build processes will not be isolated from one another, and not
863 from the rest of the system. Thus, build processes may interfere with
864 each other, and may access programs, libraries, and other files
865 available on the system---making it much harder to view them as
866 @emph{pure} functions.
869 @node Daemon Offload Setup
870 @subsection Using the Offload Facility
874 When desired, the build daemon can @dfn{offload} derivation builds to
875 other machines running Guix, using the @code{offload} @dfn{build
876 hook}@footnote{This feature is available only when
877 @uref{https://github.com/artyom-poptsov/guile-ssh, Guile-SSH} is
879 feature is enabled, a list of user-specified build machines is read from
880 @file{/etc/guix/machines.scm}; every time a build is requested, for
881 instance via @code{guix build}, the daemon attempts to offload it to one
882 of the machines that satisfy the constraints of the derivation, in
883 particular its system type---e.g., @file{x86_64-linux}. Missing
884 prerequisites for the build are copied over SSH to the target machine,
885 which then proceeds with the build; upon success the output(s) of the
886 build are copied back to the initial machine.
888 The @file{/etc/guix/machines.scm} file typically looks like this:
892 (name "eightysix.example.org")
893 (system "x86_64-linux")
894 (host-key "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3Nza@dots{}")
896 (speed 2.)) ;incredibly fast!
899 (name "meeps.example.org")
900 (system "mips64el-linux")
901 (host-key "ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nza@dots{}")
904 (string-append (getenv "HOME")
905 "/.ssh/identity-for-guix"))))
909 In the example above we specify a list of two build machines, one for
910 the @code{x86_64} architecture and one for the @code{mips64el}
913 In fact, this file is---not surprisingly!---a Scheme file that is
914 evaluated when the @code{offload} hook is started. Its return value
915 must be a list of @code{build-machine} objects. While this example
916 shows a fixed list of build machines, one could imagine, say, using
917 DNS-SD to return a list of potential build machines discovered in the
918 local network (@pxref{Introduction, Guile-Avahi,, guile-avahi, Using
919 Avahi in Guile Scheme Programs}). The @code{build-machine} data type is
922 @deftp {Data Type} build-machine
923 This data type represents build machines to which the daemon may offload
924 builds. The important fields are:
929 The host name of the remote machine.
932 The system type of the remote machine---e.g., @code{"x86_64-linux"}.
935 The user account to use when connecting to the remote machine over SSH.
936 Note that the SSH key pair must @emph{not} be passphrase-protected, to
937 allow non-interactive logins.
940 This must be the machine's SSH @dfn{public host key} in OpenSSH format.
941 This is used to authenticate the machine when we connect to it. It is a
942 long string that looks like this:
945 ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC@dots{}mde+UhL hint@@example.org
948 If the machine is running the OpenSSH daemon, @command{sshd}, the host
949 key can be found in a file such as
950 @file{/etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub}.
952 If the machine is running the SSH daemon of GNU@tie{}lsh,
953 @command{lshd}, the host key is in @file{/etc/lsh/host-key.pub} or a
954 similar file. It can be converted to the OpenSSH format using
955 @command{lsh-export-key} (@pxref{Converting keys,,, lsh, LSH Manual}):
958 $ lsh-export-key --openssh < /etc/lsh/host-key.pub
959 ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAAEOp8FoQAAAQEAs1eB46LV@dots{}
964 A number of optional fields may be specified:
968 @item @code{port} (default: @code{22})
969 Port number of SSH server on the machine.
971 @item @code{private-key} (default: @file{~root/.ssh/id_rsa})
972 The SSH private key file to use when connecting to the machine, in
975 Note that the default value is the private key @emph{of the root
976 account}. Make sure it exists if you use the default.
978 @item @code{compression} (default: @code{"zlib@@openssh.com,zlib"})
979 @itemx @code{compression-level} (default: @code{3})
980 The SSH-level compression methods and compression level requested.
982 Note that offloading relies on SSH compression to reduce bandwidth usage
983 when transferring files to and from build machines.
985 @item @code{daemon-socket} (default: @code{"/var/guix/daemon-socket/socket"})
986 File name of the Unix-domain socket @command{guix-daemon} is listening
989 @item @code{parallel-builds} (default: @code{1})
990 The number of builds that may run in parallel on the machine.
992 @item @code{speed} (default: @code{1.0})
993 A ``relative speed factor''. The offload scheduler will tend to prefer
994 machines with a higher speed factor.
996 @item @code{features} (default: @code{'()})
997 A list of strings denoting specific features supported by the machine.
998 An example is @code{"kvm"} for machines that have the KVM Linux modules
999 and corresponding hardware support. Derivations can request features by
1000 name, and they will be scheduled on matching build machines.
1005 The @code{guile} command must be in the search path on the build
1006 machines. In addition, the Guix modules must be in
1007 @code{$GUILE_LOAD_PATH} on the build machine---you can check whether
1008 this is the case by running:
1011 ssh build-machine guile -c "'(use-modules (guix config))'"
1014 There is one last thing to do once @file{machines.scm} is in place. As
1015 explained above, when offloading, files are transferred back and forth
1016 between the machine stores. For this to work, you first need to
1017 generate a key pair on each machine to allow the daemon to export signed
1018 archives of files from the store (@pxref{Invoking guix archive}):
1021 # guix archive --generate-key
1025 Each build machine must authorize the key of the master machine so that
1026 it accepts store items it receives from the master:
1029 # guix archive --authorize < master-public-key.txt
1033 Likewise, the master machine must authorize the key of each build machine.
1035 All the fuss with keys is here to express pairwise mutual trust
1036 relations between the master and the build machines. Concretely, when
1037 the master receives files from a build machine (and @i{vice versa}), its
1038 build daemon can make sure they are genuine, have not been tampered
1039 with, and that they are signed by an authorized key.
1041 @cindex offload test
1042 To test whether your setup is operational, run this command on the
1049 This will attempt to connect to each of the build machines specified in
1050 @file{/etc/guix/machines.scm}, make sure Guile and the Guix modules are
1051 available on each machine, attempt to export to the machine and import
1052 from it, and report any error in the process.
1054 If you want to test a different machine file, just specify it on the
1058 # guix offload test machines-qualif.scm
1061 Last, you can test the subset of the machines whose name matches a
1062 regular expression like this:
1065 # guix offload test machines.scm '\.gnu\.org$'
1068 @node Invoking guix-daemon
1069 @section Invoking @command{guix-daemon}
1071 The @command{guix-daemon} program implements all the functionality to
1072 access the store. This includes launching build processes, running the
1073 garbage collector, querying the availability of a build result, etc. It
1074 is normally run as @code{root} like this:
1077 # guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild
1081 For details on how to set it up, @pxref{Setting Up the Daemon}.
1084 @cindex container, build environment
1085 @cindex build environment
1086 @cindex reproducible builds
1087 By default, @command{guix-daemon} launches build processes under
1088 different UIDs, taken from the build group specified with
1089 @code{--build-users-group}. In addition, each build process is run in a
1090 chroot environment that only contains the subset of the store that the
1091 build process depends on, as specified by its derivation
1092 (@pxref{Programming Interface, derivation}), plus a set of specific
1093 system directories. By default, the latter contains @file{/dev} and
1094 @file{/dev/pts}. Furthermore, on GNU/Linux, the build environment is a
1095 @dfn{container}: in addition to having its own file system tree, it has
1096 a separate mount name space, its own PID name space, network name space,
1097 etc. This helps achieve reproducible builds (@pxref{Features}).
1099 When the daemon performs a build on behalf of the user, it creates a
1100 build directory under @file{/tmp} or under the directory specified by
1101 its @code{TMPDIR} environment variable; this directory is shared with
1102 the container for the duration of the build. Be aware that using a
1103 directory other than @file{/tmp} can affect build results---for example,
1104 with a longer directory name, a build process that uses Unix-domain
1105 sockets might hit the name length limitation for @code{sun_path}, which
1106 it would otherwise not hit.
1108 The build directory is automatically deleted upon completion, unless the
1109 build failed and the client specified @option{--keep-failed}
1110 (@pxref{Invoking guix build, @option{--keep-failed}}).
1112 The following command-line options are supported:
1115 @item --build-users-group=@var{group}
1116 Take users from @var{group} to run build processes (@pxref{Setting Up
1117 the Daemon, build users}).
1119 @item --no-substitutes
1121 Do not use substitutes for build products. That is, always build things
1122 locally instead of allowing downloads of pre-built binaries
1123 (@pxref{Substitutes}).
1125 When the daemon runs with @code{--no-substitutes}, clients can still
1126 explicitly enable substitution @i{via} the @code{set-build-options}
1127 remote procedure call (@pxref{The Store}).
1129 @item --substitute-urls=@var{urls}
1130 @anchor{daemon-substitute-urls}
1131 Consider @var{urls} the default whitespace-separated list of substitute
1132 source URLs. When this option is omitted,
1133 @indicateurl{https://mirror.hydra.gnu.org https://hydra.gnu.org} is used
1134 (@code{mirror.hydra.gnu.org} is a mirror of @code{hydra.gnu.org}).
1136 This means that substitutes may be downloaded from @var{urls}, as long
1137 as they are signed by a trusted signature (@pxref{Substitutes}).
1140 @item --no-build-hook
1141 Do not use the @dfn{build hook}.
1143 The build hook is a helper program that the daemon can start and to
1144 which it submits build requests. This mechanism is used to offload
1145 builds to other machines (@pxref{Daemon Offload Setup}).
1147 @item --cache-failures
1148 Cache build failures. By default, only successful builds are cached.
1150 When this option is used, @command{guix gc --list-failures} can be used
1151 to query the set of store items marked as failed; @command{guix gc
1152 --clear-failures} removes store items from the set of cached failures.
1153 @xref{Invoking guix gc}.
1155 @item --cores=@var{n}
1157 Use @var{n} CPU cores to build each derivation; @code{0} means as many
1160 The default value is @code{0}, but it may be overridden by clients, such
1161 as the @code{--cores} option of @command{guix build} (@pxref{Invoking
1164 The effect is to define the @code{NIX_BUILD_CORES} environment variable
1165 in the build process, which can then use it to exploit internal
1166 parallelism---for instance, by running @code{make -j$NIX_BUILD_CORES}.
1168 @item --max-jobs=@var{n}
1170 Allow at most @var{n} build jobs in parallel. The default value is
1171 @code{1}. Setting it to @code{0} means that no builds will be performed
1172 locally; instead, the daemon will offload builds (@pxref{Daemon Offload
1173 Setup}), or simply fail.
1175 @item --max-silent-time=@var{seconds}
1176 When the build or substitution process remains silent for more than
1177 @var{seconds}, terminate it and report a build failure.
1179 The default value is @code{0}, which disables the timeout.
1181 The value specified here can be overridden by clients (@pxref{Common
1182 Build Options, @code{--max-silent-time}}).
1184 @item --timeout=@var{seconds}
1185 Likewise, when the build or substitution process lasts for more than
1186 @var{seconds}, terminate it and report a build failure.
1188 The default value is @code{0}, which disables the timeout.
1190 The value specified here can be overridden by clients (@pxref{Common
1191 Build Options, @code{--timeout}}).
1193 @item --rounds=@var{N}
1194 Build each derivation @var{n} times in a row, and raise an error if
1195 consecutive build results are not bit-for-bit identical. Note that this
1196 setting can be overridden by clients such as @command{guix build}
1197 (@pxref{Invoking guix build}).
1199 When used in conjunction with @option{--keep-failed}, the differing
1200 output is kept in the store, under @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-check}.
1201 This makes it easy to look for differences between the two results.
1204 Produce debugging output.
1206 This is useful to debug daemon start-up issues, but then it may be
1207 overridden by clients, for example the @code{--verbosity} option of
1208 @command{guix build} (@pxref{Invoking guix build}).
1210 @item --chroot-directory=@var{dir}
1211 Add @var{dir} to the build chroot.
1213 Doing this may change the result of build processes---for instance if
1214 they use optional dependencies found in @var{dir} when it is available,
1215 and not otherwise. For that reason, it is not recommended to do so.
1216 Instead, make sure that each derivation declares all the inputs that it
1219 @item --disable-chroot
1220 Disable chroot builds.
1222 Using this option is not recommended since, again, it would allow build
1223 processes to gain access to undeclared dependencies. It is necessary,
1224 though, when @command{guix-daemon} is running under an unprivileged user
1227 @item --disable-log-compression
1228 Disable compression of the build logs.
1230 Unless @code{--lose-logs} is used, all the build logs are kept in the
1231 @var{localstatedir}. To save space, the daemon automatically compresses
1232 them with bzip2 by default. This option disables that.
1234 @item --disable-deduplication
1235 @cindex deduplication
1236 Disable automatic file ``deduplication'' in the store.
1238 By default, files added to the store are automatically ``deduplicated'':
1239 if a newly added file is identical to another one found in the store,
1240 the daemon makes the new file a hard link to the other file. This can
1241 noticeably reduce disk usage, at the expense of slightly increased
1242 input/output load at the end of a build process. This option disables
1245 @item --gc-keep-outputs[=yes|no]
1246 Tell whether the garbage collector (GC) must keep outputs of live
1250 @cindex garbage collector roots
1251 When set to ``yes'', the GC will keep the outputs of any live derivation
1252 available in the store---the @code{.drv} files. The default is ``no'',
1253 meaning that derivation outputs are kept only if they are GC roots.
1254 @xref{Invoking guix gc}, for more on GC roots.
1256 @item --gc-keep-derivations[=yes|no]
1257 Tell whether the garbage collector (GC) must keep derivations
1258 corresponding to live outputs.
1260 When set to ``yes'', as is the case by default, the GC keeps
1261 derivations---i.e., @code{.drv} files---as long as at least one of their
1262 outputs is live. This allows users to keep track of the origins of
1263 items in their store. Setting it to ``no'' saves a bit of disk space.
1265 Note that when both @code{--gc-keep-derivations} and
1266 @code{--gc-keep-outputs} are used, the effect is to keep all the build
1267 prerequisites (the sources, compiler, libraries, and other build-time
1268 tools) of live objects in the store, regardless of whether these
1269 prerequisites are live. This is convenient for developers since it
1270 saves rebuilds or downloads.
1272 @item --impersonate-linux-2.6
1273 On Linux-based systems, impersonate Linux 2.6. This means that the
1274 kernel's @code{uname} system call will report 2.6 as the release number.
1276 This might be helpful to build programs that (usually wrongfully) depend
1277 on the kernel version number.
1280 Do not keep build logs. By default they are kept under
1281 @code{@var{localstatedir}/guix/log}.
1283 @item --system=@var{system}
1284 Assume @var{system} as the current system type. By default it is the
1285 architecture/kernel pair found at configure time, such as
1286 @code{x86_64-linux}.
1288 @item --listen=@var{endpoint}
1289 Listen for connections on @var{endpoint}. @var{endpoint} is interpreted
1290 as the file name of a Unix-domain socket if it starts with
1291 @code{/} (slash sign). Otherwise, @var{endpoint} is interpreted as a
1292 host name or host name and port to listen to. Here are a few examples:
1295 @item --listen=/gnu/var/daemon
1296 Listen for connections on the @file{/gnu/var/daemon} Unix-domain socket,
1297 creating it if needed.
1299 @item --listen=localhost
1300 @cindex daemon, remote access
1301 @cindex remote access to the daemon
1302 @cindex daemon, cluster setup
1303 @cindex clusters, daemon setup
1304 Listen for TCP connections on the network interface corresponding to
1305 @code{localhost}, on port 44146.
1307 @item --listen=128.0.0.42:1234
1308 Listen for TCP connections on the network interface corresponding to
1309 @code{128.0.0.42}, on port 1234.
1312 This option can be repeated multiple times, in which case
1313 @command{guix-daemon} accepts connections on all the specified
1314 endpoints. Users can tell client commands what endpoint to connect to
1315 by setting the @code{GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET} environment variable
1316 (@pxref{The Store, @code{GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET}}).
1319 The daemon protocol is @emph{unauthenticated and unencrypted}. Using
1320 @code{--listen=@var{host}} is suitable on local networks, such as
1321 clusters, where only trusted nodes may connect to the build daemon. In
1322 other cases where remote access to the daemon is needed, we recommend
1323 using Unix-domain sockets along with SSH.
1326 When @code{--listen} is omitted, @command{guix-daemon} listens for
1327 connections on the Unix-domain socket located at
1328 @file{@var{localstatedir}/daemon-socket/socket}.
1332 @node Application Setup
1333 @section Application Setup
1335 @cindex foreign distro
1336 When using Guix on top of GNU/Linux distribution other than GuixSD---a
1337 so-called @dfn{foreign distro}---a few additional steps are needed to
1338 get everything in place. Here are some of them.
1342 @anchor{locales-and-locpath}
1343 @cindex locales, when not on GuixSD
1345 @vindex GUIX_LOCPATH
1346 Packages installed @i{via} Guix will not use the locale data of the
1347 host system. Instead, you must first install one of the locale packages
1348 available with Guix and then define the @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} environment
1352 $ guix package -i glibc-locales
1353 $ export GUIX_LOCPATH=$HOME/.guix-profile/lib/locale
1356 Note that the @code{glibc-locales} package contains data for all the
1357 locales supported by the GNU@tie{}libc and weighs in at around
1358 110@tie{}MiB. Alternatively, the @code{glibc-utf8-locales} is smaller but
1359 limited to a few UTF-8 locales.
1361 The @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} variable plays a role similar to @code{LOCPATH}
1362 (@pxref{Locale Names, @code{LOCPATH},, libc, The GNU C Library Reference
1363 Manual}). There are two important differences though:
1367 @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} is honored only by the libc in Guix, and not by the libc
1368 provided by foreign distros. Thus, using @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} allows you
1369 to make sure the programs of the foreign distro will not end up loading
1370 incompatible locale data.
1373 libc suffixes each entry of @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} with @code{/X.Y}, where
1374 @code{X.Y} is the libc version---e.g., @code{2.22}. This means that,
1375 should your Guix profile contain a mixture of programs linked against
1376 different libc version, each libc version will only try to load locale
1377 data in the right format.
1380 This is important because the locale data format used by different libc
1381 versions may be incompatible.
1383 @subsection Name Service Switch
1385 @cindex name service switch, glibc
1386 @cindex NSS (name service switch), glibc
1387 @cindex nscd (name service caching daemon)
1388 @cindex name service caching daemon (nscd)
1389 When using Guix on a foreign distro, we @emph{strongly recommend} that
1390 the system run the GNU C library's @dfn{name service cache daemon},
1391 @command{nscd}, which should be listening on the
1392 @file{/var/run/nscd/socket} socket. Failing to do that, applications
1393 installed with Guix may fail to look up host names or user accounts, or
1394 may even crash. The next paragraphs explain why.
1396 @cindex @file{nsswitch.conf}
1397 The GNU C library implements a @dfn{name service switch} (NSS), which is
1398 an extensible mechanism for ``name lookups'' in general: host name
1399 resolution, user accounts, and more (@pxref{Name Service Switch,,, libc,
1400 The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
1402 @cindex Network information service (NIS)
1403 @cindex NIS (Network information service)
1404 Being extensible, the NSS supports @dfn{plugins}, which provide new name
1405 lookup implementations: for example, the @code{nss-mdns} plugin allow
1406 resolution of @code{.local} host names, the @code{nis} plugin allows
1407 user account lookup using the Network information service (NIS), and so
1408 on. These extra ``lookup services'' are configured system-wide in
1409 @file{/etc/nsswitch.conf}, and all the programs running on the system
1410 honor those settings (@pxref{NSS Configuration File,,, libc, The GNU C
1413 When they perform a name lookup---for instance by calling the
1414 @code{getaddrinfo} function in C---applications first try to connect to
1415 the nscd; on success, nscd performs name lookups on their behalf. If
1416 the nscd is not running, then they perform the name lookup by
1417 themselves, by loading the name lookup services into their own address
1418 space and running it. These name lookup services---the
1419 @file{libnss_*.so} files---are @code{dlopen}'d, but they may come from
1420 the host system's C library, rather than from the C library the
1421 application is linked against (the C library coming from Guix).
1423 And this is where the problem is: if your application is linked against
1424 Guix's C library (say, glibc 2.24) and tries to load NSS plugins from
1425 another C library (say, @code{libnss_mdns.so} for glibc 2.22), it will
1426 likely crash or have its name lookups fail unexpectedly.
1428 Running @command{nscd} on the system, among other advantages, eliminates
1429 this binary incompatibility problem because those @code{libnss_*.so}
1430 files are loaded in the @command{nscd} process, not in applications
1433 @subsection X11 Fonts
1436 The majority of graphical applications use Fontconfig to locate and
1437 load fonts and perform X11-client-side rendering. The @code{fontconfig}
1438 package in Guix looks for fonts in @file{$HOME/.guix-profile}
1439 by default. Thus, to allow graphical applications installed with Guix
1440 to display fonts, you have to install fonts with Guix as well.
1441 Essential font packages include @code{gs-fonts}, @code{font-dejavu}, and
1442 @code{font-gnu-freefont-ttf}.
1444 To display text written in Chinese languages, Japanese, or Korean in
1445 graphical applications, consider installing
1446 @code{font-adobe-source-han-sans} or @code{font-wqy-zenhei}. The former
1447 has multiple outputs, one per language family (@pxref{Packages with
1448 Multiple Outputs}). For instance, the following command installs fonts
1449 for Chinese languages:
1452 guix package -i font-adobe-source-han-sans:cn
1455 @cindex @code{xterm}
1456 Older programs such as @command{xterm} do not use Fontconfig and instead
1457 rely on server-side font rendering. Such programs require to specify a
1458 full name of a font using XLFD (X Logical Font Description), like this:
1461 -*-dejavu sans-medium-r-normal-*-*-100-*-*-*-*-*-1
1464 To be able to use such full names for the TrueType fonts installed in
1465 your Guix profile, you need to extend the font path of the X server:
1468 xset +fp ~/.guix-profile/share/fonts/truetype
1471 @cindex @code{xlsfonts}
1472 After that, you can run @code{xlsfonts} (from @code{xlsfonts} package)
1473 to make sure your TrueType fonts are listed there.
1475 @cindex @code{fc-cache}
1477 After installing fonts you may have to refresh the font cache to use
1478 them in applications. The same applies when applications installed via
1479 Guix do not seem to find fonts. To force rebuilding of the font cache
1480 run @code{fc-cache -f}. The @code{fc-cache} command is provided by the
1481 @code{fontconfig} package.
1483 @subsection X.509 Certificates
1485 @cindex @code{nss-certs}
1486 The @code{nss-certs} package provides X.509 certificates, which allow
1487 programs to authenticate Web servers accessed over HTTPS.
1489 When using Guix on a foreign distro, you can install this package and
1490 define the relevant environment variables so that packages know where to
1491 look for certificates. @xref{X.509 Certificates}, for detailed
1494 @subsection Emacs Packages
1496 @cindex @code{emacs}
1497 When you install Emacs packages with Guix, the elisp files may be placed
1498 either in @file{$HOME/.guix-profile/share/emacs/site-lisp/} or in
1500 @file{$HOME/.guix-profile/share/emacs/site-lisp/guix.d/}. The latter
1501 directory exists because potentially there may exist thousands of Emacs
1502 packages and storing all their files in a single directory may be not
1503 reliable (because of name conflicts). So we think using a separate
1504 directory for each package is a good idea. It is very similar to how
1505 the Emacs package system organizes the file structure (@pxref{Package
1506 Files,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
1508 By default, Emacs (installed with Guix) ``knows'' where these packages
1509 are placed, so you do not need to perform any configuration. If, for
1510 some reason, you want to avoid auto-loading Emacs packages installed
1511 with Guix, you can do so by running Emacs with @code{--no-site-file}
1512 option (@pxref{Init File,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
1514 @subsection The GCC toolchain
1519 Guix offers individual compiler packages such as @code{gcc} but if you
1520 are in need of a complete toolchain for compiling and linking source
1521 code what you really want is the @code{gcc-toolchain} package. This
1522 package provides a complete GCC toolchain for C/C++ development,
1523 including GCC itself, the GNU C Library (headers and binaries, plus
1524 debugging symbols in the @code{debug} output), Binutils, and a linker
1527 @cindex attempt to use impure library, error message
1529 The wrapper's purpose is to inspect the @code{-L} and @code{-l} switches
1530 passed to the linker, add corresponding @code{-rpath} arguments, and
1531 invoke the actual linker with this new set of arguments. By default,
1532 the linker wrapper refuses to link to libraries outside the store to
1533 ensure ``purity''. This can be annoying when using the toolchain to
1534 link with local libraries. To allow references to libraries outside the
1535 store you need to define the environment variable
1536 @code{GUIX_LD_WRAPPER_ALLOW_IMPURITIES}.
1540 @c *********************************************************************
1541 @node Package Management
1542 @chapter Package Management
1545 The purpose of GNU Guix is to allow users to easily install, upgrade, and
1546 remove software packages, without having to know about their build
1547 procedures or dependencies. Guix also goes beyond this obvious set of
1550 This chapter describes the main features of Guix, as well as the
1551 package management tools it provides. Along with the command-line
1552 interface described below (@pxref{Invoking guix package, @code{guix
1553 package}}), you may also use Emacs Interface (@pxref{Top,,,
1554 emacs-guix, The Emacs-Guix Reference Manual}), after installing
1555 @code{emacs-guix} package (run @kbd{M-x guix-help} command to start
1559 guix package -i emacs-guix
1563 * Features:: How Guix will make your life brighter.
1564 * Invoking guix package:: Package installation, removal, etc.
1565 * Substitutes:: Downloading pre-built binaries.
1566 * Packages with Multiple Outputs:: Single source package, multiple outputs.
1567 * Invoking guix gc:: Running the garbage collector.
1568 * Invoking guix pull:: Fetching the latest Guix and distribution.
1569 * Invoking guix pack:: Creating software bundles.
1570 * Invoking guix archive:: Exporting and importing store files.
1576 When using Guix, each package ends up in the @dfn{package store}, in its
1577 own directory---something that resembles
1578 @file{/gnu/store/xxx-package-1.2}, where @code{xxx} is a base32 string.
1580 Instead of referring to these directories, users have their own
1581 @dfn{profile}, which points to the packages that they actually want to
1582 use. These profiles are stored within each user's home directory, at
1583 @code{$HOME/.guix-profile}.
1585 For example, @code{alice} installs GCC 4.7.2. As a result,
1586 @file{/home/alice/.guix-profile/bin/gcc} points to
1587 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-gcc-4.7.2/bin/gcc}. Now, on the same machine,
1588 @code{bob} had already installed GCC 4.8.0. The profile of @code{bob}
1589 simply continues to point to
1590 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-gcc-4.8.0/bin/gcc}---i.e., both versions of GCC
1591 coexist on the same system without any interference.
1593 The @command{guix package} command is the central tool to manage
1594 packages (@pxref{Invoking guix package}). It operates on the per-user
1595 profiles, and can be used @emph{with normal user privileges}.
1597 @cindex transactions
1598 The command provides the obvious install, remove, and upgrade
1599 operations. Each invocation is actually a @emph{transaction}: either
1600 the specified operation succeeds, or nothing happens. Thus, if the
1601 @command{guix package} process is terminated during the transaction,
1602 or if a power outage occurs during the transaction, then the user's
1603 profile remains in its previous state, and remains usable.
1605 In addition, any package transaction may be @emph{rolled back}. So, if,
1606 for example, an upgrade installs a new version of a package that turns
1607 out to have a serious bug, users may roll back to the previous instance
1608 of their profile, which was known to work well. Similarly, the global
1609 system configuration on GuixSD is subject to
1610 transactional upgrades and roll-back
1611 (@pxref{Using the Configuration System}).
1613 All packages in the package store may be @emph{garbage-collected}.
1614 Guix can determine which packages are still referenced by user
1615 profiles, and remove those that are provably no longer referenced
1616 (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}). Users may also explicitly remove old
1617 generations of their profile so that the packages they refer to can be
1620 @cindex reproducibility
1621 @cindex reproducible builds
1622 Finally, Guix takes a @dfn{purely functional} approach to package
1623 management, as described in the introduction (@pxref{Introduction}).
1624 Each @file{/gnu/store} package directory name contains a hash of all the
1625 inputs that were used to build that package---compiler, libraries, build
1626 scripts, etc. This direct correspondence allows users to make sure a
1627 given package installation matches the current state of their
1628 distribution. It also helps maximize @dfn{build reproducibility}:
1629 thanks to the isolated build environments that are used, a given build
1630 is likely to yield bit-identical files when performed on different
1631 machines (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon, container}).
1634 This foundation allows Guix to support @dfn{transparent binary/source
1635 deployment}. When a pre-built binary for a @file{/gnu/store} item is
1636 available from an external source---a @dfn{substitute}, Guix just
1637 downloads it and unpacks it;
1638 otherwise, it builds the package from source, locally
1639 (@pxref{Substitutes}). Because build results are usually bit-for-bit
1640 reproducible, users do not have to trust servers that provide
1641 substitutes: they can force a local build and @emph{challenge} providers
1642 (@pxref{Invoking guix challenge}).
1644 Control over the build environment is a feature that is also useful for
1645 developers. The @command{guix environment} command allows developers of
1646 a package to quickly set up the right development environment for their
1647 package, without having to manually install the dependencies of the
1648 package into their profile (@pxref{Invoking guix environment}).
1650 @node Invoking guix package
1651 @section Invoking @command{guix package}
1653 @cindex installing packages
1654 @cindex removing packages
1655 @cindex package installation
1656 @cindex package removal
1657 The @command{guix package} command is the tool that allows users to
1658 install, upgrade, and remove packages, as well as rolling back to
1659 previous configurations. It operates only on the user's own profile,
1660 and works with normal user privileges (@pxref{Features}). Its syntax
1664 guix package @var{options}
1666 @cindex transactions
1667 Primarily, @var{options} specifies the operations to be performed during
1668 the transaction. Upon completion, a new profile is created, but
1669 previous @dfn{generations} of the profile remain available, should the user
1672 For example, to remove @code{lua} and install @code{guile} and
1673 @code{guile-cairo} in a single transaction:
1676 guix package -r lua -i guile guile-cairo
1679 @command{guix package} also supports a @dfn{declarative approach}
1680 whereby the user specifies the exact set of packages to be available and
1681 passes it @i{via} the @option{--manifest} option
1682 (@pxref{profile-manifest, @option{--manifest}}).
1685 For each user, a symlink to the user's default profile is automatically
1686 created in @file{$HOME/.guix-profile}. This symlink always points to the
1687 current generation of the user's default profile. Thus, users can add
1688 @file{$HOME/.guix-profile/bin} to their @code{PATH} environment
1689 variable, and so on.
1690 @cindex search paths
1691 If you are not using the Guix System Distribution, consider adding the
1692 following lines to your @file{~/.bash_profile} (@pxref{Bash Startup
1693 Files,,, bash, The GNU Bash Reference Manual}) so that newly-spawned
1694 shells get all the right environment variable definitions:
1697 GUIX_PROFILE="$HOME/.guix-profile" ; \
1698 source "$HOME/.guix-profile/etc/profile"
1701 In a multi-user setup, user profiles are stored in a place registered as
1702 a @dfn{garbage-collector root}, which @file{$HOME/.guix-profile} points
1703 to (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}). That directory is normally
1704 @code{@var{localstatedir}/profiles/per-user/@var{user}}, where
1705 @var{localstatedir} is the value passed to @code{configure} as
1706 @code{--localstatedir}, and @var{user} is the user name. The
1707 @file{per-user} directory is created when @command{guix-daemon} is
1708 started, and the @var{user} sub-directory is created by @command{guix
1711 The @var{options} can be among the following:
1715 @item --install=@var{package} @dots{}
1716 @itemx -i @var{package} @dots{}
1717 Install the specified @var{package}s.
1719 Each @var{package} may specify either a simple package name, such as
1720 @code{guile}, or a package name followed by an at-sign and version number,
1721 such as @code{guile@@1.8.8} or simply @code{guile@@1.8} (in the latter
1722 case, the newest version prefixed by @code{1.8} is selected.)
1724 If no version number is specified, the
1725 newest available version will be selected. In addition, @var{package}
1726 may contain a colon, followed by the name of one of the outputs of the
1727 package, as in @code{gcc:doc} or @code{binutils@@2.22:lib}
1728 (@pxref{Packages with Multiple Outputs}). Packages with a corresponding
1729 name (and optionally version) are searched for among the GNU
1730 distribution modules (@pxref{Package Modules}).
1732 @cindex propagated inputs
1733 Sometimes packages have @dfn{propagated inputs}: these are dependencies
1734 that automatically get installed along with the required package
1735 (@pxref{package-propagated-inputs, @code{propagated-inputs} in
1736 @code{package} objects}, for information about propagated inputs in
1737 package definitions).
1739 @anchor{package-cmd-propagated-inputs}
1740 An example is the GNU MPC library: its C header files refer to those of
1741 the GNU MPFR library, which in turn refer to those of the GMP library.
1742 Thus, when installing MPC, the MPFR and GMP libraries also get installed
1743 in the profile; removing MPC also removes MPFR and GMP---unless they had
1744 also been explicitly installed by the user.
1746 Besides, packages sometimes rely on the definition of environment
1747 variables for their search paths (see explanation of
1748 @code{--search-paths} below). Any missing or possibly incorrect
1749 environment variable definitions are reported here.
1751 @item --install-from-expression=@var{exp}
1753 Install the package @var{exp} evaluates to.
1755 @var{exp} must be a Scheme expression that evaluates to a
1756 @code{<package>} object. This option is notably useful to disambiguate
1757 between same-named variants of a package, with expressions such as
1758 @code{(@@ (gnu packages base) guile-final)}.
1760 Note that this option installs the first output of the specified
1761 package, which may be insufficient when needing a specific output of a
1762 multiple-output package.
1764 @item --install-from-file=@var{file}
1765 @itemx -f @var{file}
1766 Install the package that the code within @var{file} evaluates to.
1768 As an example, @var{file} might contain a definition like this
1769 (@pxref{Defining Packages}):
1772 @verbatiminclude package-hello.scm
1775 Developers may find it useful to include such a @file{guix.scm} file
1776 in the root of their project source tree that can be used to test
1777 development snapshots and create reproducible development environments
1778 (@pxref{Invoking guix environment}).
1780 @item --remove=@var{package} @dots{}
1781 @itemx -r @var{package} @dots{}
1782 Remove the specified @var{package}s.
1784 As for @code{--install}, each @var{package} may specify a version number
1785 and/or output name in addition to the package name. For instance,
1786 @code{-r glibc:debug} would remove the @code{debug} output of
1789 @item --upgrade[=@var{regexp} @dots{}]
1790 @itemx -u [@var{regexp} @dots{}]
1791 @cindex upgrading packages
1792 Upgrade all the installed packages. If one or more @var{regexp}s are
1793 specified, upgrade only installed packages whose name matches a
1794 @var{regexp}. Also see the @code{--do-not-upgrade} option below.
1796 Note that this upgrades package to the latest version of packages found
1797 in the distribution currently installed. To update your distribution,
1798 you should regularly run @command{guix pull} (@pxref{Invoking guix
1801 @item --do-not-upgrade[=@var{regexp} @dots{}]
1802 When used together with the @code{--upgrade} option, do @emph{not}
1803 upgrade any packages whose name matches a @var{regexp}. For example, to
1804 upgrade all packages in the current profile except those containing the
1805 substring ``emacs'':
1808 $ guix package --upgrade . --do-not-upgrade emacs
1811 @item @anchor{profile-manifest}--manifest=@var{file}
1812 @itemx -m @var{file}
1813 @cindex profile declaration
1814 @cindex profile manifest
1815 Create a new generation of the profile from the manifest object
1816 returned by the Scheme code in @var{file}.
1818 This allows you to @emph{declare} the profile's contents rather than
1819 constructing it through a sequence of @code{--install} and similar
1820 commands. The advantage is that @var{file} can be put under version
1821 control, copied to different machines to reproduce the same profile, and
1824 @c FIXME: Add reference to (guix profile) documentation when available.
1825 @var{file} must return a @dfn{manifest} object, which is roughly a list
1828 @findex packages->manifest
1830 (use-package-modules guile emacs)
1835 ;; Use a specific package output.
1836 (list guile-2.0 "debug")))
1839 @findex specifications->manifest
1840 In this example we have to know which modules define the @code{emacs}
1841 and @code{guile-2.0} variables to provide the right
1842 @code{use-package-modules} line, which can be cumbersome. We can
1843 instead provide regular package specifications and let
1844 @code{specifications->manifest} look up the corresponding package
1848 (specifications->manifest
1849 '("emacs" "guile@@2.2" "guile@@2.2:debug"))
1853 @cindex rolling back
1854 @cindex undoing transactions
1855 @cindex transactions, undoing
1856 Roll back to the previous @dfn{generation} of the profile---i.e., undo
1857 the last transaction.
1859 When combined with options such as @code{--install}, roll back occurs
1860 before any other actions.
1862 When rolling back from the first generation that actually contains
1863 installed packages, the profile is made to point to the @dfn{zeroth
1864 generation}, which contains no files apart from its own metadata.
1866 After having rolled back, installing, removing, or upgrading packages
1867 overwrites previous future generations. Thus, the history of the
1868 generations in a profile is always linear.
1870 @item --switch-generation=@var{pattern}
1871 @itemx -S @var{pattern}
1873 Switch to a particular generation defined by @var{pattern}.
1875 @var{pattern} may be either a generation number or a number prefixed
1876 with ``+'' or ``-''. The latter means: move forward/backward by a
1877 specified number of generations. For example, if you want to return to
1878 the latest generation after @code{--roll-back}, use
1879 @code{--switch-generation=+1}.
1881 The difference between @code{--roll-back} and
1882 @code{--switch-generation=-1} is that @code{--switch-generation} will
1883 not make a zeroth generation, so if a specified generation does not
1884 exist, the current generation will not be changed.
1886 @item --search-paths[=@var{kind}]
1887 @cindex search paths
1888 Report environment variable definitions, in Bash syntax, that may be
1889 needed in order to use the set of installed packages. These environment
1890 variables are used to specify @dfn{search paths} for files used by some
1891 of the installed packages.
1893 For example, GCC needs the @code{CPATH} and @code{LIBRARY_PATH}
1894 environment variables to be defined so it can look for headers and
1895 libraries in the user's profile (@pxref{Environment Variables,,, gcc,
1896 Using the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC)}). If GCC and, say, the C
1897 library are installed in the profile, then @code{--search-paths} will
1898 suggest setting these variables to @code{@var{profile}/include} and
1899 @code{@var{profile}/lib}, respectively.
1901 The typical use case is to define these environment variables in the
1905 $ eval `guix package --search-paths`
1908 @var{kind} may be one of @code{exact}, @code{prefix}, or @code{suffix},
1909 meaning that the returned environment variable definitions will either
1910 be exact settings, or prefixes or suffixes of the current value of these
1911 variables. When omitted, @var{kind} defaults to @code{exact}.
1913 This option can also be used to compute the @emph{combined} search paths
1914 of several profiles. Consider this example:
1917 $ guix package -p foo -i guile
1918 $ guix package -p bar -i guile-json
1919 $ guix package -p foo -p bar --search-paths
1922 The last command above reports about the @code{GUILE_LOAD_PATH}
1923 variable, even though, taken individually, neither @file{foo} nor
1924 @file{bar} would lead to that recommendation.
1927 @item --profile=@var{profile}
1928 @itemx -p @var{profile}
1929 Use @var{profile} instead of the user's default profile.
1932 Produce verbose output. In particular, emit the build log of the
1933 environment on the standard error port.
1936 Use the bootstrap Guile to build the profile. This option is only
1937 useful to distribution developers.
1941 In addition to these actions, @command{guix package} supports the
1942 following options to query the current state of a profile, or the
1943 availability of packages:
1947 @item --search=@var{regexp}
1948 @itemx -s @var{regexp}
1949 @cindex searching for packages
1950 List the available packages whose name, synopsis, or description matches
1951 @var{regexp}, sorted by relevance. Print all the metadata of matching packages in
1952 @code{recutils} format (@pxref{Top, GNU recutils databases,, recutils,
1953 GNU recutils manual}).
1955 This allows specific fields to be extracted using the @command{recsel}
1956 command, for instance:
1959 $ guix package -s malloc | recsel -p name,version,relevance
1973 Similarly, to show the name of all the packages available under the
1974 terms of the GNU@tie{}LGPL version 3:
1977 $ guix package -s "" | recsel -p name -e 'license ~ "LGPL 3"'
1984 It is also possible to refine search results using several @code{-s}
1985 flags. For example, the following command returns a list of board
1989 $ guix package -s '\<board\>' -s game | recsel -p name
1994 If we were to omit @code{-s game}, we would also get software packages
1995 that deal with printed circuit boards; removing the angle brackets
1996 around @code{board} would further add packages that have to do with
1999 And now for a more elaborate example. The following command searches
2000 for cryptographic libraries, filters out Haskell, Perl, Python, and Ruby
2001 libraries, and prints the name and synopsis of the matching packages:
2004 $ guix package -s crypto -s library | \
2005 recsel -e '! (name ~ "^(ghc|perl|python|ruby)")' -p name,synopsis
2009 @xref{Selection Expressions,,, recutils, GNU recutils manual}, for more
2010 information on @dfn{selection expressions} for @code{recsel -e}.
2012 @item --show=@var{package}
2013 Show details about @var{package}, taken from the list of available packages, in
2014 @code{recutils} format (@pxref{Top, GNU recutils databases,, recutils, GNU
2018 $ guix package --show=python | recsel -p name,version
2026 You may also specify the full name of a package to only get details about a
2027 specific version of it:
2029 $ guix package --show=python@@3.4 | recsel -p name,version
2036 @item --list-installed[=@var{regexp}]
2037 @itemx -I [@var{regexp}]
2038 List the currently installed packages in the specified profile, with the
2039 most recently installed packages shown last. When @var{regexp} is
2040 specified, list only installed packages whose name matches @var{regexp}.
2042 For each installed package, print the following items, separated by
2043 tabs: the package name, its version string, the part of the package that
2044 is installed (for instance, @code{out} for the default output,
2045 @code{include} for its headers, etc.), and the path of this package in
2048 @item --list-available[=@var{regexp}]
2049 @itemx -A [@var{regexp}]
2050 List packages currently available in the distribution for this system
2051 (@pxref{GNU Distribution}). When @var{regexp} is specified, list only
2052 installed packages whose name matches @var{regexp}.
2054 For each package, print the following items separated by tabs: its name,
2055 its version string, the parts of the package (@pxref{Packages with
2056 Multiple Outputs}), and the source location of its definition.
2058 @item --list-generations[=@var{pattern}]
2059 @itemx -l [@var{pattern}]
2061 Return a list of generations along with their creation dates; for each
2062 generation, show the installed packages, with the most recently
2063 installed packages shown last. Note that the zeroth generation is never
2066 For each installed package, print the following items, separated by
2067 tabs: the name of a package, its version string, the part of the package
2068 that is installed (@pxref{Packages with Multiple Outputs}), and the
2069 location of this package in the store.
2071 When @var{pattern} is used, the command returns only matching
2072 generations. Valid patterns include:
2075 @item @emph{Integers and comma-separated integers}. Both patterns denote
2076 generation numbers. For instance, @code{--list-generations=1} returns
2079 And @code{--list-generations=1,8,2} outputs three generations in the
2080 specified order. Neither spaces nor trailing commas are allowed.
2082 @item @emph{Ranges}. @code{--list-generations=2..9} prints the
2083 specified generations and everything in between. Note that the start of
2084 a range must be smaller than its end.
2086 It is also possible to omit the endpoint. For example,
2087 @code{--list-generations=2..}, returns all generations starting from the
2090 @item @emph{Durations}. You can also get the last @emph{N}@tie{}days, weeks,
2091 or months by passing an integer along with the first letter of the
2092 duration. For example, @code{--list-generations=20d} lists generations
2093 that are up to 20 days old.
2096 @item --delete-generations[=@var{pattern}]
2097 @itemx -d [@var{pattern}]
2098 When @var{pattern} is omitted, delete all generations except the current
2101 This command accepts the same patterns as @option{--list-generations}.
2102 When @var{pattern} is specified, delete the matching generations. When
2103 @var{pattern} specifies a duration, generations @emph{older} than the
2104 specified duration match. For instance, @code{--delete-generations=1m}
2105 deletes generations that are more than one month old.
2107 If the current generation matches, it is @emph{not} deleted. Also, the
2108 zeroth generation is never deleted.
2110 Note that deleting generations prevents rolling back to them.
2111 Consequently, this command must be used with care.
2115 Finally, since @command{guix package} may actually start build
2116 processes, it supports all the common build options (@pxref{Common Build
2117 Options}). It also supports package transformation options, such as
2118 @option{--with-source} (@pxref{Package Transformation Options}).
2119 However, note that package transformations are lost when upgrading; to
2120 preserve transformations across upgrades, you should define your own
2121 package variant in a Guile module and add it to @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH}
2122 (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
2125 @section Substitutes
2128 @cindex pre-built binaries
2129 Guix supports transparent source/binary deployment, which means that it
2130 can either build things locally, or download pre-built items from a
2131 server, or both. We call these pre-built items @dfn{substitutes}---they
2132 are substitutes for local build results. In many cases, downloading a
2133 substitute is much faster than building things locally.
2135 Substitutes can be anything resulting from a derivation build
2136 (@pxref{Derivations}). Of course, in the common case, they are
2137 pre-built package binaries, but source tarballs, for instance, which
2138 also result from derivation builds, can be available as substitutes.
2141 * Official Substitute Server:: One particular source of substitutes.
2142 * Substitute Server Authorization:: How to enable or disable substitutes.
2143 * Substitute Authentication:: How Guix verifies substitutes.
2144 * Proxy Settings:: How to get substitutes via proxy.
2145 * Substitution Failure:: What happens when substitution fails.
2146 * On Trusting Binaries:: How can you trust that binary blob?
2149 @node Official Substitute Server
2150 @subsection Official Substitute Server
2154 The @code{mirror.hydra.gnu.org} server is a front-end to an official build farm
2155 that builds packages from Guix continuously for some
2156 architectures, and makes them available as substitutes. This is the
2157 default source of substitutes; it can be overridden by passing the
2158 @option{--substitute-urls} option either to @command{guix-daemon}
2159 (@pxref{daemon-substitute-urls,, @code{guix-daemon --substitute-urls}})
2160 or to client tools such as @command{guix package}
2161 (@pxref{client-substitute-urls,, client @option{--substitute-urls}
2164 Substitute URLs can be either HTTP or HTTPS.
2165 HTTPS is recommended because communications are encrypted; conversely,
2166 using HTTP makes all communications visible to an eavesdropper, who
2167 could use the information gathered to determine, for instance, whether
2168 your system has unpatched security vulnerabilities.
2170 Substitutes from the official build farm are enabled by default when
2171 using the Guix System Distribution (@pxref{GNU Distribution}). However,
2172 they are disabled by default when using Guix on a foreign distribution,
2173 unless you have explicitly enabled them via one of the recommended
2174 installation steps (@pxref{Installation}). The following paragraphs
2175 describe how to enable or disable substitutes for the official build
2176 farm; the same procedure can also be used to enable substitutes for any
2177 other substitute server.
2179 @node Substitute Server Authorization
2180 @subsection Substitute Server Authorization
2183 @cindex substitutes, authorization thereof
2184 @cindex access control list (ACL), for substitutes
2185 @cindex ACL (access control list), for substitutes
2186 To allow Guix to download substitutes from @code{hydra.gnu.org} or a
2188 must add its public key to the access control list (ACL) of archive
2189 imports, using the @command{guix archive} command (@pxref{Invoking guix
2190 archive}). Doing so implies that you trust @code{hydra.gnu.org} to not
2191 be compromised and to serve genuine substitutes.
2193 The public key for @code{hydra.gnu.org} is installed along with Guix, in
2194 @code{@var{prefix}/share/guix/hydra.gnu.org.pub}, where @var{prefix} is
2195 the installation prefix of Guix. If you installed Guix from source,
2196 make sure you checked the GPG signature of
2197 @file{guix-@value{VERSION}.tar.gz}, which contains this public key file.
2198 Then, you can run something like this:
2201 # guix archive --authorize < @var{prefix}/share/guix/hydra.gnu.org.pub
2205 Similarly, the @file{berlin.guixsd.org.pub} file contains the public key
2206 for the project's new build farm, reachable at
2207 @indicateurl{https://berlin.guixsd.org}.
2209 As of this writing @code{berlin.guixsd.org} is being upgraded so it can
2210 better scale up, but you might want to give it a try. It is backed by
2211 20 x86_64/i686 build nodes and may be able to provide substitutes more
2212 quickly than @code{mirror.hydra.gnu.org}.
2215 Once this is in place, the output of a command like @code{guix build}
2216 should change from something like:
2219 $ guix build emacs --dry-run
2220 The following derivations would be built:
2221 /gnu/store/yr7bnx8xwcayd6j95r2clmkdl1qh688w-emacs-24.3.drv
2222 /gnu/store/x8qsh1hlhgjx6cwsjyvybnfv2i37z23w-dbus-1.6.4.tar.gz.drv
2223 /gnu/store/1ixwp12fl950d15h2cj11c73733jay0z-alsa-lib-1.0.27.1.tar.bz2.drv
2224 /gnu/store/nlma1pw0p603fpfiqy7kn4zm105r5dmw-util-linux-2.21.drv
2232 $ guix build emacs --dry-run
2233 112.3 MB would be downloaded:
2234 /gnu/store/pk3n22lbq6ydamyymqkkz7i69wiwjiwi-emacs-24.3
2235 /gnu/store/2ygn4ncnhrpr61rssa6z0d9x22si0va3-libjpeg-8d
2236 /gnu/store/71yz6lgx4dazma9dwn2mcjxaah9w77jq-cairo-1.12.16
2237 /gnu/store/7zdhgp0n1518lvfn8mb96sxqfmvqrl7v-libxrender-0.9.7
2242 This indicates that substitutes from @code{hydra.gnu.org} are usable and
2243 will be downloaded, when possible, for future builds.
2245 @cindex substitutes, how to disable
2246 The substitute mechanism can be disabled globally by running
2247 @code{guix-daemon} with @code{--no-substitutes} (@pxref{Invoking
2248 guix-daemon}). It can also be disabled temporarily by passing the
2249 @code{--no-substitutes} option to @command{guix package}, @command{guix
2250 build}, and other command-line tools.
2252 @node Substitute Authentication
2253 @subsection Substitute Authentication
2255 @cindex digital signatures
2256 Guix detects and raises an error when attempting to use a substitute
2257 that has been tampered with. Likewise, it ignores substitutes that are
2258 not signed, or that are not signed by one of the keys listed in the ACL.
2260 There is one exception though: if an unauthorized server provides
2261 substitutes that are @emph{bit-for-bit identical} to those provided by
2262 an authorized server, then the unauthorized server becomes eligible for
2263 downloads. For example, assume we have chosen two substitute servers
2267 --substitute-urls="https://a.example.org https://b.example.org"
2271 @cindex reproducible builds
2272 If the ACL contains only the key for @code{b.example.org}, and if
2273 @code{a.example.org} happens to serve the @emph{exact same} substitutes,
2274 then Guix will download substitutes from @code{a.example.org} because it
2275 comes first in the list and can be considered a mirror of
2276 @code{b.example.org}. In practice, independent build machines usually
2277 produce the same binaries, thanks to bit-reproducible builds (see
2280 When using HTTPS, the server's X.509 certificate is @emph{not} validated
2281 (in other words, the server is not authenticated), contrary to what
2282 HTTPS clients such as Web browsers usually do. This is because Guix
2283 authenticates substitute information itself, as explained above, which
2284 is what we care about (whereas X.509 certificates are about
2285 authenticating bindings between domain names and public keys.)
2287 @node Proxy Settings
2288 @subsection Proxy Settings
2291 Substitutes are downloaded over HTTP or HTTPS.
2292 The @code{http_proxy} environment
2293 variable can be set in the environment of @command{guix-daemon} and is
2294 honored for downloads of substitutes. Note that the value of
2295 @code{http_proxy} in the environment where @command{guix build},
2296 @command{guix package}, and other client commands are run has
2297 @emph{absolutely no effect}.
2299 @node Substitution Failure
2300 @subsection Substitution Failure
2302 Even when a substitute for a derivation is available, sometimes the
2303 substitution attempt will fail. This can happen for a variety of
2304 reasons: the substitute server might be offline, the substitute may
2305 recently have been deleted, the connection might have been interrupted,
2308 When substitutes are enabled and a substitute for a derivation is
2309 available, but the substitution attempt fails, Guix will attempt to
2310 build the derivation locally depending on whether or not
2311 @code{--fallback} was given (@pxref{fallback-option,, common build
2312 option @code{--fallback}}). Specifically, if @code{--fallback} was
2313 omitted, then no local build will be performed, and the derivation is
2314 considered to have failed. However, if @code{--fallback} was given,
2315 then Guix will attempt to build the derivation locally, and the success
2316 or failure of the derivation depends on the success or failure of the
2317 local build. Note that when substitutes are disabled or no substitute
2318 is available for the derivation in question, a local build will
2319 @emph{always} be performed, regardless of whether or not
2320 @code{--fallback} was given.
2322 To get an idea of how many substitutes are available right now, you can
2323 try running the @command{guix weather} command (@pxref{Invoking guix
2324 weather}). This command provides statistics on the substitutes provided
2327 @node On Trusting Binaries
2328 @subsection On Trusting Binaries
2330 @cindex trust, of pre-built binaries
2331 Today, each individual's control over their own computing is at the
2332 mercy of institutions, corporations, and groups with enough power and
2333 determination to subvert the computing infrastructure and exploit its
2334 weaknesses. While using @code{hydra.gnu.org} substitutes can be
2335 convenient, we encourage users to also build on their own, or even run
2336 their own build farm, such that @code{hydra.gnu.org} is less of an
2337 interesting target. One way to help is by publishing the software you
2338 build using @command{guix publish} so that others have one more choice
2339 of server to download substitutes from (@pxref{Invoking guix publish}).
2341 Guix has the foundations to maximize build reproducibility
2342 (@pxref{Features}). In most cases, independent builds of a given
2343 package or derivation should yield bit-identical results. Thus, through
2344 a diverse set of independent package builds, we can strengthen the
2345 integrity of our systems. The @command{guix challenge} command aims to
2346 help users assess substitute servers, and to assist developers in
2347 finding out about non-deterministic package builds (@pxref{Invoking guix
2348 challenge}). Similarly, the @option{--check} option of @command{guix
2349 build} allows users to check whether previously-installed substitutes
2350 are genuine by rebuilding them locally (@pxref{build-check,
2351 @command{guix build --check}}).
2353 In the future, we want Guix to have support to publish and retrieve
2354 binaries to/from other users, in a peer-to-peer fashion. If you would
2355 like to discuss this project, join us on @email{guix-devel@@gnu.org}.
2357 @node Packages with Multiple Outputs
2358 @section Packages with Multiple Outputs
2360 @cindex multiple-output packages
2361 @cindex package outputs
2364 Often, packages defined in Guix have a single @dfn{output}---i.e., the
2365 source package leads to exactly one directory in the store. When running
2366 @command{guix package -i glibc}, one installs the default output of the
2367 GNU libc package; the default output is called @code{out}, but its name
2368 can be omitted as shown in this command. In this particular case, the
2369 default output of @code{glibc} contains all the C header files, shared
2370 libraries, static libraries, Info documentation, and other supporting
2373 Sometimes it is more appropriate to separate the various types of files
2374 produced from a single source package into separate outputs. For
2375 instance, the GLib C library (used by GTK+ and related packages)
2376 installs more than 20 MiB of reference documentation as HTML pages.
2377 To save space for users who do not need it, the documentation goes to a
2378 separate output, called @code{doc}. To install the main GLib output,
2379 which contains everything but the documentation, one would run:
2382 guix package -i glib
2385 @cindex documentation
2386 The command to install its documentation is:
2389 guix package -i glib:doc
2392 Some packages install programs with different ``dependency footprints''.
2393 For instance, the WordNet package installs both command-line tools and
2394 graphical user interfaces (GUIs). The former depend solely on the C
2395 library, whereas the latter depend on Tcl/Tk and the underlying X
2396 libraries. In this case, we leave the command-line tools in the default
2397 output, whereas the GUIs are in a separate output. This allows users
2398 who do not need the GUIs to save space. The @command{guix size} command
2399 can help find out about such situations (@pxref{Invoking guix size}).
2400 @command{guix graph} can also be helpful (@pxref{Invoking guix graph}).
2402 There are several such multiple-output packages in the GNU distribution.
2403 Other conventional output names include @code{lib} for libraries and
2404 possibly header files, @code{bin} for stand-alone programs, and
2405 @code{debug} for debugging information (@pxref{Installing Debugging
2406 Files}). The outputs of a packages are listed in the third column of
2407 the output of @command{guix package --list-available} (@pxref{Invoking
2411 @node Invoking guix gc
2412 @section Invoking @command{guix gc}
2414 @cindex garbage collector
2416 Packages that are installed, but not used, may be @dfn{garbage-collected}.
2417 The @command{guix gc} command allows users to explicitly run the garbage
2418 collector to reclaim space from the @file{/gnu/store} directory. It is
2419 the @emph{only} way to remove files from @file{/gnu/store}---removing
2420 files or directories manually may break it beyond repair!
2423 @cindex garbage collector roots
2424 The garbage collector has a set of known @dfn{roots}: any file under
2425 @file{/gnu/store} reachable from a root is considered @dfn{live} and
2426 cannot be deleted; any other file is considered @dfn{dead} and may be
2427 deleted. The set of garbage collector roots (``GC roots'' for short)
2428 includes default user profiles; by default, the symlinks under
2429 @file{/var/guix/gcroots} represent these GC roots. New GC roots can be
2430 added with @command{guix build --root}, for example (@pxref{Invoking
2433 Prior to running @code{guix gc --collect-garbage} to make space, it is
2434 often useful to remove old generations from user profiles; that way, old
2435 package builds referenced by those generations can be reclaimed. This
2436 is achieved by running @code{guix package --delete-generations}
2437 (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).
2439 Our recommendation is to run a garbage collection periodically, or when
2440 you are short on disk space. For instance, to guarantee that at least
2441 5@tie{}GB are available on your disk, simply run:
2447 It is perfectly safe to run as a non-interactive periodic job
2448 (@pxref{Scheduled Job Execution}, for how to set up such a job on
2449 GuixSD). Running @command{guix gc} with no arguments will collect as
2450 much garbage as it can, but that is often inconvenient: you may find
2451 yourself having to rebuild or re-download software that is ``dead'' from
2452 the GC viewpoint but that is necessary to build other pieces of
2453 software---e.g., the compiler tool chain.
2455 The @command{guix gc} command has three modes of operation: it can be
2456 used to garbage-collect any dead files (the default), to delete specific
2457 files (the @code{--delete} option), to print garbage-collector
2458 information, or for more advanced queries. The garbage collection
2459 options are as follows:
2462 @item --collect-garbage[=@var{min}]
2463 @itemx -C [@var{min}]
2464 Collect garbage---i.e., unreachable @file{/gnu/store} files and
2465 sub-directories. This is the default operation when no option is
2468 When @var{min} is given, stop once @var{min} bytes have been collected.
2469 @var{min} may be a number of bytes, or it may include a unit as a
2470 suffix, such as @code{MiB} for mebibytes and @code{GB} for gigabytes
2471 (@pxref{Block size, size specifications,, coreutils, GNU Coreutils}).
2473 When @var{min} is omitted, collect all the garbage.
2475 @item --free-space=@var{free}
2476 @itemx -F @var{free}
2477 Collect garbage until @var{free} space is available under
2478 @file{/gnu/store}, if possible; @var{free} denotes storage space, such
2479 as @code{500MiB}, as described above.
2481 When @var{free} or more is already available in @file{/gnu/store}, do
2482 nothing and exit immediately.
2486 Attempt to delete all the store files and directories specified as
2487 arguments. This fails if some of the files are not in the store, or if
2488 they are still live.
2490 @item --list-failures
2491 List store items corresponding to cached build failures.
2493 This prints nothing unless the daemon was started with
2494 @option{--cache-failures} (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon,
2495 @option{--cache-failures}}).
2497 @item --clear-failures
2498 Remove the specified store items from the failed-build cache.
2500 Again, this option only makes sense when the daemon is started with
2501 @option{--cache-failures}. Otherwise, it does nothing.
2504 Show the list of dead files and directories still present in the
2505 store---i.e., files and directories no longer reachable from any root.
2508 Show the list of live store files and directories.
2512 In addition, the references among existing store files can be queried:
2518 @cindex package dependencies
2519 List the references (respectively, the referrers) of store files given
2525 List the requisites of the store files passed as arguments. Requisites
2526 include the store files themselves, their references, and the references
2527 of these, recursively. In other words, the returned list is the
2528 @dfn{transitive closure} of the store files.
2530 @xref{Invoking guix size}, for a tool to profile the size of the closure
2531 of an element. @xref{Invoking guix graph}, for a tool to visualize
2532 the graph of references.
2536 Lastly, the following options allow you to check the integrity of the
2537 store and to control disk usage.
2541 @item --verify[=@var{options}]
2542 @cindex integrity, of the store
2543 @cindex integrity checking
2544 Verify the integrity of the store.
2546 By default, make sure that all the store items marked as valid in the
2547 database of the daemon actually exist in @file{/gnu/store}.
2549 When provided, @var{options} must be a comma-separated list containing one
2550 or more of @code{contents} and @code{repair}.
2552 When passing @option{--verify=contents}, the daemon computes the
2553 content hash of each store item and compares it against its hash in the
2554 database. Hash mismatches are reported as data corruptions. Because it
2555 traverses @emph{all the files in the store}, this command can take a
2556 long time, especially on systems with a slow disk drive.
2558 @cindex repairing the store
2559 @cindex corruption, recovering from
2560 Using @option{--verify=repair} or @option{--verify=contents,repair}
2561 causes the daemon to try to repair corrupt store items by fetching
2562 substitutes for them (@pxref{Substitutes}). Because repairing is not
2563 atomic, and thus potentially dangerous, it is available only to the
2564 system administrator. A lightweight alternative, when you know exactly
2565 which items in the store are corrupt, is @command{guix build --repair}
2566 (@pxref{Invoking guix build}).
2569 @cindex deduplication
2570 Optimize the store by hard-linking identical files---this is
2571 @dfn{deduplication}.
2573 The daemon performs deduplication after each successful build or archive
2574 import, unless it was started with @code{--disable-deduplication}
2575 (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon, @code{--disable-deduplication}}). Thus,
2576 this option is primarily useful when the daemon was running with
2577 @code{--disable-deduplication}.
2581 @node Invoking guix pull
2582 @section Invoking @command{guix pull}
2584 @cindex upgrading Guix
2585 @cindex updating Guix
2586 @cindex @command{guix pull}
2588 Packages are installed or upgraded to the latest version available in
2589 the distribution currently available on your local machine. To update
2590 that distribution, along with the Guix tools, you must run @command{guix
2591 pull}: the command downloads the latest Guix source code and package
2592 descriptions, and deploys it. Source code is downloaded from a
2593 @uref{https://git-scm.com, Git} repository.
2595 On completion, @command{guix package} will use packages and package
2596 versions from this just-retrieved copy of Guix. Not only that, but all
2597 the Guix commands and Scheme modules will also be taken from that latest
2598 version. New @command{guix} sub-commands added by the update also
2601 Any user can update their Guix copy using @command{guix pull}, and the
2602 effect is limited to the user who run @command{guix pull}. For
2603 instance, when user @code{root} runs @command{guix pull}, this has no
2604 effect on the version of Guix that user @code{alice} sees, and vice
2605 versa@footnote{Under the hood, @command{guix pull} updates the
2606 @file{~/.config/guix/latest} symbolic link to point to the latest Guix,
2607 and the @command{guix} command loads code from there. Currently, the
2608 only way to roll back an invocation of @command{guix pull} is to
2609 manually update this symlink to point to the previous Guix.}.
2611 The @command{guix pull} command is usually invoked with no arguments,
2612 but it supports the following options:
2616 Produce verbose output, writing build logs to the standard error output.
2618 @item --url=@var{url}
2619 Download Guix from the Git repository at @var{url}.
2621 @vindex GUIX_PULL_URL
2622 By default, the source is taken from its canonical Git repository at
2623 @code{gnu.org}, for the stable branch of Guix. To use a different source,
2624 set the @code{GUIX_PULL_URL} environment variable.
2626 @item --commit=@var{commit}
2627 Deploy @var{commit}, a valid Git commit ID represented as a hexadecimal
2630 @item --branch=@var{branch}
2631 Deploy the tip of @var{branch}, the name of a Git branch available on
2632 the repository at @var{url}.
2635 Use the bootstrap Guile to build the latest Guix. This option is only
2636 useful to Guix developers.
2639 In addition, @command{guix pull} supports all the common build options
2640 (@pxref{Common Build Options}).
2642 @node Invoking guix pack
2643 @section Invoking @command{guix pack}
2645 Occasionally you want to pass software to people who are not (yet!)
2646 lucky enough to be using Guix. You'd tell them to run @command{guix
2647 package -i @var{something}}, but that's not possible in this case. This
2648 is where @command{guix pack} comes in.
2652 @cindex application bundle
2653 @cindex software bundle
2654 The @command{guix pack} command creates a shrink-wrapped @dfn{pack} or
2655 @dfn{software bundle}: it creates a tarball or some other archive
2656 containing the binaries of the software you're interested in, and all
2657 its dependencies. The resulting archive can be used on any machine that
2658 does not have Guix, and people can run the exact same binaries as those
2659 you have with Guix. The pack itself is created in a bit-reproducible
2660 fashion, so anyone can verify that it really contains the build results
2661 that you pretend to be shipping.
2663 For example, to create a bundle containing Guile, Emacs, Geiser, and all
2664 their dependencies, you can run:
2667 $ guix pack guile emacs geiser
2669 /gnu/store/@dots{}-pack.tar.gz
2672 The result here is a tarball containing a @file{/gnu/store} directory
2673 with all the relevant packages. The resulting tarball contains a
2674 @dfn{profile} with the three packages of interest; the profile is the
2675 same as would be created by @command{guix package -i}. It is this
2676 mechanism that is used to create Guix's own standalone binary tarball
2677 (@pxref{Binary Installation}).
2679 Users of this pack would have to run
2680 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-profile/bin/guile} to run Guile, which you may
2681 find inconvenient. To work around it, you can create, say, a
2682 @file{/opt/gnu/bin} symlink to the profile:
2685 guix pack -S /opt/gnu/bin=bin guile emacs geiser
2689 That way, users can happily type @file{/opt/gnu/bin/guile} and enjoy.
2691 Alternatively, you can produce a pack in the Docker image format using
2692 the following command:
2695 guix pack -f docker guile emacs geiser
2699 The result is a tarball that can be passed to the @command{docker load}
2701 @uref{https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/commandline/load/, Docker
2702 documentation} for more information.
2704 Several command-line options allow you to customize your pack:
2707 @item --format=@var{format}
2708 @itemx -f @var{format}
2709 Produce a pack in the given @var{format}.
2711 The available formats are:
2715 This is the default format. It produces a tarball containing all the
2716 specified binaries and symlinks.
2719 This produces a tarball that follows the
2720 @uref{https://github.com/docker/docker/blob/master/image/spec/v1.2.md,
2721 Docker Image Specification}.
2724 @item --expression=@var{expr}
2725 @itemx -e @var{expr}
2726 Consider the package @var{expr} evaluates to.
2728 This has the same purpose as the same-named option in @command{guix
2729 build} (@pxref{Additional Build Options, @code{--expression} in
2730 @command{guix build}}).
2732 @item --system=@var{system}
2733 @itemx -s @var{system}
2734 Attempt to build for @var{system}---e.g., @code{i686-linux}---instead of
2735 the system type of the build host.
2737 @item --target=@var{triplet}
2738 @cindex cross-compilation
2739 Cross-build for @var{triplet}, which must be a valid GNU triplet, such
2740 as @code{"mips64el-linux-gnu"} (@pxref{Specifying target triplets, GNU
2741 configuration triplets,, autoconf, Autoconf}).
2743 @item --compression=@var{tool}
2744 @itemx -C @var{tool}
2745 Compress the resulting tarball using @var{tool}---one of @code{gzip},
2746 @code{bzip2}, @code{xz}, @code{lzip}, or @code{none} for no compression.
2748 @item --symlink=@var{spec}
2749 @itemx -S @var{spec}
2750 Add the symlinks specified by @var{spec} to the pack. This option can
2751 appear several times.
2753 @var{spec} has the form @code{@var{source}=@var{target}}, where
2754 @var{source} is the symlink that will be created and @var{target} is the
2757 For instance, @code{-S /opt/gnu/bin=bin} creates a @file{/opt/gnu/bin}
2758 symlink pointing to the @file{bin} sub-directory of the profile.
2760 @item --localstatedir
2761 Include the ``local state directory'', @file{/var/guix}, in the
2764 @file{/var/guix} contains the store database (@pxref{The Store}) as well
2765 as garbage-collector roots (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}). Providing it in
2766 the pack means that the store is ``complete'' and manageable by Guix;
2767 not providing it pack means that the store is ``dead'': items cannot be
2768 added to it or removed from it after extraction of the pack.
2770 One use case for this is the Guix self-contained binary tarball
2771 (@pxref{Binary Installation}).
2774 In addition, @command{guix pack} supports all the common build options
2775 (@pxref{Common Build Options}) and all the package transformation
2776 options (@pxref{Package Transformation Options}).
2779 @node Invoking guix archive
2780 @section Invoking @command{guix archive}
2782 @cindex @command{guix archive}
2784 The @command{guix archive} command allows users to @dfn{export} files
2785 from the store into a single archive, and to later @dfn{import} them.
2786 In particular, it allows store files to be transferred from one machine
2787 to the store on another machine.
2789 @cindex exporting store items
2790 To export store files as an archive to standard output, run:
2793 guix archive --export @var{options} @var{specifications}...
2796 @var{specifications} may be either store file names or package
2797 specifications, as for @command{guix package} (@pxref{Invoking guix
2798 package}). For instance, the following command creates an archive
2799 containing the @code{gui} output of the @code{git} package and the main
2800 output of @code{emacs}:
2803 guix archive --export git:gui /gnu/store/...-emacs-24.3 > great.nar
2806 If the specified packages are not built yet, @command{guix archive}
2807 automatically builds them. The build process may be controlled with the
2808 common build options (@pxref{Common Build Options}).
2810 To transfer the @code{emacs} package to a machine connected over SSH,
2814 guix archive --export -r emacs | ssh the-machine guix archive --import
2818 Similarly, a complete user profile may be transferred from one machine
2819 to another like this:
2822 guix archive --export -r $(readlink -f ~/.guix-profile) | \
2823 ssh the-machine guix-archive --import
2827 However, note that, in both examples, all of @code{emacs} and the
2828 profile as well as all of their dependencies are transferred (due to
2829 @code{-r}), regardless of what is already available in the store on the
2830 target machine. The @code{--missing} option can help figure out which
2831 items are missing from the target store. The @command{guix copy}
2832 command simplifies and optimizes this whole process, so this is probably
2833 what you should use in this case (@pxref{Invoking guix copy}).
2835 @cindex nar, archive format
2836 @cindex normalized archive (nar)
2837 Archives are stored in the ``normalized archive'' or ``nar'' format, which is
2838 comparable in spirit to `tar', but with differences
2839 that make it more appropriate for our purposes. First, rather than
2840 recording all Unix metadata for each file, the nar format only mentions
2841 the file type (regular, directory, or symbolic link); Unix permissions
2842 and owner/group are dismissed. Second, the order in which directory
2843 entries are stored always follows the order of file names according to
2844 the C locale collation order. This makes archive production fully
2847 When exporting, the daemon digitally signs the contents of the archive,
2848 and that digital signature is appended. When importing, the daemon
2849 verifies the signature and rejects the import in case of an invalid
2850 signature or if the signing key is not authorized.
2851 @c FIXME: Add xref to daemon doc about signatures.
2853 The main options are:
2857 Export the specified store files or packages (see below.) Write the
2858 resulting archive to the standard output.
2860 Dependencies are @emph{not} included in the output, unless
2861 @code{--recursive} is passed.
2865 When combined with @code{--export}, this instructs @command{guix
2866 archive} to include dependencies of the given items in the archive.
2867 Thus, the resulting archive is self-contained: it contains the closure
2868 of the exported store items.
2871 Read an archive from the standard input, and import the files listed
2872 therein into the store. Abort if the archive has an invalid digital
2873 signature, or if it is signed by a public key not among the authorized
2874 keys (see @code{--authorize} below.)
2877 Read a list of store file names from the standard input, one per line,
2878 and write on the standard output the subset of these files missing from
2881 @item --generate-key[=@var{parameters}]
2882 @cindex signing, archives
2883 Generate a new key pair for the daemon. This is a prerequisite before
2884 archives can be exported with @code{--export}. Note that this operation
2885 usually takes time, because it needs to gather enough entropy to
2886 generate the key pair.
2888 The generated key pair is typically stored under @file{/etc/guix}, in
2889 @file{signing-key.pub} (public key) and @file{signing-key.sec} (private
2890 key, which must be kept secret.) When @var{parameters} is omitted,
2891 an ECDSA key using the Ed25519 curve is generated, or, for Libgcrypt
2892 versions before 1.6.0, it is a 4096-bit RSA key.
2893 Alternatively, @var{parameters} can specify
2894 @code{genkey} parameters suitable for Libgcrypt (@pxref{General
2895 public-key related Functions, @code{gcry_pk_genkey},, gcrypt, The
2896 Libgcrypt Reference Manual}).
2899 @cindex authorizing, archives
2900 Authorize imports signed by the public key passed on standard input.
2901 The public key must be in ``s-expression advanced format''---i.e., the
2902 same format as the @file{signing-key.pub} file.
2904 The list of authorized keys is kept in the human-editable file
2905 @file{/etc/guix/acl}. The file contains
2906 @url{http://people.csail.mit.edu/rivest/Sexp.txt, ``advanced-format
2907 s-expressions''} and is structured as an access-control list in the
2908 @url{http://theworld.com/~cme/spki.txt, Simple Public-Key Infrastructure
2911 @item --extract=@var{directory}
2912 @itemx -x @var{directory}
2913 Read a single-item archive as served by substitute servers
2914 (@pxref{Substitutes}) and extract it to @var{directory}. This is a
2915 low-level operation needed in only very narrow use cases; see below.
2917 For example, the following command extracts the substitute for Emacs
2918 served by @code{hydra.gnu.org} to @file{/tmp/emacs}:
2922 https://hydra.gnu.org/nar/@dots{}-emacs-24.5 \
2923 | bunzip2 | guix archive -x /tmp/emacs
2926 Single-item archives are different from multiple-item archives produced
2927 by @command{guix archive --export}; they contain a single store item,
2928 and they do @emph{not} embed a signature. Thus this operation does
2929 @emph{no} signature verification and its output should be considered
2932 The primary purpose of this operation is to facilitate inspection of
2933 archive contents coming from possibly untrusted substitute servers.
2937 @c *********************************************************************
2938 @node Programming Interface
2939 @chapter Programming Interface
2941 GNU Guix provides several Scheme programming interfaces (APIs) to
2942 define, build, and query packages. The first interface allows users to
2943 write high-level package definitions. These definitions refer to
2944 familiar packaging concepts, such as the name and version of a package,
2945 its build system, and its dependencies. These definitions can then be
2946 turned into concrete build actions.
2948 Build actions are performed by the Guix daemon, on behalf of users. In a
2949 standard setup, the daemon has write access to the store---the
2950 @file{/gnu/store} directory---whereas users do not. The recommended
2951 setup also has the daemon perform builds in chroots, under a specific
2952 build users, to minimize interference with the rest of the system.
2955 Lower-level APIs are available to interact with the daemon and the
2956 store. To instruct the daemon to perform a build action, users actually
2957 provide it with a @dfn{derivation}. A derivation is a low-level
2958 representation of the build actions to be taken, and the environment in
2959 which they should occur---derivations are to package definitions what
2960 assembly is to C programs. The term ``derivation'' comes from the fact
2961 that build results @emph{derive} from them.
2963 This chapter describes all these APIs in turn, starting from high-level
2964 package definitions.
2967 * Defining Packages:: Defining new packages.
2968 * Build Systems:: Specifying how packages are built.
2969 * The Store:: Manipulating the package store.
2970 * Derivations:: Low-level interface to package derivations.
2971 * The Store Monad:: Purely functional interface to the store.
2972 * G-Expressions:: Manipulating build expressions.
2975 @node Defining Packages
2976 @section Defining Packages
2978 The high-level interface to package definitions is implemented in the
2979 @code{(guix packages)} and @code{(guix build-system)} modules. As an
2980 example, the package definition, or @dfn{recipe}, for the GNU Hello
2981 package looks like this:
2984 (define-module (gnu packages hello)
2985 #:use-module (guix packages)
2986 #:use-module (guix download)
2987 #:use-module (guix build-system gnu)
2988 #:use-module (guix licenses)
2989 #:use-module (gnu packages gawk))
2991 (define-public hello
2997 (uri (string-append "mirror://gnu/hello/hello-" version
3001 "0ssi1wpaf7plaswqqjwigppsg5fyh99vdlb9kzl7c9lng89ndq1i"))))
3002 (build-system gnu-build-system)
3003 (arguments '(#:configure-flags '("--enable-silent-rules")))
3004 (inputs `(("gawk" ,gawk)))
3005 (synopsis "Hello, GNU world: An example GNU package")
3006 (description "Guess what GNU Hello prints!")
3007 (home-page "http://www.gnu.org/software/hello/")
3012 Without being a Scheme expert, the reader may have guessed the meaning
3013 of the various fields here. This expression binds the variable
3014 @code{hello} to a @code{<package>} object, which is essentially a record
3015 (@pxref{SRFI-9, Scheme records,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}).
3016 This package object can be inspected using procedures found in the
3017 @code{(guix packages)} module; for instance, @code{(package-name hello)}
3018 returns---surprise!---@code{"hello"}.
3020 With luck, you may be able to import part or all of the definition of
3021 the package you are interested in from another repository, using the
3022 @code{guix import} command (@pxref{Invoking guix import}).
3024 In the example above, @var{hello} is defined in a module of its own,
3025 @code{(gnu packages hello)}. Technically, this is not strictly
3026 necessary, but it is convenient to do so: all the packages defined in
3027 modules under @code{(gnu packages @dots{})} are automatically known to
3028 the command-line tools (@pxref{Package Modules}).
3030 There are a few points worth noting in the above package definition:
3034 The @code{source} field of the package is an @code{<origin>} object
3035 (@pxref{origin Reference}, for the complete reference).
3036 Here, the @code{url-fetch} method from @code{(guix download)} is used,
3037 meaning that the source is a file to be downloaded over FTP or HTTP.
3039 The @code{mirror://gnu} prefix instructs @code{url-fetch} to use one of
3040 the GNU mirrors defined in @code{(guix download)}.
3042 The @code{sha256} field specifies the expected SHA256 hash of the file
3043 being downloaded. It is mandatory, and allows Guix to check the
3044 integrity of the file. The @code{(base32 @dots{})} form introduces the
3045 base32 representation of the hash. You can obtain this information with
3046 @code{guix download} (@pxref{Invoking guix download}) and @code{guix
3047 hash} (@pxref{Invoking guix hash}).
3050 When needed, the @code{origin} form can also have a @code{patches} field
3051 listing patches to be applied, and a @code{snippet} field giving a
3052 Scheme expression to modify the source code.
3055 @cindex GNU Build System
3056 The @code{build-system} field specifies the procedure to build the
3057 package (@pxref{Build Systems}). Here, @var{gnu-build-system}
3058 represents the familiar GNU Build System, where packages may be
3059 configured, built, and installed with the usual @code{./configure &&
3060 make && make check && make install} command sequence.
3063 The @code{arguments} field specifies options for the build system
3064 (@pxref{Build Systems}). Here it is interpreted by
3065 @var{gnu-build-system} as a request run @file{configure} with the
3066 @code{--enable-silent-rules} flag.
3072 What about these quote (@code{'}) characters? They are Scheme syntax to
3073 introduce a literal list; @code{'} is synonymous with @code{quote}.
3074 @xref{Expression Syntax, quoting,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual},
3075 for details. Here the value of the @code{arguments} field is a list of
3076 arguments passed to the build system down the road, as with @code{apply}
3077 (@pxref{Fly Evaluation, @code{apply},, guile, GNU Guile Reference
3080 The hash-colon (@code{#:}) sequence defines a Scheme @dfn{keyword}
3081 (@pxref{Keywords,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}), and
3082 @code{#:configure-flags} is a keyword used to pass a keyword argument
3083 to the build system (@pxref{Coding With Keywords,,, guile, GNU Guile
3087 The @code{inputs} field specifies inputs to the build process---i.e.,
3088 build-time or run-time dependencies of the package. Here, we define an
3089 input called @code{"gawk"} whose value is that of the @var{gawk}
3090 variable; @var{gawk} is itself bound to a @code{<package>} object.
3092 @cindex backquote (quasiquote)
3095 @cindex comma (unquote)
3099 @findex unquote-splicing
3100 Again, @code{`} (a backquote, synonymous with @code{quasiquote}) allows
3101 us to introduce a literal list in the @code{inputs} field, while
3102 @code{,} (a comma, synonymous with @code{unquote}) allows us to insert a
3103 value in that list (@pxref{Expression Syntax, unquote,, guile, GNU Guile
3106 Note that GCC, Coreutils, Bash, and other essential tools do not need to
3107 be specified as inputs here. Instead, @var{gnu-build-system} takes care
3108 of ensuring that they are present (@pxref{Build Systems}).
3110 However, any other dependencies need to be specified in the
3111 @code{inputs} field. Any dependency not specified here will simply be
3112 unavailable to the build process, possibly leading to a build failure.
3115 @xref{package Reference}, for a full description of possible fields.
3117 Once a package definition is in place, the
3118 package may actually be built using the @code{guix build} command-line
3119 tool (@pxref{Invoking guix build}), troubleshooting any build failures
3120 you encounter (@pxref{Debugging Build Failures}). You can easily jump back to the
3121 package definition using the @command{guix edit} command
3122 (@pxref{Invoking guix edit}).
3123 @xref{Packaging Guidelines}, for
3124 more information on how to test package definitions, and
3125 @ref{Invoking guix lint}, for information on how to check a definition
3126 for style conformance.
3127 @vindex GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH
3128 Lastly, @pxref{Package Modules}, for information
3129 on how to extend the distribution by adding your own package definitions
3130 to @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH}.
3132 Finally, updating the package definition to a new upstream version
3133 can be partly automated by the @command{guix refresh} command
3134 (@pxref{Invoking guix refresh}).
3136 Behind the scenes, a derivation corresponding to the @code{<package>}
3137 object is first computed by the @code{package-derivation} procedure.
3138 That derivation is stored in a @code{.drv} file under @file{/gnu/store}.
3139 The build actions it prescribes may then be realized by using the
3140 @code{build-derivations} procedure (@pxref{The Store}).
3142 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} package-derivation @var{store} @var{package} [@var{system}]
3143 Return the @code{<derivation>} object of @var{package} for @var{system}
3144 (@pxref{Derivations}).
3146 @var{package} must be a valid @code{<package>} object, and @var{system}
3147 must be a string denoting the target system type---e.g.,
3148 @code{"x86_64-linux"} for an x86_64 Linux-based GNU system. @var{store}
3149 must be a connection to the daemon, which operates on the store
3150 (@pxref{The Store}).
3154 @cindex cross-compilation
3155 Similarly, it is possible to compute a derivation that cross-builds a
3156 package for some other system:
3158 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} package-cross-derivation @var{store} @
3159 @var{package} @var{target} [@var{system}]
3160 Return the @code{<derivation>} object of @var{package} cross-built from
3161 @var{system} to @var{target}.
3163 @var{target} must be a valid GNU triplet denoting the target hardware
3164 and operating system, such as @code{"mips64el-linux-gnu"}
3165 (@pxref{Configuration Names, GNU configuration triplets,, configure, GNU
3166 Configure and Build System}).
3169 @cindex package transformations
3170 @cindex input rewriting
3171 @cindex dependency tree rewriting
3172 Packages can be manipulated in arbitrary ways. An example of a useful
3173 transformation is @dfn{input rewriting}, whereby the dependency tree of
3174 a package is rewritten by replacing specific inputs by others:
3176 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} package-input-rewriting @var{replacements} @
3177 [@var{rewrite-name}]
3178 Return a procedure that, when passed a package, replaces its direct and
3179 indirect dependencies (but not its implicit inputs) according to
3180 @var{replacements}. @var{replacements} is a list of package pairs; the
3181 first element of each pair is the package to replace, and the second one
3184 Optionally, @var{rewrite-name} is a one-argument procedure that takes
3185 the name of a package and returns its new name after rewrite.
3189 Consider this example:
3192 (define libressl-instead-of-openssl
3193 ;; This is a procedure to replace OPENSSL by LIBRESSL,
3195 (package-input-rewriting `((,openssl . ,libressl))))
3197 (define git-with-libressl
3198 (libressl-instead-of-openssl git))
3202 Here we first define a rewriting procedure that replaces @var{openssl}
3203 with @var{libressl}. Then we use it to define a @dfn{variant} of the
3204 @var{git} package that uses @var{libressl} instead of @var{openssl}.
3205 This is exactly what the @option{--with-input} command-line option does
3206 (@pxref{Package Transformation Options, @option{--with-input}}).
3208 A more generic procedure to rewrite a package dependency graph is
3209 @code{package-mapping}: it supports arbitrary changes to nodes in the
3212 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} package-mapping @var{proc} [@var{cut?}]
3213 Return a procedure that, given a package, applies @var{proc} to all the packages
3214 depended on and returns the resulting package. The procedure stops recursion
3215 when @var{cut?} returns true for a given package.
3219 * package Reference :: The package data type.
3220 * origin Reference:: The origin data type.
3224 @node package Reference
3225 @subsection @code{package} Reference
3227 This section summarizes all the options available in @code{package}
3228 declarations (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
3230 @deftp {Data Type} package
3231 This is the data type representing a package recipe.
3235 The name of the package, as a string.
3237 @item @code{version}
3238 The version of the package, as a string.
3241 An object telling how the source code for the package should be
3242 acquired. Most of the time, this is an @code{origin} object, which
3243 denotes a file fetched from the Internet (@pxref{origin Reference}). It
3244 can also be any other ``file-like'' object such as a @code{local-file},
3245 which denotes a file from the local file system (@pxref{G-Expressions,
3246 @code{local-file}}).
3248 @item @code{build-system}
3249 The build system that should be used to build the package (@pxref{Build
3252 @item @code{arguments} (default: @code{'()})
3253 The arguments that should be passed to the build system. This is a
3254 list, typically containing sequential keyword-value pairs.
3256 @item @code{inputs} (default: @code{'()})
3257 @itemx @code{native-inputs} (default: @code{'()})
3258 @itemx @code{propagated-inputs} (default: @code{'()})
3259 @cindex inputs, of packages
3260 These fields list dependencies of the package. Each one is a list of
3261 tuples, where each tuple has a label for the input (a string) as its
3262 first element, a package, origin, or derivation as its second element,
3263 and optionally the name of the output thereof that should be used, which
3264 defaults to @code{"out"} (@pxref{Packages with Multiple Outputs}, for
3265 more on package outputs). For example, the list below specifies three
3269 `(("libffi" ,libffi)
3270 ("libunistring" ,libunistring)
3271 ("glib:bin" ,glib "bin")) ;the "bin" output of Glib
3274 @cindex cross compilation, package dependencies
3275 The distinction between @code{native-inputs} and @code{inputs} is
3276 necessary when considering cross-compilation. When cross-compiling,
3277 dependencies listed in @code{inputs} are built for the @emph{target}
3278 architecture; conversely, dependencies listed in @code{native-inputs}
3279 are built for the architecture of the @emph{build} machine.
3281 @code{native-inputs} is typically used to list tools needed at
3282 build time, but not at run time, such as Autoconf, Automake, pkg-config,
3283 Gettext, or Bison. @command{guix lint} can report likely mistakes in
3284 this area (@pxref{Invoking guix lint}).
3286 @anchor{package-propagated-inputs}
3287 Lastly, @code{propagated-inputs} is similar to @code{inputs}, but the
3288 specified packages will be automatically installed alongside the package
3289 they belong to (@pxref{package-cmd-propagated-inputs, @command{guix
3290 package}}, for information on how @command{guix package} deals with
3293 For example this is necessary when a C/C++ library needs headers of
3294 another library to compile, or when a pkg-config file refers to another
3295 one @i{via} its @code{Requires} field.
3297 Another example where @code{propagated-inputs} is useful is for languages
3298 that lack a facility to record the run-time search path akin to the
3299 @code{RUNPATH} of ELF files; this includes Guile, Python, Perl, and
3300 more. To ensure that libraries written in those languages can find
3301 library code they depend on at run time, run-time dependencies must be
3302 listed in @code{propagated-inputs} rather than @code{inputs}.
3304 @item @code{self-native-input?} (default: @code{#f})
3305 This is a Boolean field telling whether the package should use itself as
3306 a native input when cross-compiling.
3308 @item @code{outputs} (default: @code{'("out")})
3309 The list of output names of the package. @xref{Packages with Multiple
3310 Outputs}, for typical uses of additional outputs.
3312 @item @code{native-search-paths} (default: @code{'()})
3313 @itemx @code{search-paths} (default: @code{'()})
3314 A list of @code{search-path-specification} objects describing
3315 search-path environment variables honored by the package.
3317 @item @code{replacement} (default: @code{#f})
3318 This must be either @code{#f} or a package object that will be used as a
3319 @dfn{replacement} for this package. @xref{Security Updates, grafts},
3322 @item @code{synopsis}
3323 A one-line description of the package.
3325 @item @code{description}
3326 A more elaborate description of the package.
3328 @item @code{license}
3329 @cindex license, of packages
3330 The license of the package; a value from @code{(guix licenses)},
3331 or a list of such values.
3333 @item @code{home-page}
3334 The URL to the home-page of the package, as a string.
3336 @item @code{supported-systems} (default: @var{%supported-systems})
3337 The list of systems supported by the package, as strings of the form
3338 @code{architecture-kernel}, for example @code{"x86_64-linux"}.
3340 @item @code{maintainers} (default: @code{'()})
3341 The list of maintainers of the package, as @code{maintainer} objects.
3343 @item @code{location} (default: source location of the @code{package} form)
3344 The source location of the package. It is useful to override this when
3345 inheriting from another package, in which case this field is not
3346 automatically corrected.
3351 @node origin Reference
3352 @subsection @code{origin} Reference
3354 This section summarizes all the options available in @code{origin}
3355 declarations (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
3357 @deftp {Data Type} origin
3358 This is the data type representing a source code origin.
3362 An object containing the URI of the source. The object type depends on
3363 the @code{method} (see below). For example, when using the
3364 @var{url-fetch} method of @code{(guix download)}, the valid @code{uri}
3365 values are: a URL represented as a string, or a list thereof.
3368 A procedure that handles the URI.
3373 @item @var{url-fetch} from @code{(guix download)}
3374 download a file from the HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP URL specified in the
3378 @item @var{git-fetch} from @code{(guix git-download)}
3379 clone the Git version control repository, and check out the revision
3380 specified in the @code{uri} field as a @code{git-reference} object; a
3381 @code{git-reference} looks like this:
3385 (url "git://git.debian.org/git/pkg-shadow/shadow")
3386 (commit "v4.1.5.1"))
3391 A bytevector containing the SHA-256 hash of the source. Typically the
3392 @code{base32} form is used here to generate the bytevector from a
3395 You can obtain this information using @code{guix download}
3396 (@pxref{Invoking guix download}) or @code{guix hash} (@pxref{Invoking
3399 @item @code{file-name} (default: @code{#f})
3400 The file name under which the source code should be saved. When this is
3401 @code{#f}, a sensible default value will be used in most cases. In case
3402 the source is fetched from a URL, the file name from the URL will be
3403 used. For version control checkouts, it is recommended to provide the
3404 file name explicitly because the default is not very descriptive.
3406 @item @code{patches} (default: @code{'()})
3407 A list of file names, origins, or file-like objects (@pxref{G-Expressions,
3408 file-like objects}) pointing to patches to be applied to the source.
3410 This list of patches must be unconditional. In particular, it cannot
3411 depend on the value of @code{%current-system} or
3412 @code{%current-target-system}.
3414 @item @code{snippet} (default: @code{#f})
3415 A G-expression (@pxref{G-Expressions}) or S-expression that will be run
3416 in the source directory. This is a convenient way to modify the source,
3417 sometimes more convenient than a patch.
3419 @item @code{patch-flags} (default: @code{'("-p1")})
3420 A list of command-line flags that should be passed to the @code{patch}
3423 @item @code{patch-inputs} (default: @code{#f})
3424 Input packages or derivations to the patching process. When this is
3425 @code{#f}, the usual set of inputs necessary for patching are provided,
3426 such as GNU@tie{}Patch.
3428 @item @code{modules} (default: @code{'()})
3429 A list of Guile modules that should be loaded during the patching
3430 process and while running the code in the @code{snippet} field.
3432 @item @code{patch-guile} (default: @code{#f})
3433 The Guile package that should be used in the patching process. When
3434 this is @code{#f}, a sensible default is used.
3440 @section Build Systems
3442 @cindex build system
3443 Each package definition specifies a @dfn{build system} and arguments for
3444 that build system (@pxref{Defining Packages}). This @code{build-system}
3445 field represents the build procedure of the package, as well as implicit
3446 dependencies of that build procedure.
3448 Build systems are @code{<build-system>} objects. The interface to
3449 create and manipulate them is provided by the @code{(guix build-system)}
3450 module, and actual build systems are exported by specific modules.
3452 @cindex bag (low-level package representation)
3453 Under the hood, build systems first compile package objects to
3454 @dfn{bags}. A @dfn{bag} is like a package, but with less
3455 ornamentation---in other words, a bag is a lower-level representation of
3456 a package, which includes all the inputs of that package, including some
3457 that were implicitly added by the build system. This intermediate
3458 representation is then compiled to a derivation (@pxref{Derivations}).
3460 Build systems accept an optional list of @dfn{arguments}. In package
3461 definitions, these are passed @i{via} the @code{arguments} field
3462 (@pxref{Defining Packages}). They are typically keyword arguments
3463 (@pxref{Optional Arguments, keyword arguments in Guile,, guile, GNU
3464 Guile Reference Manual}). The value of these arguments is usually
3465 evaluated in the @dfn{build stratum}---i.e., by a Guile process launched
3466 by the daemon (@pxref{Derivations}).
3468 The main build system is @var{gnu-build-system}, which implements the
3469 standard build procedure for GNU and many other packages. It
3470 is provided by the @code{(guix build-system gnu)} module.
3472 @defvr {Scheme Variable} gnu-build-system
3473 @var{gnu-build-system} represents the GNU Build System, and variants
3474 thereof (@pxref{Configuration, configuration and makefile conventions,,
3475 standards, GNU Coding Standards}).
3477 @cindex build phases
3478 In a nutshell, packages using it are configured, built, and installed with
3479 the usual @code{./configure && make && make check && make install}
3480 command sequence. In practice, a few additional steps are often needed.
3481 All these steps are split up in separate @dfn{phases},
3482 notably@footnote{Please see the @code{(guix build gnu-build-system)}
3483 modules for more details about the build phases.}:
3487 Unpack the source tarball, and change the current directory to the
3488 extracted source tree. If the source is actually a directory, copy it
3489 to the build tree, and enter that directory.
3491 @item patch-source-shebangs
3492 Patch shebangs encountered in source files so they refer to the right
3493 store file names. For instance, this changes @code{#!/bin/sh} to
3494 @code{#!/gnu/store/@dots{}-bash-4.3/bin/sh}.
3497 Run the @file{configure} script with a number of default options, such
3498 as @code{--prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}}, as well as the options specified
3499 by the @code{#:configure-flags} argument.
3502 Run @code{make} with the list of flags specified with
3503 @code{#:make-flags}. If the @code{#:parallel-build?} argument is true
3504 (the default), build with @code{make -j}.
3507 Run @code{make check}, or some other target specified with
3508 @code{#:test-target}, unless @code{#:tests? #f} is passed. If the
3509 @code{#:parallel-tests?} argument is true (the default), run @code{make
3513 Run @code{make install} with the flags listed in @code{#:make-flags}.
3515 @item patch-shebangs
3516 Patch shebangs on the installed executable files.
3519 Strip debugging symbols from ELF files (unless @code{#:strip-binaries?}
3520 is false), copying them to the @code{debug} output when available
3521 (@pxref{Installing Debugging Files}).
3524 @vindex %standard-phases
3525 The build-side module @code{(guix build gnu-build-system)} defines
3526 @var{%standard-phases} as the default list of build phases.
3527 @var{%standard-phases} is a list of symbol/procedure pairs, where the
3528 procedure implements the actual phase.
3530 The list of phases used for a particular package can be changed with the
3531 @code{#:phases} parameter. For instance, passing:
3534 #:phases (modify-phases %standard-phases (delete 'configure))
3537 means that all the phases described above will be used, except the
3538 @code{configure} phase.
3540 In addition, this build system ensures that the ``standard'' environment
3541 for GNU packages is available. This includes tools such as GCC, libc,
3542 Coreutils, Bash, Make, Diffutils, grep, and sed (see the @code{(guix
3543 build-system gnu)} module for a complete list). We call these the
3544 @dfn{implicit inputs} of a package, because package definitions do not
3545 have to mention them.
3548 Other @code{<build-system>} objects are defined to support other
3549 conventions and tools used by free software packages. They inherit most
3550 of @var{gnu-build-system}, and differ mainly in the set of inputs
3551 implicitly added to the build process, and in the list of phases
3552 executed. Some of these build systems are listed below.
3554 @defvr {Scheme Variable} ant-build-system
3555 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system ant)}. It
3556 implements the build procedure for Java packages that can be built with
3557 @url{http://ant.apache.org/, Ant build tool}.
3559 It adds both @code{ant} and the @dfn{Java Development Kit} (JDK) as
3560 provided by the @code{icedtea} package to the set of inputs. Different
3561 packages can be specified with the @code{#:ant} and @code{#:jdk}
3562 parameters, respectively.
3564 When the original package does not provide a suitable Ant build file,
3565 the parameter @code{#:jar-name} can be used to generate a minimal Ant
3566 build file @file{build.xml} with tasks to build the specified jar
3567 archive. In this case the parameter @code{#:source-dir} can be used to
3568 specify the source sub-directory, defaulting to ``src''.
3570 The @code{#:main-class} parameter can be used with the minimal ant
3571 buildfile to specify the main class of the resulting jar. This makes the
3572 jar file executable. The @code{#:test-include} parameter can be used to
3573 specify the list of junit tests to run. It defaults to
3574 @code{(list "**/*Test.java")}. The @code{#:test-exclude} can be used to
3575 disable some tests. It defaults to @code{(list "**/Abstract*.java")},
3576 because abstract classes cannot be run as tests.
3578 The parameter @code{#:build-target} can be used to specify the Ant task
3579 that should be run during the @code{build} phase. By default the
3580 ``jar'' task will be run.
3584 @defvr {Scheme Variable} asdf-build-system/source
3585 @defvrx {Scheme Variable} asdf-build-system/sbcl
3586 @defvrx {Scheme Variable} asdf-build-system/ecl
3588 These variables, exported by @code{(guix build-system asdf)}, implement
3589 build procedures for Common Lisp packages using
3590 @url{https://common-lisp.net/project/asdf/, ``ASDF''}. ASDF is a system
3591 definition facility for Common Lisp programs and libraries.
3593 The @code{asdf-build-system/source} system installs the packages in
3594 source form, and can be loaded using any common lisp implementation, via
3595 ASDF. The others, such as @code{asdf-build-system/sbcl}, install binary
3596 systems in the format which a particular implementation understands.
3597 These build systems can also be used to produce executable programs, or
3598 lisp images which contain a set of packages pre-loaded.
3600 The build system uses naming conventions. For binary packages, the
3601 package name should be prefixed with the lisp implementation, such as
3602 @code{sbcl-} for @code{asdf-build-system/sbcl}.
3604 Additionally, the corresponding source package should be labeled using
3605 the same convention as python packages (see @ref{Python Modules}), using
3606 the @code{cl-} prefix.
3608 For binary packages, each system should be defined as a Guix package.
3609 If one package @code{origin} contains several systems, package variants
3610 can be created in order to build all the systems. Source packages,
3611 which use @code{asdf-build-system/source}, may contain several systems.
3613 In order to create executable programs and images, the build-side
3614 procedures @code{build-program} and @code{build-image} can be used.
3615 They should be called in a build phase after the @code{create-symlinks}
3616 phase, so that the system which was just built can be used within the
3617 resulting image. @code{build-program} requires a list of Common Lisp
3618 expressions to be passed as the @code{#:entry-program} argument.
3620 If the system is not defined within its own @code{.asd} file of the same
3621 name, then the @code{#:asd-file} parameter should be used to specify
3622 which file the system is defined in. Furthermore, if the package
3623 defines a system for its tests in a separate file, it will be loaded
3624 before the tests are run if it is specified by the
3625 @code{#:test-asd-file} parameter. If it is not set, the files
3626 @code{<system>-tests.asd}, @code{<system>-test.asd}, @code{tests.asd},
3627 and @code{test.asd} will be tried if they exist.
3629 If for some reason the package must be named in a different way than the
3630 naming conventions suggest, the @code{#:asd-system-name} parameter can
3631 be used to specify the name of the system.
3635 @defvr {Scheme Variable} cargo-build-system
3636 @cindex Rust programming language
3637 @cindex Cargo (Rust build system)
3638 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system cargo)}. It
3639 supports builds of packages using Cargo, the build tool of the
3640 @uref{https://www.rust-lang.org, Rust programming language}.
3642 In its @code{configure} phase, this build system replaces dependencies
3643 specified in the @file{Carto.toml} file with inputs to the Guix package.
3644 The @code{install} phase installs the binaries, and it also installs the
3645 source code and @file{Cargo.toml} file.
3648 @defvr {Scheme Variable} cmake-build-system
3649 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system cmake)}. It
3650 implements the build procedure for packages using the
3651 @url{http://www.cmake.org, CMake build tool}.
3653 It automatically adds the @code{cmake} package to the set of inputs.
3654 Which package is used can be specified with the @code{#:cmake}
3657 The @code{#:configure-flags} parameter is taken as a list of flags
3658 passed to the @command{cmake} command. The @code{#:build-type}
3659 parameter specifies in abstract terms the flags passed to the compiler;
3660 it defaults to @code{"RelWithDebInfo"} (short for ``release mode with
3661 debugging information''), which roughly means that code is compiled with
3662 @code{-O2 -g}, as is the case for Autoconf-based packages by default.
3665 @defvr {Scheme Variable} go-build-system
3666 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system go)}. It
3667 implements a build procedure for Go packages using the standard
3668 @url{https://golang.org/cmd/go/#hdr-Compile_packages_and_dependencies,
3669 Go build mechanisms}.
3671 The user is expected to provide a value for the key @code{#:import-path}
3672 and, in some cases, @code{#:unpack-path}. The
3673 @url{https://golang.org/doc/code.html#ImportPaths, import path}
3674 corresponds to the filesystem path expected by the package's build
3675 scripts and any referring packages, and provides a unique way to
3676 refer to a Go package. It is typically based on a combination of the
3677 package source code's remote URI and filesystem hierarchy structure. In
3678 some cases, you will need to unpack the package's source code to a
3679 different directory structure than the one indicated by the import path,
3680 and @code{#:unpack-path} should be used in such cases.
3682 Packages that provide Go libraries should be installed along with their
3683 source code. The key @code{#:install-source?}, which defaults to
3684 @code{#t}, controls whether or not the source code is installed. It can
3685 be set to @code{#f} for packages that only provide executable files.
3688 @defvr {Scheme Variable} glib-or-gtk-build-system
3689 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system glib-or-gtk)}. It
3690 is intended for use with packages making use of GLib or GTK+.
3692 This build system adds the following two phases to the ones defined by
3693 @var{gnu-build-system}:
3696 @item glib-or-gtk-wrap
3697 The phase @code{glib-or-gtk-wrap} ensures that programs in
3698 @file{bin/} are able to find GLib ``schemas'' and
3699 @uref{https://developer.gnome.org/gtk3/stable/gtk-running.html, GTK+
3700 modules}. This is achieved by wrapping the programs in launch scripts
3701 that appropriately set the @code{XDG_DATA_DIRS} and @code{GTK_PATH}
3702 environment variables.
3704 It is possible to exclude specific package outputs from that wrapping
3705 process by listing their names in the
3706 @code{#:glib-or-gtk-wrap-excluded-outputs} parameter. This is useful
3707 when an output is known not to contain any GLib or GTK+ binaries, and
3708 where wrapping would gratuitously add a dependency of that output on
3711 @item glib-or-gtk-compile-schemas
3712 The phase @code{glib-or-gtk-compile-schemas} makes sure that all
3713 @uref{https://developer.gnome.org/gio/stable/glib-compile-schemas.html,
3714 GSettings schemas} of GLib are compiled. Compilation is performed by the
3715 @command{glib-compile-schemas} program. It is provided by the package
3716 @code{glib:bin} which is automatically imported by the build system.
3717 The @code{glib} package providing @command{glib-compile-schemas} can be
3718 specified with the @code{#:glib} parameter.
3721 Both phases are executed after the @code{install} phase.
3724 @defvr {Scheme Variable} minify-build-system
3725 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system minify)}. It
3726 implements a minification procedure for simple JavaScript packages.
3728 It adds @code{uglify-js} to the set of inputs and uses it to compress
3729 all JavaScript files in the @file{src} directory. A different minifier
3730 package can be specified with the @code{#:uglify-js} parameter, but it
3731 is expected that the package writes the minified code to the standard
3734 When the input JavaScript files are not all located in the @file{src}
3735 directory, the parameter @code{#:javascript-files} can be used to
3736 specify a list of file names to feed to the minifier.
3739 @defvr {Scheme Variable} ocaml-build-system
3740 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system ocaml)}. It implements
3741 a build procedure for @uref{https://ocaml.org, OCaml} packages, which consists
3742 of choosing the correct set of commands to run for each package. OCaml
3743 packages can expect many different commands to be run. This build system will
3746 When the package has a @file{setup.ml} file present at the top-level, it will
3747 run @code{ocaml setup.ml -configure}, @code{ocaml setup.ml -build} and
3748 @code{ocaml setup.ml -install}. The build system will assume that this file
3749 was generated by @uref{http://oasis.forge.ocamlcore.org/, OASIS} and will take
3750 care of setting the prefix and enabling tests if they are not disabled. You
3751 can pass configure and build flags with the @code{#:configure-flags} and
3752 @code{#:build-flags}. The @code{#:test-flags} key can be passed to change the
3753 set of flags used to enable tests. The @code{#:use-make?} key can be used to
3754 bypass this system in the build and install phases.
3756 When the package has a @file{configure} file, it is assumed that it is a
3757 hand-made configure script that requires a different argument format than
3758 in the @code{gnu-build-system}. You can add more flags with the
3759 @code{#:configure-flags} key.
3761 When the package has a @file{Makefile} file (or @code{#:use-make?} is
3762 @code{#t}), it will be used and more flags can be passed to the build and
3763 install phases with the @code{#:make-flags} key.
3765 Finally, some packages do not have these files and use a somewhat standard
3766 location for its build system. In that case, the build system will run
3767 @code{ocaml pkg/pkg.ml} or @code{ocaml pkg/build.ml} and take care of
3768 providing the path to the required findlib module. Additional flags can
3769 be passed via the @code{#:build-flags} key. Install is taken care of by
3770 @command{opam-installer}. In this case, the @code{opam} package must
3771 be added to the @code{native-inputs} field of the package definition.
3773 Note that most OCaml packages assume they will be installed in the same
3774 directory as OCaml, which is not what we want in guix. In particular, they
3775 will install @file{.so} files in their module's directory, which is usually
3776 fine because it is in the OCaml compiler directory. In guix though, these
3777 libraries cannot be found and we use @code{CAML_LD_LIBRARY_PATH}. This
3778 variable points to @file{lib/ocaml/site-lib/stubslibs} and this is where
3779 @file{.so} libraries should be installed.
3782 @defvr {Scheme Variable} python-build-system
3783 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system python)}. It
3784 implements the more or less standard build procedure used by Python
3785 packages, which consists in running @code{python setup.py build} and
3786 then @code{python setup.py install --prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}}.
3788 For packages that install stand-alone Python programs under @code{bin/},
3789 it takes care of wrapping these programs so that their @code{PYTHONPATH}
3790 environment variable points to all the Python libraries they depend on.
3792 Which Python package is used to perform the build can be specified with
3793 the @code{#:python} parameter. This is a useful way to force a package
3794 to be built for a specific version of the Python interpreter, which
3795 might be necessary if the package is only compatible with a single
3796 interpreter version.
3798 By default guix calls @code{setup.py} under control of
3799 @code{setuptools}, much like @command{pip} does. Some packages are not
3800 compatible with setuptools (and pip), thus you can disable this by
3801 setting the @code{#:use-setuptools} parameter to @code{#f}.
3804 @defvr {Scheme Variable} perl-build-system
3805 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system perl)}. It
3806 implements the standard build procedure for Perl packages, which either
3807 consists in running @code{perl Build.PL --prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}},
3808 followed by @code{Build} and @code{Build install}; or in running
3809 @code{perl Makefile.PL PREFIX=/gnu/store/@dots{}}, followed by
3810 @code{make} and @code{make install}, depending on which of
3811 @code{Build.PL} or @code{Makefile.PL} is present in the package
3812 distribution. Preference is given to the former if both @code{Build.PL}
3813 and @code{Makefile.PL} exist in the package distribution. This
3814 preference can be reversed by specifying @code{#t} for the
3815 @code{#:make-maker?} parameter.
3817 The initial @code{perl Makefile.PL} or @code{perl Build.PL} invocation
3818 passes flags specified by the @code{#:make-maker-flags} or
3819 @code{#:module-build-flags} parameter, respectively.
3821 Which Perl package is used can be specified with @code{#:perl}.
3824 @defvr {Scheme Variable} r-build-system
3825 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system r)}. It
3826 implements the build procedure used by @uref{http://r-project.org, R}
3827 packages, which essentially is little more than running @code{R CMD
3828 INSTALL --library=/gnu/store/@dots{}} in an environment where
3829 @code{R_LIBS_SITE} contains the paths to all R package inputs. Tests
3830 are run after installation using the R function
3831 @code{tools::testInstalledPackage}.
3834 @defvr {Scheme Variable} texlive-build-system
3835 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system texlive)}. It is
3836 used to build TeX packages in batch mode with a specified engine. The
3837 build system sets the @code{TEXINPUTS} variable to find all TeX source
3838 files in the inputs.
3840 By default it runs @code{luatex} on all files ending on @code{ins}. A
3841 different engine and format can be specified with the
3842 @code{#:tex-format} argument. Different build targets can be specified
3843 with the @code{#:build-targets} argument, which expects a list of file
3844 names. The build system adds only @code{texlive-bin} and
3845 @code{texlive-latex-base} (both from @code{(gnu packages tex}) to the
3846 inputs. Both can be overridden with the arguments @code{#:texlive-bin}
3847 and @code{#:texlive-latex-base}, respectively.
3849 The @code{#:tex-directory} parameter tells the build system where to
3850 install the built files under the texmf tree.
3853 @defvr {Scheme Variable} ruby-build-system
3854 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system ruby)}. It
3855 implements the RubyGems build procedure used by Ruby packages, which
3856 involves running @code{gem build} followed by @code{gem install}.
3858 The @code{source} field of a package that uses this build system
3859 typically references a gem archive, since this is the format that Ruby
3860 developers use when releasing their software. The build system unpacks
3861 the gem archive, potentially patches the source, runs the test suite,
3862 repackages the gem, and installs it. Additionally, directories and
3863 tarballs may be referenced to allow building unreleased gems from Git or
3864 a traditional source release tarball.
3866 Which Ruby package is used can be specified with the @code{#:ruby}
3867 parameter. A list of additional flags to be passed to the @command{gem}
3868 command can be specified with the @code{#:gem-flags} parameter.
3871 @defvr {Scheme Variable} waf-build-system
3872 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system waf)}. It
3873 implements a build procedure around the @code{waf} script. The common
3874 phases---@code{configure}, @code{build}, and @code{install}---are
3875 implemented by passing their names as arguments to the @code{waf}
3878 The @code{waf} script is executed by the Python interpreter. Which
3879 Python package is used to run the script can be specified with the
3880 @code{#:python} parameter.
3883 @defvr {Scheme Variable} scons-build-system
3884 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system scons)}. It
3885 implements the build procedure used by the SCons software construction
3886 tool. This build system runs @code{scons} to build the package,
3887 @code{scons test} to run tests, and then @code{scons install} to install
3890 Additional flags to be passed to @code{scons} can be specified with the
3891 @code{#:scons-flags} parameter. The version of Python used to run SCons
3892 can be specified by selecting the appropriate SCons package with the
3893 @code{#:scons} parameter.
3896 @defvr {Scheme Variable} haskell-build-system
3897 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system haskell)}. It
3898 implements the Cabal build procedure used by Haskell packages, which
3899 involves running @code{runhaskell Setup.hs configure
3900 --prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}} and @code{runhaskell Setup.hs build}.
3901 Instead of installing the package by running @code{runhaskell Setup.hs
3902 install}, to avoid trying to register libraries in the read-only
3903 compiler store directory, the build system uses @code{runhaskell
3904 Setup.hs copy}, followed by @code{runhaskell Setup.hs register}. In
3905 addition, the build system generates the package documentation by
3906 running @code{runhaskell Setup.hs haddock}, unless @code{#:haddock? #f}
3907 is passed. Optional Haddock parameters can be passed with the help of
3908 the @code{#:haddock-flags} parameter. If the file @code{Setup.hs} is
3909 not found, the build system looks for @code{Setup.lhs} instead.
3911 Which Haskell compiler is used can be specified with the @code{#:haskell}
3912 parameter which defaults to @code{ghc}.
3915 @defvr {Scheme Variable} dub-build-system
3916 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system dub)}. It
3917 implements the Dub build procedure used by D packages, which
3918 involves running @code{dub build} and @code{dub run}.
3919 Installation is done by copying the files manually.
3921 Which D compiler is used can be specified with the @code{#:ldc}
3922 parameter which defaults to @code{ldc}.
3925 @defvr {Scheme Variable} emacs-build-system
3926 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system emacs)}. It
3927 implements an installation procedure similar to the packaging system
3928 of Emacs itself (@pxref{Packages,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
3930 It first creates the @code{@var{package}-autoloads.el} file, then it
3931 byte compiles all Emacs Lisp files. Differently from the Emacs
3932 packaging system, the Info documentation files are moved to the standard
3933 documentation directory and the @file{dir} file is deleted. Each
3934 package is installed in its own directory under
3935 @file{share/emacs/site-lisp/guix.d}.
3938 @defvr {Scheme Variable} font-build-system
3939 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system font)}. It
3940 implements an installation procedure for font packages where upstream
3941 provides pre-compiled TrueType, OpenType, etc. font files that merely
3942 need to be copied into place. It copies font files to standard
3943 locations in the output directory.
3946 @defvr {Scheme Variable} meson-build-system
3947 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system meson)}. It
3948 implements the build procedure for packages that use
3949 @url{http://mesonbuild.com, Meson} as their build system.
3951 It adds both Meson and @uref{https://ninja-build.org/, Ninja} to the set
3952 of inputs, and they can be changed with the parameters @code{#:meson}
3953 and @code{#:ninja} if needed. The default Meson is
3954 @code{meson-for-build}, which is special because it doesn't clear the
3955 @code{RUNPATH} of binaries and libraries when they are installed.
3957 This build system is an extension of @var{gnu-build-system}, but with the
3958 following phases changed to some specific for Meson:
3963 The phase runs @code{meson} with the flags specified in
3964 @code{#:configure-flags}. The flag @code{--build-type} is always set to
3965 @code{plain} unless something else is specified in @code{#:build-type}.
3968 The phase runs @code{ninja} to build the package in parallel by default, but
3969 this can be changed with @code{#:parallel-build?}.
3972 The phase runs @code{ninja} with the target specified in @code{#:test-target},
3973 which is @code{"test"} by default.
3976 The phase runs @code{ninja install} and can not be changed.
3979 Apart from that, the build system also adds the following phases:
3984 This phase tries to locate the local directories in the package being build,
3985 which has libraries that some of the binaries need. If any are found, they will
3986 be added to the programs @code{RUNPATH}. It is needed because
3987 @code{meson-for-build} keeps the @code{RUNPATH} of binaries and libraries from
3988 when they are build, but often that is not the @code{RUNPATH} we want.
3989 Therefor it is also shrinked to the minimum needed by the program.
3991 @item glib-or-gtk-wrap
3992 This phase is the phase provided by @code{glib-or-gtk-build-system}, and it
3993 is not enabled by default. It can be enabled with @code{#:glib-or-gtk?}.
3995 @item glib-or-gtk-compile-schemas
3996 This phase is the phase provided by @code{glib-or-gtk-build-system}, and it
3997 is not enabled by default. It can be enabled with @code{#:glib-or-gtk?}.
4001 Lastly, for packages that do not need anything as sophisticated, a
4002 ``trivial'' build system is provided. It is trivial in the sense that
4003 it provides basically no support: it does not pull any implicit inputs,
4004 and does not have a notion of build phases.
4006 @defvr {Scheme Variable} trivial-build-system
4007 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system trivial)}.
4009 This build system requires a @code{#:builder} argument. This argument
4010 must be a Scheme expression that builds the package output(s)---as
4011 with @code{build-expression->derivation} (@pxref{Derivations,
4012 @code{build-expression->derivation}}).
4022 Conceptually, the @dfn{store} is the place where derivations that have
4023 been built successfully are stored---by default, @file{/gnu/store}.
4024 Sub-directories in the store are referred to as @dfn{store items} or
4025 sometimes @dfn{store paths}. The store has an associated database that
4026 contains information such as the store paths referred to by each store
4027 path, and the list of @emph{valid} store items---results of successful
4028 builds. This database resides in @file{@var{localstatedir}/guix/db},
4029 where @var{localstatedir} is the state directory specified @i{via}
4030 @option{--localstatedir} at configure time, usually @file{/var}.
4032 The store is @emph{always} accessed by the daemon on behalf of its clients
4033 (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon}). To manipulate the store, clients
4034 connect to the daemon over a Unix-domain socket, send requests to it,
4035 and read the result---these are remote procedure calls, or RPCs.
4038 Users must @emph{never} modify files under @file{/gnu/store} directly.
4039 This would lead to inconsistencies and break the immutability
4040 assumptions of Guix's functional model (@pxref{Introduction}).
4042 @xref{Invoking guix gc, @command{guix gc --verify}}, for information on
4043 how to check the integrity of the store and attempt recovery from
4044 accidental modifications.
4047 The @code{(guix store)} module provides procedures to connect to the
4048 daemon, and to perform RPCs. These are described below. By default,
4049 @code{open-connection}, and thus all the @command{guix} commands,
4050 connect to the local daemon or to the URI specified by the
4051 @code{GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET} environment variable.
4053 @defvr {Environment Variable} GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET
4054 When set, the value of this variable should be a file name or a URI
4055 designating the daemon endpoint. When it is a file name, it denotes a
4056 Unix-domain socket to connect to. In addition to file names, the
4057 supported URI schemes are:
4062 These are for Unix-domain sockets.
4063 @code{file:///var/guix/daemon-socket/socket} is equivalent to
4064 @file{/var/guix/daemon-socket/socket}.
4067 @cindex daemon, remote access
4068 @cindex remote access to the daemon
4069 @cindex daemon, cluster setup
4070 @cindex clusters, daemon setup
4071 These URIs denote connections over TCP/IP, without encryption nor
4072 authentication of the remote host. The URI must specify the host name
4073 and optionally a port number (by default port 44146 is used):
4076 guix://master.guix.example.org:1234
4079 This setup is suitable on local networks, such as clusters, where only
4080 trusted nodes may connect to the build daemon at
4081 @code{master.guix.example.org}.
4083 The @code{--listen} option of @command{guix-daemon} can be used to
4084 instruct it to listen for TCP connections (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon,
4088 @cindex SSH access to build daemons
4089 These URIs allow you to connect to a remote daemon over
4090 SSH@footnote{This feature requires Guile-SSH (@pxref{Requirements}).}.
4091 A typical URL might look like this:
4094 ssh://charlie@@guix.example.org:22
4097 As for @command{guix copy}, the usual OpenSSH client configuration files
4098 are honored (@pxref{Invoking guix copy}).
4101 Additional URI schemes may be supported in the future.
4103 @c XXX: Remove this note when the protocol incurs fewer round trips
4104 @c and when (guix derivations) no longer relies on file system access.
4106 The ability to connect to remote build daemons is considered
4107 experimental as of @value{VERSION}. Please get in touch with us to
4108 share any problems or suggestions you may have (@pxref{Contributing}).
4112 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} open-connection [@var{uri}] [#:reserve-space? #t]
4113 Connect to the daemon over the Unix-domain socket at @var{uri} (a string). When
4114 @var{reserve-space?} is true, instruct it to reserve a little bit of
4115 extra space on the file system so that the garbage collector can still
4116 operate should the disk become full. Return a server object.
4118 @var{file} defaults to @var{%default-socket-path}, which is the normal
4119 location given the options that were passed to @command{configure}.
4122 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} close-connection @var{server}
4123 Close the connection to @var{server}.
4126 @defvr {Scheme Variable} current-build-output-port
4127 This variable is bound to a SRFI-39 parameter, which refers to the port
4128 where build and error logs sent by the daemon should be written.
4131 Procedures that make RPCs all take a server object as their first
4134 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} valid-path? @var{server} @var{path}
4135 @cindex invalid store items
4136 Return @code{#t} when @var{path} designates a valid store item and
4137 @code{#f} otherwise (an invalid item may exist on disk but still be
4138 invalid, for instance because it is the result of an aborted or failed
4141 A @code{&nix-protocol-error} condition is raised if @var{path} is not
4142 prefixed by the store directory (@file{/gnu/store}).
4145 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} add-text-to-store @var{server} @var{name} @var{text} [@var{references}]
4146 Add @var{text} under file @var{name} in the store, and return its store
4147 path. @var{references} is the list of store paths referred to by the
4148 resulting store path.
4151 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} build-derivations @var{server} @var{derivations}
4152 Build @var{derivations} (a list of @code{<derivation>} objects or
4153 derivation paths), and return when the worker is done building them.
4154 Return @code{#t} on success.
4157 Note that the @code{(guix monads)} module provides a monad as well as
4158 monadic versions of the above procedures, with the goal of making it
4159 more convenient to work with code that accesses the store (@pxref{The
4163 @i{This section is currently incomplete.}
4166 @section Derivations
4169 Low-level build actions and the environment in which they are performed
4170 are represented by @dfn{derivations}. A derivation contains the
4171 following pieces of information:
4175 The outputs of the derivation---derivations produce at least one file or
4176 directory in the store, but may produce more.
4179 The inputs of the derivations, which may be other derivations or plain
4180 files in the store (patches, build scripts, etc.)
4183 The system type targeted by the derivation---e.g., @code{x86_64-linux}.
4186 The file name of a build script in the store, along with the arguments
4190 A list of environment variables to be defined.
4194 @cindex derivation path
4195 Derivations allow clients of the daemon to communicate build actions to
4196 the store. They exist in two forms: as an in-memory representation,
4197 both on the client- and daemon-side, and as files in the store whose
4198 name end in @code{.drv}---these files are referred to as @dfn{derivation
4199 paths}. Derivations paths can be passed to the @code{build-derivations}
4200 procedure to perform the build actions they prescribe (@pxref{The
4203 The @code{(guix derivations)} module provides a representation of
4204 derivations as Scheme objects, along with procedures to create and
4205 otherwise manipulate derivations. The lowest-level primitive to create
4206 a derivation is the @code{derivation} procedure:
4208 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} derivation @var{store} @var{name} @var{builder} @
4209 @var{args} [#:outputs '("out")] [#:hash #f] [#:hash-algo #f] @
4210 [#:recursive? #f] [#:inputs '()] [#:env-vars '()] @
4211 [#:system (%current-system)] [#:references-graphs #f] @
4212 [#:allowed-references #f] [#:disallowed-references #f] @
4213 [#:leaked-env-vars #f] [#:local-build? #f] @
4214 [#:substitutable? #t]
4215 Build a derivation with the given arguments, and return the resulting
4216 @code{<derivation>} object.
4218 When @var{hash} and @var{hash-algo} are given, a
4219 @dfn{fixed-output derivation} is created---i.e., one whose result is
4220 known in advance, such as a file download. If, in addition,
4221 @var{recursive?} is true, then that fixed output may be an executable
4222 file or a directory and @var{hash} must be the hash of an archive
4223 containing this output.
4225 When @var{references-graphs} is true, it must be a list of file
4226 name/store path pairs. In that case, the reference graph of each store
4227 path is exported in the build environment in the corresponding file, in
4228 a simple text format.
4230 When @var{allowed-references} is true, it must be a list of store items
4231 or outputs that the derivation's output may refer to. Likewise,
4232 @var{disallowed-references}, if true, must be a list of things the
4233 outputs may @emph{not} refer to.
4235 When @var{leaked-env-vars} is true, it must be a list of strings
4236 denoting environment variables that are allowed to ``leak'' from the
4237 daemon's environment to the build environment. This is only applicable
4238 to fixed-output derivations---i.e., when @var{hash} is true. The main
4239 use is to allow variables such as @code{http_proxy} to be passed to
4240 derivations that download files.
4242 When @var{local-build?} is true, declare that the derivation is not a
4243 good candidate for offloading and should rather be built locally
4244 (@pxref{Daemon Offload Setup}). This is the case for small derivations
4245 where the costs of data transfers would outweigh the benefits.
4247 When @var{substitutable?} is false, declare that substitutes of the
4248 derivation's output should not be used (@pxref{Substitutes}). This is
4249 useful, for instance, when building packages that capture details of the
4250 host CPU instruction set.
4254 Here's an example with a shell script as its builder, assuming
4255 @var{store} is an open connection to the daemon, and @var{bash} points
4256 to a Bash executable in the store:
4259 (use-modules (guix utils)
4263 (let ((builder ; add the Bash script to the store
4264 (add-text-to-store store "my-builder.sh"
4265 "echo hello world > $out\n" '())))
4266 (derivation store "foo"
4267 bash `("-e" ,builder)
4268 #:inputs `((,bash) (,builder))
4269 #:env-vars '(("HOME" . "/homeless"))))
4270 @result{} #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-foo.drv => /gnu/store/@dots{}-foo>
4273 As can be guessed, this primitive is cumbersome to use directly. A
4274 better approach is to write build scripts in Scheme, of course! The
4275 best course of action for that is to write the build code as a
4276 ``G-expression'', and to pass it to @code{gexp->derivation}. For more
4277 information, @pxref{G-Expressions}.
4279 Once upon a time, @code{gexp->derivation} did not exist and constructing
4280 derivations with build code written in Scheme was achieved with
4281 @code{build-expression->derivation}, documented below. This procedure
4282 is now deprecated in favor of the much nicer @code{gexp->derivation}.
4284 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} build-expression->derivation @var{store} @
4285 @var{name} @var{exp} @
4286 [#:system (%current-system)] [#:inputs '()] @
4287 [#:outputs '("out")] [#:hash #f] [#:hash-algo #f] @
4288 [#:recursive? #f] [#:env-vars '()] [#:modules '()] @
4289 [#:references-graphs #f] [#:allowed-references #f] @
4290 [#:disallowed-references #f] @
4291 [#:local-build? #f] [#:substitutable? #t] [#:guile-for-build #f]
4292 Return a derivation that executes Scheme expression @var{exp} as a
4293 builder for derivation @var{name}. @var{inputs} must be a list of
4294 @code{(name drv-path sub-drv)} tuples; when @var{sub-drv} is omitted,
4295 @code{"out"} is assumed. @var{modules} is a list of names of Guile
4296 modules from the current search path to be copied in the store,
4297 compiled, and made available in the load path during the execution of
4298 @var{exp}---e.g., @code{((guix build utils) (guix build
4299 gnu-build-system))}.
4301 @var{exp} is evaluated in an environment where @code{%outputs} is bound
4302 to a list of output/path pairs, and where @code{%build-inputs} is bound
4303 to a list of string/output-path pairs made from @var{inputs}.
4304 Optionally, @var{env-vars} is a list of string pairs specifying the name
4305 and value of environment variables visible to the builder. The builder
4306 terminates by passing the result of @var{exp} to @code{exit}; thus, when
4307 @var{exp} returns @code{#f}, the build is considered to have failed.
4309 @var{exp} is built using @var{guile-for-build} (a derivation). When
4310 @var{guile-for-build} is omitted or is @code{#f}, the value of the
4311 @code{%guile-for-build} fluid is used instead.
4313 See the @code{derivation} procedure for the meaning of
4314 @var{references-graphs}, @var{allowed-references},
4315 @var{disallowed-references}, @var{local-build?}, and
4316 @var{substitutable?}.
4320 Here's an example of a single-output derivation that creates a directory
4321 containing one file:
4324 (let ((builder '(let ((out (assoc-ref %outputs "out")))
4325 (mkdir out) ; create /gnu/store/@dots{}-goo
4326 (call-with-output-file (string-append out "/test")
4328 (display '(hello guix) p))))))
4329 (build-expression->derivation store "goo" builder))
4331 @result{} #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-goo.drv => @dots{}>
4335 @node The Store Monad
4336 @section The Store Monad
4340 The procedures that operate on the store described in the previous
4341 sections all take an open connection to the build daemon as their first
4342 argument. Although the underlying model is functional, they either have
4343 side effects or depend on the current state of the store.
4345 The former is inconvenient: the connection to the build daemon has to be
4346 carried around in all those functions, making it impossible to compose
4347 functions that do not take that parameter with functions that do. The
4348 latter can be problematic: since store operations have side effects
4349 and/or depend on external state, they have to be properly sequenced.
4351 @cindex monadic values
4352 @cindex monadic functions
4353 This is where the @code{(guix monads)} module comes in. This module
4354 provides a framework for working with @dfn{monads}, and a particularly
4355 useful monad for our uses, the @dfn{store monad}. Monads are a
4356 construct that allows two things: associating ``context'' with values
4357 (in our case, the context is the store), and building sequences of
4358 computations (here computations include accesses to the store). Values
4359 in a monad---values that carry this additional context---are called
4360 @dfn{monadic values}; procedures that return such values are called
4361 @dfn{monadic procedures}.
4363 Consider this ``normal'' procedure:
4366 (define (sh-symlink store)
4367 ;; Return a derivation that symlinks the 'bash' executable.
4368 (let* ((drv (package-derivation store bash))
4369 (out (derivation->output-path drv))
4370 (sh (string-append out "/bin/bash")))
4371 (build-expression->derivation store "sh"
4372 `(symlink ,sh %output))))
4375 Using @code{(guix monads)} and @code{(guix gexp)}, it may be rewritten
4376 as a monadic function:
4379 (define (sh-symlink)
4380 ;; Same, but return a monadic value.
4381 (mlet %store-monad ((drv (package->derivation bash)))
4382 (gexp->derivation "sh"
4383 #~(symlink (string-append #$drv "/bin/bash")
4387 There are several things to note in the second version: the @code{store}
4388 parameter is now implicit and is ``threaded'' in the calls to the
4389 @code{package->derivation} and @code{gexp->derivation} monadic
4390 procedures, and the monadic value returned by @code{package->derivation}
4391 is @dfn{bound} using @code{mlet} instead of plain @code{let}.
4393 As it turns out, the call to @code{package->derivation} can even be
4394 omitted since it will take place implicitly, as we will see later
4395 (@pxref{G-Expressions}):
4398 (define (sh-symlink)
4399 (gexp->derivation "sh"
4400 #~(symlink (string-append #$bash "/bin/bash")
4405 @c <https://syntaxexclamation.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/escaping-continuations/>
4406 @c for the funny quote.
4407 Calling the monadic @code{sh-symlink} has no effect. As someone once
4408 said, ``you exit a monad like you exit a building on fire: by running''.
4409 So, to exit the monad and get the desired effect, one must use
4410 @code{run-with-store}:
4413 (run-with-store (open-connection) (sh-symlink))
4414 @result{} /gnu/store/...-sh-symlink
4417 Note that the @code{(guix monad-repl)} module extends the Guile REPL with
4418 new ``meta-commands'' to make it easier to deal with monadic procedures:
4419 @code{run-in-store}, and @code{enter-store-monad}. The former is used
4420 to ``run'' a single monadic value through the store:
4423 scheme@@(guile-user)> ,run-in-store (package->derivation hello)
4424 $1 = #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-hello-2.9.drv => @dots{}>
4427 The latter enters a recursive REPL, where all the return values are
4428 automatically run through the store:
4431 scheme@@(guile-user)> ,enter-store-monad
4432 store-monad@@(guile-user) [1]> (package->derivation hello)
4433 $2 = #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-hello-2.9.drv => @dots{}>
4434 store-monad@@(guile-user) [1]> (text-file "foo" "Hello!")
4435 $3 = "/gnu/store/@dots{}-foo"
4436 store-monad@@(guile-user) [1]> ,q
4437 scheme@@(guile-user)>
4441 Note that non-monadic values cannot be returned in the
4442 @code{store-monad} REPL.
4444 The main syntactic forms to deal with monads in general are provided by
4445 the @code{(guix monads)} module and are described below.
4447 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} with-monad @var{monad} @var{body} ...
4448 Evaluate any @code{>>=} or @code{return} forms in @var{body} as being
4452 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} return @var{val}
4453 Return a monadic value that encapsulates @var{val}.
4456 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} >>= @var{mval} @var{mproc} ...
4457 @dfn{Bind} monadic value @var{mval}, passing its ``contents'' to monadic
4458 procedures @var{mproc}@dots{}@footnote{This operation is commonly
4459 referred to as ``bind'', but that name denotes an unrelated procedure in
4460 Guile. Thus we use this somewhat cryptic symbol inherited from the
4461 Haskell language.}. There can be one @var{mproc} or several of them, as
4466 (with-monad %state-monad
4468 (lambda (x) (return (+ 1 x)))
4469 (lambda (x) (return (* 2 x)))))
4473 @result{} some-state
4477 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} mlet @var{monad} ((@var{var} @var{mval}) ...) @
4479 @deffnx {Scheme Syntax} mlet* @var{monad} ((@var{var} @var{mval}) ...) @
4481 Bind the variables @var{var} to the monadic values @var{mval} in
4482 @var{body}, which is a sequence of expressions. As with the bind
4483 operator, this can be thought of as ``unpacking'' the raw, non-monadic
4484 value ``contained'' in @var{mval} and making @var{var} refer to that
4485 raw, non-monadic value within the scope of the @var{body}. The form
4486 (@var{var} -> @var{val}) binds @var{var} to the ``normal'' value
4487 @var{val}, as per @code{let}. The binding operations occur in sequence
4488 from left to right. The last expression of @var{body} must be a monadic
4489 expression, and its result will become the result of the @code{mlet} or
4490 @code{mlet*} when run in the @var{monad}.
4492 @code{mlet*} is to @code{mlet} what @code{let*} is to @code{let}
4493 (@pxref{Local Bindings,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}).
4496 @deffn {Scheme System} mbegin @var{monad} @var{mexp} ...
4497 Bind @var{mexp} and the following monadic expressions in sequence,
4498 returning the result of the last expression. Every expression in the
4499 sequence must be a monadic expression.
4501 This is akin to @code{mlet}, except that the return values of the
4502 monadic expressions are ignored. In that sense, it is analogous to
4503 @code{begin}, but applied to monadic expressions.
4506 @deffn {Scheme System} mwhen @var{condition} @var{mexp0} @var{mexp*} ...
4507 When @var{condition} is true, evaluate the sequence of monadic
4508 expressions @var{mexp0}..@var{mexp*} as in an @code{mbegin}. When
4509 @var{condition} is false, return @code{*unspecified*} in the current
4510 monad. Every expression in the sequence must be a monadic expression.
4513 @deffn {Scheme System} munless @var{condition} @var{mexp0} @var{mexp*} ...
4514 When @var{condition} is false, evaluate the sequence of monadic
4515 expressions @var{mexp0}..@var{mexp*} as in an @code{mbegin}. When
4516 @var{condition} is true, return @code{*unspecified*} in the current
4517 monad. Every expression in the sequence must be a monadic expression.
4521 The @code{(guix monads)} module provides the @dfn{state monad}, which
4522 allows an additional value---the state---to be @emph{threaded} through
4523 monadic procedure calls.
4525 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %state-monad
4526 The state monad. Procedures in the state monad can access and change
4527 the state that is threaded.
4529 Consider the example below. The @code{square} procedure returns a value
4530 in the state monad. It returns the square of its argument, but also
4531 increments the current state value:
4535 (mlet %state-monad ((count (current-state)))
4536 (mbegin %state-monad
4537 (set-current-state (+ 1 count))
4540 (run-with-state (sequence %state-monad (map square (iota 3))) 0)
4545 When ``run'' through @var{%state-monad}, we obtain that additional state
4546 value, which is the number of @code{square} calls.
4549 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} current-state
4550 Return the current state as a monadic value.
4553 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} set-current-state @var{value}
4554 Set the current state to @var{value} and return the previous state as a
4558 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} state-push @var{value}
4559 Push @var{value} to the current state, which is assumed to be a list,
4560 and return the previous state as a monadic value.
4563 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} state-pop
4564 Pop a value from the current state and return it as a monadic value.
4565 The state is assumed to be a list.
4568 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} run-with-state @var{mval} [@var{state}]
4569 Run monadic value @var{mval} starting with @var{state} as the initial
4570 state. Return two values: the resulting value, and the resulting state.
4573 The main interface to the store monad, provided by the @code{(guix
4574 store)} module, is as follows.
4576 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %store-monad
4577 The store monad---an alias for @var{%state-monad}.
4579 Values in the store monad encapsulate accesses to the store. When its
4580 effect is needed, a value of the store monad must be ``evaluated'' by
4581 passing it to the @code{run-with-store} procedure (see below.)
4584 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} run-with-store @var{store} @var{mval} [#:guile-for-build] [#:system (%current-system)]
4585 Run @var{mval}, a monadic value in the store monad, in @var{store}, an
4586 open store connection.
4589 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} text-file @var{name} @var{text} [@var{references}]
4590 Return as a monadic value the absolute file name in the store of the file
4591 containing @var{text}, a string. @var{references} is a list of store items that the
4592 resulting text file refers to; it defaults to the empty list.
4595 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} interned-file @var{file} [@var{name}] @
4596 [#:recursive? #t] [#:select? (const #t)]
4597 Return the name of @var{file} once interned in the store. Use
4598 @var{name} as its store name, or the basename of @var{file} if
4599 @var{name} is omitted.
4601 When @var{recursive?} is true, the contents of @var{file} are added
4602 recursively; if @var{file} designates a flat file and @var{recursive?}
4603 is true, its contents are added, and its permission bits are kept.
4605 When @var{recursive?} is true, call @code{(@var{select?} @var{file}
4606 @var{stat})} for each directory entry, where @var{file} is the entry's
4607 absolute file name and @var{stat} is the result of @code{lstat}; exclude
4608 entries for which @var{select?} does not return true.
4610 The example below adds a file to the store, under two different names:
4613 (run-with-store (open-connection)
4614 (mlet %store-monad ((a (interned-file "README"))
4615 (b (interned-file "README" "LEGU-MIN")))
4616 (return (list a b))))
4618 @result{} ("/gnu/store/rwm@dots{}-README" "/gnu/store/44i@dots{}-LEGU-MIN")
4623 The @code{(guix packages)} module exports the following package-related
4626 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} package-file @var{package} [@var{file}] @
4627 [#:system (%current-system)] [#:target #f] @
4630 value in the absolute file name of @var{file} within the @var{output}
4631 directory of @var{package}. When @var{file} is omitted, return the name
4632 of the @var{output} directory of @var{package}. When @var{target} is
4633 true, use it as a cross-compilation target triplet.
4636 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} package->derivation @var{package} [@var{system}]
4637 @deffnx {Monadic Procedure} package->cross-derivation @var{package} @
4638 @var{target} [@var{system}]
4639 Monadic version of @code{package-derivation} and
4640 @code{package-cross-derivation} (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
4645 @section G-Expressions
4647 @cindex G-expression
4648 @cindex build code quoting
4649 So we have ``derivations'', which represent a sequence of build actions
4650 to be performed to produce an item in the store (@pxref{Derivations}).
4651 These build actions are performed when asking the daemon to actually
4652 build the derivations; they are run by the daemon in a container
4653 (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon}).
4655 @cindex strata of code
4656 It should come as no surprise that we like to write these build actions
4657 in Scheme. When we do that, we end up with two @dfn{strata} of Scheme
4658 code@footnote{The term @dfn{stratum} in this context was coined by
4659 Manuel Serrano et al.@: in the context of their work on Hop. Oleg
4660 Kiselyov, who has written insightful
4661 @url{http://okmij.org/ftp/meta-programming/#meta-scheme, essays and code
4662 on this topic}, refers to this kind of code generation as
4663 @dfn{staging}.}: the ``host code''---code that defines packages, talks
4664 to the daemon, etc.---and the ``build code''---code that actually
4665 performs build actions, such as making directories, invoking
4666 @command{make}, etc.
4668 To describe a derivation and its build actions, one typically needs to
4669 embed build code inside host code. It boils down to manipulating build
4670 code as data, and the homoiconicity of Scheme---code has a direct
4671 representation as data---comes in handy for that. But we need more than
4672 the normal @code{quasiquote} mechanism in Scheme to construct build
4675 The @code{(guix gexp)} module implements @dfn{G-expressions}, a form of
4676 S-expressions adapted to build expressions. G-expressions, or
4677 @dfn{gexps}, consist essentially of three syntactic forms: @code{gexp},
4678 @code{ungexp}, and @code{ungexp-splicing} (or simply: @code{#~},
4679 @code{#$}, and @code{#$@@}), which are comparable to
4680 @code{quasiquote}, @code{unquote}, and @code{unquote-splicing},
4681 respectively (@pxref{Expression Syntax, @code{quasiquote},, guile,
4682 GNU Guile Reference Manual}). However, there are major differences:
4686 Gexps are meant to be written to a file and run or manipulated by other
4690 When a high-level object such as a package or derivation is unquoted
4691 inside a gexp, the result is as if its output file name had been
4695 Gexps carry information about the packages or derivations they refer to,
4696 and these dependencies are automatically added as inputs to the build
4697 processes that use them.
4700 @cindex lowering, of high-level objects in gexps
4701 This mechanism is not limited to package and derivation
4702 objects: @dfn{compilers} able to ``lower'' other high-level objects to
4703 derivations or files in the store can be defined,
4704 such that these objects can also be inserted
4705 into gexps. For example, a useful type of high-level objects that can be
4706 inserted in a gexp is ``file-like objects'', which make it easy to
4707 add files to the store and to refer to them in
4708 derivations and such (see @code{local-file} and @code{plain-file}
4711 To illustrate the idea, here is an example of a gexp:
4718 (symlink (string-append #$coreutils "/bin/ls")
4722 This gexp can be passed to @code{gexp->derivation}; we obtain a
4723 derivation that builds a directory containing exactly one symlink to
4724 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.22/bin/ls}:
4727 (gexp->derivation "the-thing" build-exp)
4730 As one would expect, the @code{"/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.22"} string is
4731 substituted to the reference to the @var{coreutils} package in the
4732 actual build code, and @var{coreutils} is automatically made an input to
4733 the derivation. Likewise, @code{#$output} (equivalent to @code{(ungexp
4734 output)}) is replaced by a string containing the directory name of the
4735 output of the derivation.
4737 @cindex cross compilation
4738 In a cross-compilation context, it is useful to distinguish between
4739 references to the @emph{native} build of a package---that can run on the
4740 host---versus references to cross builds of a package. To that end, the
4741 @code{#+} plays the same role as @code{#$}, but is a reference to a
4742 native package build:
4745 (gexp->derivation "vi"
4748 (system* (string-append #+coreutils "/bin/ln")
4750 (string-append #$emacs "/bin/emacs")
4751 (string-append #$output "/bin/vi")))
4752 #:target "mips64el-linux-gnu")
4756 In the example above, the native build of @var{coreutils} is used, so
4757 that @command{ln} can actually run on the host; but then the
4758 cross-compiled build of @var{emacs} is referenced.
4760 @cindex imported modules, for gexps
4761 @findex with-imported-modules
4762 Another gexp feature is @dfn{imported modules}: sometimes you want to be
4763 able to use certain Guile modules from the ``host environment'' in the
4764 gexp, so those modules should be imported in the ``build environment''.
4765 The @code{with-imported-modules} form allows you to express that:
4768 (let ((build (with-imported-modules '((guix build utils))
4770 (use-modules (guix build utils))
4771 (mkdir-p (string-append #$output "/bin"))))))
4772 (gexp->derivation "empty-dir"
4775 (display "success!\n")
4780 In this example, the @code{(guix build utils)} module is automatically
4781 pulled into the isolated build environment of our gexp, such that
4782 @code{(use-modules (guix build utils))} works as expected.
4784 @cindex module closure
4785 @findex source-module-closure
4786 Usually you want the @emph{closure} of the module to be imported---i.e.,
4787 the module itself and all the modules it depends on---rather than just
4788 the module; failing to do that, attempts to use the module will fail
4789 because of missing dependent modules. The @code{source-module-closure}
4790 procedure computes the closure of a module by looking at its source file
4791 headers, which comes in handy in this case:
4794 (use-modules (guix modules)) ;for 'source-module-closure'
4796 (with-imported-modules (source-module-closure
4797 '((guix build utils)
4799 (gexp->derivation "something-with-vms"
4801 (use-modules (guix build utils)
4806 The syntactic form to construct gexps is summarized below.
4808 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} #~@var{exp}
4809 @deffnx {Scheme Syntax} (gexp @var{exp})
4810 Return a G-expression containing @var{exp}. @var{exp} may contain one
4811 or more of the following forms:
4815 @itemx (ungexp @var{obj})
4816 Introduce a reference to @var{obj}. @var{obj} may have one of the
4817 supported types, for example a package or a
4818 derivation, in which case the @code{ungexp} form is replaced by its
4819 output file name---e.g., @code{"/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.22}.
4821 If @var{obj} is a list, it is traversed and references to supported
4822 objects are substituted similarly.
4824 If @var{obj} is another gexp, its contents are inserted and its
4825 dependencies are added to those of the containing gexp.
4827 If @var{obj} is another kind of object, it is inserted as is.
4829 @item #$@var{obj}:@var{output}
4830 @itemx (ungexp @var{obj} @var{output})
4831 This is like the form above, but referring explicitly to the
4832 @var{output} of @var{obj}---this is useful when @var{obj} produces
4833 multiple outputs (@pxref{Packages with Multiple Outputs}).
4836 @itemx #+@var{obj}:output
4837 @itemx (ungexp-native @var{obj})
4838 @itemx (ungexp-native @var{obj} @var{output})
4839 Same as @code{ungexp}, but produces a reference to the @emph{native}
4840 build of @var{obj} when used in a cross compilation context.
4842 @item #$output[:@var{output}]
4843 @itemx (ungexp output [@var{output}])
4844 Insert a reference to derivation output @var{output}, or to the main
4845 output when @var{output} is omitted.
4847 This only makes sense for gexps passed to @code{gexp->derivation}.
4850 @itemx (ungexp-splicing @var{lst})
4851 Like the above, but splices the contents of @var{lst} inside the
4855 @itemx (ungexp-native-splicing @var{lst})
4856 Like the above, but refers to native builds of the objects listed in
4861 G-expressions created by @code{gexp} or @code{#~} are run-time objects
4862 of the @code{gexp?} type (see below.)
4865 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} with-imported-modules @var{modules} @var{body}@dots{}
4866 Mark the gexps defined in @var{body}@dots{} as requiring @var{modules}
4867 in their execution environment.
4869 Each item in @var{modules} can be the name of a module, such as
4870 @code{(guix build utils)}, or it can be a module name, followed by an
4871 arrow, followed by a file-like object:
4874 `((guix build utils)
4876 ((guix config) => ,(scheme-file "config.scm"
4877 #~(define-module @dots{}))))
4881 In the example above, the first two modules are taken from the search
4882 path, and the last one is created from the given file-like object.
4884 This form has @emph{lexical} scope: it has an effect on the gexps
4885 directly defined in @var{body}@dots{}, but not on those defined, say, in
4886 procedures called from @var{body}@dots{}.
4889 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} gexp? @var{obj}
4890 Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a G-expression.
4893 G-expressions are meant to be written to disk, either as code building
4894 some derivation, or as plain files in the store. The monadic procedures
4895 below allow you to do that (@pxref{The Store Monad}, for more
4896 information about monads.)
4898 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} gexp->derivation @var{name} @var{exp} @
4899 [#:system (%current-system)] [#:target #f] [#:graft? #t] @
4900 [#:hash #f] [#:hash-algo #f] @
4901 [#:recursive? #f] [#:env-vars '()] [#:modules '()] @
4902 [#:module-path @var{%load-path}] @
4903 [#:references-graphs #f] [#:allowed-references #f] @
4904 [#:disallowed-references #f] @
4905 [#:leaked-env-vars #f] @
4906 [#:script-name (string-append @var{name} "-builder")] @
4907 [#:deprecation-warnings #f] @
4908 [#:local-build? #f] [#:substitutable? #t] [#:guile-for-build #f]
4909 Return a derivation @var{name} that runs @var{exp} (a gexp) with
4910 @var{guile-for-build} (a derivation) on @var{system}; @var{exp} is
4911 stored in a file called @var{script-name}. When @var{target} is true,
4912 it is used as the cross-compilation target triplet for packages referred
4915 @var{modules} is deprecated in favor of @code{with-imported-modules}.
4917 make @var{modules} available in the evaluation context of @var{exp};
4918 @var{modules} is a list of names of Guile modules searched in
4919 @var{module-path} to be copied in the store, compiled, and made available in
4920 the load path during the execution of @var{exp}---e.g., @code{((guix
4921 build utils) (guix build gnu-build-system))}.
4923 @var{graft?} determines whether packages referred to by @var{exp} should be grafted when
4926 When @var{references-graphs} is true, it must be a list of tuples of one of the
4930 (@var{file-name} @var{package})
4931 (@var{file-name} @var{package} @var{output})
4932 (@var{file-name} @var{derivation})
4933 (@var{file-name} @var{derivation} @var{output})
4934 (@var{file-name} @var{store-item})
4937 The right-hand-side of each element of @var{references-graphs} is automatically made
4938 an input of the build process of @var{exp}. In the build environment, each
4939 @var{file-name} contains the reference graph of the corresponding item, in a simple
4942 @var{allowed-references} must be either @code{#f} or a list of output names and packages.
4943 In the latter case, the list denotes store items that the result is allowed to
4944 refer to. Any reference to another store item will lead to a build error.
4945 Similarly for @var{disallowed-references}, which can list items that must not be
4946 referenced by the outputs.
4948 @var{deprecation-warnings} determines whether to show deprecation warnings while
4949 compiling modules. It can be @code{#f}, @code{#t}, or @code{'detailed}.
4951 The other arguments are as for @code{derivation} (@pxref{Derivations}).
4954 @cindex file-like objects
4955 The @code{local-file}, @code{plain-file}, @code{computed-file},
4956 @code{program-file}, and @code{scheme-file} procedures below return
4957 @dfn{file-like objects}. That is, when unquoted in a G-expression,
4958 these objects lead to a file in the store. Consider this G-expression:
4961 #~(system* #$(file-append glibc "/sbin/nscd") "-f"
4962 #$(local-file "/tmp/my-nscd.conf"))
4965 The effect here is to ``intern'' @file{/tmp/my-nscd.conf} by copying it
4966 to the store. Once expanded, for instance @i{via}
4967 @code{gexp->derivation}, the G-expression refers to that copy under
4968 @file{/gnu/store}; thus, modifying or removing the file in @file{/tmp}
4969 does not have any effect on what the G-expression does.
4970 @code{plain-file} can be used similarly; it differs in that the file
4971 content is directly passed as a string.
4973 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} local-file @var{file} [@var{name}] @
4974 [#:recursive? #f] [#:select? (const #t)]
4975 Return an object representing local file @var{file} to add to the store; this
4976 object can be used in a gexp. If @var{file} is a relative file name, it is looked
4977 up relative to the source file where this form appears. @var{file} will be added to
4978 the store under @var{name}--by default the base name of @var{file}.
4980 When @var{recursive?} is true, the contents of @var{file} are added recursively; if @var{file}
4981 designates a flat file and @var{recursive?} is true, its contents are added, and its
4982 permission bits are kept.
4984 When @var{recursive?} is true, call @code{(@var{select?} @var{file}
4985 @var{stat})} for each directory entry, where @var{file} is the entry's
4986 absolute file name and @var{stat} is the result of @code{lstat}; exclude
4987 entries for which @var{select?} does not return true.
4989 This is the declarative counterpart of the @code{interned-file} monadic
4990 procedure (@pxref{The Store Monad, @code{interned-file}}).
4993 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} plain-file @var{name} @var{content}
4994 Return an object representing a text file called @var{name} with the given
4995 @var{content} (a string) to be added to the store.
4997 This is the declarative counterpart of @code{text-file}.
5000 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} computed-file @var{name} @var{gexp} @
5001 [#:options '(#:local-build? #t)]
5002 Return an object representing the store item @var{name}, a file or
5003 directory computed by @var{gexp}. @var{options}
5004 is a list of additional arguments to pass to @code{gexp->derivation}.
5006 This is the declarative counterpart of @code{gexp->derivation}.
5009 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} gexp->script @var{name} @var{exp}
5010 Return an executable script @var{name} that runs @var{exp} using
5011 @var{guile}, with @var{exp}'s imported modules in its search path.
5013 The example below builds a script that simply invokes the @command{ls}
5017 (use-modules (guix gexp) (gnu packages base))
5019 (gexp->script "list-files"
5020 #~(execl #$(file-append coreutils "/bin/ls")
5024 When ``running'' it through the store (@pxref{The Store Monad,
5025 @code{run-with-store}}), we obtain a derivation that produces an
5026 executable file @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-list-files} along these lines:
5029 #!/gnu/store/@dots{}-guile-2.0.11/bin/guile -ds
5031 (execl "/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.22"/bin/ls" "ls")
5035 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} program-file @var{name} @var{exp} @
5037 Return an object representing the executable store item @var{name} that
5038 runs @var{gexp}. @var{guile} is the Guile package used to execute that
5041 This is the declarative counterpart of @code{gexp->script}.
5044 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} gexp->file @var{name} @var{exp} @
5045 [#:set-load-path? #t]
5046 Return a derivation that builds a file @var{name} containing @var{exp}.
5047 When @var{set-load-path?} is true, emit code in the resulting file to
5048 set @code{%load-path} and @code{%load-compiled-path} to honor
5049 @var{exp}'s imported modules.
5051 The resulting file holds references to all the dependencies of @var{exp}
5052 or a subset thereof.
5055 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} scheme-file @var{name} @var{exp}
5056 Return an object representing the Scheme file @var{name} that contains
5059 This is the declarative counterpart of @code{gexp->file}.
5062 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} text-file* @var{name} @var{text} @dots{}
5063 Return as a monadic value a derivation that builds a text file
5064 containing all of @var{text}. @var{text} may list, in addition to
5065 strings, objects of any type that can be used in a gexp: packages,
5066 derivations, local file objects, etc. The resulting store file holds
5067 references to all these.
5069 This variant should be preferred over @code{text-file} anytime the file
5070 to create will reference items from the store. This is typically the
5071 case when building a configuration file that embeds store file names,
5075 (define (profile.sh)
5076 ;; Return the name of a shell script in the store that
5077 ;; initializes the 'PATH' environment variable.
5078 (text-file* "profile.sh"
5079 "export PATH=" coreutils "/bin:"
5080 grep "/bin:" sed "/bin\n"))
5083 In this example, the resulting @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-profile.sh} file
5084 will reference @var{coreutils}, @var{grep}, and @var{sed}, thereby
5085 preventing them from being garbage-collected during its lifetime.
5088 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} mixed-text-file @var{name} @var{text} @dots{}
5089 Return an object representing store file @var{name} containing
5090 @var{text}. @var{text} is a sequence of strings and file-like objects,
5094 (mixed-text-file "profile"
5095 "export PATH=" coreutils "/bin:" grep "/bin")
5098 This is the declarative counterpart of @code{text-file*}.
5101 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} file-union @var{name} @var{files}
5102 Return a @code{<computed-file>} that builds a directory containing all of @var{files}.
5103 Each item in @var{files} must be a two-element list where the first element is the
5104 file name to use in the new directory, and the second element is a gexp
5105 denoting the target file. Here's an example:
5109 `(("hosts" ,(plain-file "hosts"
5110 "127.0.0.1 localhost"))
5111 ("bashrc" ,(plain-file "bashrc"
5112 "alias ls='ls --color'"))))
5115 This yields an @code{etc} directory containing these two files.
5118 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} directory-union @var{name} @var{things}
5119 Return a directory that is the union of @var{things}, where @var{things} is a list of
5120 file-like objects denoting directories. For example:
5123 (directory-union "guile+emacs" (list guile emacs))
5126 yields a directory that is the union of the @code{guile} and @code{emacs} packages.
5129 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} file-append @var{obj} @var{suffix} @dots{}
5130 Return a file-like object that expands to the concatenation of @var{obj}
5131 and @var{suffix}, where @var{obj} is a lowerable object and each
5132 @var{suffix} is a string.
5134 As an example, consider this gexp:
5137 (gexp->script "run-uname"
5138 #~(system* #$(file-append coreutils
5142 The same effect could be achieved with:
5145 (gexp->script "run-uname"
5146 #~(system* (string-append #$coreutils
5150 There is one difference though: in the @code{file-append} case, the
5151 resulting script contains the absolute file name as a string, whereas in
5152 the second case, the resulting script contains a @code{(string-append
5153 @dots{})} expression to construct the file name @emph{at run time}.
5157 Of course, in addition to gexps embedded in ``host'' code, there are
5158 also modules containing build tools. To make it clear that they are
5159 meant to be used in the build stratum, these modules are kept in the
5160 @code{(guix build @dots{})} name space.
5162 @cindex lowering, of high-level objects in gexps
5163 Internally, high-level objects are @dfn{lowered}, using their compiler,
5164 to either derivations or store items. For instance, lowering a package
5165 yields a derivation, and lowering a @code{plain-file} yields a store
5166 item. This is achieved using the @code{lower-object} monadic procedure.
5168 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} lower-object @var{obj} [@var{system}] @
5170 Return as a value in @var{%store-monad} the derivation or store item
5171 corresponding to @var{obj} for @var{system}, cross-compiling for
5172 @var{target} if @var{target} is true. @var{obj} must be an object that
5173 has an associated gexp compiler, such as a @code{<package>}.
5177 @c *********************************************************************
5181 This section describes Guix command-line utilities. Some of them are
5182 primarily targeted at developers and users who write new package
5183 definitions, while others are more generally useful. They complement
5184 the Scheme programming interface of Guix in a convenient way.
5187 * Invoking guix build:: Building packages from the command line.
5188 * Invoking guix edit:: Editing package definitions.
5189 * Invoking guix download:: Downloading a file and printing its hash.
5190 * Invoking guix hash:: Computing the cryptographic hash of a file.
5191 * Invoking guix import:: Importing package definitions.
5192 * Invoking guix refresh:: Updating package definitions.
5193 * Invoking guix lint:: Finding errors in package definitions.
5194 * Invoking guix size:: Profiling disk usage.
5195 * Invoking guix graph:: Visualizing the graph of packages.
5196 * Invoking guix environment:: Setting up development environments.
5197 * Invoking guix publish:: Sharing substitutes.
5198 * Invoking guix challenge:: Challenging substitute servers.
5199 * Invoking guix copy:: Copying to and from a remote store.
5200 * Invoking guix container:: Process isolation.
5201 * Invoking guix weather:: Assessing substitute availability.
5204 @node Invoking guix build
5205 @section Invoking @command{guix build}
5207 @cindex package building
5208 @cindex @command{guix build}
5209 The @command{guix build} command builds packages or derivations and
5210 their dependencies, and prints the resulting store paths. Note that it
5211 does not modify the user's profile---this is the job of the
5212 @command{guix package} command (@pxref{Invoking guix package}). Thus,
5213 it is mainly useful for distribution developers.
5215 The general syntax is:
5218 guix build @var{options} @var{package-or-derivation}@dots{}
5221 As an example, the following command builds the latest versions of Emacs
5222 and of Guile, displays their build logs, and finally displays the
5223 resulting directories:
5226 guix build emacs guile
5229 Similarly, the following command builds all the available packages:
5232 guix build --quiet --keep-going \
5233 `guix package -A | cut -f1,2 --output-delimiter=@@`
5236 @var{package-or-derivation} may be either the name of a package found in
5237 the software distribution such as @code{coreutils} or
5238 @code{coreutils@@8.20}, or a derivation such as
5239 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.19.drv}. In the former case, a
5240 package with the corresponding name (and optionally version) is searched
5241 for among the GNU distribution modules (@pxref{Package Modules}).
5243 Alternatively, the @code{--expression} option may be used to specify a
5244 Scheme expression that evaluates to a package; this is useful when
5245 disambiguating among several same-named packages or package variants is
5248 There may be zero or more @var{options}. The available options are
5249 described in the subsections below.
5252 * Common Build Options:: Build options for most commands.
5253 * Package Transformation Options:: Creating variants of packages.
5254 * Additional Build Options:: Options specific to 'guix build'.
5255 * Debugging Build Failures:: Real life packaging experience.
5258 @node Common Build Options
5259 @subsection Common Build Options
5261 A number of options that control the build process are common to
5262 @command{guix build} and other commands that can spawn builds, such as
5263 @command{guix package} or @command{guix archive}. These are the
5268 @item --load-path=@var{directory}
5269 @itemx -L @var{directory}
5270 Add @var{directory} to the front of the package module search path
5271 (@pxref{Package Modules}).
5273 This allows users to define their own packages and make them visible to
5274 the command-line tools.
5278 Keep the build tree of failed builds. Thus, if a build fails, its build
5279 tree is kept under @file{/tmp}, in a directory whose name is shown at
5280 the end of the build log. This is useful when debugging build issues.
5281 @xref{Debugging Build Failures}, for tips and tricks on how to debug
5286 Keep going when some of the derivations fail to build; return only once
5287 all the builds have either completed or failed.
5289 The default behavior is to stop as soon as one of the specified
5290 derivations has failed.
5294 Do not build the derivations.
5296 @anchor{fallback-option}
5298 When substituting a pre-built binary fails, fall back to building
5299 packages locally (@pxref{Substitution Failure}).
5301 @item --substitute-urls=@var{urls}
5302 @anchor{client-substitute-urls}
5303 Consider @var{urls} the whitespace-separated list of substitute source
5304 URLs, overriding the default list of URLs of @command{guix-daemon}
5305 (@pxref{daemon-substitute-urls,, @command{guix-daemon} URLs}).
5307 This means that substitutes may be downloaded from @var{urls}, provided
5308 they are signed by a key authorized by the system administrator
5309 (@pxref{Substitutes}).
5311 When @var{urls} is the empty string, substitutes are effectively
5314 @item --no-substitutes
5315 Do not use substitutes for build products. That is, always build things
5316 locally instead of allowing downloads of pre-built binaries
5317 (@pxref{Substitutes}).
5320 Do not ``graft'' packages. In practice, this means that package updates
5321 available as grafts are not applied. @xref{Security Updates}, for more
5322 information on grafts.
5324 @item --rounds=@var{n}
5325 Build each derivation @var{n} times in a row, and raise an error if
5326 consecutive build results are not bit-for-bit identical.
5328 This is a useful way to detect non-deterministic builds processes.
5329 Non-deterministic build processes are a problem because they make it
5330 practically impossible for users to @emph{verify} whether third-party
5331 binaries are genuine. @xref{Invoking guix challenge}, for more.
5333 Note that, currently, the differing build results are not kept around,
5334 so you will have to manually investigate in case of an error---e.g., by
5335 stashing one of the build results with @code{guix archive --export}
5336 (@pxref{Invoking guix archive}), then rebuilding, and finally comparing
5339 @item --no-build-hook
5340 Do not attempt to offload builds @i{via} the ``build hook'' of the daemon
5341 (@pxref{Daemon Offload Setup}). That is, always build things locally
5342 instead of offloading builds to remote machines.
5344 @item --max-silent-time=@var{seconds}
5345 When the build or substitution process remains silent for more than
5346 @var{seconds}, terminate it and report a build failure.
5348 By default, the daemon's setting is honored (@pxref{Invoking
5349 guix-daemon, @code{--max-silent-time}}).
5351 @item --timeout=@var{seconds}
5352 Likewise, when the build or substitution process lasts for more than
5353 @var{seconds}, terminate it and report a build failure.
5355 By default, the daemon's setting is honored (@pxref{Invoking
5356 guix-daemon, @code{--timeout}}).
5358 @item --verbosity=@var{level}
5359 Use the given verbosity level. @var{level} must be an integer between 0
5360 and 5; higher means more verbose output. Setting a level of 4 or more
5361 may be helpful when debugging setup issues with the build daemon.
5363 @item --cores=@var{n}
5365 Allow the use of up to @var{n} CPU cores for the build. The special
5366 value @code{0} means to use as many CPU cores as available.
5368 @item --max-jobs=@var{n}
5370 Allow at most @var{n} build jobs in parallel. @xref{Invoking
5371 guix-daemon, @code{--max-jobs}}, for details about this option and the
5372 equivalent @command{guix-daemon} option.
5376 Behind the scenes, @command{guix build} is essentially an interface to
5377 the @code{package-derivation} procedure of the @code{(guix packages)}
5378 module, and to the @code{build-derivations} procedure of the @code{(guix
5379 derivations)} module.
5381 In addition to options explicitly passed on the command line,
5382 @command{guix build} and other @command{guix} commands that support
5383 building honor the @code{GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS} environment variable.
5385 @defvr {Environment Variable} GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS
5386 Users can define this variable to a list of command line options that
5387 will automatically be used by @command{guix build} and other
5388 @command{guix} commands that can perform builds, as in the example
5392 $ export GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS="--no-substitutes -c 2 -L /foo/bar"
5395 These options are parsed independently, and the result is appended to
5396 the parsed command-line options.
5400 @node Package Transformation Options
5401 @subsection Package Transformation Options
5403 @cindex package variants
5404 Another set of command-line options supported by @command{guix build}
5405 and also @command{guix package} are @dfn{package transformation
5406 options}. These are options that make it possible to define @dfn{package
5407 variants}---for instance, packages built from different source code.
5408 This is a convenient way to create customized packages on the fly
5409 without having to type in the definitions of package variants
5410 (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
5414 @item --with-source=@var{source}
5415 Use @var{source} as the source of the corresponding package.
5416 @var{source} must be a file name or a URL, as for @command{guix
5417 download} (@pxref{Invoking guix download}).
5419 The ``corresponding package'' is taken to be the one specified on the
5420 command line the name of which matches the base of @var{source}---e.g.,
5421 if @var{source} is @code{/src/guile-2.0.10.tar.gz}, the corresponding
5422 package is @code{guile}. Likewise, the version string is inferred from
5423 @var{source}; in the previous example, it is @code{2.0.10}.
5425 This option allows users to try out versions of packages other than the
5426 one provided by the distribution. The example below downloads
5427 @file{ed-1.7.tar.gz} from a GNU mirror and uses that as the source for
5428 the @code{ed} package:
5431 guix build ed --with-source=mirror://gnu/ed/ed-1.7.tar.gz
5434 As a developer, @code{--with-source} makes it easy to test release
5438 guix build guile --with-source=../guile-2.0.9.219-e1bb7.tar.xz
5441 @dots{} or to build from a checkout in a pristine environment:
5444 $ git clone git://git.sv.gnu.org/guix.git
5445 $ guix build guix --with-source=./guix
5448 @item --with-input=@var{package}=@var{replacement}
5449 Replace dependency on @var{package} by a dependency on
5450 @var{replacement}. @var{package} must be a package name, and
5451 @var{replacement} must be a package specification such as @code{guile}
5452 or @code{guile@@1.8}.
5454 For instance, the following command builds Guix, but replaces its
5455 dependency on the current stable version of Guile with a dependency on
5456 the legacy version of Guile, @code{guile@@2.0}:
5459 guix build --with-input=guile=guile@@2.0 guix
5462 This is a recursive, deep replacement. So in this example, both
5463 @code{guix} and its dependency @code{guile-json} (which also depends on
5464 @code{guile}) get rebuilt against @code{guile@@2.0}.
5466 This is implemented using the @code{package-input-rewriting} Scheme
5467 procedure (@pxref{Defining Packages, @code{package-input-rewriting}}).
5469 @item --with-graft=@var{package}=@var{replacement}
5470 This is similar to @code{--with-input} but with an important difference:
5471 instead of rebuilding the whole dependency chain, @var{replacement} is
5472 built and then @dfn{grafted} onto the binaries that were initially
5473 referring to @var{package}. @xref{Security Updates}, for more
5474 information on grafts.
5476 For example, the command below grafts version 3.5.4 of GnuTLS onto Wget
5477 and all its dependencies, replacing references to the version of GnuTLS
5478 they currently refer to:
5481 guix build --with-graft=gnutls=gnutls@@3.5.4 wget
5484 This has the advantage of being much faster than rebuilding everything.
5485 But there is a caveat: it works if and only if @var{package} and
5486 @var{replacement} are strictly compatible---for example, if they provide
5487 a library, the application binary interface (ABI) of those libraries
5488 must be compatible. If @var{replacement} is somehow incompatible with
5489 @var{package}, then the resulting package may be unusable. Use with
5494 @node Additional Build Options
5495 @subsection Additional Build Options
5497 The command-line options presented below are specific to @command{guix
5504 Build quietly, without displaying the build log. Upon completion, the
5505 build log is kept in @file{/var} (or similar) and can always be
5506 retrieved using the @option{--log-file} option.
5508 @item --file=@var{file}
5509 @itemx -f @var{file}
5511 Build the package or derivation that the code within @var{file}
5514 As an example, @var{file} might contain a package definition like this
5515 (@pxref{Defining Packages}):
5518 @verbatiminclude package-hello.scm
5521 @item --expression=@var{expr}
5522 @itemx -e @var{expr}
5523 Build the package or derivation @var{expr} evaluates to.
5525 For example, @var{expr} may be @code{(@@ (gnu packages guile)
5526 guile-1.8)}, which unambiguously designates this specific variant of
5527 version 1.8 of Guile.
5529 Alternatively, @var{expr} may be a G-expression, in which case it is used
5530 as a build program passed to @code{gexp->derivation}
5531 (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
5533 Lastly, @var{expr} may refer to a zero-argument monadic procedure
5534 (@pxref{The Store Monad}). The procedure must return a derivation as a
5535 monadic value, which is then passed through @code{run-with-store}.
5539 Build the source derivations of the packages, rather than the packages
5542 For instance, @code{guix build -S gcc} returns something like
5543 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-gcc-4.7.2.tar.bz2}, which is the GCC
5546 The returned source tarball is the result of applying any patches and
5547 code snippets specified in the package @code{origin} (@pxref{Defining
5551 Fetch and return the source of @var{package-or-derivation} and all their
5552 dependencies, recursively. This is a handy way to obtain a local copy
5553 of all the source code needed to build @var{packages}, allowing you to
5554 eventually build them even without network access. It is an extension
5555 of the @code{--source} option and can accept one of the following
5556 optional argument values:
5560 This value causes the @code{--sources} option to behave in the same way
5561 as the @code{--source} option.
5564 Build the source derivations of all packages, including any source that
5565 might be listed as @code{inputs}. This is the default value.
5568 $ guix build --sources tzdata
5569 The following derivations will be built:
5570 /gnu/store/@dots{}-tzdata2015b.tar.gz.drv
5571 /gnu/store/@dots{}-tzcode2015b.tar.gz.drv
5575 Build the source derivations of all packages, as well of all transitive
5576 inputs to the packages. This can be used e.g. to
5577 prefetch package source for later offline building.
5580 $ guix build --sources=transitive tzdata
5581 The following derivations will be built:
5582 /gnu/store/@dots{}-tzcode2015b.tar.gz.drv
5583 /gnu/store/@dots{}-findutils-4.4.2.tar.xz.drv
5584 /gnu/store/@dots{}-grep-2.21.tar.xz.drv
5585 /gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.23.tar.xz.drv
5586 /gnu/store/@dots{}-make-4.1.tar.xz.drv
5587 /gnu/store/@dots{}-bash-4.3.tar.xz.drv
5593 @item --system=@var{system}
5594 @itemx -s @var{system}
5595 Attempt to build for @var{system}---e.g., @code{i686-linux}---instead of
5596 the system type of the build host.
5598 An example use of this is on Linux-based systems, which can emulate
5599 different personalities. For instance, passing
5600 @code{--system=i686-linux} on an @code{x86_64-linux} system allows users
5601 to build packages in a complete 32-bit environment.
5603 @item --target=@var{triplet}
5604 @cindex cross-compilation
5605 Cross-build for @var{triplet}, which must be a valid GNU triplet, such
5606 as @code{"mips64el-linux-gnu"} (@pxref{Specifying target triplets, GNU
5607 configuration triplets,, autoconf, Autoconf}).
5609 @anchor{build-check}
5611 @cindex determinism, checking
5612 @cindex reproducibility, checking
5613 Rebuild @var{package-or-derivation}, which are already available in the
5614 store, and raise an error if the build results are not bit-for-bit
5617 This mechanism allows you to check whether previously installed
5618 substitutes are genuine (@pxref{Substitutes}), or whether the build result
5619 of a package is deterministic. @xref{Invoking guix challenge}, for more
5620 background information and tools.
5622 When used in conjunction with @option{--keep-failed}, the differing
5623 output is kept in the store, under @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-check}.
5624 This makes it easy to look for differences between the two results.
5627 @cindex repairing store items
5628 @cindex corruption, recovering from
5629 Attempt to repair the specified store items, if they are corrupt, by
5630 re-downloading or rebuilding them.
5632 This operation is not atomic and thus restricted to @code{root}.
5636 Return the derivation paths, not the output paths, of the given
5639 @item --root=@var{file}
5640 @itemx -r @var{file}
5641 @cindex GC roots, adding
5642 @cindex garbage collector roots, adding
5643 Make @var{file} a symlink to the result, and register it as a garbage
5646 Consequently, the results of this @command{guix build} invocation are
5647 protected from garbage collection until @var{file} is removed. When
5648 that option is omitted, build results are eligible for garbage
5649 collection as soon as the build completes. @xref{Invoking guix gc}, for
5653 Return the build log file names or URLs for the given
5654 @var{package-or-derivation}, or raise an error if build logs are
5657 This works regardless of how packages or derivations are specified. For
5658 instance, the following invocations are equivalent:
5661 guix build --log-file `guix build -d guile`
5662 guix build --log-file `guix build guile`
5663 guix build --log-file guile
5664 guix build --log-file -e '(@@ (gnu packages guile) guile-2.0)'
5667 If a log is unavailable locally, and unless @code{--no-substitutes} is
5668 passed, the command looks for a corresponding log on one of the
5669 substitute servers (as specified with @code{--substitute-urls}.)
5671 So for instance, imagine you want to see the build log of GDB on MIPS,
5672 but you are actually on an @code{x86_64} machine:
5675 $ guix build --log-file gdb -s mips64el-linux
5676 https://hydra.gnu.org/log/@dots{}-gdb-7.10
5679 You can freely access a huge library of build logs!
5682 @node Debugging Build Failures
5683 @subsection Debugging Build Failures
5685 @cindex build failures, debugging
5686 When defining a new package (@pxref{Defining Packages}), you will
5687 probably find yourself spending some time debugging and tweaking the
5688 build until it succeeds. To do that, you need to operate the build
5689 commands yourself in an environment as close as possible to the one the
5692 To that end, the first thing to do is to use the @option{--keep-failed}
5693 or @option{-K} option of @command{guix build}, which will keep the
5694 failed build tree in @file{/tmp} or whatever directory you specified as
5695 @code{TMPDIR} (@pxref{Invoking guix build, @code{--keep-failed}}).
5697 From there on, you can @command{cd} to the failed build tree and source
5698 the @file{environment-variables} file, which contains all the
5699 environment variable definitions that were in place when the build
5700 failed. So let's say you're debugging a build failure in package
5701 @code{foo}; a typical session would look like this:
5705 @dots{} @i{build fails}
5706 $ cd /tmp/guix-build-foo.drv-0
5707 $ source ./environment-variables
5711 Now, you can invoke commands as if you were the daemon (almost) and
5712 troubleshoot your build process.
5714 Sometimes it happens that, for example, a package's tests pass when you
5715 run them manually but they fail when the daemon runs them. This can
5716 happen because the daemon runs builds in containers where, unlike in our
5717 environment above, network access is missing, @file{/bin/sh} does not
5718 exist, etc. (@pxref{Build Environment Setup}).
5720 In such cases, you may need to run inspect the build process from within
5721 a container similar to the one the build daemon creates:
5726 $ cd /tmp/guix-build-foo.drv-0
5727 $ guix environment --no-grafts -C foo --ad-hoc strace gdb
5728 [env]# source ./environment-variables
5732 Here, @command{guix environment -C} creates a container and spawns a new
5733 shell in it (@pxref{Invoking guix environment}). The @command{--ad-hoc
5734 strace gdb} part adds the @command{strace} and @command{gdb} commands to
5735 the container, which would may find handy while debugging. The
5736 @option{--no-grafts} option makes sure we get the exact same
5737 environment, with ungrafted packages (@pxref{Security Updates}, for more
5740 To get closer to a container like that used by the build daemon, we can
5741 remove @file{/bin/sh}:
5747 (Don't worry, this is harmless: this is all happening in the throw-away
5748 container created by @command{guix environment}.)
5750 The @command{strace} command is probably not in the search path, but we
5754 [env]# $GUIX_ENVIRONMENT/bin/strace -f -o log make check
5757 In this way, not only you will have reproduced the environment variables
5758 the daemon uses, you will also be running the build process in a container
5759 similar to the one the daemon uses.
5762 @node Invoking guix edit
5763 @section Invoking @command{guix edit}
5765 @cindex @command{guix edit}
5766 @cindex package definition, editing
5767 So many packages, so many source files! The @command{guix edit} command
5768 facilitates the life of users and packagers by pointing their editor at
5769 the source file containing the definition of the specified packages.
5773 guix edit gcc@@4.9 vim
5777 launches the program specified in the @code{VISUAL} or in the
5778 @code{EDITOR} environment variable to view the recipe of GCC@tie{}4.9.3
5781 If you are using a Guix Git checkout (@pxref{Building from Git}), or
5782 have created your own packages on @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH}
5783 (@pxref{Defining Packages}), you will be able to edit the package
5784 recipes. Otherwise, you will be able to examine the read-only recipes
5785 for packages currently in the store.
5788 @node Invoking guix download
5789 @section Invoking @command{guix download}
5791 @cindex @command{guix download}
5792 @cindex downloading package sources
5793 When writing a package definition, developers typically need to download
5794 a source tarball, compute its SHA256 hash, and write that
5795 hash in the package definition (@pxref{Defining Packages}). The
5796 @command{guix download} tool helps with this task: it downloads a file
5797 from the given URI, adds it to the store, and prints both its file name
5798 in the store and its SHA256 hash.
5800 The fact that the downloaded file is added to the store saves bandwidth:
5801 when the developer eventually tries to build the newly defined package
5802 with @command{guix build}, the source tarball will not have to be
5803 downloaded again because it is already in the store. It is also a
5804 convenient way to temporarily stash files, which may be deleted
5805 eventually (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}).
5807 The @command{guix download} command supports the same URIs as used in
5808 package definitions. In particular, it supports @code{mirror://} URIs.
5809 @code{https} URIs (HTTP over TLS) are supported @emph{provided} the
5810 Guile bindings for GnuTLS are available in the user's environment; when
5811 they are not available, an error is raised. @xref{Guile Preparations,
5812 how to install the GnuTLS bindings for Guile,, gnutls-guile,
5813 GnuTLS-Guile}, for more information.
5815 @command{guix download} verifies HTTPS server certificates by loading
5816 the certificates of X.509 authorities from the directory pointed to by
5817 the @code{SSL_CERT_DIR} environment variable (@pxref{X.509
5818 Certificates}), unless @option{--no-check-certificate} is used.
5820 The following options are available:
5823 @item --format=@var{fmt}
5825 Write the hash in the format specified by @var{fmt}. For more
5826 information on the valid values for @var{fmt}, @pxref{Invoking guix hash}.
5828 @item --no-check-certificate
5829 Do not validate the X.509 certificates of HTTPS servers.
5831 When using this option, you have @emph{absolutely no guarantee} that you
5832 are communicating with the authentic server responsible for the given
5833 URL, which makes you vulnerable to ``man-in-the-middle'' attacks.
5835 @item --output=@var{file}
5836 @itemx -o @var{file}
5837 Save the downloaded file to @var{file} instead of adding it to the
5841 @node Invoking guix hash
5842 @section Invoking @command{guix hash}
5844 @cindex @command{guix hash}
5845 The @command{guix hash} command computes the SHA256 hash of a file.
5846 It is primarily a convenience tool for anyone contributing to the
5847 distribution: it computes the cryptographic hash of a file, which can be
5848 used in the definition of a package (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
5850 The general syntax is:
5853 guix hash @var{option} @var{file}
5856 When @var{file} is @code{-} (a hyphen), @command{guix hash} computes the
5857 hash of data read from standard input. @command{guix hash} has the
5862 @item --format=@var{fmt}
5864 Write the hash in the format specified by @var{fmt}.
5866 Supported formats: @code{nix-base32}, @code{base32}, @code{base16}
5867 (@code{hex} and @code{hexadecimal} can be used as well).
5869 If the @option{--format} option is not specified, @command{guix hash}
5870 will output the hash in @code{nix-base32}. This representation is used
5871 in the definitions of packages.
5875 Compute the hash on @var{file} recursively.
5877 In this case, the hash is computed on an archive containing @var{file},
5878 including its children if it is a directory. Some of the metadata of
5879 @var{file} is part of the archive; for instance, when @var{file} is a
5880 regular file, the hash is different depending on whether @var{file} is
5881 executable or not. Metadata such as time stamps has no impact on the
5882 hash (@pxref{Invoking guix archive}).
5883 @c FIXME: Replace xref above with xref to an ``Archive'' section when
5888 When combined with @option{--recursive}, exclude version control system
5889 directories (@file{.bzr}, @file{.git}, @file{.hg}, etc.)
5892 As an example, here is how you would compute the hash of a Git checkout,
5893 which is useful when using the @code{git-fetch} method (@pxref{origin
5897 $ git clone http://example.org/foo.git
5903 @node Invoking guix import
5904 @section Invoking @command{guix import}
5906 @cindex importing packages
5907 @cindex package import
5908 @cindex package conversion
5909 @cindex Invoking @command{guix import}
5910 The @command{guix import} command is useful for people who would like to
5911 add a package to the distribution with as little work as
5912 possible---a legitimate demand. The command knows of a few
5913 repositories from which it can ``import'' package metadata. The result
5914 is a package definition, or a template thereof, in the format we know
5915 (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
5917 The general syntax is:
5920 guix import @var{importer} @var{options}@dots{}
5923 @var{importer} specifies the source from which to import package
5924 metadata, and @var{options} specifies a package identifier and other
5925 options specific to @var{importer}. Currently, the available
5930 Import metadata for the given GNU package. This provides a template
5931 for the latest version of that GNU package, including the hash of its
5932 source tarball, and its canonical synopsis and description.
5934 Additional information such as the package dependencies and its
5935 license needs to be figured out manually.
5937 For example, the following command returns a package definition for
5941 guix import gnu hello
5944 Specific command-line options are:
5947 @item --key-download=@var{policy}
5948 As for @code{guix refresh}, specify the policy to handle missing OpenPGP
5949 keys when verifying the package signature. @xref{Invoking guix
5950 refresh, @code{--key-download}}.
5955 Import metadata from the @uref{https://pypi.python.org/, Python Package
5956 Index}@footnote{This functionality requires Guile-JSON to be installed.
5957 @xref{Requirements}.}. Information is taken from the JSON-formatted
5958 description available at @code{pypi.python.org} and usually includes all
5959 the relevant information, including package dependencies. For maximum
5960 efficiency, it is recommended to install the @command{unzip} utility, so
5961 that the importer can unzip Python wheels and gather data from them.
5963 The command below imports metadata for the @code{itsdangerous} Python
5967 guix import pypi itsdangerous
5972 Import metadata from @uref{https://rubygems.org/,
5973 RubyGems}@footnote{This functionality requires Guile-JSON to be
5974 installed. @xref{Requirements}.}. Information is taken from the
5975 JSON-formatted description available at @code{rubygems.org} and includes
5976 most relevant information, including runtime dependencies. There are
5977 some caveats, however. The metadata doesn't distinguish between
5978 synopses and descriptions, so the same string is used for both fields.
5979 Additionally, the details of non-Ruby dependencies required to build
5980 native extensions is unavailable and left as an exercise to the
5983 The command below imports metadata for the @code{rails} Ruby package:
5986 guix import gem rails
5991 Import metadata from @uref{https://www.metacpan.org/, MetaCPAN}@footnote{This
5992 functionality requires Guile-JSON to be installed.
5993 @xref{Requirements}.}.
5994 Information is taken from the JSON-formatted metadata provided through
5995 @uref{https://api.metacpan.org/, MetaCPAN's API} and includes most
5996 relevant information, such as module dependencies. License information
5997 should be checked closely. If Perl is available in the store, then the
5998 @code{corelist} utility will be used to filter core modules out of the
5999 list of dependencies.
6001 The command command below imports metadata for the @code{Acme::Boolean}
6005 guix import cpan Acme::Boolean
6010 @cindex Bioconductor
6011 Import metadata from @uref{http://cran.r-project.org/, CRAN}, the
6012 central repository for the @uref{http://r-project.org, GNU@tie{}R
6013 statistical and graphical environment}.
6015 Information is extracted from the @code{DESCRIPTION} file of the package.
6017 The command command below imports metadata for the @code{Cairo}
6021 guix import cran Cairo
6024 When @code{--recursive} is added, the importer will traverse the
6025 dependency graph of the given upstream package recursively and generate
6026 package expressions for all those packages that are not yet in Guix.
6028 When @code{--archive=bioconductor} is added, metadata is imported from
6029 @uref{https://www.bioconductor.org/, Bioconductor}, a repository of R
6030 packages for for the analysis and comprehension of high-throughput
6031 genomic data in bioinformatics.
6033 Information is extracted from the @code{DESCRIPTION} file of a package
6034 published on the web interface of the Bioconductor SVN repository.
6036 The command below imports metadata for the @code{GenomicRanges}
6040 guix import cran --archive=bioconductor GenomicRanges
6046 Import metadata from @uref{http://www.ctan.org/, CTAN}, the
6047 comprehensive TeX archive network for TeX packages that are part of the
6048 @uref{https://www.tug.org/texlive/, TeX Live distribution}.
6050 Information about the package is obtained through the XML API provided
6051 by CTAN, while the source code is downloaded from the SVN repository of
6052 the Tex Live project. This is done because the CTAN does not keep
6055 The command command below imports metadata for the @code{fontspec}
6059 guix import texlive fontspec
6062 When @code{--archive=DIRECTORY} is added, the source code is downloaded
6063 not from the @file{latex} sub-directory of the @file{texmf-dist/source}
6064 tree in the TeX Live SVN repository, but from the specified sibling
6065 directory under the same root.
6067 The command below imports metadata for the @code{ifxetex} package from
6068 CTAN while fetching the sources from the directory
6069 @file{texmf/source/generic}:
6072 guix import texlive --archive=generic ifxetex
6076 @cindex JSON, import
6077 Import package metadata from a local JSON file@footnote{This
6078 functionality requires Guile-JSON to be installed.
6079 @xref{Requirements}.}. Consider the following example package
6080 definition in JSON format:
6086 "source": "mirror://gnu/hello/hello-2.10.tar.gz",
6087 "build-system": "gnu",
6088 "home-page": "https://www.gnu.org/software/hello/",
6089 "synopsis": "Hello, GNU world: An example GNU package",
6090 "description": "GNU Hello prints a greeting.",
6091 "license": "GPL-3.0+",
6092 "native-inputs": ["gcc@@6"]
6096 The field names are the same as for the @code{<package>} record
6097 (@xref{Defining Packages}). References to other packages are provided
6098 as JSON lists of quoted package specification strings such as
6099 @code{guile} or @code{guile@@2.0}.
6101 The importer also supports a more explicit source definition using the
6102 common fields for @code{<origin>} records:
6108 "method": "url-fetch",
6109 "uri": "mirror://gnu/hello/hello-2.10.tar.gz",
6111 "base32": "0ssi1wpaf7plaswqqjwigppsg5fyh99vdlb9kzl7c9lng89ndq1i"
6118 The command below reads metadata from the JSON file @code{hello.json}
6119 and outputs a package expression:
6122 guix import json hello.json
6126 Import metadata from a local copy of the source of the
6127 @uref{http://nixos.org/nixpkgs/, Nixpkgs distribution}@footnote{This
6128 relies on the @command{nix-instantiate} command of
6129 @uref{http://nixos.org/nix/, Nix}.}. Package definitions in Nixpkgs are
6130 typically written in a mixture of Nix-language and Bash code. This
6131 command only imports the high-level package structure that is written in
6132 the Nix language. It normally includes all the basic fields of a
6135 When importing a GNU package, the synopsis and descriptions are replaced
6136 by their canonical upstream variant.
6138 Usually, you will first need to do:
6141 export NIX_REMOTE=daemon
6145 so that @command{nix-instantiate} does not try to open the Nix database.
6147 As an example, the command below imports the package definition of
6148 LibreOffice (more precisely, it imports the definition of the package
6149 bound to the @code{libreoffice} top-level attribute):
6152 guix import nix ~/path/to/nixpkgs libreoffice
6157 Import metadata from the Haskell community's central package archive
6158 @uref{https://hackage.haskell.org/, Hackage}. Information is taken from
6159 Cabal files and includes all the relevant information, including package
6162 Specific command-line options are:
6167 Read a Cabal file from standard input.
6168 @item --no-test-dependencies
6170 Do not include dependencies required only by the test suites.
6171 @item --cabal-environment=@var{alist}
6172 @itemx -e @var{alist}
6173 @var{alist} is a Scheme alist defining the environment in which the
6174 Cabal conditionals are evaluated. The accepted keys are: @code{os},
6175 @code{arch}, @code{impl} and a string representing the name of a flag.
6176 The value associated with a flag has to be either the symbol
6177 @code{true} or @code{false}. The value associated with other keys
6178 has to conform to the Cabal file format definition. The default value
6179 associated with the keys @code{os}, @code{arch} and @code{impl} is
6180 @samp{linux}, @samp{x86_64} and @samp{ghc}, respectively.
6183 The command below imports metadata for the latest version of the
6184 @code{HTTP} Haskell package without including test dependencies and
6185 specifying the value of the flag @samp{network-uri} as @code{false}:
6188 guix import hackage -t -e "'((\"network-uri\" . false))" HTTP
6191 A specific package version may optionally be specified by following the
6192 package name by an at-sign and a version number as in the following example:
6195 guix import hackage mtl@@2.1.3.1
6200 The @code{stackage} importer is a wrapper around the @code{hackage} one.
6201 It takes a package name, looks up the package version included in a
6202 long-term support (LTS) @uref{https://www.stackage.org, Stackage}
6203 release and uses the @code{hackage} importer to retrieve its metadata.
6204 Note that it is up to you to select an LTS release compatible with the
6205 GHC compiler used by Guix.
6207 Specific command-line options are:
6210 @item --no-test-dependencies
6212 Do not include dependencies required only by the test suites.
6213 @item --lts-version=@var{version}
6214 @itemx -r @var{version}
6215 @var{version} is the desired LTS release version. If omitted the latest
6219 The command below imports metadata for the @code{HTTP} Haskell package
6220 included in the LTS Stackage release version 7.18:
6223 guix import stackage --lts-version=7.18 HTTP
6228 Import metadata from an Emacs Lisp Package Archive (ELPA) package
6229 repository (@pxref{Packages,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
6231 Specific command-line options are:
6234 @item --archive=@var{repo}
6235 @itemx -a @var{repo}
6236 @var{repo} identifies the archive repository from which to retrieve the
6237 information. Currently the supported repositories and their identifiers
6241 @uref{http://elpa.gnu.org/packages, GNU}, selected by the @code{gnu}
6242 identifier. This is the default.
6244 Packages from @code{elpa.gnu.org} are signed with one of the keys
6245 contained in the GnuPG keyring at
6246 @file{share/emacs/25.1/etc/package-keyring.gpg} (or similar) in the
6247 @code{emacs} package (@pxref{Package Installation, ELPA package
6248 signatures,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
6251 @uref{http://stable.melpa.org/packages, MELPA-Stable}, selected by the
6252 @code{melpa-stable} identifier.
6255 @uref{http://melpa.org/packages, MELPA}, selected by the @code{melpa}
6262 Import metadata from the crates.io Rust package repository
6263 @uref{https://crates.io, crates.io}.
6266 The structure of the @command{guix import} code is modular. It would be
6267 useful to have more importers for other package formats, and your help
6268 is welcome here (@pxref{Contributing}).
6270 @node Invoking guix refresh
6271 @section Invoking @command{guix refresh}
6273 @cindex @command {guix refresh}
6274 The primary audience of the @command{guix refresh} command is developers
6275 of the GNU software distribution. By default, it reports any packages
6276 provided by the distribution that are outdated compared to the latest
6277 upstream version, like this:
6281 gnu/packages/gettext.scm:29:13: gettext would be upgraded from 0.18.1.1 to 0.18.2.1
6282 gnu/packages/glib.scm:77:12: glib would be upgraded from 2.34.3 to 2.37.0
6285 Alternately, one can specify packages to consider, in which case a
6286 warning is emitted for packages that lack an updater:
6289 $ guix refresh coreutils guile guile-ssh
6290 gnu/packages/ssh.scm:205:2: warning: no updater for guile-ssh
6291 gnu/packages/guile.scm:136:12: guile would be upgraded from 2.0.12 to 2.0.13
6294 @command{guix refresh} browses the upstream repository of each package and determines
6295 the highest version number of the releases therein. The command
6296 knows how to update specific types of packages: GNU packages, ELPA
6297 packages, etc.---see the documentation for @option{--type} below. There
6298 are many packages, though, for which it lacks a method to determine
6299 whether a new upstream release is available. However, the mechanism is
6300 extensible, so feel free to get in touch with us to add a new method!
6302 When passed @code{--update}, it modifies distribution source files to
6303 update the version numbers and source tarball hashes of those package
6304 recipes (@pxref{Defining Packages}). This is achieved by downloading
6305 each package's latest source tarball and its associated OpenPGP
6306 signature, authenticating the downloaded tarball against its signature
6307 using @command{gpg}, and finally computing its hash. When the public
6308 key used to sign the tarball is missing from the user's keyring, an
6309 attempt is made to automatically retrieve it from a public key server;
6310 when this is successful, the key is added to the user's keyring; otherwise,
6311 @command{guix refresh} reports an error.
6313 The following options are supported:
6317 @item --expression=@var{expr}
6318 @itemx -e @var{expr}
6319 Consider the package @var{expr} evaluates to.
6321 This is useful to precisely refer to a package, as in this example:
6324 guix refresh -l -e '(@@@@ (gnu packages commencement) glibc-final)'
6327 This command lists the dependents of the ``final'' libc (essentially all
6332 Update distribution source files (package recipes) in place. This is
6333 usually run from a checkout of the Guix source tree (@pxref{Running
6334 Guix Before It Is Installed}):
6337 $ ./pre-inst-env guix refresh -s non-core -u
6340 @xref{Defining Packages}, for more information on package definitions.
6342 @item --select=[@var{subset}]
6343 @itemx -s @var{subset}
6344 Select all the packages in @var{subset}, one of @code{core} or
6347 The @code{core} subset refers to all the packages at the core of the
6348 distribution---i.e., packages that are used to build ``everything
6349 else''. This includes GCC, libc, Binutils, Bash, etc. Usually,
6350 changing one of these packages in the distribution entails a rebuild of
6351 all the others. Thus, such updates are an inconvenience to users in
6352 terms of build time or bandwidth used to achieve the upgrade.
6354 The @code{non-core} subset refers to the remaining packages. It is
6355 typically useful in cases where an update of the core packages would be
6358 @item --manifest=@var{file}
6359 @itemx -m @var{file}
6360 Select all the packages from the manifest in @var{file}. This is useful to
6361 check if any packages of the user manifest can be updated.
6363 @item --type=@var{updater}
6364 @itemx -t @var{updater}
6365 Select only packages handled by @var{updater} (may be a comma-separated
6366 list of updaters). Currently, @var{updater} may be one of:
6370 the updater for GNU packages;
6372 the updater for GNOME packages;
6374 the updater for KDE packages;
6376 the updater for X.org packages;
6378 the updater for packages hosted on kernel.org;
6380 the updater for @uref{http://elpa.gnu.org/, ELPA} packages;
6382 the updater for @uref{http://cran.r-project.org/, CRAN} packages;
6384 the updater for @uref{https://www.bioconductor.org/, Bioconductor} R packages;
6386 the updater for @uref{http://www.cpan.org/, CPAN} packages;
6388 the updater for @uref{https://pypi.python.org, PyPI} packages.
6390 the updater for @uref{https://rubygems.org, RubyGems} packages.
6392 the updater for @uref{https://github.com, GitHub} packages.
6394 the updater for @uref{https://hackage.haskell.org, Hackage} packages.
6396 the updater for @uref{https://www.stackage.org, Stackage} packages.
6398 the updater for @uref{https://crates.io, Crates} packages.
6401 For instance, the following command only checks for updates of Emacs
6402 packages hosted at @code{elpa.gnu.org} and for updates of CRAN packages:
6405 $ guix refresh --type=elpa,cran
6406 gnu/packages/statistics.scm:819:13: r-testthat would be upgraded from 0.10.0 to 0.11.0
6407 gnu/packages/emacs.scm:856:13: emacs-auctex would be upgraded from 11.88.6 to 11.88.9
6412 In addition, @command{guix refresh} can be passed one or more package
6413 names, as in this example:
6416 $ ./pre-inst-env guix refresh -u emacs idutils gcc@@4.8
6420 The command above specifically updates the @code{emacs} and
6421 @code{idutils} packages. The @code{--select} option would have no
6422 effect in this case.
6424 When considering whether to upgrade a package, it is sometimes
6425 convenient to know which packages would be affected by the upgrade and
6426 should be checked for compatibility. For this the following option may
6427 be used when passing @command{guix refresh} one or more package names:
6431 @item --list-updaters
6433 List available updaters and exit (see @option{--type} above.)
6435 For each updater, display the fraction of packages it covers; at the
6436 end, display the fraction of packages covered by all these updaters.
6438 @item --list-dependent
6440 List top-level dependent packages that would need to be rebuilt as a
6441 result of upgrading one or more packages.
6443 @xref{Invoking guix graph, the @code{reverse-package} type of
6444 @command{guix graph}}, for information on how to visualize the list of
6445 dependents of a package.
6449 Be aware that the @code{--list-dependent} option only
6450 @emph{approximates} the rebuilds that would be required as a result of
6451 an upgrade. More rebuilds might be required under some circumstances.
6454 $ guix refresh --list-dependent flex
6455 Building the following 120 packages would ensure 213 dependent packages are rebuilt:
6456 hop@@2.4.0 geiser@@0.4 notmuch@@0.18 mu@@0.9.9.5 cflow@@1.4 idutils@@4.6 @dots{}
6459 The command above lists a set of packages that could be built to check
6460 for compatibility with an upgraded @code{flex} package.
6462 The following options can be used to customize GnuPG operation:
6466 @item --gpg=@var{command}
6467 Use @var{command} as the GnuPG 2.x command. @var{command} is searched
6468 for in @code{$PATH}.
6470 @item --key-download=@var{policy}
6471 Handle missing OpenPGP keys according to @var{policy}, which may be one
6476 Always download missing OpenPGP keys from the key server, and add them
6477 to the user's GnuPG keyring.
6480 Never try to download missing OpenPGP keys. Instead just bail out.
6483 When a package signed with an unknown OpenPGP key is encountered, ask
6484 the user whether to download it or not. This is the default behavior.
6487 @item --key-server=@var{host}
6488 Use @var{host} as the OpenPGP key server when importing a public key.
6492 The @code{github} updater uses the
6493 @uref{https://developer.github.com/v3/, GitHub API} to query for new
6494 releases. When used repeatedly e.g. when refreshing all packages,
6495 GitHub will eventually refuse to answer any further API requests. By
6496 default 60 API requests per hour are allowed, and a full refresh on all
6497 GitHub packages in Guix requires more than this. Authentication with
6498 GitHub through the use of an API token alleviates these limits. To use
6499 an API token, set the environment variable @code{GUIX_GITHUB_TOKEN} to a
6500 token procured from @uref{https://github.com/settings/tokens} or
6504 @node Invoking guix lint
6505 @section Invoking @command{guix lint}
6507 @cindex @command{guix lint}
6508 @cindex package, checking for errors
6509 The @command{guix lint} command is meant to help package developers avoid
6510 common errors and use a consistent style. It runs a number of checks on
6511 a given set of packages in order to find common mistakes in their
6512 definitions. Available @dfn{checkers} include (see
6513 @code{--list-checkers} for a complete list):
6518 Validate certain typographical and stylistic rules about package
6519 descriptions and synopses.
6521 @item inputs-should-be-native
6522 Identify inputs that should most likely be native inputs.
6527 @itemx source-file-name
6528 Probe @code{home-page} and @code{source} URLs and report those that are
6529 invalid. Suggest a @code{mirror://} URL when applicable. Check that
6530 the source file name is meaningful, e.g. is not
6531 just a version number or ``git-checkout'', without a declared
6532 @code{file-name} (@pxref{origin Reference}).
6535 @cindex security vulnerabilities
6536 @cindex CVE, Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures
6537 Report known vulnerabilities found in the Common Vulnerabilities and
6538 Exposures (CVE) databases of the current and past year
6539 @uref{https://nvd.nist.gov/download.cfm#CVE_FEED, published by the US
6542 To view information about a particular vulnerability, visit pages such as:
6546 @indicateurl{https://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/detail?vulnId=CVE-YYYY-ABCD}
6548 @indicateurl{https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-YYYY-ABCD}
6552 where @code{CVE-YYYY-ABCD} is the CVE identifier---e.g.,
6553 @code{CVE-2015-7554}.
6555 Package developers can specify in package recipes the
6556 @uref{https://nvd.nist.gov/cpe.cfm,Common Platform Enumeration (CPE)}
6557 name and version of the package when they differ from the name that Guix
6558 uses, as in this example:
6564 ;; CPE calls this package "grub2".
6565 (properties '((cpe-name . "grub2"))))
6569 Warn about obvious source code formatting issues: trailing white space,
6570 use of tabulations, etc.
6573 The general syntax is:
6576 guix lint @var{options} @var{package}@dots{}
6579 If no package is given on the command line, then all packages are checked.
6580 The @var{options} may be zero or more of the following:
6583 @item --list-checkers
6585 List and describe all the available checkers that will be run on packages
6590 Only enable the checkers specified in a comma-separated list using the
6591 names returned by @code{--list-checkers}.
6595 @node Invoking guix size
6596 @section Invoking @command{guix size}
6599 @cindex package size
6601 @cindex @command{guix size}
6602 The @command{guix size} command helps package developers profile the
6603 disk usage of packages. It is easy to overlook the impact of an
6604 additional dependency added to a package, or the impact of using a
6605 single output for a package that could easily be split (@pxref{Packages
6606 with Multiple Outputs}). Such are the typical issues that
6607 @command{guix size} can highlight.
6609 The command can be passed a package specification such as @code{gcc@@4.8}
6610 or @code{guile:debug}, or a file name in the store. Consider this
6614 $ guix size coreutils
6615 store item total self
6616 /gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.23 70.0 13.9 19.8%
6617 /gnu/store/@dots{}-gmp-6.0.0a 55.3 2.5 3.6%
6618 /gnu/store/@dots{}-acl-2.2.52 53.7 0.5 0.7%
6619 /gnu/store/@dots{}-attr-2.4.46 53.2 0.3 0.5%
6620 /gnu/store/@dots{}-gcc-4.8.4-lib 52.9 15.7 22.4%
6621 /gnu/store/@dots{}-glibc-2.21 37.2 37.2 53.1%
6625 The store items listed here constitute the @dfn{transitive closure} of
6626 Coreutils---i.e., Coreutils and all its dependencies, recursively---as
6627 would be returned by:
6630 $ guix gc -R /gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.23
6633 Here the output shows three columns next to store items. The first column,
6634 labeled ``total'', shows the size in mebibytes (MiB) of the closure of
6635 the store item---that is, its own size plus the size of all its
6636 dependencies. The next column, labeled ``self'', shows the size of the
6637 item itself. The last column shows the ratio of the size of the item
6638 itself to the space occupied by all the items listed here.
6640 In this example, we see that the closure of Coreutils weighs in at
6641 70@tie{}MiB, half of which is taken by libc. (That libc represents a
6642 large fraction of the closure is not a problem @i{per se} because it is
6643 always available on the system anyway.)
6645 When the package passed to @command{guix size} is available in the
6646 store, @command{guix size} queries the daemon to determine its
6647 dependencies, and measures its size in the store, similar to @command{du
6648 -ms --apparent-size} (@pxref{du invocation,,, coreutils, GNU
6651 When the given package is @emph{not} in the store, @command{guix size}
6652 reports information based on the available substitutes
6653 (@pxref{Substitutes}). This makes it possible it to profile disk usage of
6654 store items that are not even on disk, only available remotely.
6656 You can also specify several package names:
6659 $ guix size coreutils grep sed bash
6660 store item total self
6661 /gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.24 77.8 13.8 13.4%
6662 /gnu/store/@dots{}-grep-2.22 73.1 0.8 0.8%
6663 /gnu/store/@dots{}-bash-4.3.42 72.3 4.7 4.6%
6664 /gnu/store/@dots{}-readline-6.3 67.6 1.2 1.2%
6670 In this example we see that the combination of the four packages takes
6671 102.3@tie{}MiB in total, which is much less than the sum of each closure
6672 since they have a lot of dependencies in common.
6674 The available options are:
6678 @item --substitute-urls=@var{urls}
6679 Use substitute information from @var{urls}.
6680 @xref{client-substitute-urls, the same option for @code{guix build}}.
6682 @item --sort=@var{key}
6683 Sort lines according to @var{key}, one of the following options:
6687 the size of each item (the default);
6689 the total size of the item's closure.
6692 @item --map-file=@var{file}
6693 Write a graphical map of disk usage in PNG format to @var{file}.
6695 For the example above, the map looks like this:
6697 @image{images/coreutils-size-map,5in,, map of Coreutils disk usage
6698 produced by @command{guix size}}
6700 This option requires that
6701 @uref{http://wingolog.org/software/guile-charting/, Guile-Charting} be
6702 installed and visible in Guile's module search path. When that is not
6703 the case, @command{guix size} fails as it tries to load it.
6705 @item --system=@var{system}
6706 @itemx -s @var{system}
6707 Consider packages for @var{system}---e.g., @code{x86_64-linux}.
6711 @node Invoking guix graph
6712 @section Invoking @command{guix graph}
6715 @cindex @command{guix graph}
6716 @cindex package dependencies
6717 Packages and their dependencies form a @dfn{graph}, specifically a
6718 directed acyclic graph (DAG). It can quickly become difficult to have a
6719 mental model of the package DAG, so the @command{guix graph} command
6720 provides a visual representation of the DAG. By default,
6721 @command{guix graph} emits a DAG representation in the input format of
6722 @uref{http://www.graphviz.org/, Graphviz}, so its output can be passed
6723 directly to the @command{dot} command of Graphviz. It can also emit an
6724 HTML page with embedded JavaScript code to display a ``chord diagram''
6725 in a Web browser, using the @uref{https://d3js.org/, d3.js} library, or
6726 emit Cypher queries to construct a graph in a graph database supporting
6727 the @uref{http://www.opencypher.org/, openCypher} query language.
6728 The general syntax is:
6731 guix graph @var{options} @var{package}@dots{}
6734 For example, the following command generates a PDF file representing the
6735 package DAG for the GNU@tie{}Core Utilities, showing its build-time
6739 guix graph coreutils | dot -Tpdf > dag.pdf
6742 The output looks like this:
6744 @image{images/coreutils-graph,2in,,Dependency graph of the GNU Coreutils}
6746 Nice little graph, no?
6748 But there is more than one graph! The one above is concise: it is the
6749 graph of package objects, omitting implicit inputs such as GCC, libc,
6750 grep, etc. It is often useful to have such a concise graph, but
6751 sometimes one may want to see more details. @command{guix graph} supports
6752 several types of graphs, allowing you to choose the level of detail:
6756 This is the default type used in the example above. It shows the DAG of
6757 package objects, excluding implicit dependencies. It is concise, but
6758 filters out many details.
6760 @item reverse-package
6761 This shows the @emph{reverse} DAG of packages. For example:
6764 guix graph --type=reverse-package ocaml
6767 ... yields the graph of packages that depend on OCaml.
6769 Note that for core packages this can yield huge graphs. If all you want
6770 is to know the number of packages that depend on a given package, use
6771 @command{guix refresh --list-dependent} (@pxref{Invoking guix refresh,
6772 @option{--list-dependent}}).
6775 This is the package DAG, @emph{including} implicit inputs.
6777 For instance, the following command:
6780 guix graph --type=bag-emerged coreutils | dot -Tpdf > dag.pdf
6783 ... yields this bigger graph:
6785 @image{images/coreutils-bag-graph,,5in,Detailed dependency graph of the GNU Coreutils}
6787 At the bottom of the graph, we see all the implicit inputs of
6788 @var{gnu-build-system} (@pxref{Build Systems, @code{gnu-build-system}}).
6790 Now, note that the dependencies of these implicit inputs---that is, the
6791 @dfn{bootstrap dependencies} (@pxref{Bootstrapping})---are not shown
6792 here, for conciseness.
6795 Similar to @code{bag-emerged}, but this time including all the bootstrap
6798 @item bag-with-origins
6799 Similar to @code{bag}, but also showing origins and their dependencies.
6802 This is the most detailed representation: It shows the DAG of
6803 derivations (@pxref{Derivations}) and plain store items. Compared to
6804 the above representation, many additional nodes are visible, including
6805 build scripts, patches, Guile modules, etc.
6807 For this type of graph, it is also possible to pass a @file{.drv} file
6808 name instead of a package name, as in:
6811 guix graph -t derivation `guix system build -d my-config.scm`
6815 All the types above correspond to @emph{build-time dependencies}. The
6816 following graph type represents the @emph{run-time dependencies}:
6820 This is the graph of @dfn{references} of a package output, as returned
6821 by @command{guix gc --references} (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}).
6823 If the given package output is not available in the store, @command{guix
6824 graph} attempts to obtain dependency information from substitutes.
6826 Here you can also pass a store file name instead of a package name. For
6827 example, the command below produces the reference graph of your profile
6828 (which can be big!):
6831 guix graph -t references `readlink -f ~/.guix-profile`
6835 This is the graph of the @dfn{referrers} of a store item, as returned by
6836 @command{guix gc --referrers} (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}).
6838 This relies exclusively on local information from your store. For
6839 instance, let us suppose that the current Inkscape is available in 10
6840 profiles on your machine; @command{guix graph -t referrers inkscape}
6841 will show a graph rooted at Inkscape and with those 10 profiles linked
6844 It can help determine what is preventing a store item from being garbage
6849 The available options are the following:
6852 @item --type=@var{type}
6853 @itemx -t @var{type}
6854 Produce a graph output of @var{type}, where @var{type} must be one of
6855 the values listed above.
6858 List the supported graph types.
6860 @item --backend=@var{backend}
6861 @itemx -b @var{backend}
6862 Produce a graph using the selected @var{backend}.
6864 @item --list-backends
6865 List the supported graph backends.
6867 Currently, the available backends are Graphviz and d3.js.
6869 @item --expression=@var{expr}
6870 @itemx -e @var{expr}
6871 Consider the package @var{expr} evaluates to.
6873 This is useful to precisely refer to a package, as in this example:
6876 guix graph -e '(@@@@ (gnu packages commencement) gnu-make-final)'
6881 @node Invoking guix environment
6882 @section Invoking @command{guix environment}
6884 @cindex reproducible build environments
6885 @cindex development environments
6886 @cindex @command{guix environment}
6887 @cindex environment, package build environment
6888 The purpose of @command{guix environment} is to assist hackers in
6889 creating reproducible development environments without polluting their
6890 package profile. The @command{guix environment} tool takes one or more
6891 packages, builds all of their inputs, and creates a shell
6892 environment to use them.
6894 The general syntax is:
6897 guix environment @var{options} @var{package}@dots{}
6900 The following example spawns a new shell set up for the development of
6904 guix environment guile
6907 If the needed dependencies are not built yet, @command{guix environment}
6908 automatically builds them. The environment of the new shell is an augmented
6909 version of the environment that @command{guix environment} was run in.
6910 It contains the necessary search paths for building the given package
6911 added to the existing environment variables. To create a ``pure''
6912 environment, in which the original environment variables have been unset,
6913 use the @code{--pure} option@footnote{Users sometimes wrongfully augment
6914 environment variables such as @code{PATH} in their @file{~/.bashrc}
6915 file. As a consequence, when @code{guix environment} launches it, Bash
6916 may read @file{~/.bashrc}, thereby introducing ``impurities'' in these
6917 environment variables. It is an error to define such environment
6918 variables in @file{.bashrc}; instead, they should be defined in
6919 @file{.bash_profile}, which is sourced only by log-in shells.
6920 @xref{Bash Startup Files,,, bash, The GNU Bash Reference Manual}, for
6921 details on Bash start-up files.}.
6923 @vindex GUIX_ENVIRONMENT
6924 @command{guix environment} defines the @code{GUIX_ENVIRONMENT}
6925 variable in the shell it spawns; its value is the file name of the
6926 profile of this environment. This allows users to, say, define a
6927 specific prompt for development environments in their @file{.bashrc}
6928 (@pxref{Bash Startup Files,,, bash, The GNU Bash Reference Manual}):
6931 if [ -n "$GUIX_ENVIRONMENT" ]
6933 export PS1="\u@@\h \w [dev]\$ "
6938 ... or to browse the profile:
6941 $ ls "$GUIX_ENVIRONMENT/bin"
6944 Additionally, more than one package may be specified, in which case the
6945 union of the inputs for the given packages are used. For example, the
6946 command below spawns a shell where all of the dependencies of both Guile
6947 and Emacs are available:
6950 guix environment guile emacs
6953 Sometimes an interactive shell session is not desired. An arbitrary
6954 command may be invoked by placing the @code{--} token to separate the
6955 command from the rest of the arguments:
6958 guix environment guile -- make -j4
6961 In other situations, it is more convenient to specify the list of
6962 packages needed in the environment. For example, the following command
6963 runs @command{python} from an environment containing Python@tie{}2.7 and
6967 guix environment --ad-hoc python2-numpy python-2.7 -- python
6970 Furthermore, one might want the dependencies of a package and also some
6971 additional packages that are not build-time or runtime dependencies, but
6972 are useful when developing nonetheless. Because of this, the
6973 @code{--ad-hoc} flag is positional. Packages appearing before
6974 @code{--ad-hoc} are interpreted as packages whose dependencies will be
6975 added to the environment. Packages appearing after are interpreted as
6976 packages that will be added to the environment directly. For example,
6977 the following command creates a Guix development environment that
6978 additionally includes Git and strace:
6981 guix environment guix --ad-hoc git strace
6984 Sometimes it is desirable to isolate the environment as much as
6985 possible, for maximal purity and reproducibility. In particular, when
6986 using Guix on a host distro that is not GuixSD, it is desirable to
6987 prevent access to @file{/usr/bin} and other system-wide resources from
6988 the development environment. For example, the following command spawns
6989 a Guile REPL in a ``container'' where only the store and the current
6990 working directory are mounted:
6993 guix environment --ad-hoc --container guile -- guile
6997 The @code{--container} option requires Linux-libre 3.19 or newer.
7000 The available options are summarized below.
7003 @item --root=@var{file}
7004 @itemx -r @var{file}
7005 @cindex persistent environment
7006 @cindex garbage collector root, for environments
7007 Make @var{file} a symlink to the profile for this environment, and
7008 register it as a garbage collector root.
7010 This is useful if you want to protect your environment from garbage
7011 collection, to make it ``persistent''.
7013 When this option is omitted, the environment is protected from garbage
7014 collection only for the duration of the @command{guix environment}
7015 session. This means that next time you recreate the same environment,
7016 you could have to rebuild or re-download packages. @xref{Invoking guix
7017 gc}, for more on GC roots.
7019 @item --expression=@var{expr}
7020 @itemx -e @var{expr}
7021 Create an environment for the package or list of packages that
7022 @var{expr} evaluates to.
7024 For example, running:
7027 guix environment -e '(@@ (gnu packages maths) petsc-openmpi)'
7030 starts a shell with the environment for this specific variant of the
7036 guix environment --ad-hoc -e '(@@ (gnu) %base-packages)'
7039 starts a shell with all the GuixSD base packages available.
7041 The above commands only use the default output of the given packages.
7042 To select other outputs, two element tuples can be specified:
7045 guix environment --ad-hoc -e '(list (@ (gnu packages bash) bash) "include")'
7048 @item --load=@var{file}
7049 @itemx -l @var{file}
7050 Create an environment for the package or list of packages that the code
7051 within @var{file} evaluates to.
7053 As an example, @var{file} might contain a definition like this
7054 (@pxref{Defining Packages}):
7057 @verbatiminclude environment-gdb.scm
7061 Include all specified packages in the resulting environment, as if an
7062 @i{ad hoc} package were defined with them as inputs. This option is
7063 useful for quickly creating an environment without having to write a
7064 package expression to contain the desired inputs.
7066 For instance, the command:
7069 guix environment --ad-hoc guile guile-sdl -- guile
7072 runs @command{guile} in an environment where Guile and Guile-SDL are
7075 Note that this example implicitly asks for the default output of
7076 @code{guile} and @code{guile-sdl}, but it is possible to ask for a
7077 specific output---e.g., @code{glib:bin} asks for the @code{bin} output
7078 of @code{glib} (@pxref{Packages with Multiple Outputs}).
7080 This option may be composed with the default behavior of @command{guix
7081 environment}. Packages appearing before @code{--ad-hoc} are interpreted
7082 as packages whose dependencies will be added to the environment, the
7083 default behavior. Packages appearing after are interpreted as packages
7084 that will be added to the environment directly.
7087 Unset existing environment variables when building the new environment.
7088 This has the effect of creating an environment in which search paths
7089 only contain package inputs.
7091 @item --search-paths
7092 Display the environment variable definitions that make up the
7095 @item --system=@var{system}
7096 @itemx -s @var{system}
7097 Attempt to build for @var{system}---e.g., @code{i686-linux}.
7102 Run @var{command} within an isolated container. The current working
7103 directory outside the container is mapped inside the container.
7104 Additionally, a dummy home directory is created that matches the current
7105 user's home directory, and @file{/etc/passwd} is configured accordingly.
7106 The spawned process runs as the current user outside the container, but
7107 has root privileges in the context of the container.
7111 For containers, share the network namespace with the host system.
7112 Containers created without this flag only have access to the loopback
7115 @item --expose=@var{source}[=@var{target}]
7116 For containers, expose the file system @var{source} from the host system
7117 as the read-only file system @var{target} within the container. If
7118 @var{target} is not specified, @var{source} is used as the target mount
7119 point in the container.
7121 The example below spawns a Guile REPL in a container in which the user's
7122 home directory is accessible read-only via the @file{/exchange}
7126 guix environment --container --expose=$HOME=/exchange --ad-hoc guile -- guile
7129 @item --share=@var{source}[=@var{target}]
7130 For containers, share the file system @var{source} from the host system
7131 as the writable file system @var{target} within the container. If
7132 @var{target} is not specified, @var{source} is used as the target mount
7133 point in the container.
7135 The example below spawns a Guile REPL in a container in which the user's
7136 home directory is accessible for both reading and writing via the
7137 @file{/exchange} directory:
7140 guix environment --container --share=$HOME=/exchange --ad-hoc guile -- guile
7144 @command{guix environment}
7145 also supports all of the common build options that @command{guix
7146 build} supports (@pxref{Common Build Options}).
7149 @node Invoking guix publish
7150 @section Invoking @command{guix publish}
7152 @cindex @command{guix publish}
7153 The purpose of @command{guix publish} is to enable users to easily share
7154 their store with others, who can then use it as a substitute server
7155 (@pxref{Substitutes}).
7157 When @command{guix publish} runs, it spawns an HTTP server which allows
7158 anyone with network access to obtain substitutes from it. This means
7159 that any machine running Guix can also act as if it were a build farm,
7160 since the HTTP interface is compatible with Hydra, the software behind
7161 the @code{hydra.gnu.org} build farm.
7163 For security, each substitute is signed, allowing recipients to check
7164 their authenticity and integrity (@pxref{Substitutes}). Because
7165 @command{guix publish} uses the signing key of the system, which is only
7166 readable by the system administrator, it must be started as root; the
7167 @code{--user} option makes it drop root privileges early on.
7169 The signing key pair must be generated before @command{guix publish} is
7170 launched, using @command{guix archive --generate-key} (@pxref{Invoking
7173 The general syntax is:
7176 guix publish @var{options}@dots{}
7179 Running @command{guix publish} without any additional arguments will
7180 spawn an HTTP server on port 8080:
7186 Once a publishing server has been authorized (@pxref{Invoking guix
7187 archive}), the daemon may download substitutes from it:
7190 guix-daemon --substitute-urls=http://example.org:8080
7193 By default, @command{guix publish} compresses archives on the fly as it
7194 serves them. This ``on-the-fly'' mode is convenient in that it requires
7195 no setup and is immediately available. However, when serving lots of
7196 clients, we recommend using the @option{--cache} option, which enables
7197 caching of the archives before they are sent to clients---see below for
7198 details. The @command{guix weather} command provides a handy way to
7199 check what a server provides (@pxref{Invoking guix weather}).
7201 As a bonus, @command{guix publish} also serves as a content-addressed
7202 mirror for source files referenced in @code{origin} records
7203 (@pxref{origin Reference}). For instance, assuming @command{guix
7204 publish} is running on @code{example.org}, the following URL returns the
7205 raw @file{hello-2.10.tar.gz} file with the given SHA256 hash
7206 (represented in @code{nix-base32} format, @pxref{Invoking guix hash}):
7209 http://example.org/file/hello-2.10.tar.gz/sha256/0ssi1@dots{}ndq1i
7212 Obviously, these URLs only work for files that are in the store; in
7213 other cases, they return 404 (``Not Found'').
7215 The following options are available:
7218 @item --port=@var{port}
7219 @itemx -p @var{port}
7220 Listen for HTTP requests on @var{port}.
7222 @item --listen=@var{host}
7223 Listen on the network interface for @var{host}. The default is to
7224 accept connections from any interface.
7226 @item --user=@var{user}
7227 @itemx -u @var{user}
7228 Change privileges to @var{user} as soon as possible---i.e., once the
7229 server socket is open and the signing key has been read.
7231 @item --compression[=@var{level}]
7232 @itemx -C [@var{level}]
7233 Compress data using the given @var{level}. When @var{level} is zero,
7234 disable compression. The range 1 to 9 corresponds to different gzip
7235 compression levels: 1 is the fastest, and 9 is the best (CPU-intensive).
7238 Unless @option{--cache} is used, compression occurs on the fly and
7239 the compressed streams are not
7240 cached. Thus, to reduce load on the machine that runs @command{guix
7241 publish}, it may be a good idea to choose a low compression level, to
7242 run @command{guix publish} behind a caching proxy, or to use
7243 @option{--cache}. Using @option{--cache} has the advantage that it
7244 allows @command{guix publish} to add @code{Content-Length} HTTP header
7247 @item --cache=@var{directory}
7248 @itemx -c @var{directory}
7249 Cache archives and meta-data (@code{.narinfo} URLs) to @var{directory}
7250 and only serve archives that are in cache.
7252 When this option is omitted, archives and meta-data are created
7253 on-the-fly. This can reduce the available bandwidth, especially when
7254 compression is enabled, since this may become CPU-bound. Another
7255 drawback of the default mode is that the length of archives is not known
7256 in advance, so @command{guix publish} does not add a
7257 @code{Content-Length} HTTP header to its responses, which in turn
7258 prevents clients from knowing the amount of data being downloaded.
7260 Conversely, when @option{--cache} is used, the first request for a store
7261 item (@i{via} a @code{.narinfo} URL) returns 404 and triggers a
7262 background process to @dfn{bake} the archive---computing its
7263 @code{.narinfo} and compressing the archive, if needed. Once the
7264 archive is cached in @var{directory}, subsequent requests succeed and
7265 are served directly from the cache, which guarantees that clients get
7266 the best possible bandwidth.
7268 The ``baking'' process is performed by worker threads. By default, one
7269 thread per CPU core is created, but this can be customized. See
7270 @option{--workers} below.
7272 When @option{--ttl} is used, cached entries are automatically deleted
7273 when they have expired.
7275 @item --workers=@var{N}
7276 When @option{--cache} is used, request the allocation of @var{N} worker
7277 threads to ``bake'' archives.
7279 @item --ttl=@var{ttl}
7280 Produce @code{Cache-Control} HTTP headers that advertise a time-to-live
7281 (TTL) of @var{ttl}. @var{ttl} must denote a duration: @code{5d} means 5
7282 days, @code{1m} means 1 month, and so on.
7284 This allows the user's Guix to keep substitute information in cache for
7285 @var{ttl}. However, note that @code{guix publish} does not itself
7286 guarantee that the store items it provides will indeed remain available
7287 for as long as @var{ttl}.
7289 Additionally, when @option{--cache} is used, cached entries that have
7290 not been accessed for @var{ttl} and that no longer have a corresponding
7291 item in the store, may be deleted.
7293 @item --nar-path=@var{path}
7294 Use @var{path} as the prefix for the URLs of ``nar'' files
7295 (@pxref{Invoking guix archive, normalized archives}).
7297 By default, nars are served at a URL such as
7298 @code{/nar/gzip/@dots{}-coreutils-8.25}. This option allows you to
7299 change the @code{/nar} part to @var{path}.
7301 @item --public-key=@var{file}
7302 @itemx --private-key=@var{file}
7303 Use the specific @var{file}s as the public/private key pair used to sign
7304 the store items being published.
7306 The files must correspond to the same key pair (the private key is used
7307 for signing and the public key is merely advertised in the signature
7308 metadata). They must contain keys in the canonical s-expression format
7309 as produced by @command{guix archive --generate-key} (@pxref{Invoking
7310 guix archive}). By default, @file{/etc/guix/signing-key.pub} and
7311 @file{/etc/guix/signing-key.sec} are used.
7313 @item --repl[=@var{port}]
7314 @itemx -r [@var{port}]
7315 Spawn a Guile REPL server (@pxref{REPL Servers,,, guile, GNU Guile
7316 Reference Manual}) on @var{port} (37146 by default). This is used
7317 primarily for debugging a running @command{guix publish} server.
7320 Enabling @command{guix publish} on a GuixSD system is a one-liner: just
7321 instantiate a @code{guix-publish-service-type} service in the @code{services} field
7322 of the @code{operating-system} declaration (@pxref{guix-publish-service-type,
7323 @code{guix-publish-service-type}}).
7325 If you are instead running Guix on a ``foreign distro'', follow these
7330 If your host distro uses the systemd init system:
7333 # ln -s ~root/.guix-profile/lib/systemd/system/guix-publish.service \
7334 /etc/systemd/system/
7335 # systemctl start guix-publish && systemctl enable guix-publish
7339 If your host distro uses the Upstart init system:
7342 # ln -s ~root/.guix-profile/lib/upstart/system/guix-publish.conf /etc/init/
7343 # start guix-publish
7347 Otherwise, proceed similarly with your distro's init system.
7350 @node Invoking guix challenge
7351 @section Invoking @command{guix challenge}
7353 @cindex reproducible builds
7354 @cindex verifiable builds
7355 @cindex @command{guix challenge}
7357 Do the binaries provided by this server really correspond to the source
7358 code it claims to build? Is a package build process deterministic?
7359 These are the questions the @command{guix challenge} command attempts to
7362 The former is obviously an important question: Before using a substitute
7363 server (@pxref{Substitutes}), one had better @emph{verify} that it
7364 provides the right binaries, and thus @emph{challenge} it. The latter
7365 is what enables the former: If package builds are deterministic, then
7366 independent builds of the package should yield the exact same result,
7367 bit for bit; if a server provides a binary different from the one
7368 obtained locally, it may be either corrupt or malicious.
7370 We know that the hash that shows up in @file{/gnu/store} file names is
7371 the hash of all the inputs of the process that built the file or
7372 directory---compilers, libraries, build scripts,
7373 etc. (@pxref{Introduction}). Assuming deterministic build processes,
7374 one store file name should map to exactly one build output.
7375 @command{guix challenge} checks whether there is, indeed, a single
7376 mapping by comparing the build outputs of several independent builds of
7377 any given store item.
7379 The command output looks like this:
7382 $ guix challenge --substitute-urls="https://hydra.gnu.org https://guix.example.org"
7383 updating list of substitutes from 'https://hydra.gnu.org'... 100.0%
7384 updating list of substitutes from 'https://guix.example.org'... 100.0%
7385 /gnu/store/@dots{}-openssl-1.0.2d contents differ:
7386 local hash: 0725l22r5jnzazaacncwsvp9kgf42266ayyp814v7djxs7nk963q
7387 https://hydra.gnu.org/nar/@dots{}-openssl-1.0.2d: 0725l22r5jnzazaacncwsvp9kgf42266ayyp814v7djxs7nk963q
7388 https://guix.example.org/nar/@dots{}-openssl-1.0.2d: 1zy4fmaaqcnjrzzajkdn3f5gmjk754b43qkq47llbyak9z0qjyim
7389 /gnu/store/@dots{}-git-2.5.0 contents differ:
7390 local hash: 00p3bmryhjxrhpn2gxs2fy0a15lnip05l97205pgbk5ra395hyha
7391 https://hydra.gnu.org/nar/@dots{}-git-2.5.0: 069nb85bv4d4a6slrwjdy8v1cn4cwspm3kdbmyb81d6zckj3nq9f
7392 https://guix.example.org/nar/@dots{}-git-2.5.0: 0mdqa9w1p6cmli6976v4wi0sw9r4p5prkj7lzfd1877wk11c9c73
7393 /gnu/store/@dots{}-pius-2.1.1 contents differ:
7394 local hash: 0k4v3m9z1zp8xzzizb7d8kjj72f9172xv078sq4wl73vnq9ig3ax
7395 https://hydra.gnu.org/nar/@dots{}-pius-2.1.1: 0k4v3m9z1zp8xzzizb7d8kjj72f9172xv078sq4wl73vnq9ig3ax
7396 https://guix.example.org/nar/@dots{}-pius-2.1.1: 1cy25x1a4fzq5rk0pmvc8xhwyffnqz95h2bpvqsz2mpvlbccy0gs
7400 6,406 store items were analyzed:
7401 - 4,749 (74.1%) were identical
7402 - 525 (8.2%) differed
7403 - 1,132 (17.7%) were inconclusive
7407 In this example, @command{guix challenge} first scans the store to
7408 determine the set of locally-built derivations---as opposed to store
7409 items that were downloaded from a substitute server---and then queries
7410 all the substitute servers. It then reports those store items for which
7411 the servers obtained a result different from the local build.
7413 @cindex non-determinism, in package builds
7414 As an example, @code{guix.example.org} always gets a different answer.
7415 Conversely, @code{hydra.gnu.org} agrees with local builds, except in the
7416 case of Git. This might indicate that the build process of Git is
7417 non-deterministic, meaning that its output varies as a function of
7418 various things that Guix does not fully control, in spite of building
7419 packages in isolated environments (@pxref{Features}). Most common
7420 sources of non-determinism include the addition of timestamps in build
7421 results, the inclusion of random numbers, and directory listings sorted
7422 by inode number. See @uref{https://reproducible-builds.org/docs/}, for
7425 To find out what is wrong with this Git binary, we can do something along
7426 these lines (@pxref{Invoking guix archive}):
7429 $ wget -q -O - https://hydra.gnu.org/nar/@dots{}-git-2.5.0 \
7430 | guix archive -x /tmp/git
7431 $ diff -ur --no-dereference /gnu/store/@dots{}-git.2.5.0 /tmp/git
7434 This command shows the difference between the files resulting from the
7435 local build, and the files resulting from the build on
7436 @code{hydra.gnu.org} (@pxref{Overview, Comparing and Merging Files,,
7437 diffutils, Comparing and Merging Files}). The @command{diff} command
7438 works great for text files. When binary files differ, a better option
7439 is @uref{https://diffoscope.org/, Diffoscope}, a tool that helps
7440 visualize differences for all kinds of files.
7442 Once you have done that work, you can tell whether the differences are due
7443 to a non-deterministic build process or to a malicious server. We try
7444 hard to remove sources of non-determinism in packages to make it easier
7445 to verify substitutes, but of course, this is a process that
7446 involves not just Guix, but a large part of the free software community.
7447 In the meantime, @command{guix challenge} is one tool to help address
7450 If you are writing packages for Guix, you are encouraged to check
7451 whether @code{hydra.gnu.org} and other substitute servers obtain the
7452 same build result as you did with:
7455 $ guix challenge @var{package}
7459 where @var{package} is a package specification such as
7460 @code{guile@@2.0} or @code{glibc:debug}.
7462 The general syntax is:
7465 guix challenge @var{options} [@var{packages}@dots{}]
7468 When a difference is found between the hash of a locally-built item and
7469 that of a server-provided substitute, or among substitutes provided by
7470 different servers, the command displays it as in the example above and
7471 its exit code is 2 (other non-zero exit codes denote other kinds of
7474 The one option that matters is:
7478 @item --substitute-urls=@var{urls}
7479 Consider @var{urls} the whitespace-separated list of substitute source
7484 Show details about matches (identical contents) in addition to
7485 information about mismatches.
7489 @node Invoking guix copy
7490 @section Invoking @command{guix copy}
7492 @cindex copy, of store items, over SSH
7493 @cindex SSH, copy of store items
7494 @cindex sharing store items across machines
7495 @cindex transferring store items across machines
7496 The @command{guix copy} command copies items from the store of one
7497 machine to that of another machine over a secure shell (SSH)
7498 connection@footnote{This command is available only when Guile-SSH was
7499 found. @xref{Requirements}, for details.}. For example, the following
7500 command copies the @code{coreutils} package, the user's profile, and all
7501 their dependencies over to @var{host}, logged in as @var{user}:
7504 guix copy --to=@var{user}@@@var{host} \
7505 coreutils `readlink -f ~/.guix-profile`
7508 If some of the items to be copied are already present on @var{host},
7509 they are not actually sent.
7511 The command below retrieves @code{libreoffice} and @code{gimp} from
7512 @var{host}, assuming they are available there:
7515 guix copy --from=@var{host} libreoffice gimp
7518 The SSH connection is established using the Guile-SSH client, which is
7519 compatible with OpenSSH: it honors @file{~/.ssh/known_hosts} and
7520 @file{~/.ssh/config}, and uses the SSH agent for authentication.
7522 The key used to sign items that are sent must be accepted by the remote
7523 machine. Likewise, the key used by the remote machine to sign items you
7524 are retrieving must be in @file{/etc/guix/acl} so it is accepted by your
7525 own daemon. @xref{Invoking guix archive}, for more information about
7526 store item authentication.
7528 The general syntax is:
7531 guix copy [--to=@var{spec}|--from=@var{spec}] @var{items}@dots{}
7534 You must always specify one of the following options:
7537 @item --to=@var{spec}
7538 @itemx --from=@var{spec}
7539 Specify the host to send to or receive from. @var{spec} must be an SSH
7540 spec such as @code{example.org}, @code{charlie@@example.org}, or
7541 @code{charlie@@example.org:2222}.
7544 The @var{items} can be either package names, such as @code{gimp}, or
7545 store items, such as @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-idutils-4.6}.
7547 When specifying the name of a package to send, it is first built if
7548 needed, unless @option{--dry-run} was specified. Common build options
7549 are supported (@pxref{Common Build Options}).
7552 @node Invoking guix container
7553 @section Invoking @command{guix container}
7555 @cindex @command{guix container}
7557 As of version @value{VERSION}, this tool is experimental. The interface
7558 is subject to radical change in the future.
7561 The purpose of @command{guix container} is to manipulate processes
7562 running within an isolated environment, commonly known as a
7563 ``container'', typically created by the @command{guix environment}
7564 (@pxref{Invoking guix environment}) and @command{guix system container}
7565 (@pxref{Invoking guix system}) commands.
7567 The general syntax is:
7570 guix container @var{action} @var{options}@dots{}
7573 @var{action} specifies the operation to perform with a container, and
7574 @var{options} specifies the context-specific arguments for the action.
7576 The following actions are available:
7580 Execute a command within the context of a running container.
7585 guix container exec @var{pid} @var{program} @var{arguments}@dots{}
7588 @var{pid} specifies the process ID of the running container.
7589 @var{program} specifies an executable file name within the root file
7590 system of the container. @var{arguments} are the additional options that
7591 will be passed to @var{program}.
7593 The following command launches an interactive login shell inside a
7594 GuixSD container, started by @command{guix system container}, and whose
7598 guix container exec 9001 /run/current-system/profile/bin/bash --login
7601 Note that the @var{pid} cannot be the parent process of a container. It
7602 must be PID 1 of the container or one of its child processes.
7606 @node Invoking guix weather
7607 @section Invoking @command{guix weather}
7609 Occasionally you're grumpy because substitutes are lacking and you end
7610 up building packages by yourself (@pxref{Substitutes}). The
7611 @command{guix weather} command reports on substitute availability on the
7612 specified servers so you can have an idea of whether you'll be grumpy
7613 today. It can sometimes be useful info as a user, but it is primarily
7614 useful to people running @command{guix publish} (@pxref{Invoking guix
7617 @cindex statistics, for substitutes
7618 @cindex availability of substitutes
7619 @cindex substitute availability
7620 @cindex weather, substitute availability
7621 Here's a sample run:
7624 $ guix weather --substitute-urls=https://guix.example.org
7625 computing 5,872 package derivations for x86_64-linux...
7626 looking for 6,128 store items on https://guix.example.org..
7627 updating list of substitutes from 'https://guix.example.org'... 100.0%
7628 https://guix.example.org
7629 43.4% substitutes available (2,658 out of 6,128)
7630 7,032.5 MiB of nars (compressed)
7631 19,824.2 MiB on disk (uncompressed)
7632 0.030 seconds per request (182.9 seconds in total)
7633 33.5 requests per second
7636 As you can see, it reports the fraction of all the packages for which
7637 substitutes are available on the server---regardless of whether
7638 substitutes are enabled, and regardless of whether this server's signing
7639 key is authorized. It also reports the size of the compressed archives
7640 (``nars'') provided by the server, the size the corresponding store
7641 items occupy in the store (assuming deduplication is turned off), and
7642 the server's throughput.
7644 To achieve that, @command{guix weather} queries over HTTP(S) meta-data
7645 (@dfn{narinfos}) for all the relevant store items. Like @command{guix
7646 challenge}, it ignores signatures on those substitutes, which is
7647 innocuous since the command only gathers statistics and cannot install
7650 Among other things, it is possible to query specific system types and
7651 specific package sets. The available options are listed below.
7654 @item --substitute-urls=@var{urls}
7655 @var{urls} is the space-separated list of substitute server URLs to
7656 query. When this option is omitted, the default set of substitute
7659 @item --system=@var{system}
7660 @itemx -s @var{system}
7661 Query substitutes for @var{system}---e.g., @code{aarch64-linux}. This
7662 option can be repeated, in which case @command{guix weather} will query
7663 substitutes for several system types.
7665 @item --manifest=@var{file}
7666 Instead of querying substitutes for all the packages, only ask for those
7667 specified in @var{file}. @var{file} must contain a @dfn{manifest}, as
7668 with the @code{-m} option of @command{guix package} (@pxref{Invoking
7673 @c *********************************************************************
7674 @node GNU Distribution
7675 @chapter GNU Distribution
7677 @cindex Guix System Distribution
7679 Guix comes with a distribution of the GNU system consisting entirely of
7680 free software@footnote{The term ``free'' here refers to the
7681 @url{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html,freedom provided to
7682 users of that software}.}. The
7683 distribution can be installed on its own (@pxref{System Installation}),
7684 but it is also possible to install Guix as a package manager on top of
7685 an installed GNU/Linux system (@pxref{Installation}). To distinguish
7686 between the two, we refer to the standalone distribution as the Guix
7687 System Distribution, or GuixSD.
7689 The distribution provides core GNU packages such as GNU libc, GCC, and
7690 Binutils, as well as many GNU and non-GNU applications. The complete
7691 list of available packages can be browsed
7692 @url{http://www.gnu.org/software/guix/packages,on-line} or by
7693 running @command{guix package} (@pxref{Invoking guix package}):
7696 guix package --list-available
7699 Our goal is to provide a practical 100% free software distribution of
7700 Linux-based and other variants of GNU, with a focus on the promotion and
7701 tight integration of GNU components, and an emphasis on programs and
7702 tools that help users exert that freedom.
7704 Packages are currently available on the following platforms:
7709 Intel/AMD @code{x86_64} architecture, Linux-Libre kernel;
7712 Intel 32-bit architecture (IA32), Linux-Libre kernel;
7715 ARMv7-A architecture with hard float, Thumb-2 and NEON,
7716 using the EABI hard-float application binary interface (ABI),
7717 and Linux-Libre kernel.
7720 little-endian 64-bit ARMv8-A processors, Linux-Libre kernel. This is
7721 currently in an experimental stage, with limited support.
7722 @xref{Contributing}, for how to help!
7724 @item mips64el-linux
7725 little-endian 64-bit MIPS processors, specifically the Loongson series,
7726 n32 ABI, and Linux-Libre kernel.
7730 GuixSD itself is currently only available on @code{i686} and @code{x86_64}.
7733 For information on porting to other architectures or kernels,
7737 * System Installation:: Installing the whole operating system.
7738 * System Configuration:: Configuring the operating system.
7739 * Documentation:: Browsing software user manuals.
7740 * Installing Debugging Files:: Feeding the debugger.
7741 * Security Updates:: Deploying security fixes quickly.
7742 * Package Modules:: Packages from the programmer's viewpoint.
7743 * Packaging Guidelines:: Growing the distribution.
7744 * Bootstrapping:: GNU/Linux built from scratch.
7745 * Porting:: Targeting another platform or kernel.
7748 Building this distribution is a cooperative effort, and you are invited
7749 to join! @xref{Contributing}, for information about how you can help.
7751 @node System Installation
7752 @section System Installation
7754 @cindex installing GuixSD
7755 @cindex Guix System Distribution
7756 This section explains how to install the Guix System Distribution (GuixSD)
7757 on a machine. The Guix package manager can
7758 also be installed on top of a running GNU/Linux system,
7759 @pxref{Installation}.
7763 @c This paragraph is for people reading this from tty2 of the
7764 @c installation image.
7765 You are reading this documentation with an Info reader. For details on
7766 how to use it, hit the @key{RET} key (``return'' or ``enter'') on the
7767 link that follows: @pxref{Top, Info reader,, info-stnd, Stand-alone GNU
7768 Info}. Hit @kbd{l} afterwards to come back here.
7770 Alternately, run @command{info info} in another tty to keep the manual
7776 * Limitations:: What you can expect.
7777 * Hardware Considerations:: Supported hardware.
7778 * USB Stick and DVD Installation:: Preparing the installation medium.
7779 * Preparing for Installation:: Networking, partitioning, etc.
7780 * Proceeding with the Installation:: The real thing.
7781 * Installing GuixSD in a VM:: GuixSD playground.
7782 * Building the Installation Image:: How this comes to be.
7786 @subsection Limitations
7788 As of version @value{VERSION}, the Guix System Distribution (GuixSD) is
7789 not production-ready. It may contain bugs and lack important
7790 features. Thus, if you are looking for a stable production system that
7791 respects your freedom as a computer user, a good solution at this point
7792 is to consider @url{http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-distros.html, one of
7793 the more established GNU/Linux distributions}. We hope you can soon switch
7794 to the GuixSD without fear, of course. In the meantime, you can
7795 also keep using your distribution and try out the package manager on top
7796 of it (@pxref{Installation}).
7798 Before you proceed with the installation, be aware of the following
7799 noteworthy limitations applicable to version @value{VERSION}:
7803 The installation process does not include a graphical user interface and
7804 requires familiarity with GNU/Linux (see the following subsections to
7805 get a feel of what that means.)
7808 Support for the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) is missing.
7811 More and more system services are provided (@pxref{Services}), but some
7815 More than 6,500 packages are available, but you might
7816 occasionally find that a useful package is missing.
7819 GNOME, Xfce, LXDE, and Enlightenment are available (@pxref{Desktop Services}),
7820 as well as a number of X11 window managers. However, some graphical
7821 applications may be missing, as well as KDE.
7824 You have been warned! But more than a disclaimer, this is an invitation
7825 to report issues (and success stories!), and to join us in improving it.
7826 @xref{Contributing}, for more info.
7829 @node Hardware Considerations
7830 @subsection Hardware Considerations
7832 @cindex hardware support on GuixSD
7833 GNU@tie{}GuixSD focuses on respecting the user's computing freedom. It
7834 builds around the kernel Linux-libre, which means that only hardware for
7835 which free software drivers and firmware exist is supported. Nowadays,
7836 a wide range of off-the-shelf hardware is supported on
7837 GNU/Linux-libre---from keyboards to graphics cards to scanners and
7838 Ethernet controllers. Unfortunately, there are still areas where
7839 hardware vendors deny users control over their own computing, and such
7840 hardware is not supported on GuixSD.
7842 @cindex WiFi, hardware support
7843 One of the main areas where free drivers or firmware are lacking is WiFi
7844 devices. WiFi devices known to work include those using Atheros chips
7845 (AR9271 and AR7010), which corresponds to the @code{ath9k} Linux-libre
7846 driver, and those using Broadcom/AirForce chips (BCM43xx with
7847 Wireless-Core Revision 5), which corresponds to the @code{b43-open}
7848 Linux-libre driver. Free firmware exists for both and is available
7849 out-of-the-box on GuixSD, as part of @var{%base-firmware}
7850 (@pxref{operating-system Reference, @code{firmware}}).
7852 @cindex RYF, Respects Your Freedom
7853 The @uref{https://www.fsf.org/, Free Software Foundation} runs
7854 @uref{https://www.fsf.org/ryf, @dfn{Respects Your Freedom}} (RYF), a
7855 certification program for hardware products that respect your freedom
7856 and your privacy and ensure that you have control over your device. We
7857 encourage you to check the list of RYF-certified devices.
7859 Another useful resource is the @uref{https://www.h-node.org/, H-Node}
7860 web site. It contains a catalog of hardware devices with information
7861 about their support in GNU/Linux.
7864 @node USB Stick and DVD Installation
7865 @subsection USB Stick and DVD Installation
7867 An ISO-9660 installation image that can be written to a USB stick or
7868 burnt to a DVD can be downloaded from
7869 @indicateurl{ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/guix/guixsd-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz},
7870 where @var{system} is one of:
7874 for a GNU/Linux system on Intel/AMD-compatible 64-bit CPUs;
7877 for a 32-bit GNU/Linux system on Intel-compatible CPUs.
7880 @c start duplication of authentication part from ``Binary Installation''
7881 Make sure to download the associated @file{.sig} file and to verify the
7882 authenticity of the image against it, along these lines:
7885 $ wget ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/guix/guixsd-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz.sig
7886 $ gpg --verify guixsd-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz.sig
7889 If that command fails because you do not have the required public key,
7890 then run this command to import it:
7893 $ gpg --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --recv-keys @value{OPENPGP-SIGNING-KEY-ID}
7897 and rerun the @code{gpg --verify} command.
7900 This image contains the tools necessary for an installation.
7901 It is meant to be copied @emph{as is} to a large-enough USB stick or DVD.
7903 @unnumberedsubsubsec Copying to a USB Stick
7905 To copy the image to a USB stick, follow these steps:
7909 Decompress the image using the @command{xz} command:
7912 xz -d guixsd-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz
7916 Insert a USB stick of 1@tie{}GiB or more into your machine, and determine
7917 its device name. Assuming that the USB stick is known as @file{/dev/sdX},
7918 copy the image with:
7921 dd if=guixsd-install-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.iso of=/dev/sdX
7925 Access to @file{/dev/sdX} usually requires root privileges.
7928 @unnumberedsubsubsec Burning on a DVD
7930 To copy the image to a DVD, follow these steps:
7934 Decompress the image using the @command{xz} command:
7937 xz -d guixsd-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz
7941 Insert a blank DVD into your machine, and determine
7942 its device name. Assuming that the DVD drive is known as @file{/dev/srX},
7943 copy the image with:
7946 growisofs -dvd-compat -Z /dev/srX=guixsd-install-@value{VERSION}.x86_64.iso
7949 Access to @file{/dev/srX} usually requires root privileges.
7952 @unnumberedsubsubsec Booting
7954 Once this is done, you should be able to reboot the system and boot from
7955 the USB stick or DVD. The latter usually requires you to get in the
7956 BIOS or UEFI boot menu, where you can choose to boot from the USB stick.
7958 @xref{Installing GuixSD in a VM}, if, instead, you would like to install
7959 GuixSD in a virtual machine (VM).
7962 @node Preparing for Installation
7963 @subsection Preparing for Installation
7965 Once you have successfully booted your computer using the installation medium,
7966 you should end up with a root prompt. Several console TTYs are configured
7967 and can be used to run commands as root. TTY2 shows this documentation,
7968 browsable using the Info reader commands (@pxref{Top,,, info-stnd,
7969 Stand-alone GNU Info}). The installation system runs the GPM mouse
7970 daemon, which allows you to select text with the left mouse button and
7971 to paste it with the middle button.
7974 Installation requires access to the Internet so that any missing
7975 dependencies of your system configuration can be downloaded. See the
7976 ``Networking'' section below.
7979 The installation system includes many common tools needed for this task.
7980 But it is also a full-blown GuixSD system, which means that you can
7981 install additional packages, should you need it, using @command{guix
7982 package} (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).
7984 @subsubsection Keyboard Layout
7986 @cindex keyboard layout
7987 The installation image uses the US qwerty keyboard layout. If you want
7988 to change it, you can use the @command{loadkeys} command. For example,
7989 the following command selects the Dvorak keyboard layout:
7995 See the files under @file{/run/current-system/profile/share/keymaps} for
7996 a list of available keyboard layouts. Run @command{man loadkeys} for
7999 @subsubsection Networking
8001 Run the following command see what your network interfaces are called:
8008 @dots{} or, using the GNU/Linux-specific @command{ip} command:
8014 @c http://cgit.freedesktop.org/systemd/systemd/tree/src/udev/udev-builtin-net_id.c#n20
8015 Wired interfaces have a name starting with @samp{e}; for example, the
8016 interface corresponding to the first on-board Ethernet controller is
8017 called @samp{eno1}. Wireless interfaces have a name starting with
8018 @samp{w}, like @samp{w1p2s0}.
8021 @item Wired connection
8022 To configure a wired network run the following command, substituting
8023 @var{interface} with the name of the wired interface you want to use.
8026 ifconfig @var{interface} up
8029 @item Wireless connection
8032 To configure wireless networking, you can create a configuration file
8033 for the @command{wpa_supplicant} configuration tool (its location is not
8034 important) using one of the available text editors such as
8038 zile wpa_supplicant.conf
8041 As an example, the following stanza can go to this file and will work
8042 for many wireless networks, provided you give the actual SSID and
8043 passphrase for the network you are connecting to:
8047 ssid="@var{my-ssid}"
8049 psk="the network's secret passphrase"
8053 Start the wireless service and run it in the background with the
8054 following command (substitute @var{interface} with the name of the
8055 network interface you want to use):
8058 wpa_supplicant -c wpa_supplicant.conf -i @var{interface} -B
8061 Run @command{man wpa_supplicant} for more information.
8065 At this point, you need to acquire an IP address. On a network where IP
8066 addresses are automatically assigned @i{via} DHCP, you can run:
8069 dhclient -v @var{interface}
8072 Try to ping a server to see if networking is up and running:
8078 Setting up network access is almost always a requirement because the
8079 image does not contain all the software and tools that may be needed.
8081 @cindex installing over SSH
8082 If you want to, you can continue the installation remotely by starting
8086 herd start ssh-daemon
8089 Make sure to either set a password with @command{passwd}, or configure
8090 OpenSSH public key authentication before logging in.
8092 @subsubsection Disk Partitioning
8094 Unless this has already been done, the next step is to partition, and
8095 then format the target partition(s).
8097 The installation image includes several partitioning tools, including
8098 Parted (@pxref{Overview,,, parted, GNU Parted User Manual}),
8099 @command{fdisk}, and @command{cfdisk}. Run it and set up your disk with
8100 the partition layout you want:
8106 If your disk uses the GUID Partition Table (GPT) format and you plan to
8107 install BIOS-based GRUB (which is the default), make sure a BIOS Boot
8108 Partition is available (@pxref{BIOS installation,,, grub, GNU GRUB
8111 @cindex EFI, installation
8112 @cindex UEFI, installation
8113 @cindex ESP, EFI system partition
8114 If you instead wish to use EFI-based GRUB, a FAT32 @dfn{EFI System Partition}
8115 (ESP) is required. This partition should be mounted at @file{/boot/efi} and
8116 must have the @code{esp} flag set. E.g., for @command{parted}:
8119 parted /dev/sda set 1 esp on
8122 Once you are done partitioning the target hard disk drive, you have to
8123 create a file system on the relevant partition(s)@footnote{Currently
8124 GuixSD only supports ext4 and btrfs file systems. In particular, code
8125 that reads partition UUIDs and labels only works for these file system
8126 types.}. For the ESP, if you have one and assuming it is
8127 @file{/dev/sda2}, run:
8130 mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sda2
8133 Preferably, assign file systems a label so that you can easily and
8134 reliably refer to them in @code{file-system} declarations (@pxref{File
8135 Systems}). This is typically done using the @code{-L} option of
8136 @command{mkfs.ext4} and related commands. So, assuming the target root
8137 partition lives at @file{/dev/sda1}, a file system with the label
8138 @code{my-root} can be created with:
8141 mkfs.ext4 -L my-root /dev/sda1
8144 @cindex encrypted disk
8145 If you are instead planning to encrypt the root partition, you can use
8146 the Cryptsetup/LUKS utilities to do that (see @inlinefmtifelse{html,
8147 @uref{https://linux.die.net/man/8/cryptsetup, @code{man cryptsetup}},
8148 @code{man cryptsetup}} for more information.) Assuming you want to
8149 store the root partition on @file{/dev/sda1}, the command sequence would
8150 be along these lines:
8153 cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/sda1
8154 cryptsetup open --type luks /dev/sda1 my-partition
8155 mkfs.ext4 -L my-root /dev/mapper/my-partition
8158 Once that is done, mount the target file system under @file{/mnt}
8159 with a command like (again, assuming @code{my-root} is the label of the
8163 mount LABEL=my-root /mnt
8166 Also mount any other partitions you would like to use on the target
8167 system relative to this path. If you have @file{/boot} on a separate
8168 partition for example, mount it at @file{/mnt/boot} now so it is found
8169 by @code{guix system init} afterwards.
8171 Finally, if you plan to use one or more swap partitions (@pxref{Memory
8172 Concepts, swap space,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}), make
8173 sure to initialize them with @command{mkswap}. Assuming you have one
8174 swap partition on @file{/dev/sda2}, you would run:
8181 Alternatively, you may use a swap file. For example, assuming that in
8182 the new system you want to use the file @file{/swapfile} as a swap file,
8183 you would run@footnote{This example will work for many types of file
8184 systems (e.g., ext4). However, for copy-on-write file systems (e.g.,
8185 btrfs), the required steps may be different. For details, see the
8186 manual pages for @command{mkswap} and @command{swapon}.}:
8189 # This is 10 GiB of swap space. Adjust "count" to change the size.
8190 dd if=/dev/zero of=/mnt/swapfile bs=1MiB count=10240
8191 # For security, make the file readable and writable only by root.
8192 chmod 600 /mnt/swapfile
8193 mkswap /mnt/swapfile
8194 swapon /mnt/swapfile
8197 Note that if you have encrypted the root partition and created a swap
8198 file in its file system as described above, then the encryption also
8199 protects the swap file, just like any other file in that file system.
8201 @node Proceeding with the Installation
8202 @subsection Proceeding with the Installation
8204 With the target partitions ready and the target root mounted on
8205 @file{/mnt}, we're ready to go. First, run:
8208 herd start cow-store /mnt
8211 This makes @file{/gnu/store} copy-on-write, such that packages added to it
8212 during the installation phase are written to the target disk on @file{/mnt}
8213 rather than kept in memory. This is necessary because the first phase of
8214 the @command{guix system init} command (see below) entails downloads or
8215 builds to @file{/gnu/store} which, initially, is an in-memory file system.
8217 Next, you have to edit a file and
8218 provide the declaration of the operating system to be installed. To
8219 that end, the installation system comes with three text editors: GNU nano
8220 (@pxref{Top,,, nano, GNU nano Manual}), GNU Zile (an Emacs clone), and
8221 nvi (a clone of the original BSD @command{vi} editor).
8222 We strongly recommend storing that file on the target root file system, say,
8223 as @file{/mnt/etc/config.scm}. Failing to do that, you will have lost your
8224 configuration file once you have rebooted into the newly-installed system.
8226 @xref{Using the Configuration System}, for an overview of the
8227 configuration file. The example configurations discussed in that
8228 section are available under @file{/etc/configuration} in the
8229 installation image. Thus, to get started with a system configuration
8230 providing a graphical display server (a ``desktop'' system), you can run
8231 something along these lines:
8235 # cp /etc/configuration/desktop.scm /mnt/etc/config.scm
8236 # zile /mnt/etc/config.scm
8239 You should pay attention to what your configuration file contains, and
8244 Make sure the @code{grub-configuration} form refers to the target you
8245 want to install GRUB on. It should mention @code{grub-bootloader} if
8246 you are installing GRUB in the legacy way, or @code{grub-efi-bootloader}
8247 for newer UEFI systems. For legacy systems, the @code{target} field
8248 names a device, like @code{/dev/sda}; for UEFI systems it names a path
8249 to a mounted EFI partition, like @code{/boot/efi}, and do make sure the
8250 path is actually mounted.
8253 Be sure that your partition labels match the value of their respective
8254 @code{device} fields in your @code{file-system} configuration, assuming
8255 your @code{file-system} configuration sets the value of @code{title} to
8259 If there are encrypted or RAID partitions, make sure to add a
8260 @code{mapped-devices} field to describe them (@pxref{Mapped Devices}).
8263 Once you are done preparing the configuration file, the new system must
8264 be initialized (remember that the target root file system is mounted
8268 guix system init /mnt/etc/config.scm /mnt
8272 This copies all the necessary files and installs GRUB on
8273 @file{/dev/sdX}, unless you pass the @option{--no-bootloader} option. For
8274 more information, @pxref{Invoking guix system}. This command may trigger
8275 downloads or builds of missing packages, which can take some time.
8277 Once that command has completed---and hopefully succeeded!---you can run
8278 @command{reboot} and boot into the new system. The @code{root} password
8279 in the new system is initially empty; other users' passwords need to be
8280 initialized by running the @command{passwd} command as @code{root},
8281 unless your configuration specifies otherwise
8282 (@pxref{user-account-password, user account passwords}).
8284 @cindex upgrading GuixSD
8285 From then on, you can update GuixSD whenever you want by running
8286 @command{guix pull} as @code{root} (@pxref{Invoking guix pull}), and
8287 then running @command{guix system reconfigure} to build a new system
8288 generation with the latest packages and services (@pxref{Invoking guix
8289 system}). We recommend doing that regularly so that your system
8290 includes the latest security updates (@pxref{Security Updates}).
8292 Join us on @code{#guix} on the Freenode IRC network or on
8293 @file{guix-devel@@gnu.org} to share your experience---good or not so
8296 @node Installing GuixSD in a VM
8297 @subsection Installing GuixSD in a Virtual Machine
8299 @cindex virtual machine, GuixSD installation
8300 @cindex virtual private server (VPS)
8301 @cindex VPS (virtual private server)
8302 If you'd like to install GuixSD in a virtual machine (VM) or on a
8303 virtual private server (VPS) rather than on your beloved machine, this
8306 To boot a @uref{http://qemu.org/,QEMU} VM for installing GuixSD in a
8307 disk image, follow these steps:
8311 First, retrieve and decompress the GuixSD installation image as
8312 described previously (@pxref{USB Stick and DVD Installation}).
8315 Create a disk image that will hold the installed system. To make a
8316 qcow2-formatted disk image, use the @command{qemu-img} command:
8319 qemu-img create -f qcow2 guixsd.img 50G
8322 The resulting file will be much smaller than 50 GB (typically less than
8323 1 MB), but it will grow as the virtualized storage device is filled up.
8326 Boot the USB installation image in an VM:
8329 qemu-system-x86_64 -m 1024 -smp 1 \
8330 -net user -net nic,model=virtio -boot menu=on \
8331 -drive file=guixsd-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso \
8332 -drive file=guixsd.img
8335 The ordering of the drives matters.
8337 In the VM console, quickly press the @kbd{F12} key to enter the boot
8338 menu. Then press the @kbd{2} key and the @kbd{RET} key to validate your
8342 You're now root in the VM, proceed with the installation process.
8343 @xref{Preparing for Installation}, and follow the instructions.
8346 Once installation is complete, you can boot the system that's on your
8347 @file{guixsd.img} image. @xref{Running GuixSD in a VM}, for how to do
8350 @node Building the Installation Image
8351 @subsection Building the Installation Image
8353 @cindex installation image
8354 The installation image described above was built using the @command{guix
8355 system} command, specifically:
8358 guix system disk-image gnu/system/install.scm
8361 Have a look at @file{gnu/system/install.scm} in the source tree,
8362 and see also @ref{Invoking guix system} for more information
8363 about the installation image.
8365 @node System Configuration
8366 @section System Configuration
8368 @cindex system configuration
8369 The Guix System Distribution supports a consistent whole-system configuration
8370 mechanism. By that we mean that all aspects of the global system
8371 configuration---such as the available system services, timezone and
8372 locale settings, user accounts---are declared in a single place. Such
8373 a @dfn{system configuration} can be @dfn{instantiated}---i.e., effected.
8375 One of the advantages of putting all the system configuration under the
8376 control of Guix is that it supports transactional system upgrades, and
8377 makes it possible to roll back to a previous system instantiation,
8378 should something go wrong with the new one (@pxref{Features}). Another
8379 advantage is that it makes it easy to replicate the exact same configuration
8380 across different machines, or at different points in time, without
8381 having to resort to additional administration tools layered on top of
8382 the own tools of the system.
8383 @c Yes, we're talking of Puppet, Chef, & co. here. ↑
8385 This section describes this mechanism. First we focus on the system
8386 administrator's viewpoint---explaining how the system is configured and
8387 instantiated. Then we show how this mechanism can be extended, for
8388 instance to support new system services.
8391 * Using the Configuration System:: Customizing your GNU system.
8392 * operating-system Reference:: Detail of operating-system declarations.
8393 * File Systems:: Configuring file system mounts.
8394 * Mapped Devices:: Block device extra processing.
8395 * User Accounts:: Specifying user accounts.
8396 * Locales:: Language and cultural convention settings.
8397 * Services:: Specifying system services.
8398 * Setuid Programs:: Programs running with root privileges.
8399 * X.509 Certificates:: Authenticating HTTPS servers.
8400 * Name Service Switch:: Configuring libc's name service switch.
8401 * Initial RAM Disk:: Linux-Libre bootstrapping.
8402 * Bootloader Configuration:: Configuring the boot loader.
8403 * Invoking guix system:: Instantiating a system configuration.
8404 * Running GuixSD in a VM:: How to run GuixSD in a virtual machine.
8405 * Defining Services:: Adding new service definitions.
8408 @node Using the Configuration System
8409 @subsection Using the Configuration System
8411 The operating system is configured by providing an
8412 @code{operating-system} declaration in a file that can then be passed to
8413 the @command{guix system} command (@pxref{Invoking guix system}). A
8414 simple setup, with the default system services, the default Linux-Libre
8415 kernel, initial RAM disk, and boot loader looks like this:
8417 @findex operating-system
8419 @include os-config-bare-bones.texi
8422 This example should be self-describing. Some of the fields defined
8423 above, such as @code{host-name} and @code{bootloader}, are mandatory.
8424 Others, such as @code{packages} and @code{services}, can be omitted, in
8425 which case they get a default value.
8427 Below we discuss the effect of some of the most important fields
8428 (@pxref{operating-system Reference}, for details about all the available
8429 fields), and how to @dfn{instantiate} the operating system using
8430 @command{guix system}.
8432 @unnumberedsubsubsec Globally-Visible Packages
8434 @vindex %base-packages
8435 The @code{packages} field lists packages that will be globally visible
8436 on the system, for all user accounts---i.e., in every user's @code{PATH}
8437 environment variable---in addition to the per-user profiles
8438 (@pxref{Invoking guix package}). The @var{%base-packages} variable
8439 provides all the tools one would expect for basic user and administrator
8440 tasks---including the GNU Core Utilities, the GNU Networking Utilities,
8441 the GNU Zile lightweight text editor, @command{find}, @command{grep},
8442 etc. The example above adds GNU@tie{}Screen and OpenSSH to those,
8443 taken from the @code{(gnu packages screen)} and @code{(gnu packages ssh)}
8444 modules (@pxref{Package Modules}). The
8445 @code{(list package output)} syntax can be used to add a specific output
8449 (use-modules (gnu packages))
8450 (use-modules (gnu packages dns))
8454 (packages (cons (list bind "utils")
8458 @findex specification->package
8459 Referring to packages by variable name, like @var{tcpdump} above, has
8460 the advantage of being unambiguous; it also allows typos and such to be
8461 diagnosed right away as ``unbound variables''. The downside is that one
8462 needs to know which module defines which package, and to augment the
8463 @code{use-package-modules} line accordingly. To avoid that, one can use
8464 the @code{specification->package} procedure of the @code{(gnu packages)}
8465 module, which returns the best package for a given name or name and
8469 (use-modules (gnu packages))
8473 (packages (append (map specification->package
8474 '("tcpdump" "htop" "gnupg@@2.0"))
8478 @unnumberedsubsubsec System Services
8481 @vindex %base-services
8482 The @code{services} field lists @dfn{system services} to be made
8483 available when the system starts (@pxref{Services}).
8484 The @code{operating-system} declaration above specifies that, in
8485 addition to the basic services, we want the @command{lshd} secure shell
8486 daemon listening on port 2222 (@pxref{Networking Services,
8487 @code{lsh-service}}). Under the hood,
8488 @code{lsh-service} arranges so that @code{lshd} is started with the
8489 right command-line options, possibly with supporting configuration files
8490 generated as needed (@pxref{Defining Services}).
8492 @cindex customization, of services
8493 @findex modify-services
8494 Occasionally, instead of using the base services as is, you will want to
8495 customize them. To do this, use @code{modify-services} (@pxref{Service
8496 Reference, @code{modify-services}}) to modify the list.
8498 For example, suppose you want to modify @code{guix-daemon} and Mingetty
8499 (the console log-in) in the @var{%base-services} list (@pxref{Base
8500 Services, @code{%base-services}}). To do that, you can write the
8501 following in your operating system declaration:
8504 (define %my-services
8505 ;; My very own list of services.
8506 (modify-services %base-services
8507 (guix-service-type config =>
8510 (use-substitutes? #f)
8511 (extra-options '("--gc-keep-derivations"))))
8512 (mingetty-service-type config =>
8513 (mingetty-configuration
8514 (inherit config)))))
8518 (services %my-services))
8521 This changes the configuration---i.e., the service parameters---of the
8522 @code{guix-service-type} instance, and that of all the
8523 @code{mingetty-service-type} instances in the @var{%base-services} list.
8524 Observe how this is accomplished: first, we arrange for the original
8525 configuration to be bound to the identifier @code{config} in the
8526 @var{body}, and then we write the @var{body} so that it evaluates to the
8527 desired configuration. In particular, notice how we use @code{inherit}
8528 to create a new configuration which has the same values as the old
8529 configuration, but with a few modifications.
8531 @cindex encrypted disk
8532 The configuration for a typical ``desktop'' usage, with an encrypted
8533 root partition, the X11 display
8534 server, GNOME and Xfce (users can choose which of these desktop
8535 environments to use at the log-in screen by pressing @kbd{F1}), network
8536 management, power management, and more, would look like this:
8539 @include os-config-desktop.texi
8543 A graphical UEFI system with a choice of lightweight window managers
8544 instead of full-blown desktop environments would look like this:
8547 @include os-config-lightweight-desktop.texi
8550 This example refers to the @file{/boot/efi} partition by its UUID,
8551 @code{1234-ABCD}. Replace this UUID with the right UUID on your system,
8552 as returned by the @command{blkid} command.
8554 @xref{Desktop Services}, for the exact list of services provided by
8555 @var{%desktop-services}. @xref{X.509 Certificates}, for background
8556 information about the @code{nss-certs} package that is used here.
8558 Again, @var{%desktop-services} is just a list of service objects. If
8559 you want to remove services from there, you can do so using the
8560 procedures for list filtering (@pxref{SRFI-1 Filtering and
8561 Partitioning,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}). For instance, the
8562 following expression returns a list that contains all the services in
8563 @var{%desktop-services} minus the Avahi service:
8566 (remove (lambda (service)
8567 (eq? (service-kind service) avahi-service-type))
8571 @unnumberedsubsubsec Instantiating the System
8573 Assuming the @code{operating-system} declaration
8574 is stored in the @file{my-system-config.scm}
8575 file, the @command{guix system reconfigure my-system-config.scm} command
8576 instantiates that configuration, and makes it the default GRUB boot
8577 entry (@pxref{Invoking guix system}).
8579 The normal way to change the system configuration is by updating this
8580 file and re-running @command{guix system reconfigure}. One should never
8581 have to touch files in @file{/etc} or to run commands that modify the
8582 system state such as @command{useradd} or @command{grub-install}. In
8583 fact, you must avoid that since that would not only void your warranty
8584 but also prevent you from rolling back to previous versions of your
8585 system, should you ever need to.
8587 @cindex roll-back, of the operating system
8588 Speaking of roll-back, each time you run @command{guix system
8589 reconfigure}, a new @dfn{generation} of the system is created---without
8590 modifying or deleting previous generations. Old system generations get
8591 an entry in the bootloader boot menu, allowing you to boot them in case
8592 something went wrong with the latest generation. Reassuring, no? The
8593 @command{guix system list-generations} command lists the system
8594 generations available on disk. It is also possible to roll back the
8595 system via the commands @command{guix system roll-back} and
8596 @command{guix system switch-generation}.
8598 Although the command @command{guix system reconfigure} will not modify
8599 previous generations, must take care when the current generation is not
8600 the latest (e.g., after invoking @command{guix system roll-back}), since
8601 the operation might overwrite a later generation (@pxref{Invoking guix
8604 @unnumberedsubsubsec The Programming Interface
8606 At the Scheme level, the bulk of an @code{operating-system} declaration
8607 is instantiated with the following monadic procedure (@pxref{The Store
8610 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} operating-system-derivation os
8611 Return a derivation that builds @var{os}, an @code{operating-system}
8612 object (@pxref{Derivations}).
8614 The output of the derivation is a single directory that refers to all
8615 the packages, configuration files, and other supporting files needed to
8616 instantiate @var{os}.
8619 This procedure is provided by the @code{(gnu system)} module. Along
8620 with @code{(gnu services)} (@pxref{Services}), this module contains the
8621 guts of GuixSD. Make sure to visit it!
8624 @node operating-system Reference
8625 @subsection @code{operating-system} Reference
8627 This section summarizes all the options available in
8628 @code{operating-system} declarations (@pxref{Using the Configuration
8631 @deftp {Data Type} operating-system
8632 This is the data type representing an operating system configuration.
8633 By that, we mean all the global system configuration, not per-user
8634 configuration (@pxref{Using the Configuration System}).
8637 @item @code{kernel} (default: @var{linux-libre})
8638 The package object of the operating system kernel to use@footnote{Currently
8639 only the Linux-libre kernel is supported. In the future, it will be
8640 possible to use the GNU@tie{}Hurd.}.
8642 @item @code{kernel-arguments} (default: @code{'()})
8643 List of strings or gexps representing additional arguments to pass on
8644 the command-line of the kernel---e.g., @code{("console=ttyS0")}.
8646 @item @code{bootloader}
8647 The system bootloader configuration object. @xref{Bootloader Configuration}.
8649 @item @code{initrd} (default: @code{base-initrd})
8651 @cindex initial RAM disk
8652 A two-argument monadic procedure that returns an initial RAM disk for
8653 the Linux kernel. @xref{Initial RAM Disk}.
8655 @item @code{firmware} (default: @var{%base-firmware})
8657 List of firmware packages loadable by the operating system kernel.
8659 The default includes firmware needed for Atheros- and Broadcom-based
8660 WiFi devices (Linux-libre modules @code{ath9k} and @code{b43-open},
8661 respectively). @xref{Hardware Considerations}, for more info on
8664 @item @code{host-name}
8667 @item @code{hosts-file}
8669 A file-like object (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like objects}) for use as
8670 @file{/etc/hosts} (@pxref{Host Names,,, libc, The GNU C Library
8671 Reference Manual}). The default is a file with entries for
8672 @code{localhost} and @var{host-name}.
8674 @item @code{mapped-devices} (default: @code{'()})
8675 A list of mapped devices. @xref{Mapped Devices}.
8677 @item @code{file-systems}
8678 A list of file systems. @xref{File Systems}.
8680 @item @code{swap-devices} (default: @code{'()})
8681 @cindex swap devices
8682 A list of strings identifying devices or files to be used for ``swap
8683 space'' (@pxref{Memory Concepts,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference
8684 Manual}). For example, @code{'("/dev/sda3")} or @code{'("/swapfile")}.
8685 It is possible to specify a swap file in a file system on a mapped
8686 device, provided that the necessary device mapping and file system are
8687 also specified. @xref{Mapped Devices} and @ref{File Systems}.
8689 @item @code{users} (default: @code{%base-user-accounts})
8690 @itemx @code{groups} (default: @var{%base-groups})
8691 List of user accounts and groups. @xref{User Accounts}.
8693 @item @code{skeletons} (default: @code{(default-skeletons)})
8694 A list target file name/file-like object tuples (@pxref{G-Expressions,
8695 file-like objects}). These are the skeleton files that will be added to
8696 the home directory of newly-created user accounts.
8698 For instance, a valid value may look like this:
8701 `((".bashrc" ,(plain-file "bashrc" "echo Hello\n"))
8702 (".guile" ,(plain-file "guile"
8703 "(use-modules (ice-9 readline))
8704 (activate-readline)")))
8707 @item @code{issue} (default: @var{%default-issue})
8708 A string denoting the contents of the @file{/etc/issue} file, which is
8709 displayed when users log in on a text console.
8711 @item @code{packages} (default: @var{%base-packages})
8712 The set of packages installed in the global profile, which is accessible
8713 at @file{/run/current-system/profile}.
8715 The default set includes core utilities and it is good practice to
8716 install non-core utilities in user profiles (@pxref{Invoking guix
8719 @item @code{timezone}
8720 A timezone identifying string---e.g., @code{"Europe/Paris"}.
8722 You can run the @command{tzselect} command to find out which timezone
8723 string corresponds to your region. Choosing an invalid timezone name
8724 causes @command{guix system} to fail.
8726 @item @code{locale} (default: @code{"en_US.utf8"})
8727 The name of the default locale (@pxref{Locale Names,,, libc, The GNU C
8728 Library Reference Manual}). @xref{Locales}, for more information.
8730 @item @code{locale-definitions} (default: @var{%default-locale-definitions})
8731 The list of locale definitions to be compiled and that may be used at
8732 run time. @xref{Locales}.
8734 @item @code{locale-libcs} (default: @code{(list @var{glibc})})
8735 The list of GNU@tie{}libc packages whose locale data and tools are used
8736 to build the locale definitions. @xref{Locales}, for compatibility
8737 considerations that justify this option.
8739 @item @code{name-service-switch} (default: @var{%default-nss})
8740 Configuration of the libc name service switch (NSS)---a
8741 @code{<name-service-switch>} object. @xref{Name Service Switch}, for
8744 @item @code{services} (default: @var{%base-services})
8745 A list of service objects denoting system services. @xref{Services}.
8747 @item @code{pam-services} (default: @code{(base-pam-services)})
8749 @cindex pluggable authentication modules
8750 Linux @dfn{pluggable authentication module} (PAM) services.
8751 @c FIXME: Add xref to PAM services section.
8753 @item @code{setuid-programs} (default: @var{%setuid-programs})
8754 List of string-valued G-expressions denoting setuid programs.
8755 @xref{Setuid Programs}.
8757 @item @code{sudoers-file} (default: @var{%sudoers-specification})
8758 @cindex sudoers file
8759 The contents of the @file{/etc/sudoers} file as a file-like object
8760 (@pxref{G-Expressions, @code{local-file} and @code{plain-file}}).
8762 This file specifies which users can use the @command{sudo} command, what
8763 they are allowed to do, and what privileges they may gain. The default
8764 is that only @code{root} and members of the @code{wheel} group may use
8771 @subsection File Systems
8773 The list of file systems to be mounted is specified in the
8774 @code{file-systems} field of the operating system declaration
8775 (@pxref{Using the Configuration System}). Each file system is declared
8776 using the @code{file-system} form, like this:
8780 (mount-point "/home")
8781 (device "/dev/sda3")
8785 As usual, some of the fields are mandatory---those shown in the example
8786 above---while others can be omitted. These are described below.
8788 @deftp {Data Type} file-system
8789 Objects of this type represent file systems to be mounted. They
8790 contain the following members:
8794 This is a string specifying the type of the file system---e.g.,
8797 @item @code{mount-point}
8798 This designates the place where the file system is to be mounted.
8801 This names the ``source'' of the file system. By default it is the name
8802 of a node under @file{/dev}, but its meaning depends on the @code{title}
8803 field described below.
8805 @item @code{title} (default: @code{'device})
8806 This is a symbol that specifies how the @code{device} field is to be
8809 When it is the symbol @code{device}, then the @code{device} field is
8810 interpreted as a file name; when it is @code{label}, then @code{device}
8811 is interpreted as a partition label name; when it is @code{uuid},
8812 @code{device} is interpreted as a partition unique identifier (UUID).
8814 UUIDs may be converted from their string representation (as shown by the
8815 @command{tune2fs -l} command) using the @code{uuid} form@footnote{The
8816 @code{uuid} form expects 16-byte UUIDs as defined in
8817 @uref{https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4122, RFC@tie{}4122}. This is the
8818 form of UUID used by the ext2 family of file systems and others, but it
8819 is different from ``UUIDs'' found in FAT file systems, for instance.},
8824 (mount-point "/home")
8827 (device (uuid "4dab5feb-d176-45de-b287-9b0a6e4c01cb")))
8830 The @code{label} and @code{uuid} options offer a way to refer to disk
8831 partitions without having to hard-code their actual device
8832 name@footnote{Note that, while it is tempting to use
8833 @file{/dev/disk/by-uuid} and similar device names to achieve the same
8834 result, this is not recommended: These special device nodes are created
8835 by the udev daemon and may be unavailable at the time the device is
8838 However, when the source of a file system is a mapped device (@pxref{Mapped
8839 Devices}), its @code{device} field @emph{must} refer to the mapped
8840 device name---e.g., @file{/dev/mapper/root-partition}---and consequently
8841 @code{title} must be set to @code{'device}. This is required so that
8842 the system knows that mounting the file system depends on having the
8843 corresponding device mapping established.
8845 @item @code{flags} (default: @code{'()})
8846 This is a list of symbols denoting mount flags. Recognized flags
8847 include @code{read-only}, @code{bind-mount}, @code{no-dev} (disallow
8848 access to special files), @code{no-suid} (ignore setuid and setgid
8849 bits), and @code{no-exec} (disallow program execution.)
8851 @item @code{options} (default: @code{#f})
8852 This is either @code{#f}, or a string denoting mount options.
8854 @item @code{mount?} (default: @code{#t})
8855 This value indicates whether to automatically mount the file system when
8856 the system is brought up. When set to @code{#f}, the file system gets
8857 an entry in @file{/etc/fstab} (read by the @command{mount} command) but
8858 is not automatically mounted.
8860 @item @code{needed-for-boot?} (default: @code{#f})
8861 This Boolean value indicates whether the file system is needed when
8862 booting. If that is true, then the file system is mounted when the
8863 initial RAM disk (initrd) is loaded. This is always the case, for
8864 instance, for the root file system.
8866 @item @code{check?} (default: @code{#t})
8867 This Boolean indicates whether the file system needs to be checked for
8868 errors before being mounted.
8870 @item @code{create-mount-point?} (default: @code{#f})
8871 When true, the mount point is created if it does not exist yet.
8873 @item @code{dependencies} (default: @code{'()})
8874 This is a list of @code{<file-system>} or @code{<mapped-device>} objects
8875 representing file systems that must be mounted or mapped devices that
8876 must be opened before (and unmounted or closed after) this one.
8878 As an example, consider a hierarchy of mounts: @file{/sys/fs/cgroup} is
8879 a dependency of @file{/sys/fs/cgroup/cpu} and
8880 @file{/sys/fs/cgroup/memory}.
8882 Another example is a file system that depends on a mapped device, for
8883 example for an encrypted partition (@pxref{Mapped Devices}).
8887 The @code{(gnu system file-systems)} exports the following useful
8890 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-file-systems
8891 These are essential file systems that are required on normal systems,
8892 such as @var{%pseudo-terminal-file-system} and @var{%immutable-store} (see
8893 below.) Operating system declarations should always contain at least
8897 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %pseudo-terminal-file-system
8898 This is the file system to be mounted as @file{/dev/pts}. It supports
8899 @dfn{pseudo-terminals} created @i{via} @code{openpty} and similar
8900 functions (@pxref{Pseudo-Terminals,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference
8901 Manual}). Pseudo-terminals are used by terminal emulators such as
8905 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %shared-memory-file-system
8906 This file system is mounted as @file{/dev/shm} and is used to support
8907 memory sharing across processes (@pxref{Memory-mapped I/O,
8908 @code{shm_open},, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
8911 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %immutable-store
8912 This file system performs a read-only ``bind mount'' of
8913 @file{/gnu/store}, making it read-only for all the users including
8914 @code{root}. This prevents against accidental modification by software
8915 running as @code{root} or by system administrators.
8917 The daemon itself is still able to write to the store: it remounts it
8918 read-write in its own ``name space.''
8921 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %binary-format-file-system
8922 The @code{binfmt_misc} file system, which allows handling of arbitrary
8923 executable file types to be delegated to user space. This requires the
8924 @code{binfmt.ko} kernel module to be loaded.
8927 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %fuse-control-file-system
8928 The @code{fusectl} file system, which allows unprivileged users to mount
8929 and unmount user-space FUSE file systems. This requires the
8930 @code{fuse.ko} kernel module to be loaded.
8933 @node Mapped Devices
8934 @subsection Mapped Devices
8936 @cindex device mapping
8937 @cindex mapped devices
8938 The Linux kernel has a notion of @dfn{device mapping}: a block device,
8939 such as a hard disk partition, can be @dfn{mapped} into another device,
8940 usually in @code{/dev/mapper/},
8941 with additional processing over the data that flows through
8942 it@footnote{Note that the GNU@tie{}Hurd makes no difference between the
8943 concept of a ``mapped device'' and that of a file system: both boil down
8944 to @emph{translating} input/output operations made on a file to
8945 operations on its backing store. Thus, the Hurd implements mapped
8946 devices, like file systems, using the generic @dfn{translator} mechanism
8947 (@pxref{Translators,,, hurd, The GNU Hurd Reference Manual}).}. A
8948 typical example is encryption device mapping: all writes to the mapped
8949 device are encrypted, and all reads are deciphered, transparently.
8950 Guix extends this notion by considering any device or set of devices that
8951 are @dfn{transformed} in some way to create a new device; for instance,
8952 RAID devices are obtained by @dfn{assembling} several other devices, such
8953 as hard disks or partitions, into a new one that behaves as one partition.
8954 Other examples, not yet implemented, are LVM logical volumes.
8956 Mapped devices are declared using the @code{mapped-device} form,
8957 defined as follows; for examples, see below.
8959 @deftp {Data Type} mapped-device
8960 Objects of this type represent device mappings that will be made when
8961 the system boots up.
8965 This is either a string specifying the name of the block device to be mapped,
8966 such as @code{"/dev/sda3"}, or a list of such strings when several devices
8967 need to be assembled for creating a new one.
8970 This string specifies the name of the resulting mapped device. For
8971 kernel mappers such as encrypted devices of type @code{luks-device-mapping},
8972 specifying @code{"my-partition"} leads to the creation of
8973 the @code{"/dev/mapper/my-partition"} device.
8974 For RAID devices of type @code{raid-device-mapping}, the full device name
8975 such as @code{"/dev/md0"} needs to be given.
8978 This must be a @code{mapped-device-kind} object, which specifies how
8979 @var{source} is mapped to @var{target}.
8983 @defvr {Scheme Variable} luks-device-mapping
8984 This defines LUKS block device encryption using the @command{cryptsetup}
8985 command from the package with the same name. It relies on the
8986 @code{dm-crypt} Linux kernel module.
8989 @defvr {Scheme Variable} raid-device-mapping
8990 This defines a RAID device, which is assembled using the @code{mdadm}
8991 command from the package with the same name. It requires a Linux kernel
8992 module for the appropriate RAID level to be loaded, such as @code{raid456}
8993 for RAID-4, RAID-5 or RAID-6, or @code{raid10} for RAID-10.
8996 @cindex disk encryption
8998 The following example specifies a mapping from @file{/dev/sda3} to
8999 @file{/dev/mapper/home} using LUKS---the
9000 @url{https://gitlab.com/cryptsetup/cryptsetup,Linux Unified Key Setup}, a
9001 standard mechanism for disk encryption.
9002 The @file{/dev/mapper/home}
9003 device can then be used as the @code{device} of a @code{file-system}
9004 declaration (@pxref{File Systems}).
9008 (source "/dev/sda3")
9010 (type luks-device-mapping))
9013 Alternatively, to become independent of device numbering, one may obtain
9014 the LUKS UUID (@dfn{unique identifier}) of the source device by a
9018 cryptsetup luksUUID /dev/sda3
9021 and use it as follows:
9025 (source (uuid "cb67fc72-0d54-4c88-9d4b-b225f30b0f44"))
9027 (type luks-device-mapping))
9030 @cindex swap encryption
9031 It is also desirable to encrypt swap space, since swap space may contain
9032 sensitive data. One way to accomplish that is to use a swap file in a
9033 file system on a device mapped via LUKS encryption. In this way, the
9034 swap file is encrypted because the entire device is encrypted.
9035 @xref{Preparing for Installation,,Disk Partitioning}, for an example.
9037 A RAID device formed of the partitions @file{/dev/sda1} and @file{/dev/sdb1}
9038 may be declared as follows:
9042 (source (list "/dev/sda1" "/dev/sdb1"))
9044 (type raid-device-mapping))
9047 The @file{/dev/md0} device can then be used as the @code{device} of a
9048 @code{file-system} declaration (@pxref{File Systems}).
9049 Note that the RAID level need not be given; it is chosen during the
9050 initial creation and formatting of the RAID device and is determined
9051 automatically later.
9055 @subsection User Accounts
9059 @cindex user accounts
9060 User accounts and groups are entirely managed through the
9061 @code{operating-system} declaration. They are specified with the
9062 @code{user-account} and @code{user-group} forms:
9068 (supplementary-groups '("wheel" ;allow use of sudo, etc.
9070 "video" ;video devices such as webcams
9071 "cdrom")) ;the good ol' CD-ROM
9072 (comment "Bob's sister")
9073 (home-directory "/home/alice"))
9076 When booting or upon completion of @command{guix system reconfigure},
9077 the system ensures that only the user accounts and groups specified in
9078 the @code{operating-system} declaration exist, and with the specified
9079 properties. Thus, account or group creations or modifications made by
9080 directly invoking commands such as @command{useradd} are lost upon
9081 reconfiguration or reboot. This ensures that the system remains exactly
9084 @deftp {Data Type} user-account
9085 Objects of this type represent user accounts. The following members may
9090 The name of the user account.
9094 This is the name (a string) or identifier (a number) of the user group
9095 this account belongs to.
9097 @item @code{supplementary-groups} (default: @code{'()})
9098 Optionally, this can be defined as a list of group names that this
9101 @item @code{uid} (default: @code{#f})
9102 This is the user ID for this account (a number), or @code{#f}. In the
9103 latter case, a number is automatically chosen by the system when the
9106 @item @code{comment} (default: @code{""})
9107 A comment about the account, such as the account owner's full name.
9109 @item @code{home-directory}
9110 This is the name of the home directory for the account.
9112 @item @code{create-home-directory?} (default: @code{#t})
9113 Indicates whether the home directory of this account should be created
9114 if it does not exist yet.
9116 @item @code{shell} (default: Bash)
9117 This is a G-expression denoting the file name of a program to be used as
9118 the shell (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
9120 @item @code{system?} (default: @code{#f})
9121 This Boolean value indicates whether the account is a ``system''
9122 account. System accounts are sometimes treated specially; for instance,
9123 graphical login managers do not list them.
9125 @anchor{user-account-password}
9126 @item @code{password} (default: @code{#f})
9127 You would normally leave this field to @code{#f}, initialize user
9128 passwords as @code{root} with the @command{passwd} command, and then let
9129 users change it with @command{passwd}. Passwords set with
9130 @command{passwd} are of course preserved across reboot and
9133 If you @emph{do} want to have a preset password for an account, then
9134 this field must contain the encrypted password, as a string.
9135 @xref{crypt,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}, for more information
9136 on password encryption, and @ref{Encryption,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference
9137 Manual}, for information on Guile's @code{crypt} procedure.
9143 User group declarations are even simpler:
9146 (user-group (name "students"))
9149 @deftp {Data Type} user-group
9150 This type is for, well, user groups. There are just a few fields:
9154 The name of the group.
9156 @item @code{id} (default: @code{#f})
9157 The group identifier (a number). If @code{#f}, a new number is
9158 automatically allocated when the group is created.
9160 @item @code{system?} (default: @code{#f})
9161 This Boolean value indicates whether the group is a ``system'' group.
9162 System groups have low numerical IDs.
9164 @item @code{password} (default: @code{#f})
9165 What, user groups can have a password? Well, apparently yes. Unless
9166 @code{#f}, this field specifies the password of the group.
9171 For convenience, a variable lists all the basic user groups one may
9174 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-groups
9175 This is the list of basic user groups that users and/or packages expect
9176 to be present on the system. This includes groups such as ``root'',
9177 ``wheel'', and ``users'', as well as groups used to control access to
9178 specific devices such as ``audio'', ``disk'', and ``cdrom''.
9181 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-user-accounts
9182 This is the list of basic system accounts that programs may expect to
9183 find on a GNU/Linux system, such as the ``nobody'' account.
9185 Note that the ``root'' account is not included here. It is a
9186 special-case and is automatically added whether or not it is specified.
9193 A @dfn{locale} defines cultural conventions for a particular language
9194 and region of the world (@pxref{Locales,,, libc, The GNU C Library
9195 Reference Manual}). Each locale has a name that typically has the form
9196 @code{@var{language}_@var{territory}.@var{codeset}}---e.g.,
9197 @code{fr_LU.utf8} designates the locale for the French language, with
9198 cultural conventions from Luxembourg, and using the UTF-8 encoding.
9200 @cindex locale definition
9201 Usually, you will want to specify the default locale for the machine
9202 using the @code{locale} field of the @code{operating-system} declaration
9203 (@pxref{operating-system Reference, @code{locale}}).
9205 The selected locale is automatically added to the @dfn{locale
9206 definitions} known to the system if needed, with its codeset inferred
9207 from its name---e.g., @code{bo_CN.utf8} will be assumed to use the
9208 @code{UTF-8} codeset. Additional locale definitions can be specified in
9209 the @code{locale-definitions} slot of @code{operating-system}---this is
9210 useful, for instance, if the codeset could not be inferred from the
9211 locale name. The default set of locale definitions includes some widely
9212 used locales, but not all the available locales, in order to save space.
9214 For instance, to add the North Frisian locale for Germany, the value of
9218 (cons (locale-definition
9219 (name "fy_DE.utf8") (source "fy_DE"))
9220 %default-locale-definitions)
9223 Likewise, to save space, one might want @code{locale-definitions} to
9224 list only the locales that are actually used, as in:
9227 (list (locale-definition
9228 (name "ja_JP.eucjp") (source "ja_JP")
9229 (charset "EUC-JP")))
9233 The compiled locale definitions are available at
9234 @file{/run/current-system/locale/X.Y}, where @code{X.Y} is the libc
9235 version, which is the default location where the GNU@tie{}libc provided
9236 by Guix looks for locale data. This can be overridden using the
9237 @code{LOCPATH} environment variable (@pxref{locales-and-locpath,
9238 @code{LOCPATH} and locale packages}).
9240 The @code{locale-definition} form is provided by the @code{(gnu system
9241 locale)} module. Details are given below.
9243 @deftp {Data Type} locale-definition
9244 This is the data type of a locale definition.
9249 The name of the locale. @xref{Locale Names,,, libc, The GNU C Library
9250 Reference Manual}, for more information on locale names.
9253 The name of the source for that locale. This is typically the
9254 @code{@var{language}_@var{territory}} part of the locale name.
9256 @item @code{charset} (default: @code{"UTF-8"})
9257 The ``character set'' or ``code set'' for that locale,
9258 @uref{http://www.iana.org/assignments/character-sets, as defined by
9264 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-locale-definitions
9265 A list of commonly used UTF-8 locales, used as the default
9266 value of the @code{locale-definitions} field of @code{operating-system}
9270 @cindex normalized codeset in locale names
9271 These locale definitions use the @dfn{normalized codeset} for the part
9272 that follows the dot in the name (@pxref{Using gettextized software,
9273 normalized codeset,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}). So for
9274 instance it has @code{uk_UA.utf8} but @emph{not}, say,
9278 @subsubsection Locale Data Compatibility Considerations
9280 @cindex incompatibility, of locale data
9281 @code{operating-system} declarations provide a @code{locale-libcs} field
9282 to specify the GNU@tie{}libc packages that are used to compile locale
9283 declarations (@pxref{operating-system Reference}). ``Why would I
9284 care?'', you may ask. Well, it turns out that the binary format of
9285 locale data is occasionally incompatible from one libc version to
9288 @c See <https://sourceware.org/ml/libc-alpha/2015-09/msg00575.html>
9289 @c and <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2015-08/msg00737.html>.
9290 For instance, a program linked against libc version 2.21 is unable to
9291 read locale data produced with libc 2.22; worse, that program
9292 @emph{aborts} instead of simply ignoring the incompatible locale
9293 data@footnote{Versions 2.23 and later of GNU@tie{}libc will simply skip
9294 the incompatible locale data, which is already an improvement.}.
9295 Similarly, a program linked against libc 2.22 can read most, but not
9296 all, of the locale data from libc 2.21 (specifically, @code{LC_COLLATE}
9297 data is incompatible); thus calls to @code{setlocale} may fail, but
9298 programs will not abort.
9300 The ``problem'' in GuixSD is that users have a lot of freedom: They can
9301 choose whether and when to upgrade software in their profiles, and might
9302 be using a libc version different from the one the system administrator
9303 used to build the system-wide locale data.
9305 Fortunately, unprivileged users can also install their own locale data
9306 and define @var{GUIX_LOCPATH} accordingly (@pxref{locales-and-locpath,
9307 @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} and locale packages}).
9309 Still, it is best if the system-wide locale data at
9310 @file{/run/current-system/locale} is built for all the libc versions
9311 actually in use on the system, so that all the programs can access
9312 it---this is especially crucial on a multi-user system. To do that, the
9313 administrator can specify several libc packages in the
9314 @code{locale-libcs} field of @code{operating-system}:
9317 (use-package-modules base)
9321 (locale-libcs (list glibc-2.21 (canonical-package glibc))))
9324 This example would lead to a system containing locale definitions for
9325 both libc 2.21 and the current version of libc in
9326 @file{/run/current-system/locale}.
9330 @subsection Services
9332 @cindex system services
9333 An important part of preparing an @code{operating-system} declaration is
9334 listing @dfn{system services} and their configuration (@pxref{Using the
9335 Configuration System}). System services are typically daemons launched
9336 when the system boots, or other actions needed at that time---e.g.,
9337 configuring network access.
9339 GuixSD has a broad definition of ``service'' (@pxref{Service
9340 Composition}), but many services are managed by the GNU@tie{}Shepherd
9341 (@pxref{Shepherd Services}). On a running system, the @command{herd}
9342 command allows you to list the available services, show their status,
9343 start and stop them, or do other specific operations (@pxref{Jump
9344 Start,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}). For example:
9350 The above command, run as @code{root}, lists the currently defined
9351 services. The @command{herd doc} command shows a synopsis of the given
9356 Run libc's name service cache daemon (nscd).
9359 The @command{start}, @command{stop}, and @command{restart} sub-commands
9360 have the effect you would expect. For instance, the commands below stop
9361 the nscd service and restart the Xorg display server:
9365 Service nscd has been stopped.
9366 # herd restart xorg-server
9367 Service xorg-server has been stopped.
9368 Service xorg-server has been started.
9371 The following sections document the available services, starting with
9372 the core services, that may be used in an @code{operating-system}
9376 * Base Services:: Essential system services.
9377 * Scheduled Job Execution:: The mcron service.
9378 * Log Rotation:: The rottlog service.
9379 * Networking Services:: Network setup, SSH daemon, etc.
9380 * X Window:: Graphical display.
9381 * Printing Services:: Local and remote printer support.
9382 * Desktop Services:: D-Bus and desktop services.
9383 * Database Services:: SQL databases, key-value stores, etc.
9384 * Mail Services:: IMAP, POP3, SMTP, and all that.
9385 * Messaging Services:: Messaging services.
9386 * Telephony Services:: Telephony services.
9387 * Monitoring Services:: Monitoring services.
9388 * Kerberos Services:: Kerberos services.
9389 * Web Services:: Web servers.
9390 * Certificate Services:: TLS certificates via Let's Encrypt.
9391 * DNS Services:: DNS daemons.
9392 * VPN Services:: VPN daemons.
9393 * Network File System:: NFS related services.
9394 * Continuous Integration:: The Cuirass service.
9395 * Power management Services:: The TLP tool.
9396 * Audio Services:: The MPD.
9397 * Virtualization Services:: Virtualization services.
9398 * Version Control Services:: Providing remote access to Git repositories.
9399 * Miscellaneous Services:: Other services.
9403 @subsubsection Base Services
9405 The @code{(gnu services base)} module provides definitions for the basic
9406 services that one expects from the system. The services exported by
9407 this module are listed below.
9409 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-services
9410 This variable contains a list of basic services (@pxref{Service Types
9411 and Services}, for more information on service objects) one would
9412 expect from the system: a login service (mingetty) on each tty, syslogd,
9413 the libc name service cache daemon (nscd), the udev device manager, and
9416 This is the default value of the @code{services} field of
9417 @code{operating-system} declarations. Usually, when customizing a
9418 system, you will want to append services to @var{%base-services}, like
9422 (cons* (avahi-service) (lsh-service) %base-services)
9426 @defvr {Scheme Variable} special-files-service-type
9427 This is the service that sets up ``special files'' such as
9428 @file{/bin/sh}; an instance of it is part of @code{%base-services}.
9430 The value associated with @code{special-files-service-type} services
9431 must be a list of tuples where the first element is the ``special file''
9432 and the second element is its target. By default it is:
9434 @cindex @file{/bin/sh}
9435 @cindex @file{sh}, in @file{/bin}
9437 `(("/bin/sh" ,(file-append @var{bash} "/bin/sh")))
9440 @cindex @file{/usr/bin/env}
9441 @cindex @file{env}, in @file{/usr/bin}
9442 If you want to add, say, @code{/usr/bin/env} to your system, you can
9446 `(("/bin/sh" ,(file-append @var{bash} "/bin/sh"))
9447 ("/usr/bin/env" ,(file-append @var{coreutils} "/bin/env")))
9450 Since this is part of @code{%base-services}, you can use
9451 @code{modify-services} to customize the set of special files
9452 (@pxref{Service Reference, @code{modify-services}}). But the simple way
9453 to add a special file is @i{via} the @code{extra-special-file} procedure
9457 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} extra-special-file @var{file} @var{target}
9458 Use @var{target} as the ``special file'' @var{file}.
9460 For example, adding the following lines to the @code{services} field of
9461 your operating system declaration leads to a @file{/usr/bin/env}
9465 (extra-special-file "/usr/bin/env"
9466 (file-append coreutils "/bin/env"))
9470 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} host-name-service @var{name}
9471 Return a service that sets the host name to @var{name}.
9474 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} login-service @var{config}
9475 Return a service to run login according to @var{config}, a
9476 @code{<login-configuration>} object, which specifies the message of the day,
9480 @deftp {Data Type} login-configuration
9481 This is the data type representing the configuration of login.
9486 @cindex message of the day
9487 A file-like object containing the ``message of the day''.
9489 @item @code{allow-empty-passwords?} (default: @code{#t})
9490 Allow empty passwords by default so that first-time users can log in when
9491 the 'root' account has just been created.
9496 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} mingetty-service @var{config}
9497 Return a service to run mingetty according to @var{config}, a
9498 @code{<mingetty-configuration>} object, which specifies the tty to run, among
9502 @deftp {Data Type} mingetty-configuration
9503 This is the data type representing the configuration of Mingetty, which
9504 provides the default implementation of virtual console log-in.
9509 The name of the console this Mingetty runs on---e.g., @code{"tty1"}.
9511 @item @code{auto-login} (default: @code{#f})
9512 When true, this field must be a string denoting the user name under
9513 which the system automatically logs in. When it is @code{#f}, a
9514 user name and password must be entered to log in.
9516 @item @code{login-program} (default: @code{#f})
9517 This must be either @code{#f}, in which case the default log-in program
9518 is used (@command{login} from the Shadow tool suite), or a gexp denoting
9519 the name of the log-in program.
9521 @item @code{login-pause?} (default: @code{#f})
9522 When set to @code{#t} in conjunction with @var{auto-login}, the user
9523 will have to press a key before the log-in shell is launched.
9525 @item @code{mingetty} (default: @var{mingetty})
9526 The Mingetty package to use.
9531 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} agetty-service @var{config}
9532 Return a service to run agetty according to @var{config}, an
9533 @code{<agetty-configuration>} object, which specifies the tty to run,
9537 @deftp {Data Type} agetty-configuration
9538 This is the data type representing the configuration of agetty, which
9539 implements virtual and serial console log-in. See the @code{agetty(8)}
9540 man page for more information.
9545 The name of the console this agetty runs on, as a string---e.g.,
9546 @code{"ttyS0"}. This argument is mandatory.
9548 @item @code{baud-rate} (default: @code{#f})
9549 A string containing a comma-separated list of one or more baud rates, in
9552 @item @code{term} (default: @code{#f})
9553 A string containing the value used for the @code{TERM} environment
9556 @item @code{eight-bits?} (default: @code{#f})
9557 When @code{#t}, the tty is assumed to be 8-bit clean, and parity detection is
9560 @item @code{auto-login} (default: @code{#f})
9561 When passed a login name, as a string, the specified user will be logged
9562 in automatically without prompting for their login name or password.
9564 @item @code{no-reset?} (default: @code{#f})
9565 When @code{#t}, don't reset terminal cflags (control modes).
9567 @item @code{host} (default: @code{#f})
9568 This accepts a string containing the "login_host", which will be written
9569 into the @file{/var/run/utmpx} file.
9571 @item @code{remote?} (default: @code{#f})
9572 When set to @code{#t} in conjunction with @var{host}, this will add an
9573 @code{-r} fakehost option to the command line of the login program
9574 specified in @var{login-program}.
9576 @item @code{flow-control?} (default: @code{#f})
9577 When set to @code{#t}, enable hardware (RTS/CTS) flow control.
9579 @item @code{no-issue?} (default: @code{#f})
9580 When set to @code{#t}, the contents of the @file{/etc/issue} file will
9581 not be displayed before presenting the login prompt.
9583 @item @code{init-string} (default: @code{#f})
9584 This accepts a string that will be sent to the tty or modem before
9585 sending anything else. It can be used to initialize a modem.
9587 @item @code{no-clear?} (default: @code{#f})
9588 When set to @code{#t}, agetty will not clear the screen before showing
9591 @item @code{login-program} (default: (file-append shadow "/bin/login"))
9592 This must be either a gexp denoting the name of a log-in program, or
9593 unset, in which case the default value is the @command{login} from the
9596 @item @code{local-line} (default: @code{#f})
9597 Control the CLOCAL line flag. This accepts one of three symbols as
9598 arguments, @code{'auto}, @code{'always}, or @code{'never}. If @code{#f},
9599 the default value chosen by agetty is @code{'auto}.
9601 @item @code{extract-baud?} (default: @code{#f})
9602 When set to @code{#t}, instruct agetty to try to extract the baud rate
9603 from the status messages produced by certain types of modems.
9605 @item @code{skip-login?} (default: @code{#f})
9606 When set to @code{#t}, do not prompt the user for a login name. This
9607 can be used with @var{login-program} field to use non-standard login
9610 @item @code{no-newline?} (default: @code{#f})
9611 When set to @code{#t}, do not print a newline before printing the
9612 @file{/etc/issue} file.
9614 @c Is this dangerous only when used with login-program, or always?
9615 @item @code{login-options} (default: @code{#f})
9616 This option accepts a string containing options that are passed to the
9617 login program. When used with the @var{login-program}, be aware that a
9618 malicious user could try to enter a login name containing embedded
9619 options that could be parsed by the login program.
9621 @item @code{login-pause} (default: @code{#f})
9622 When set to @code{#t}, wait for any key before showing the login prompt.
9623 This can be used in conjunction with @var{auto-login} to save memory by
9624 lazily spawning shells.
9626 @item @code{chroot} (default: @code{#f})
9627 Change root to the specified directory. This option accepts a directory
9630 @item @code{hangup?} (default: @code{#f})
9631 Use the Linux system call @code{vhangup} to do a virtual hangup of the
9634 @item @code{keep-baud?} (default: @code{#f})
9635 When set to @code{#t}, try to keep the existing baud rate. The baud
9636 rates from @var{baud-rate} are used when agetty receives a @key{BREAK}
9639 @item @code{timeout} (default: @code{#f})
9640 When set to an integer value, terminate if no user name could be read
9641 within @var{timeout} seconds.
9643 @item @code{detect-case?} (default: @code{#f})
9644 When set to @code{#t}, turn on support for detecting an uppercase-only
9645 terminal. This setting will detect a login name containing only
9646 uppercase letters as indicating an uppercase-only terminal and turn on
9647 some upper-to-lower case conversions. Note that this will not support
9650 @item @code{wait-cr?} (default: @code{#f})
9651 When set to @code{#t}, wait for the user or modem to send a
9652 carriage-return or linefeed character before displaying
9653 @file{/etc/issue} or login prompt. This is typically used with the
9654 @var{init-string} option.
9656 @item @code{no-hints?} (default: @code{#f})
9657 When set to @code{#t}, do not print hints about Num, Caps, and Scroll
9660 @item @code{no-hostname?} (default: @code{#f})
9661 By default, the hostname is printed. When this option is set to
9662 @code{#t}, no hostname will be shown at all.
9664 @item @code{long-hostname?} (default: @code{#f})
9665 By default, the hostname is only printed until the first dot. When this
9666 option is set to @code{#t}, the fully qualified hostname by
9667 @code{gethostname} or @code{getaddrinfo} is shown.
9669 @item @code{erase-characters} (default: @code{#f})
9670 This option accepts a string of additional characters that should be
9671 interpreted as backspace when the user types their login name.
9673 @item @code{kill-characters} (default: @code{#f})
9674 This option accepts a string that should be interpreted to mean "ignore
9675 all previous characters" (also called a "kill" character) when the types
9678 @item @code{chdir} (default: @code{#f})
9679 This option accepts, as a string, a directory path that will be changed
9682 @item @code{delay} (default: @code{#f})
9683 This options accepts, as an integer, the number of seconds to sleep
9684 before opening the tty and displaying the login prompt.
9686 @item @code{nice} (default: @code{#f})
9687 This option accepts, as an integer, the nice value with which to run the
9688 @command{login} program.
9690 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @code{'()})
9691 This option provides an "escape hatch" for the user to provide arbitrary
9692 command-line arguments to @command{agetty} as a list of strings.
9697 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} kmscon-service-type @var{config}
9698 Return a service to run @uref{https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/kmscon,kmscon}
9699 according to @var{config}, a @code{<kmscon-configuration>} object, which
9700 specifies the tty to run, among other things.
9703 @deftp {Data Type} kmscon-configuration
9704 This is the data type representing the configuration of Kmscon, which
9705 implements virtual console log-in.
9709 @item @code{virtual-terminal}
9710 The name of the console this Kmscon runs on---e.g., @code{"tty1"}.
9712 @item @code{login-program} (default: @code{#~(string-append #$shadow "/bin/login")})
9713 A gexp denoting the name of the log-in program. The default log-in program is
9714 @command{login} from the Shadow tool suite.
9716 @item @code{login-arguments} (default: @code{'("-p")})
9717 A list of arguments to pass to @command{login}.
9719 @item @code{hardware-acceleration?} (default: #f)
9720 Whether to use hardware acceleration.
9722 @item @code{kmscon} (default: @var{kmscon})
9723 The Kmscon package to use.
9728 @cindex name service cache daemon
9730 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} nscd-service [@var{config}] [#:glibc glibc] @
9731 [#:name-services '()]
9732 Return a service that runs the libc name service cache daemon (nscd) with the
9733 given @var{config}---an @code{<nscd-configuration>} object. @xref{Name
9734 Service Switch}, for an example.
9737 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %nscd-default-configuration
9738 This is the default @code{<nscd-configuration>} value (see below) used
9739 by @code{nscd-service}. It uses the caches defined by
9740 @var{%nscd-default-caches}; see below.
9743 @deftp {Data Type} nscd-configuration
9744 This is the data type representing the name service cache daemon (nscd)
9749 @item @code{name-services} (default: @code{'()})
9750 List of packages denoting @dfn{name services} that must be visible to
9751 the nscd---e.g., @code{(list @var{nss-mdns})}.
9753 @item @code{glibc} (default: @var{glibc})
9754 Package object denoting the GNU C Library providing the @command{nscd}
9757 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{"/var/log/nscd.log"})
9758 Name of the nscd log file. This is where debugging output goes when
9759 @code{debug-level} is strictly positive.
9761 @item @code{debug-level} (default: @code{0})
9762 Integer denoting the debugging levels. Higher numbers mean that more
9763 debugging output is logged.
9765 @item @code{caches} (default: @var{%nscd-default-caches})
9766 List of @code{<nscd-cache>} objects denoting things to be cached; see
9772 @deftp {Data Type} nscd-cache
9773 Data type representing a cache database of nscd and its parameters.
9777 @item @code{database}
9778 This is a symbol representing the name of the database to be cached.
9779 Valid values are @code{passwd}, @code{group}, @code{hosts}, and
9780 @code{services}, which designate the corresponding NSS database
9781 (@pxref{NSS Basics,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
9783 @item @code{positive-time-to-live}
9784 @itemx @code{negative-time-to-live} (default: @code{20})
9785 A number representing the number of seconds during which a positive or
9786 negative lookup result remains in cache.
9788 @item @code{check-files?} (default: @code{#t})
9789 Whether to check for updates of the files corresponding to
9792 For instance, when @var{database} is @code{hosts}, setting this flag
9793 instructs nscd to check for updates in @file{/etc/hosts} and to take
9796 @item @code{persistent?} (default: @code{#t})
9797 Whether the cache should be stored persistently on disk.
9799 @item @code{shared?} (default: @code{#t})
9800 Whether the cache should be shared among users.
9802 @item @code{max-database-size} (default: 32@tie{}MiB)
9803 Maximum size in bytes of the database cache.
9805 @c XXX: 'suggested-size' and 'auto-propagate?' seem to be expert
9806 @c settings, so leave them out.
9811 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %nscd-default-caches
9812 List of @code{<nscd-cache>} objects used by default by
9813 @code{nscd-configuration} (see above).
9815 It enables persistent and aggressive caching of service and host name
9816 lookups. The latter provides better host name lookup performance,
9817 resilience in the face of unreliable name servers, and also better
9818 privacy---often the result of host name lookups is in local cache, so
9819 external name servers do not even need to be queried.
9822 @anchor{syslog-configuration-type}
9825 @deftp {Data Type} syslog-configuration
9826 This data type represents the configuration of the syslog daemon.
9829 @item @code{syslogd} (default: @code{#~(string-append #$inetutils "/libexec/syslogd")})
9830 The syslog daemon to use.
9832 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{%default-syslog.conf})
9833 The syslog configuration file to use.
9838 @anchor{syslog-service}
9840 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} syslog-service @var{config}
9841 Return a service that runs a syslog daemon according to @var{config}.
9843 @xref{syslogd invocation,,, inetutils, GNU Inetutils}, for more
9844 information on the configuration file syntax.
9847 @anchor{guix-configuration-type}
9848 @deftp {Data Type} guix-configuration
9849 This data type represents the configuration of the Guix build daemon.
9850 @xref{Invoking guix-daemon}, for more information.
9853 @item @code{guix} (default: @var{guix})
9854 The Guix package to use.
9856 @item @code{build-group} (default: @code{"guixbuild"})
9857 Name of the group for build user accounts.
9859 @item @code{build-accounts} (default: @code{10})
9860 Number of build user accounts to create.
9862 @item @code{authorize-key?} (default: @code{#t})
9863 @cindex substitutes, authorization thereof
9864 Whether to authorize the substitute keys listed in
9865 @code{authorized-keys}---by default that of @code{hydra.gnu.org}
9866 (@pxref{Substitutes}).
9868 @vindex %default-authorized-guix-keys
9869 @item @code{authorized-keys} (default: @var{%default-authorized-guix-keys})
9870 The list of authorized key files for archive imports, as a list of
9871 string-valued gexps (@pxref{Invoking guix archive}). By default, it
9872 contains that of @code{hydra.gnu.org} (@pxref{Substitutes}).
9874 @item @code{use-substitutes?} (default: @code{#t})
9875 Whether to use substitutes.
9877 @item @code{substitute-urls} (default: @var{%default-substitute-urls})
9878 The list of URLs where to look for substitutes by default.
9880 @item @code{max-silent-time} (default: @code{0})
9881 @itemx @code{timeout} (default: @code{0})
9882 The number of seconds of silence and the number of seconds of activity,
9883 respectively, after which a build process times out. A value of zero
9884 disables the timeout.
9886 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @code{'()})
9887 List of extra command-line options for @command{guix-daemon}.
9889 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{"/var/log/guix-daemon.log"})
9890 File where @command{guix-daemon}'s standard output and standard error
9893 @item @code{http-proxy} (default: @code{#f})
9894 The HTTP proxy used for downloading fixed-output derivations and
9897 @item @code{tmpdir} (default: @code{#f})
9898 A directory path where the @command{guix-daemon} will perform builds.
9903 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} guix-service @var{config}
9904 Return a service that runs the Guix build daemon according to
9908 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} udev-service [#:udev @var{eudev} #:rules @code{'()}]
9909 Run @var{udev}, which populates the @file{/dev} directory dynamically.
9910 udev rules can be provided as a list of files through the @var{rules}
9911 variable. The procedures @var{udev-rule} and @var{file->udev-rule} from
9912 @code{(gnu services base)} simplify the creation of such rule files.
9914 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} udev-rule [@var{file-name} @var{contents}]
9915 Return a udev-rule file named @var{file-name} containing the rules
9916 defined by the @var{contents} literal.
9918 In the following example, a rule for a USB device is defined to be
9919 stored in the file @file{90-usb-thing.rules}. The rule runs a script
9920 upon detecting a USB device with a given product identifier.
9923 (define %example-udev-rule
9925 "90-usb-thing.rules"
9926 (string-append "ACTION==\"add\", SUBSYSTEM==\"usb\", "
9927 "ATTR@{product@}==\"Example\", "
9928 "RUN+=\"/path/to/script\"")))
9932 Here we show how the default @var{udev-service} can be extended with it.
9938 (modify-services %desktop-services
9939 (udev-service-type config =>
9940 (udev-configuration (inherit config)
9941 (rules (append (udev-configuration-rules config)
9942 (list %example-udev-rule))))))))
9945 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} file->udev-rule [@var{file-name} @var{file}]
9946 Return a udev file named @var{file-name} containing the rules defined
9947 within @var{file}, a file-like object.
9949 The following example showcases how we can use an existing rule file.
9952 (use-modules (guix download) ;for url-fetch
9953 (guix packages) ;for origin
9956 (define %android-udev-rules
9958 "51-android-udev.rules"
9959 (let ((version "20170910"))
9962 (uri (string-append "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/M0Rf30/"
9963 "android-udev-rules/" version "/51-android.rules"))
9965 (base32 "0lmmagpyb6xsq6zcr2w1cyx9qmjqmajkvrdbhjx32gqf1d9is003"))))))
9969 Additionally, Guix package definitions can be included in @var{rules} in
9970 order to extend the udev rules with the definitions found under their
9971 @file{lib/udev/rules.d} sub-directory. In lieu of the previous
9972 @var{file->udev-rule} example, we could have used the
9973 @var{android-udev-rules} package which exists in Guix in the @code{(gnu
9974 packages android)} module.
9976 The following example shows how to use the @var{android-udev-rules}
9977 package so that the Android tool @command{adb} can detect devices
9978 without root privileges. It also details how to create the
9979 @code{adbusers} group, which is required for the proper functioning of
9980 the rules defined within the @var{android-udev-rules} package. To
9981 create such a group, we must define it both as part of the
9982 @var{supplementary-groups} of our @var{user-account} declaration, as
9983 well as in the @var{groups} field of the @var{operating-system} record.
9986 (use-modules (gnu packages android) ;for android-udev-rules
9987 (gnu system shadow) ;for user-group
9992 (users (cons (user-acount
9994 (supplementary-groups
9995 '("adbusers" ;for adb
9996 "wheel" "netdev" "audio" "video"))
9999 (groups (cons (user-group (system? #t) (name "adbusers"))
10005 (modify-services %desktop-services
10006 (udev-service-type config =>
10007 (udev-configuration (inherit config)
10008 (rules (cons* android-udev-rules
10009 (udev-configuration-rules config))))))))
10013 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} urandom-seed-service
10014 Save some entropy in @var{%random-seed-file} to seed @file{/dev/urandom}
10018 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %random-seed-file
10019 This is the name of the file where some random bytes are saved by
10020 @var{urandom-seed-service} to seed @file{/dev/urandom} when rebooting.
10021 It defaults to @file{/var/lib/random-seed}.
10026 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} console-keymap-service @var{files} ...
10027 @cindex keyboard layout
10028 Return a service to load console keymaps from @var{files} using
10029 @command{loadkeys} command. Most likely, you want to load some default
10030 keymap, which can be done like this:
10033 (console-keymap-service "dvorak")
10036 Or, for example, for a Swedish keyboard, you may need to combine
10037 the following keymaps:
10039 (console-keymap-service "se-lat6" "se-fi-lat6")
10042 Also you can specify a full file name (or file names) of your keymap(s).
10043 See @code{man loadkeys} for details.
10049 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} gpm-service [#:gpm @var{gpm}] @
10051 Run @var{gpm}, the general-purpose mouse daemon, with the given
10052 command-line @var{options}. GPM allows users to use the mouse in the console,
10053 notably to select, copy, and paste text. The default value of @var{options}
10054 uses the @code{ps2} protocol, which works for both USB and PS/2 mice.
10056 This service is not part of @var{%base-services}.
10059 @anchor{guix-publish-service-type}
10060 @deffn {Scheme Variable} guix-publish-service-type
10061 This is the service type for @command{guix publish} (@pxref{Invoking
10062 guix publish}). Its value must be a @code{guix-configuration}
10063 object, as described below.
10065 This assumes that @file{/etc/guix} already contains a signing key pair as
10066 created by @command{guix archive --generate-key} (@pxref{Invoking guix
10067 archive}). If that is not the case, the service will fail to start.
10070 @deftp {Data Type} guix-publish-configuration
10071 Data type representing the configuration of the @code{guix publish}
10075 @item @code{guix} (default: @code{guix})
10076 The Guix package to use.
10078 @item @code{port} (default: @code{80})
10079 The TCP port to listen for connections.
10081 @item @code{host} (default: @code{"localhost"})
10082 The host (and thus, network interface) to listen to. Use
10083 @code{"0.0.0.0"} to listen on all the network interfaces.
10085 @item @code{compression-level} (default: @code{3})
10086 The gzip compression level at which substitutes are compressed. Use
10087 @code{0} to disable compression altogether, and @code{9} to get the best
10088 compression ratio at the expense of increased CPU usage.
10090 @item @code{nar-path} (default: @code{"nar"})
10091 The URL path at which ``nars'' can be fetched. @xref{Invoking guix
10092 publish, @code{--nar-path}}, for details.
10094 @item @code{cache} (default: @code{#f})
10095 When it is @code{#f}, disable caching and instead generate archives on
10096 demand. Otherwise, this should be the name of a directory---e.g.,
10097 @code{"/var/cache/guix/publish"}---where @command{guix publish} caches
10098 archives and meta-data ready to be sent. @xref{Invoking guix publish,
10099 @option{--cache}}, for more information on the tradeoffs involved.
10101 @item @code{workers} (default: @code{#f})
10102 When it is an integer, this is the number of worker threads used for
10103 caching; when @code{#f}, the number of processors is used.
10104 @xref{Invoking guix publish, @option{--workers}}, for more information.
10106 @item @code{ttl} (default: @code{#f})
10107 When it is an integer, this denotes the @dfn{time-to-live} of the
10108 published archives. @xref{Invoking guix publish, @option{--ttl}}, for
10113 @anchor{rngd-service}
10114 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} rngd-service [#:rng-tools @var{rng-tools}] @
10115 [#:device "/dev/hwrng"]
10116 Return a service that runs the @command{rngd} program from @var{rng-tools}
10117 to add @var{device} to the kernel's entropy pool. The service will fail if
10118 @var{device} does not exist.
10121 @anchor{pam-limits-service}
10122 @cindex session limits
10125 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} pam-limits-service [#:limits @code{'()}]
10127 Return a service that installs a configuration file for the
10128 @uref{http://linux-pam.org/Linux-PAM-html/sag-pam_limits.html,
10129 @code{pam_limits} module}. The procedure optionally takes a list of
10130 @code{pam-limits-entry} values, which can be used to specify
10131 @code{ulimit} limits and nice priority limits to user sessions.
10133 The following limits definition sets two hard and soft limits for all
10134 login sessions of users in the @code{realtime} group:
10137 (pam-limits-service
10139 (pam-limits-entry "@@realtime" 'both 'rtprio 99)
10140 (pam-limits-entry "@@realtime" 'both 'memlock 'unlimited)))
10143 The first entry increases the maximum realtime priority for
10144 non-privileged processes; the second entry lifts any restriction of the
10145 maximum address space that can be locked in memory. These settings are
10146 commonly used for real-time audio systems.
10149 @node Scheduled Job Execution
10150 @subsubsection Scheduled Job Execution
10154 @cindex scheduling jobs
10155 The @code{(gnu services mcron)} module provides an interface to
10156 GNU@tie{}mcron, a daemon to run jobs at scheduled times (@pxref{Top,,,
10157 mcron, GNU@tie{}mcron}). GNU@tie{}mcron is similar to the traditional
10158 Unix @command{cron} daemon; the main difference is that it is
10159 implemented in Guile Scheme, which provides a lot of flexibility when
10160 specifying the scheduling of jobs and their actions.
10162 The example below defines an operating system that runs the
10163 @command{updatedb} (@pxref{Invoking updatedb,,, find, Finding Files})
10164 and the @command{guix gc} commands (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}) daily, as
10165 well as the @command{mkid} command on behalf of an unprivileged user
10166 (@pxref{mkid invocation,,, idutils, ID Database Utilities}). It uses
10167 gexps to introduce job definitions that are passed to mcron
10168 (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
10171 (use-modules (guix) (gnu) (gnu services mcron))
10172 (use-package-modules base idutils)
10174 (define updatedb-job
10175 ;; Run 'updatedb' at 3AM every day. Here we write the
10176 ;; job's action as a Scheme procedure.
10177 #~(job '(next-hour '(3))
10179 (execl (string-append #$findutils "/bin/updatedb")
10181 "--prunepaths=/tmp /var/tmp /gnu/store"))))
10183 (define garbage-collector-job
10184 ;; Collect garbage 5 minutes after midnight every day.
10185 ;; The job's action is a shell command.
10186 #~(job "5 0 * * *" ;Vixie cron syntax
10189 (define idutils-job
10190 ;; Update the index database as user "charlie" at 12:15PM
10191 ;; and 19:15PM. This runs from the user's home directory.
10192 #~(job '(next-minute-from (next-hour '(12 19)) '(15))
10193 (string-append #$idutils "/bin/mkid src")
10198 (services (cons (mcron-service (list garbage-collector-job
10204 @xref{Guile Syntax, mcron job specifications,, mcron, GNU@tie{}mcron},
10205 for more information on mcron job specifications. Below is the
10206 reference of the mcron service.
10208 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} mcron-service @var{jobs} [#:mcron @var{mcron2}]
10209 Return an mcron service running @var{mcron} that schedules @var{jobs}, a
10210 list of gexps denoting mcron job specifications.
10212 This is a shorthand for:
10214 (service mcron-service-type
10215 (mcron-configuration (mcron mcron) (jobs jobs)))
10219 @defvr {Scheme Variable} mcron-service-type
10220 This is the type of the @code{mcron} service, whose value is an
10221 @code{mcron-configuration} object.
10223 This service type can be the target of a service extension that provides
10224 it additional job specifications (@pxref{Service Composition}). In
10225 other words, it is possible to define services that provide additional
10229 @deftp {Data Type} mcron-configuration
10230 Data type representing the configuration of mcron.
10233 @item @code{mcron} (default: @var{mcron2})
10234 The mcron package to use.
10237 This is a list of gexps (@pxref{G-Expressions}), where each gexp
10238 corresponds to an mcron job specification (@pxref{Syntax, mcron job
10239 specifications,, mcron, GNU@tie{}mcron}).
10245 @subsubsection Log Rotation
10248 @cindex log rotation
10250 Log files such as those found in @file{/var/log} tend to grow endlessly,
10251 so it's a good idea to @dfn{rotate} them once in a while---i.e., archive
10252 their contents in separate files, possibly compressed. The @code{(gnu
10253 services admin)} module provides an interface to GNU@tie{}Rot[t]log, a
10254 log rotation tool (@pxref{Top,,, rottlog, GNU Rot[t]log Manual}).
10256 The example below defines an operating system that provides log rotation
10257 with the default settings, for commonly encountered log files.
10260 (use-modules (guix) (gnu))
10261 (use-service-modules admin mcron)
10262 (use-package-modules base idutils)
10266 (services (cons* (service mcron-service-type)
10267 (service rottlog-service-type)
10271 @defvr {Scheme Variable} rottlog-service-type
10272 This is the type of the Rottlog service, whose value is a
10273 @code{rottlog-configuration} object.
10275 Other services can extend this one with new @code{log-rotation} objects
10276 (see below), thereby augmenting the set of files to be rotated.
10278 This service type can define mcron jobs (@pxref{Scheduled Job
10279 Execution}) to run the rottlog service.
10282 @deftp {Data Type} rottlog-configuration
10283 Data type representing the configuration of rottlog.
10286 @item @code{rottlog} (default: @code{rottlog})
10287 The Rottlog package to use.
10289 @item @code{rc-file} (default: @code{(file-append rottlog "/etc/rc")})
10290 The Rottlog configuration file to use (@pxref{Mandatory RC Variables,,,
10291 rottlog, GNU Rot[t]log Manual}).
10293 @item @code{rotations} (default: @code{%default-rotations})
10294 A list of @code{log-rotation} objects as defined below.
10297 This is a list of gexps where each gexp corresponds to an mcron job
10298 specification (@pxref{Scheduled Job Execution}).
10302 @deftp {Data Type} log-rotation
10303 Data type representing the rotation of a group of log files.
10305 Taking an example from the Rottlog manual (@pxref{Period Related File
10306 Examples,,, rottlog, GNU Rot[t]log Manual}), a log rotation might be
10312 (files '("/var/log/apache/*"))
10313 (options '("storedir apache-archives"
10319 The list of fields is as follows:
10322 @item @code{frequency} (default: @code{'weekly})
10323 The log rotation frequency, a symbol.
10326 The list of files or file glob patterns to rotate.
10328 @item @code{options} (default: @code{'()})
10329 The list of rottlog options for this rotation (@pxref{Configuration
10330 parameters,,, rottlog, GNU Rot[t]lg Manual}).
10332 @item @code{post-rotate} (default: @code{#f})
10333 Either @code{#f} or a gexp to execute once the rotation has completed.
10337 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-rotations
10338 Specifies weekly rotation of @var{%rotated-files} and
10339 a couple of other files.
10342 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %rotated-files
10343 The list of syslog-controlled files to be rotated. By default it is:
10344 @code{'("/var/log/messages" "/var/log/secure")}.
10347 @node Networking Services
10348 @subsubsection Networking Services
10350 The @code{(gnu services networking)} module provides services to configure
10351 the network interface.
10353 @cindex DHCP, networking service
10354 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} dhcp-client-service [#:dhcp @var{isc-dhcp}]
10355 Return a service that runs @var{dhcp}, a Dynamic Host Configuration
10356 Protocol (DHCP) client, on all the non-loopback network interfaces.
10359 @defvr {Scheme Variable} static-networking-service-type
10360 This is the type for statically-configured network interfaces.
10361 @c TODO Document <static-networking> data structures.
10364 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} static-networking-service @var{interface} @var{ip} @
10365 [#:netmask #f] [#:gateway #f] [#:name-servers @code{'()}]
10366 Return a service that starts @var{interface} with address @var{ip}. If
10367 @var{netmask} is true, use it as the network mask. If @var{gateway} is true,
10368 it must be a string specifying the default network gateway.
10370 This procedure can be called several times, one for each network
10371 interface of interest. Behind the scenes what it does is extend
10372 @code{static-networking-service-type} with additional network interfaces
10379 @cindex network management
10380 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} wicd-service [#:wicd @var{wicd}]
10381 Return a service that runs @url{https://launchpad.net/wicd,Wicd}, a network
10382 management daemon that aims to simplify wired and wireless networking.
10384 This service adds the @var{wicd} package to the global profile, providing
10385 several commands to interact with the daemon and configure networking:
10386 @command{wicd-client}, a graphical user interface, and the @command{wicd-cli}
10387 and @command{wicd-curses} user interfaces.
10390 @cindex NetworkManager
10392 @defvr {Scheme Variable} network-manager-service-type
10393 This is the service type for the
10394 @uref{https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/NetworkManager, NetworkManager}
10395 service. The value for this service type is a
10396 @code{network-manager-configuration} record.
10398 This service is part of @code{%desktop-services} (@pxref{Desktop
10402 @deftp {Data Type} network-manager-configuration
10403 Data type representing the configuration of NetworkManager.
10406 @item @code{network-manager} (default: @code{network-manager})
10407 The NetworkManager package to use.
10409 @item @code{dns} (default: @code{"default"})
10410 Processing mode for DNS, which affects how NetworkManager uses the
10411 @code{resolv.conf} configuration file.
10415 NetworkManager will update @code{resolv.conf} to reflect the nameservers
10416 provided by currently active connections.
10419 NetworkManager will run @code{dnsmasq} as a local caching nameserver,
10420 using a "split DNS" configuration if you are connected to a VPN, and
10421 then update @code{resolv.conf} to point to the local nameserver.
10424 NetworkManager will not modify @code{resolv.conf}.
10427 @item @code{vpn-plugins} (default: @code{'()})
10428 This is the list of available plugins for virtual private networks
10429 (VPNs). An example of this is the @code{network-manager-openvpn}
10430 package, which allows NetworkManager to manage VPNs @i{via} OpenVPN.
10436 @deffn {Scheme Variable} connman-service-type
10437 This is the service type to run @url{https://01.org/connman,Connman},
10438 a network connection manager.
10440 Its value must be an
10441 @code{connman-configuration} record as in this example:
10444 (service connman-service-type
10445 (connman-configuration
10446 (disable-vpn? #t)))
10449 See below for details about @code{connman-configuration}.
10452 @deftp {Data Type} connman-configuration
10453 Data Type representing the configuration of connman.
10456 @item @code{connman} (default: @var{connman})
10457 The connman package to use.
10459 @item @code{disable-vpn?} (default: @code{#f})
10460 When true, enable connman's vpn plugin.
10464 @cindex WPA Supplicant
10465 @defvr {Scheme Variable} wpa-supplicant-service-type
10466 This is the service type to run @url{https://w1.fi/wpa_supplicant/,WPA
10467 supplicant}, an authentication daemon required to authenticate against
10468 encrypted WiFi or ethernet networks. It is configured to listen for
10471 The value of this service is the @code{wpa-supplicant} package to use.
10472 Thus, it can be instantiated like this:
10475 (use-modules (gnu services networking))
10477 (service wpa-supplicant-service-type)
10482 @cindex real time clock
10483 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} ntp-service [#:ntp @var{ntp}] @
10484 [#:servers @var{%ntp-servers}] @
10485 [#:allow-large-adjustment? #f]
10486 Return a service that runs the daemon from @var{ntp}, the
10487 @uref{http://www.ntp.org, Network Time Protocol package}. The daemon will
10488 keep the system clock synchronized with that of @var{servers}.
10489 @var{allow-large-adjustment?} determines whether @command{ntpd} is allowed to
10490 make an initial adjustment of more than 1,000 seconds.
10493 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %ntp-servers
10494 List of host names used as the default NTP servers.
10498 @deffn {Scheme variable} inetd-service-type
10499 This service runs the @command{inetd} (@pxref{inetd invocation,,,
10500 inetutils, GNU Inetutils}) daemon. @command{inetd} listens for
10501 connections on internet sockets, and lazily starts the specified server
10502 program when a connection is made on one of these sockets.
10504 The value of this service is an @code{inetd-configuration} object. The
10505 following example configures the @command{inetd} daemon to provide the
10506 built-in @command{echo} service, as well as an smtp service which
10507 forwards smtp traffic over ssh to a server @code{smtp-server} behind a
10508 gateway @code{hostname}:
10513 (inetd-configuration
10517 (socket-type 'stream)
10524 (socket-type 'stream)
10528 (program (file-append openssh "/bin/ssh"))
10530 '("ssh" "-qT" "-i" "/path/to/ssh_key"
10531 "-W" "smtp-server:25" "user@@hostname")))))
10534 See below for more details about @code{inetd-configuration}.
10537 @deftp {Data Type} inetd-configuration
10538 Data type representing the configuration of @command{inetd}.
10541 @item @code{program} (default: @code{(file-append inetutils "/libexec/inetd")})
10542 The @command{inetd} executable to use.
10544 @item @code{entries} (default: @code{'()})
10545 A list of @command{inetd} service entries. Each entry should be created
10546 by the @code{inetd-entry} constructor.
10550 @deftp {Data Type} inetd-entry
10551 Data type representing an entry in the @command{inetd} configuration.
10552 Each entry corresponds to a socket where @command{inetd} will listen for
10556 @item @code{node} (default: @code{#f})
10557 Optional string, a comma-separated list of local addresses
10558 @command{inetd} should use when listening for this service.
10559 @xref{Configuration file,,, inetutils, GNU Inetutils} for a complete
10560 description of all options.
10562 A string, the name must correspond to an entry in @code{/etc/services}.
10563 @item @code{socket-type}
10564 One of @code{'stream}, @code{'dgram}, @code{'raw}, @code{'rdm} or
10566 @item @code{protocol}
10567 A string, must correspond to an entry in @code{/etc/protocols}.
10568 @item @code{wait?} (default: @code{#t})
10569 Whether @command{inetd} should wait for the server to exit before
10570 listening to new service requests.
10572 A string containing the user (and, optionally, group) name of the user
10573 as whom the server should run. The group name can be specified in a
10574 suffix, separated by a colon or period, i.e. @code{"user"},
10575 @code{"user:group"} or @code{"user.group"}.
10576 @item @code{program} (default: @code{"internal"})
10577 The server program which will serve the requests, or @code{"internal"}
10578 if @command{inetd} should use a built-in service.
10579 @item @code{arguments} (default: @code{'()})
10580 A list strings or file-like objects, which are the server program's
10581 arguments, starting with the zeroth argument, i.e. the name of the
10582 program itself. For @command{inetd}'s internal services, this entry
10583 must be @code{'()} or @code{'("internal")}.
10586 @xref{Configuration file,,, inetutils, GNU Inetutils} for a more
10587 detailed discussion of each configuration field.
10591 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} tor-service [@var{config-file}] [#:tor @var{tor}]
10592 Return a service to run the @uref{https://torproject.org, Tor} anonymous
10595 The daemon runs as the @code{tor} unprivileged user. It is passed
10596 @var{config-file}, a file-like object, with an additional @code{User tor} line
10597 and lines for hidden services added via @code{tor-hidden-service}. Run
10598 @command{man tor} for information about the configuration file.
10601 @cindex hidden service
10602 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} tor-hidden-service @var{name} @var{mapping}
10603 Define a new Tor @dfn{hidden service} called @var{name} and implementing
10604 @var{mapping}. @var{mapping} is a list of port/host tuples, such as:
10607 '((22 "127.0.0.1:22")
10608 (80 "127.0.0.1:8080"))
10611 In this example, port 22 of the hidden service is mapped to local port 22, and
10612 port 80 is mapped to local port 8080.
10614 This creates a @file{/var/lib/tor/hidden-services/@var{name}} directory, where
10615 the @file{hostname} file contains the @code{.onion} host name for the hidden
10618 See @uref{https://www.torproject.org/docs/tor-hidden-service.html.en, the Tor
10619 project's documentation} for more information.
10622 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} bitlbee-service [#:bitlbee bitlbee] @
10623 [#:interface "127.0.0.1"] [#:port 6667] @
10624 [#:extra-settings ""]
10625 Return a service that runs @url{http://bitlbee.org,BitlBee}, a daemon that
10626 acts as a gateway between IRC and chat networks.
10628 The daemon will listen to the interface corresponding to the IP address
10629 specified in @var{interface}, on @var{port}. @code{127.0.0.1} means that only
10630 local clients can connect, whereas @code{0.0.0.0} means that connections can
10631 come from any networking interface.
10633 In addition, @var{extra-settings} specifies a string to append to the
10634 configuration file.
10637 The @code{(gnu services rsync)} module provides the following services:
10639 You might want an rsync daemon if you have files that you want available
10640 so anyone (or just yourself) can download existing files or upload new
10643 @deffn {Scheme Variable} rsync-service-type
10644 This is the type for the @uref{https://rsync.samba.org, rsync} rsync daemon,
10645 @command{rsync-configuration} record as in this example:
10648 (service rsync-service-type)
10651 See below for details about @code{rsync-configuration}.
10654 @deftp {Data Type} rsync-configuration
10655 Data type representing the configuration for @code{rsync-service}.
10658 @item @code{package} (default: @var{rsync})
10659 @code{rsync} package to use.
10661 @item @code{port-number} (default: @code{873})
10662 TCP port on which @command{rsync} listens for incoming connections. If port
10663 is less than @code{1024} @command{rsync} needs to be started as the
10664 @code{root} user and group.
10666 @item @code{pid-file} (default: @code{"/var/run/rsyncd/rsyncd.pid"})
10667 Name of the file where @command{rsync} writes its PID.
10669 @item @code{lock-file} (default: @code{"/var/run/rsyncd/rsyncd.lock"})
10670 Name of the file where @command{rsync} writes its lock file.
10672 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{"/var/log/rsyncd.log"})
10673 Name of the file where @command{rsync} writes its log file.
10675 @item @code{use-chroot?} (default: @var{#t})
10676 Whether to use chroot for @command{rsync} shared directory.
10678 @item @code{share-path} (default: @file{/srv/rsync})
10679 Location of the @command{rsync} shared directory.
10681 @item @code{share-comment} (default: @code{"Rsync share"})
10682 Comment of the @command{rsync} shared directory.
10684 @item @code{read-only?} (default: @var{#f})
10685 Read-write permissions to shared directory.
10687 @item @code{timeout} (default: @code{300})
10688 I/O timeout in seconds.
10690 @item @code{user} (default: @var{"root"})
10691 Owner of the @code{rsync} process.
10693 @item @code{group} (default: @var{"root"})
10694 Group of the @code{rsync} process.
10696 @item @code{uid} (default: @var{"rsyncd"})
10697 User name or user ID that file transfers to and from that module should take
10698 place as when the daemon was run as @code{root}.
10700 @item @code{gid} (default: @var{"rsyncd"})
10701 Group name or group ID that will be used when accessing the module.
10706 Furthermore, @code{(gnu services ssh)} provides the following services.
10710 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} lsh-service [#:host-key "/etc/lsh/host-key"] @
10711 [#:daemonic? #t] [#:interfaces '()] [#:port-number 22] @
10712 [#:allow-empty-passwords? #f] [#:root-login? #f] @
10713 [#:syslog-output? #t] [#:x11-forwarding? #t] @
10714 [#:tcp/ip-forwarding? #t] [#:password-authentication? #t] @
10715 [#:public-key-authentication? #t] [#:initialize? #t]
10716 Run the @command{lshd} program from @var{lsh} to listen on port @var{port-number}.
10717 @var{host-key} must designate a file containing the host key, and readable
10720 When @var{daemonic?} is true, @command{lshd} will detach from the
10721 controlling terminal and log its output to syslogd, unless one sets
10722 @var{syslog-output?} to false. Obviously, it also makes lsh-service
10723 depend on existence of syslogd service. When @var{pid-file?} is true,
10724 @command{lshd} writes its PID to the file called @var{pid-file}.
10726 When @var{initialize?} is true, automatically create the seed and host key
10727 upon service activation if they do not exist yet. This may take long and
10728 require interaction.
10730 When @var{initialize?} is false, it is up to the user to initialize the
10731 randomness generator (@pxref{lsh-make-seed,,, lsh, LSH Manual}), and to create
10732 a key pair with the private key stored in file @var{host-key} (@pxref{lshd
10733 basics,,, lsh, LSH Manual}).
10735 When @var{interfaces} is empty, lshd listens for connections on all the
10736 network interfaces; otherwise, @var{interfaces} must be a list of host names
10739 @var{allow-empty-passwords?} specifies whether to accept log-ins with empty
10740 passwords, and @var{root-login?} specifies whether to accept log-ins as
10743 The other options should be self-descriptive.
10748 @deffn {Scheme Variable} openssh-service-type
10749 This is the type for the @uref{http://www.openssh.org, OpenSSH} secure
10750 shell daemon, @command{sshd}. Its value must be an
10751 @code{openssh-configuration} record as in this example:
10754 (service openssh-service-type
10755 (openssh-configuration
10756 (x11-forwarding? #t)
10757 (permit-root-login 'without-password)
10759 `(("alice" ,(local-file "alice.pub"))
10760 ("bob" ,(local-file "bob.pub"))))))
10763 See below for details about @code{openssh-configuration}.
10765 This service can be extended with extra authorized keys, as in this
10769 (service-extension openssh-service-type
10770 (const `(("charlie"
10771 ,(local-file "charlie.pub")))))
10775 @deftp {Data Type} openssh-configuration
10776 This is the configuration record for OpenSSH's @command{sshd}.
10779 @item @code{pid-file} (default: @code{"/var/run/sshd.pid"})
10780 Name of the file where @command{sshd} writes its PID.
10782 @item @code{port-number} (default: @code{22})
10783 TCP port on which @command{sshd} listens for incoming connections.
10785 @item @code{permit-root-login} (default: @code{#f})
10786 This field determines whether and when to allow logins as root. If
10787 @code{#f}, root logins are disallowed; if @code{#t}, they are allowed.
10788 If it's the symbol @code{'without-password}, then root logins are
10789 permitted but not with password-based authentication.
10791 @item @code{allow-empty-passwords?} (default: @code{#f})
10792 When true, users with empty passwords may log in. When false, they may
10795 @item @code{password-authentication?} (default: @code{#t})
10796 When true, users may log in with their password. When false, they have
10797 other authentication methods.
10799 @item @code{public-key-authentication?} (default: @code{#t})
10800 When true, users may log in using public key authentication. When
10801 false, users have to use other authentication method.
10803 Authorized public keys are stored in @file{~/.ssh/authorized_keys}.
10804 This is used only by protocol version 2.
10806 @item @code{x11-forwarding?} (default: @code{#f})
10807 When true, forwarding of X11 graphical client connections is
10808 enabled---in other words, @command{ssh} options @option{-X} and
10809 @option{-Y} will work.
10811 @item @code{challenge-response-authentication?} (default: @code{#f})
10812 Specifies whether challenge response authentication is allowed (e.g. via
10815 @item @code{use-pam?} (default: @code{#t})
10816 Enables the Pluggable Authentication Module interface. If set to
10817 @code{#t}, this will enable PAM authentication using
10818 @code{challenge-response-authentication?} and
10819 @code{password-authentication?}, in addition to PAM account and session
10820 module processing for all authentication types.
10822 Because PAM challenge response authentication usually serves an
10823 equivalent role to password authentication, you should disable either
10824 @code{challenge-response-authentication?} or
10825 @code{password-authentication?}.
10827 @item @code{print-last-log?} (default: @code{#t})
10828 Specifies whether @command{sshd} should print the date and time of the
10829 last user login when a user logs in interactively.
10831 @item @code{subsystems} (default: @code{'(("sftp" "internal-sftp"))})
10832 Configures external subsystems (e.g. file transfer daemon).
10834 This is a list of two-element lists, each of which containing the
10835 subsystem name and a command (with optional arguments) to execute upon
10838 The command @command{internal-sftp} implements an in-process SFTP
10839 server. Alternately, one can specify the @command{sftp-server} command:
10841 (service openssh-service-type
10842 (openssh-configuration
10844 `(("sftp" ,(file-append openssh "/libexec/sftp-server"))))))
10847 @item @code{authorized-keys} (default: @code{'()})
10848 @cindex authorized keys, SSH
10849 @cindex SSH authorized keys
10850 This is the list of authorized keys. Each element of the list is a user
10851 name followed by one or more file-like objects that represent SSH public
10855 (openssh-configuration
10857 `(("rekado" ,(local-file "rekado.pub"))
10858 ("chris" ,(local-file "chris.pub"))
10859 ("root" ,(local-file "rekado.pub") ,(local-file "chris.pub")))))
10863 registers the specified public keys for user accounts @code{rekado},
10864 @code{chris}, and @code{root}.
10866 Additional authorized keys can be specified @i{via}
10867 @code{service-extension}.
10869 Note that this does @emph{not} interfere with the use of
10870 @file{~/.ssh/authorized_keys}.
10874 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} dropbear-service [@var{config}]
10875 Run the @uref{https://matt.ucc.asn.au/dropbear/dropbear.html,Dropbear SSH
10876 daemon} with the given @var{config}, a @code{<dropbear-configuration>}
10879 For example, to specify a Dropbear service listening on port 1234, add
10880 this call to the operating system's @code{services} field:
10883 (dropbear-service (dropbear-configuration
10884 (port-number 1234)))
10888 @deftp {Data Type} dropbear-configuration
10889 This data type represents the configuration of a Dropbear SSH daemon.
10892 @item @code{dropbear} (default: @var{dropbear})
10893 The Dropbear package to use.
10895 @item @code{port-number} (default: 22)
10896 The TCP port where the daemon waits for incoming connections.
10898 @item @code{syslog-output?} (default: @code{#t})
10899 Whether to enable syslog output.
10901 @item @code{pid-file} (default: @code{"/var/run/dropbear.pid"})
10902 File name of the daemon's PID file.
10904 @item @code{root-login?} (default: @code{#f})
10905 Whether to allow @code{root} logins.
10907 @item @code{allow-empty-passwords?} (default: @code{#f})
10908 Whether to allow empty passwords.
10910 @item @code{password-authentication?} (default: @code{#t})
10911 Whether to enable password-based authentication.
10915 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %facebook-host-aliases
10916 This variable contains a string for use in @file{/etc/hosts}
10917 (@pxref{Host Names,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}). Each
10918 line contains a entry that maps a known server name of the Facebook
10919 on-line service---e.g., @code{www.facebook.com}---to the local
10920 host---@code{127.0.0.1} or its IPv6 equivalent, @code{::1}.
10922 This variable is typically used in the @code{hosts-file} field of an
10923 @code{operating-system} declaration (@pxref{operating-system Reference,
10924 @file{/etc/hosts}}):
10927 (use-modules (gnu) (guix))
10930 (host-name "mymachine")
10933 ;; Create a /etc/hosts file with aliases for "localhost"
10934 ;; and "mymachine", as well as for Facebook servers.
10935 (plain-file "hosts"
10936 (string-append (local-host-aliases host-name)
10937 %facebook-host-aliases))))
10940 This mechanism can prevent programs running locally, such as Web
10941 browsers, from accessing Facebook.
10944 The @code{(gnu services avahi)} provides the following definition.
10946 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} avahi-service [#:avahi @var{avahi}] @
10947 [#:host-name #f] [#:publish? #t] [#:ipv4? #t] @
10948 [#:ipv6? #t] [#:wide-area? #f] @
10949 [#:domains-to-browse '()] [#:debug? #f]
10950 Return a service that runs @command{avahi-daemon}, a system-wide
10951 mDNS/DNS-SD responder that allows for service discovery and
10952 "zero-configuration" host name lookups (see @uref{http://avahi.org/}), and
10953 extends the name service cache daemon (nscd) so that it can resolve
10954 @code{.local} host names using
10955 @uref{http://0pointer.de/lennart/projects/nss-mdns/, nss-mdns}. Additionally,
10956 add the @var{avahi} package to the system profile so that commands such as
10957 @command{avahi-browse} are directly usable.
10959 If @var{host-name} is different from @code{#f}, use that as the host name to
10960 publish for this machine; otherwise, use the machine's actual host name.
10962 When @var{publish?} is true, publishing of host names and services is allowed;
10963 in particular, avahi-daemon will publish the machine's host name and IP
10964 address via mDNS on the local network.
10966 When @var{wide-area?} is true, DNS-SD over unicast DNS is enabled.
10968 Boolean values @var{ipv4?} and @var{ipv6?} determine whether to use IPv4/IPv6
10972 @deffn {Scheme Variable} openvswitch-service-type
10973 This is the type of the @uref{http://www.openvswitch.org, Open vSwitch}
10974 service, whose value should be an @code{openvswitch-configuration}
10978 @deftp {Data Type} openvswitch-configuration
10979 Data type representing the configuration of Open vSwitch, a multilayer
10980 virtual switch which is designed to enable massive network automation
10981 through programmatic extension.
10984 @item @code{package} (default: @var{openvswitch})
10985 Package object of the Open vSwitch.
10991 @subsubsection X Window
10994 @cindex X Window System
10995 @cindex login manager
10996 Support for the X Window graphical display system---specifically
10997 Xorg---is provided by the @code{(gnu services xorg)} module. Note that
10998 there is no @code{xorg-service} procedure. Instead, the X server is
10999 started by the @dfn{login manager}, by default SLiM.
11001 @cindex window manager
11002 To use X11, you must install at least one @dfn{window manager}---for
11003 example the @code{windowmaker} or @code{openbox} packages---preferably
11004 by adding it to the @code{packages} field of your operating system
11005 definition (@pxref{operating-system Reference, system-wide packages}).
11007 @defvr {Scheme Variable} slim-service-type
11008 This is the type for the SLiM graphical login manager for X11.
11010 @cindex session types (X11)
11011 @cindex X11 session types
11012 SLiM looks for @dfn{session types} described by the @file{.desktop} files in
11013 @file{/run/current-system/profile/share/xsessions} and allows users to
11014 choose a session from the log-in screen using @kbd{F1}. Packages such
11015 as @code{xfce}, @code{sawfish}, and @code{ratpoison} provide
11016 @file{.desktop} files; adding them to the system-wide set of packages
11017 automatically makes them available at the log-in screen.
11019 In addition, @file{~/.xsession} files are honored. When available,
11020 @file{~/.xsession} must be an executable that starts a window manager
11021 and/or other X clients.
11024 @deftp {Data Type} slim-configuration
11025 Data type representing the configuration of @code{slim-service-type}.
11028 @item @code{allow-empty-passwords?} (default: @code{#t})
11029 Whether to allow logins with empty passwords.
11031 @item @code{auto-login?} (default: @code{#f})
11032 @itemx @code{default-user} (default: @code{""})
11033 When @code{auto-login?} is false, SLiM presents a log-in screen.
11035 When @code{auto-login?} is true, SLiM logs in directly as
11036 @code{default-user}.
11038 @item @code{theme} (default: @code{%default-slim-theme})
11039 @itemx @code{theme-name} (default: @code{%default-slim-theme-name})
11040 The graphical theme to use and its name.
11042 @item @code{auto-login-session} (default: @code{#f})
11043 If true, this must be the name of the executable to start as the default
11044 session---e.g., @code{(file-append windowmaker "/bin/windowmaker")}.
11046 If false, a session described by one of the available @file{.desktop}
11047 files in @code{/run/current-system/profile} and @code{~/.guix-profile}
11051 You must install at least one window manager in the system profile or in
11052 your user profile. Failing to do that, if @code{auto-login-session} is
11053 false, you will be unable to log in.
11056 @item @code{startx} (default: @code{(xorg-start-command)})
11057 The command used to start the X11 graphical server.
11059 @item @code{xauth} (default: @code{xauth})
11060 The XAuth package to use.
11062 @item @code{shepherd} (default: @code{shepherd})
11063 The Shepherd package used when invoking @command{halt} and
11066 @item @code{slim} (default: @code{slim})
11067 The SLiM package to use.
11071 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-theme
11072 @defvrx {Scheme Variable} %default-theme-name
11073 The default SLiM theme and its name.
11077 @deftp {Data Type} sddm-configuration
11078 This is the data type representing the sddm service configuration.
11081 @item @code{display-server} (default: "x11")
11082 Select display server to use for the greeter. Valid values are "x11"
11085 @item @code{numlock} (default: "on")
11086 Valid values are "on", "off" or "none".
11088 @item @code{halt-command} (default @code{#~(string-apppend #$shepherd "/sbin/halt")})
11089 Command to run when halting.
11091 @item @code{reboot-command} (default @code{#~(string-append #$shepherd "/sbin/reboot")})
11092 Command to run when rebooting.
11094 @item @code{theme} (default "maldives")
11095 Theme to use. Default themes provided by SDDM are "elarun" or "maldives".
11097 @item @code{themes-directory} (default "/run/current-system/profile/share/sddm/themes")
11098 Directory to look for themes.
11100 @item @code{faces-directory} (default "/run/current-system/profile/share/sddm/faces")
11101 Directory to look for faces.
11103 @item @code{default-path} (default "/run/current-system/profile/bin")
11104 Default PATH to use.
11106 @item @code{minimum-uid} (default 1000)
11107 Minimum UID to display in SDDM.
11109 @item @code{maximum-uid} (default 2000)
11110 Maximum UID to display in SDDM
11112 @item @code{remember-last-user?} (default #t)
11113 Remember last user.
11115 @item @code{remember-last-session?} (default #t)
11116 Remember last session.
11118 @item @code{hide-users} (default "")
11119 Usernames to hide from SDDM greeter.
11121 @item @code{hide-shells} (default @code{#~(string-append #$shadow "/sbin/nologin")})
11122 Users with shells listed will be hidden from the SDDM greeter.
11124 @item @code{session-command} (default @code{#~(string-append #$sddm "/share/sddm/scripts/wayland-session")})
11125 Script to run before starting a wayland session.
11127 @item @code{sessions-directory} (default "/run/current-system/profile/share/wayland-sessions")
11128 Directory to look for desktop files starting wayland sessions.
11130 @item @code{xorg-server-path} (default @code{xorg-start-command})
11131 Path to xorg-server.
11133 @item @code{xauth-path} (default @code{#~(string-append #$xauth "/bin/xauth")})
11136 @item @code{xephyr-path} (default @code{#~(string-append #$xorg-server "/bin/Xephyr")})
11139 @item @code{xdisplay-start} (default @code{#~(string-append #$sddm "/share/sddm/scripts/Xsetup")})
11140 Script to run after starting xorg-server.
11142 @item @code{xdisplay-stop} (default @code{#~(string-append #$sddm "/share/sddm/scripts/Xstop")})
11143 Script to run before stopping xorg-server.
11145 @item @code{xsession-command} (default: @code{xinitr })
11146 Script to run before starting a X session.
11148 @item @code{xsessions-directory} (default: "/run/current-system/profile/share/xsessions")
11149 Directory to look for desktop files starting X sessions.
11151 @item @code{minimum-vt} (default: 7)
11154 @item @code{xserver-arguments} (default "-nolisten tcp")
11155 Arguments to pass to xorg-server.
11157 @item @code{auto-login-user} (default "")
11158 User to use for auto-login.
11160 @item @code{auto-login-session} (default "")
11161 Desktop file to use for auto-login.
11163 @item @code{relogin?} (default #f)
11164 Relogin after logout.
11169 @cindex login manager
11171 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} sddm-service config
11172 Return a service that spawns the SDDM graphical login manager for config of
11173 type @code{<sddm-configuration>}.
11176 (sddm-service (sddm-configuration
11177 (auto-login-user "Alice")
11178 (auto-login-session "xfce.desktop")))
11182 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} xorg-start-command [#:guile] @
11183 [#:modules %default-xorg-modules] @
11184 [#:fonts %default-xorg-fonts] @
11185 [#:configuration-file (xorg-configuration-file @dots{})] @
11186 [#:xorg-server @var{xorg-server}]
11187 Return a @code{startx} script in which @var{modules}, a list of X module
11188 packages, and @var{fonts}, a list of X font directories, are available. See
11189 @code{xorg-wrapper} for more details on the arguments. The result should be
11190 used in place of @code{startx}.
11192 Usually the X server is started by a login manager.
11195 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} xorg-configuration-file @
11196 [#:modules %default-xorg-modules] @
11197 [#:fonts %default-xorg-fonts] @
11198 [#:drivers '()] [#:resolutions '()] [#:extra-config '()]
11199 Return a configuration file for the Xorg server containing search paths for
11200 all the common drivers.
11202 @var{modules} must be a list of @dfn{module packages} loaded by the Xorg
11203 server---e.g., @code{xf86-video-vesa}, @code{xf86-input-keyboard}, and so on.
11204 @var{fonts} must be a list of font directories to add to the server's
11207 @var{drivers} must be either the empty list, in which case Xorg chooses a
11208 graphics driver automatically, or a list of driver names that will be tried in
11209 this order---e.g., @code{("modesetting" "vesa")}.
11211 Likewise, when @var{resolutions} is the empty list, Xorg chooses an
11212 appropriate screen resolution; otherwise, it must be a list of
11213 resolutions---e.g., @code{((1024 768) (640 480))}.
11215 Last, @var{extra-config} is a list of strings or objects appended to the
11216 configuration file. It is used to pass extra text to be
11217 added verbatim to the configuration file.
11220 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} screen-locker-service @var{package} [@var{name}]
11221 Add @var{package}, a package for a screen-locker or screen-saver whose
11222 command is @var{program}, to the set of setuid programs and add a PAM entry
11223 for it. For example:
11226 (screen-locker-service xlockmore "xlock")
11229 makes the good ol' XlockMore usable.
11233 @node Printing Services
11234 @subsubsection Printing Services
11236 @cindex printer support with CUPS
11237 The @code{(gnu services cups)} module provides a Guix service definition
11238 for the CUPS printing service. To add printer support to a GuixSD
11239 system, add a @code{cups-service} to the operating system definition:
11241 @deffn {Scheme Variable} cups-service-type
11242 The service type for the CUPS print server. Its value should be a valid
11243 CUPS configuration (see below). To use the default settings, simply
11246 (service cups-service-type)
11250 The CUPS configuration controls the basic things about your CUPS
11251 installation: what interfaces it listens on, what to do if a print job
11252 fails, how much logging to do, and so on. To actually add a printer,
11253 you have to visit the @url{http://localhost:631} URL, or use a tool such
11254 as GNOME's printer configuration services. By default, configuring a
11255 CUPS service will generate a self-signed certificate if needed, for
11256 secure connections to the print server.
11258 Suppose you want to enable the Web interface of CUPS and also add
11259 support for HP printers @i{via} the @code{hplip} package. You can do
11260 that directly, like this (you need to use the @code{(gnu packages cups)}
11264 (service cups-service-type
11265 (cups-configuration
11266 (web-interface? #t)
11268 (list cups-filters hplip))))
11271 The available configuration parameters follow. Each parameter
11272 definition is preceded by its type; for example, @samp{string-list foo}
11273 indicates that the @code{foo} parameter should be specified as a list of
11274 strings. There is also a way to specify the configuration as a string,
11275 if you have an old @code{cupsd.conf} file that you want to port over
11276 from some other system; see the end for more details.
11278 @c The following documentation was initially generated by
11279 @c (generate-documentation) in (gnu services cups). Manually maintained
11280 @c documentation is better, so we shouldn't hesitate to edit below as
11281 @c needed. However if the change you want to make to this documentation
11282 @c can be done in an automated way, it's probably easier to change
11283 @c (generate-documentation) than to make it below and have to deal with
11284 @c the churn as CUPS updates.
11287 Available @code{cups-configuration} fields are:
11289 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} package cups
11293 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} package-list extensions
11294 Drivers and other extensions to the CUPS package.
11297 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} files-configuration files-configuration
11298 Configuration of where to write logs, what directories to use for print
11299 spools, and related privileged configuration parameters.
11301 Available @code{files-configuration} fields are:
11303 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} log-location access-log
11304 Defines the access log filename. Specifying a blank filename disables
11305 access log generation. The value @code{stderr} causes log entries to be
11306 sent to the standard error file when the scheduler is running in the
11307 foreground, or to the system log daemon when run in the background. The
11308 value @code{syslog} causes log entries to be sent to the system log
11309 daemon. The server name may be included in filenames using the string
11310 @code{%s}, as in @code{/var/log/cups/%s-access_log}.
11312 Defaults to @samp{"/var/log/cups/access_log"}.
11315 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} file-name cache-dir
11316 Where CUPS should cache data.
11318 Defaults to @samp{"/var/cache/cups"}.
11321 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string config-file-perm
11322 Specifies the permissions for all configuration files that the scheduler
11325 Note that the permissions for the printers.conf file are currently
11326 masked to only allow access from the scheduler user (typically root).
11327 This is done because printer device URIs sometimes contain sensitive
11328 authentication information that should not be generally known on the
11329 system. There is no way to disable this security feature.
11331 Defaults to @samp{"0640"}.
11334 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} log-location error-log
11335 Defines the error log filename. Specifying a blank filename disables
11336 access log generation. The value @code{stderr} causes log entries to be
11337 sent to the standard error file when the scheduler is running in the
11338 foreground, or to the system log daemon when run in the background. The
11339 value @code{syslog} causes log entries to be sent to the system log
11340 daemon. The server name may be included in filenames using the string
11341 @code{%s}, as in @code{/var/log/cups/%s-error_log}.
11343 Defaults to @samp{"/var/log/cups/error_log"}.
11346 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string fatal-errors
11347 Specifies which errors are fatal, causing the scheduler to exit. The
11352 No errors are fatal.
11355 All of the errors below are fatal.
11358 Browsing initialization errors are fatal, for example failed connections
11359 to the DNS-SD daemon.
11362 Configuration file syntax errors are fatal.
11365 Listen or Port errors are fatal, except for IPv6 failures on the
11366 loopback or @code{any} addresses.
11369 Log file creation or write errors are fatal.
11372 Bad startup file permissions are fatal, for example shared TLS
11373 certificate and key files with world-read permissions.
11376 Defaults to @samp{"all -browse"}.
11379 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} boolean file-device?
11380 Specifies whether the file pseudo-device can be used for new printer
11381 queues. The URI @uref{file:///dev/null} is always allowed.
11383 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
11386 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string group
11387 Specifies the group name or ID that will be used when executing external
11390 Defaults to @samp{"lp"}.
11393 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string log-file-perm
11394 Specifies the permissions for all log files that the scheduler writes.
11396 Defaults to @samp{"0644"}.
11399 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} log-location page-log
11400 Defines the page log filename. Specifying a blank filename disables
11401 access log generation. The value @code{stderr} causes log entries to be
11402 sent to the standard error file when the scheduler is running in the
11403 foreground, or to the system log daemon when run in the background. The
11404 value @code{syslog} causes log entries to be sent to the system log
11405 daemon. The server name may be included in filenames using the string
11406 @code{%s}, as in @code{/var/log/cups/%s-page_log}.
11408 Defaults to @samp{"/var/log/cups/page_log"}.
11411 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string remote-root
11412 Specifies the username that is associated with unauthenticated accesses
11413 by clients claiming to be the root user. The default is @code{remroot}.
11415 Defaults to @samp{"remroot"}.
11418 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} file-name request-root
11419 Specifies the directory that contains print jobs and other HTTP request
11422 Defaults to @samp{"/var/spool/cups"}.
11425 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} sandboxing sandboxing
11426 Specifies the level of security sandboxing that is applied to print
11427 filters, backends, and other child processes of the scheduler; either
11428 @code{relaxed} or @code{strict}. This directive is currently only
11429 used/supported on macOS.
11431 Defaults to @samp{strict}.
11434 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} file-name server-keychain
11435 Specifies the location of TLS certificates and private keys. CUPS will
11436 look for public and private keys in this directory: a @code{.crt} files
11437 for PEM-encoded certificates and corresponding @code{.key} files for
11438 PEM-encoded private keys.
11440 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/cups/ssl"}.
11443 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} file-name server-root
11444 Specifies the directory containing the server configuration files.
11446 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/cups"}.
11449 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} boolean sync-on-close?
11450 Specifies whether the scheduler calls fsync(2) after writing
11451 configuration or state files.
11453 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
11456 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list system-group
11457 Specifies the group(s) to use for @code{@@SYSTEM} group authentication.
11460 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} file-name temp-dir
11461 Specifies the directory where temporary files are stored.
11463 Defaults to @samp{"/var/spool/cups/tmp"}.
11466 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string user
11467 Specifies the user name or ID that is used when running external
11470 Defaults to @samp{"lp"}.
11474 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} access-log-level access-log-level
11475 Specifies the logging level for the AccessLog file. The @code{config}
11476 level logs when printers and classes are added, deleted, or modified and
11477 when configuration files are accessed or updated. The @code{actions}
11478 level logs when print jobs are submitted, held, released, modified, or
11479 canceled, and any of the conditions for @code{config}. The @code{all}
11480 level logs all requests.
11482 Defaults to @samp{actions}.
11485 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean auto-purge-jobs?
11486 Specifies whether to purge job history data automatically when it is no
11487 longer required for quotas.
11489 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
11492 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} browse-local-protocols browse-local-protocols
11493 Specifies which protocols to use for local printer sharing.
11495 Defaults to @samp{dnssd}.
11498 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean browse-web-if?
11499 Specifies whether the CUPS web interface is advertised.
11501 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
11504 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean browsing?
11505 Specifies whether shared printers are advertised.
11507 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
11510 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string classification
11511 Specifies the security classification of the server. Any valid banner
11512 name can be used, including "classified", "confidential", "secret",
11513 "topsecret", and "unclassified", or the banner can be omitted to disable
11514 secure printing functions.
11516 Defaults to @samp{""}.
11519 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean classify-override?
11520 Specifies whether users may override the classification (cover page) of
11521 individual print jobs using the @code{job-sheets} option.
11523 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
11526 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} default-auth-type default-auth-type
11527 Specifies the default type of authentication to use.
11529 Defaults to @samp{Basic}.
11532 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} default-encryption default-encryption
11533 Specifies whether encryption will be used for authenticated requests.
11535 Defaults to @samp{Required}.
11538 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string default-language
11539 Specifies the default language to use for text and web content.
11541 Defaults to @samp{"en"}.
11544 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string default-paper-size
11545 Specifies the default paper size for new print queues. @samp{"Auto"}
11546 uses a locale-specific default, while @samp{"None"} specifies there is
11547 no default paper size. Specific size names are typically
11548 @samp{"Letter"} or @samp{"A4"}.
11550 Defaults to @samp{"Auto"}.
11553 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string default-policy
11554 Specifies the default access policy to use.
11556 Defaults to @samp{"default"}.
11559 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean default-shared?
11560 Specifies whether local printers are shared by default.
11562 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
11565 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer dirty-clean-interval
11566 Specifies the delay for updating of configuration and state files, in
11567 seconds. A value of 0 causes the update to happen as soon as possible,
11568 typically within a few milliseconds.
11570 Defaults to @samp{30}.
11573 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} error-policy error-policy
11574 Specifies what to do when an error occurs. Possible values are
11575 @code{abort-job}, which will discard the failed print job;
11576 @code{retry-job}, which will retry the job at a later time;
11577 @code{retry-this-job}, which retries the failed job immediately; and
11578 @code{stop-printer}, which stops the printer.
11580 Defaults to @samp{stop-printer}.
11583 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer filter-limit
11584 Specifies the maximum cost of filters that are run concurrently, which
11585 can be used to minimize disk, memory, and CPU resource problems. A
11586 limit of 0 disables filter limiting. An average print to a
11587 non-PostScript printer needs a filter limit of about 200. A PostScript
11588 printer needs about half that (100). Setting the limit below these
11589 thresholds will effectively limit the scheduler to printing a single job
11592 Defaults to @samp{0}.
11595 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer filter-nice
11596 Specifies the scheduling priority of filters that are run to print a
11597 job. The nice value ranges from 0, the highest priority, to 19, the
11600 Defaults to @samp{0}.
11603 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} host-name-lookups host-name-lookups
11604 Specifies whether to do reverse lookups on connecting clients. The
11605 @code{double} setting causes @code{cupsd} to verify that the hostname
11606 resolved from the address matches one of the addresses returned for that
11607 hostname. Double lookups also prevent clients with unregistered
11608 addresses from connecting to your server. Only set this option to
11609 @code{#t} or @code{double} if absolutely required.
11611 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
11614 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer job-kill-delay
11615 Specifies the number of seconds to wait before killing the filters and
11616 backend associated with a canceled or held job.
11618 Defaults to @samp{30}.
11621 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer job-retry-interval
11622 Specifies the interval between retries of jobs in seconds. This is
11623 typically used for fax queues but can also be used with normal print
11624 queues whose error policy is @code{retry-job} or
11625 @code{retry-current-job}.
11627 Defaults to @samp{30}.
11630 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer job-retry-limit
11631 Specifies the number of retries that are done for jobs. This is
11632 typically used for fax queues but can also be used with normal print
11633 queues whose error policy is @code{retry-job} or
11634 @code{retry-current-job}.
11636 Defaults to @samp{5}.
11639 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean keep-alive?
11640 Specifies whether to support HTTP keep-alive connections.
11642 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
11645 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer keep-alive-timeout
11646 Specifies how long an idle client connection remains open, in seconds.
11648 Defaults to @samp{30}.
11651 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer limit-request-body
11652 Specifies the maximum size of print files, IPP requests, and HTML form
11653 data. A limit of 0 disables the limit check.
11655 Defaults to @samp{0}.
11658 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} multiline-string-list listen
11659 Listens on the specified interfaces for connections. Valid values are
11660 of the form @var{address}:@var{port}, where @var{address} is either an
11661 IPv6 address enclosed in brackets, an IPv4 address, or @code{*} to
11662 indicate all addresses. Values can also be file names of local UNIX
11663 domain sockets. The Listen directive is similar to the Port directive
11664 but allows you to restrict access to specific interfaces or networks.
11667 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer listen-back-log
11668 Specifies the number of pending connections that will be allowed. This
11669 normally only affects very busy servers that have reached the MaxClients
11670 limit, but can also be triggered by large numbers of simultaneous
11671 connections. When the limit is reached, the operating system will
11672 refuse additional connections until the scheduler can accept the pending
11675 Defaults to @samp{128}.
11678 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} location-access-control-list location-access-controls
11679 Specifies a set of additional access controls.
11681 Available @code{location-access-controls} fields are:
11683 @deftypevr {@code{location-access-controls} parameter} file-name path
11684 Specifies the URI path to which the access control applies.
11687 @deftypevr {@code{location-access-controls} parameter} access-control-list access-controls
11688 Access controls for all access to this path, in the same format as the
11689 @code{access-controls} of @code{operation-access-control}.
11691 Defaults to @samp{()}.
11694 @deftypevr {@code{location-access-controls} parameter} method-access-control-list method-access-controls
11695 Access controls for method-specific access to this path.
11697 Defaults to @samp{()}.
11699 Available @code{method-access-controls} fields are:
11701 @deftypevr {@code{method-access-controls} parameter} boolean reverse?
11702 If @code{#t}, apply access controls to all methods except the listed
11703 methods. Otherwise apply to only the listed methods.
11705 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
11708 @deftypevr {@code{method-access-controls} parameter} method-list methods
11709 Methods to which this access control applies.
11711 Defaults to @samp{()}.
11714 @deftypevr {@code{method-access-controls} parameter} access-control-list access-controls
11715 Access control directives, as a list of strings. Each string should be
11716 one directive, such as "Order allow,deny".
11718 Defaults to @samp{()}.
11723 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer log-debug-history
11724 Specifies the number of debugging messages that are retained for logging
11725 if an error occurs in a print job. Debug messages are logged regardless
11726 of the LogLevel setting.
11728 Defaults to @samp{100}.
11731 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} log-level log-level
11732 Specifies the level of logging for the ErrorLog file. The value
11733 @code{none} stops all logging while @code{debug2} logs everything.
11735 Defaults to @samp{info}.
11738 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} log-time-format log-time-format
11739 Specifies the format of the date and time in the log files. The value
11740 @code{standard} logs whole seconds while @code{usecs} logs microseconds.
11742 Defaults to @samp{standard}.
11745 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-clients
11746 Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous clients that are allowed by
11749 Defaults to @samp{100}.
11752 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-clients-per-host
11753 Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous clients that are allowed
11754 from a single address.
11756 Defaults to @samp{100}.
11759 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-copies
11760 Specifies the maximum number of copies that a user can print of each
11763 Defaults to @samp{9999}.
11766 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-hold-time
11767 Specifies the maximum time a job may remain in the @code{indefinite}
11768 hold state before it is canceled. A value of 0 disables cancellation of
11771 Defaults to @samp{0}.
11774 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-jobs
11775 Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous jobs that are allowed. Set
11776 to 0 to allow an unlimited number of jobs.
11778 Defaults to @samp{500}.
11781 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-jobs-per-printer
11782 Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous jobs that are allowed per
11783 printer. A value of 0 allows up to MaxJobs jobs per printer.
11785 Defaults to @samp{0}.
11788 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-jobs-per-user
11789 Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous jobs that are allowed per
11790 user. A value of 0 allows up to MaxJobs jobs per user.
11792 Defaults to @samp{0}.
11795 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-job-time
11796 Specifies the maximum time a job may take to print before it is
11797 canceled, in seconds. Set to 0 to disable cancellation of "stuck" jobs.
11799 Defaults to @samp{10800}.
11802 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-log-size
11803 Specifies the maximum size of the log files before they are rotated, in
11804 bytes. The value 0 disables log rotation.
11806 Defaults to @samp{1048576}.
11809 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer multiple-operation-timeout
11810 Specifies the maximum amount of time to allow between files in a
11811 multiple file print job, in seconds.
11813 Defaults to @samp{300}.
11816 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string page-log-format
11817 Specifies the format of PageLog lines. Sequences beginning with percent
11818 (@samp{%}) characters are replaced with the corresponding information,
11819 while all other characters are copied literally. The following percent
11820 sequences are recognized:
11824 insert a single percent character
11827 insert the value of the specified IPP attribute
11830 insert the number of copies for the current page
11833 insert the current page number
11836 insert the current date and time in common log format
11842 insert the printer name
11845 insert the username
11848 A value of the empty string disables page logging. The string @code{%p
11849 %u %j %T %P %C %@{job-billing@} %@{job-originating-host-name@}
11850 %@{job-name@} %@{media@} %@{sides@}} creates a page log with the
11853 Defaults to @samp{""}.
11856 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} environment-variables environment-variables
11857 Passes the specified environment variable(s) to child processes; a list
11860 Defaults to @samp{()}.
11863 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} policy-configuration-list policies
11864 Specifies named access control policies.
11866 Available @code{policy-configuration} fields are:
11868 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} string name
11869 Name of the policy.
11872 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} string job-private-access
11873 Specifies an access list for a job's private values. @code{@@ACL} maps
11874 to the printer's requesting-user-name-allowed or
11875 requesting-user-name-denied values. @code{@@OWNER} maps to the job's
11876 owner. @code{@@SYSTEM} maps to the groups listed for the
11877 @code{system-group} field of the @code{files-config} configuration,
11878 which is reified into the @code{cups-files.conf(5)} file. Other
11879 possible elements of the access list include specific user names, and
11880 @code{@@@var{group}} to indicate members of a specific group. The
11881 access list may also be simply @code{all} or @code{default}.
11883 Defaults to @samp{"@@OWNER @@SYSTEM"}.
11886 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} string job-private-values
11887 Specifies the list of job values to make private, or @code{all},
11888 @code{default}, or @code{none}.
11890 Defaults to @samp{"job-name job-originating-host-name
11891 job-originating-user-name phone"}.
11894 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} string subscription-private-access
11895 Specifies an access list for a subscription's private values.
11896 @code{@@ACL} maps to the printer's requesting-user-name-allowed or
11897 requesting-user-name-denied values. @code{@@OWNER} maps to the job's
11898 owner. @code{@@SYSTEM} maps to the groups listed for the
11899 @code{system-group} field of the @code{files-config} configuration,
11900 which is reified into the @code{cups-files.conf(5)} file. Other
11901 possible elements of the access list include specific user names, and
11902 @code{@@@var{group}} to indicate members of a specific group. The
11903 access list may also be simply @code{all} or @code{default}.
11905 Defaults to @samp{"@@OWNER @@SYSTEM"}.
11908 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} string subscription-private-values
11909 Specifies the list of job values to make private, or @code{all},
11910 @code{default}, or @code{none}.
11912 Defaults to @samp{"notify-events notify-pull-method notify-recipient-uri
11913 notify-subscriber-user-name notify-user-data"}.
11916 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} operation-access-control-list access-controls
11917 Access control by IPP operation.
11919 Defaults to @samp{()}.
11923 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean-or-non-negative-integer preserve-job-files
11924 Specifies whether job files (documents) are preserved after a job is
11925 printed. If a numeric value is specified, job files are preserved for
11926 the indicated number of seconds after printing. Otherwise a boolean
11927 value applies indefinitely.
11929 Defaults to @samp{86400}.
11932 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean-or-non-negative-integer preserve-job-history
11933 Specifies whether the job history is preserved after a job is printed.
11934 If a numeric value is specified, the job history is preserved for the
11935 indicated number of seconds after printing. If @code{#t}, the job
11936 history is preserved until the MaxJobs limit is reached.
11938 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
11941 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer reload-timeout
11942 Specifies the amount of time to wait for job completion before
11943 restarting the scheduler.
11945 Defaults to @samp{30}.
11948 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string rip-cache
11949 Specifies the maximum amount of memory to use when converting documents
11950 into bitmaps for a printer.
11952 Defaults to @samp{"128m"}.
11955 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string server-admin
11956 Specifies the email address of the server administrator.
11958 Defaults to @samp{"root@@localhost.localdomain"}.
11961 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} host-name-list-or-* server-alias
11962 The ServerAlias directive is used for HTTP Host header validation when
11963 clients connect to the scheduler from external interfaces. Using the
11964 special name @code{*} can expose your system to known browser-based DNS
11965 rebinding attacks, even when accessing sites through a firewall. If the
11966 auto-discovery of alternate names does not work, we recommend listing
11967 each alternate name with a ServerAlias directive instead of using
11970 Defaults to @samp{*}.
11973 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string server-name
11974 Specifies the fully-qualified host name of the server.
11976 Defaults to @samp{"localhost"}.
11979 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} server-tokens server-tokens
11980 Specifies what information is included in the Server header of HTTP
11981 responses. @code{None} disables the Server header. @code{ProductOnly}
11982 reports @code{CUPS}. @code{Major} reports @code{CUPS 2}. @code{Minor}
11983 reports @code{CUPS 2.0}. @code{Minimal} reports @code{CUPS 2.0.0}.
11984 @code{OS} reports @code{CUPS 2.0.0 (@var{uname})} where @var{uname} is
11985 the output of the @code{uname} command. @code{Full} reports @code{CUPS
11986 2.0.0 (@var{uname}) IPP/2.0}.
11988 Defaults to @samp{Minimal}.
11991 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string set-env
11992 Set the specified environment variable to be passed to child processes.
11994 Defaults to @samp{"variable value"}.
11997 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} multiline-string-list ssl-listen
11998 Listens on the specified interfaces for encrypted connections. Valid
11999 values are of the form @var{address}:@var{port}, where @var{address} is
12000 either an IPv6 address enclosed in brackets, an IPv4 address, or
12001 @code{*} to indicate all addresses.
12003 Defaults to @samp{()}.
12006 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} ssl-options ssl-options
12007 Sets encryption options. By default, CUPS only supports encryption
12008 using TLS v1.0 or higher using known secure cipher suites. The
12009 @code{AllowRC4} option enables the 128-bit RC4 cipher suites, which are
12010 required for some older clients that do not implement newer ones. The
12011 @code{AllowSSL3} option enables SSL v3.0, which is required for some
12012 older clients that do not support TLS v1.0.
12014 Defaults to @samp{()}.
12017 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean strict-conformance?
12018 Specifies whether the scheduler requires clients to strictly adhere to
12019 the IPP specifications.
12021 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
12024 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer timeout
12025 Specifies the HTTP request timeout, in seconds.
12027 Defaults to @samp{300}.
12031 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean web-interface?
12032 Specifies whether the web interface is enabled.
12034 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
12037 At this point you're probably thinking ``oh dear, Guix manual, I like
12038 you but you can stop already with the configuration options''. Indeed.
12039 However, one more point: it could be that you have an existing
12040 @code{cupsd.conf} that you want to use. In that case, you can pass an
12041 @code{opaque-cups-configuration} as the configuration of a
12042 @code{cups-service-type}.
12044 Available @code{opaque-cups-configuration} fields are:
12046 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-cups-configuration} parameter} package cups
12050 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-cups-configuration} parameter} string cupsd.conf
12051 The contents of the @code{cupsd.conf}, as a string.
12054 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-cups-configuration} parameter} string cups-files.conf
12055 The contents of the @code{cups-files.conf} file, as a string.
12058 For example, if your @code{cupsd.conf} and @code{cups-files.conf} are in
12059 strings of the same name, you could instantiate a CUPS service like
12063 (service cups-service-type
12064 (opaque-cups-configuration
12065 (cupsd.conf cupsd.conf)
12066 (cups-files.conf cups-files.conf)))
12070 @node Desktop Services
12071 @subsubsection Desktop Services
12073 The @code{(gnu services desktop)} module provides services that are
12074 usually useful in the context of a ``desktop'' setup---that is, on a
12075 machine running a graphical display server, possibly with graphical user
12076 interfaces, etc. It also defines services that provide specific desktop
12077 environments like GNOME and XFCE.
12079 To simplify things, the module defines a variable containing the set of
12080 services that users typically expect on a machine with a graphical
12081 environment and networking:
12083 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %desktop-services
12084 This is a list of services that builds upon @var{%base-services} and
12085 adds or adjusts services for a typical ``desktop'' setup.
12087 In particular, it adds a graphical login manager (@pxref{X Window,
12088 @code{slim-service}}), screen lockers, a network management tool
12089 (@pxref{Networking Services, @code{network-manager-service-type}}), energy and color
12090 management services, the @code{elogind} login and seat manager, the
12091 Polkit privilege service, the GeoClue location service, the
12092 AccountsService daemon that allows authorized users change system
12093 passwords, an NTP client (@pxref{Networking Services}), the Avahi
12094 daemon, and has the name service switch service configured to be able to
12095 use @code{nss-mdns} (@pxref{Name Service Switch, mDNS}).
12098 The @var{%desktop-services} variable can be used as the @code{services}
12099 field of an @code{operating-system} declaration (@pxref{operating-system
12100 Reference, @code{services}}).
12102 Additionally, the @code{gnome-desktop-service} and
12103 @code{xfce-desktop-service} procedures can add GNOME and/or XFCE to a
12104 system. To ``add GNOME'' means that system-level services like the
12105 backlight adjustment helpers and the power management utilities are
12106 added to the system, extending @code{polkit} and @code{dbus}
12107 appropriately, allowing GNOME to operate with elevated privileges on a
12108 limited number of special-purpose system interfaces. Additionally,
12109 adding a service made by @code{gnome-desktop-service} adds the GNOME
12110 metapackage to the system profile. Likewise, adding the XFCE service
12111 not only adds the @code{xfce} metapackage to the system profile, but it
12112 also gives the Thunar file manager the ability to open a ``root-mode''
12113 file management window, if the user authenticates using the
12114 administrator's password via the standard polkit graphical interface.
12116 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} gnome-desktop-service
12117 Return a service that adds the @code{gnome} package to the system
12118 profile, and extends polkit with the actions from
12119 @code{gnome-settings-daemon}.
12122 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} xfce-desktop-service
12123 Return a service that adds the @code{xfce} package to the system profile,
12124 and extends polkit with the ability for @code{thunar} to manipulate the
12125 file system as root from within a user session, after the user has
12126 authenticated with the administrator's password.
12129 Because the GNOME and XFCE desktop services pull in so many packages,
12130 the default @code{%desktop-services} variable doesn't include either of
12131 them by default. To add GNOME or XFCE, just @code{cons} them onto
12132 @code{%desktop-services} in the @code{services} field of your
12133 @code{operating-system}:
12136 (use-modules (gnu))
12137 (use-service-modules desktop)
12140 ;; cons* adds items to the list given as its last argument.
12141 (services (cons* (gnome-desktop-service)
12142 (xfce-desktop-service)
12143 %desktop-services))
12147 These desktop environments will then be available as options in the
12148 graphical login window.
12150 The actual service definitions included in @code{%desktop-services} and
12151 provided by @code{(gnu services dbus)} and @code{(gnu services desktop)}
12152 are described below.
12154 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} dbus-service [#:dbus @var{dbus}] [#:services '()]
12155 Return a service that runs the ``system bus'', using @var{dbus}, with
12156 support for @var{services}.
12158 @uref{http://dbus.freedesktop.org/, D-Bus} is an inter-process communication
12159 facility. Its system bus is used to allow system services to communicate
12160 and to be notified of system-wide events.
12162 @var{services} must be a list of packages that provide an
12163 @file{etc/dbus-1/system.d} directory containing additional D-Bus configuration
12164 and policy files. For example, to allow avahi-daemon to use the system bus,
12165 @var{services} must be equal to @code{(list avahi)}.
12168 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} elogind-service [#:config @var{config}]
12169 Return a service that runs the @code{elogind} login and
12170 seat management daemon. @uref{https://github.com/elogind/elogind,
12171 Elogind} exposes a D-Bus interface that can be used to know which users
12172 are logged in, know what kind of sessions they have open, suspend the
12173 system, inhibit system suspend, reboot the system, and other tasks.
12175 Elogind handles most system-level power events for a computer, for
12176 example suspending the system when a lid is closed, or shutting it down
12177 when the power button is pressed.
12179 The @var{config} keyword argument specifies the configuration for
12180 elogind, and should be the result of an @code{(elogind-configuration
12181 (@var{parameter} @var{value})...)} invocation. Available parameters and
12182 their default values are:
12185 @item kill-user-processes?
12187 @item kill-only-users
12189 @item kill-exclude-users
12191 @item inhibit-delay-max-seconds
12193 @item handle-power-key
12195 @item handle-suspend-key
12197 @item handle-hibernate-key
12199 @item handle-lid-switch
12201 @item handle-lid-switch-docked
12203 @item power-key-ignore-inhibited?
12205 @item suspend-key-ignore-inhibited?
12207 @item hibernate-key-ignore-inhibited?
12209 @item lid-switch-ignore-inhibited?
12211 @item holdoff-timeout-seconds
12215 @item idle-action-seconds
12217 @item runtime-directory-size-percent
12219 @item runtime-directory-size
12223 @item suspend-state
12224 @code{("mem" "standby" "freeze")}
12227 @item hibernate-state
12229 @item hibernate-mode
12230 @code{("platform" "shutdown")}
12231 @item hybrid-sleep-state
12233 @item hybrid-sleep-mode
12234 @code{("suspend" "platform" "shutdown")}
12238 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} accountsservice-service @
12239 [#:accountsservice @var{accountsservice}]
12240 Return a service that runs AccountsService, a system service that can
12241 list available accounts, change their passwords, and so on.
12242 AccountsService integrates with PolicyKit to enable unprivileged users
12243 to acquire the capability to modify their system configuration.
12244 @uref{https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/AccountsService/, the
12245 accountsservice web site} for more information.
12247 The @var{accountsservice} keyword argument is the @code{accountsservice}
12248 package to expose as a service.
12251 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} polkit-service @
12252 [#:polkit @var{polkit}]
12253 Return a service that runs the
12254 @uref{http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/polkit/, Polkit privilege
12255 management service}, which allows system administrators to grant access to
12256 privileged operations in a structured way. By querying the Polkit service, a
12257 privileged system component can know when it should grant additional
12258 capabilities to ordinary users. For example, an ordinary user can be granted
12259 the capability to suspend the system if the user is logged in locally.
12262 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} upower-service [#:upower @var{upower}] @
12263 [#:watts-up-pro? #f] @
12264 [#:poll-batteries? #t] @
12265 [#:ignore-lid? #f] @
12266 [#:use-percentage-for-policy? #f] @
12267 [#:percentage-low 10] @
12268 [#:percentage-critical 3] @
12269 [#:percentage-action 2] @
12270 [#:time-low 1200] @
12271 [#:time-critical 300] @
12272 [#:time-action 120] @
12273 [#:critical-power-action 'hybrid-sleep]
12274 Return a service that runs @uref{http://upower.freedesktop.org/,
12275 @command{upowerd}}, a system-wide monitor for power consumption and battery
12276 levels, with the given configuration settings. It implements the
12277 @code{org.freedesktop.UPower} D-Bus interface, and is notably used by
12281 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} udisks-service [#:udisks @var{udisks}]
12282 Return a service for @uref{http://udisks.freedesktop.org/docs/latest/,
12283 UDisks}, a @dfn{disk management} daemon that provides user interfaces with
12284 notifications and ways to mount/unmount disks. Programs that talk to UDisks
12285 include the @command{udisksctl} command, part of UDisks, and GNOME Disks.
12288 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} colord-service [#:colord @var{colord}]
12289 Return a service that runs @command{colord}, a system service with a D-Bus
12290 interface to manage the color profiles of input and output devices such as
12291 screens and scanners. It is notably used by the GNOME Color Manager graphical
12292 tool. See @uref{http://www.freedesktop.org/software/colord/, the colord web
12293 site} for more information.
12296 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} geoclue-application name [#:allowed? #t] [#:system? #f] [#:users '()]
12297 Return a configuration allowing an application to access GeoClue
12298 location data. @var{name} is the Desktop ID of the application, without
12299 the @code{.desktop} part. If @var{allowed?} is true, the application
12300 will have access to location information by default. The boolean
12301 @var{system?} value indicates whether an application is a system component
12302 or not. Finally @var{users} is a list of UIDs of all users for which
12303 this application is allowed location info access. An empty users list
12304 means that all users are allowed.
12307 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %standard-geoclue-applications
12308 The standard list of well-known GeoClue application configurations,
12309 granting authority to the GNOME date-and-time utility to ask for the
12310 current location in order to set the time zone, and allowing the
12311 IceCat and Epiphany web browsers to request location information.
12312 IceCat and Epiphany both query the user before allowing a web page to
12313 know the user's location.
12316 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} geoclue-service [#:colord @var{colord}] @
12317 [#:whitelist '()] @
12318 [#:wifi-geolocation-url "https://location.services.mozilla.com/v1/geolocate?key=geoclue"] @
12319 [#:submit-data? #f]
12320 [#:wifi-submission-url "https://location.services.mozilla.com/v1/submit?key=geoclue"] @
12321 [#:submission-nick "geoclue"] @
12322 [#:applications %standard-geoclue-applications]
12323 Return a service that runs the GeoClue location service. This service
12324 provides a D-Bus interface to allow applications to request access to a
12325 user's physical location, and optionally to add information to online
12326 location databases. See
12327 @uref{https://wiki.freedesktop.org/www/Software/GeoClue/, the GeoClue
12328 web site} for more information.
12331 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} bluetooth-service [#:bluez @var{bluez}] @
12332 [@w{#:auto-enable? #f}]
12333 Return a service that runs the @command{bluetoothd} daemon, which
12334 manages all the Bluetooth devices and provides a number of D-Bus
12335 interfaces. When AUTO-ENABLE? is true, the bluetooth controller is
12336 powered automatically at boot, which can be useful when using a
12337 bluetooth keyboard or mouse.
12339 Users need to be in the @code{lp} group to access the D-Bus service.
12342 @node Database Services
12343 @subsubsection Database Services
12347 The @code{(gnu services databases)} module provides the following services.
12349 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} postgresql-service [#:postgresql postgresql] @
12350 [#:config-file] [#:data-directory ``/var/lib/postgresql/data''] @
12351 [#:port 5432] [#:locale ``en_US.utf8'']
12352 Return a service that runs @var{postgresql}, the PostgreSQL database
12355 The PostgreSQL daemon loads its runtime configuration from @var{config-file},
12356 creates a database cluster with @var{locale} as the default
12357 locale, stored in @var{data-directory}. It then listens on @var{port}.
12360 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} mysql-service [#:config (mysql-configuration)]
12361 Return a service that runs @command{mysqld}, the MySQL or MariaDB
12364 The optional @var{config} argument specifies the configuration for
12365 @command{mysqld}, which should be a @code{<mysql-configuration>} object.
12368 @deftp {Data Type} mysql-configuration
12369 Data type representing the configuration of @var{mysql-service}.
12372 @item @code{mysql} (default: @var{mariadb})
12373 Package object of the MySQL database server, can be either @var{mariadb}
12376 For MySQL, a temporary root password will be displayed at activation time.
12377 For MariaDB, the root password is empty.
12379 @item @code{port} (default: @code{3306})
12380 TCP port on which the database server listens for incoming connections.
12384 @defvr {Scheme Variable} memcached-service-type
12385 This is the service type for the @uref{https://memcached.org/,
12386 Memcached} service, which provides a distributed in memory cache. The
12387 value for the service type is a @code{memcached-configuration} object.
12391 (service memcached-service-type)
12394 @deftp {Data Type} memcached-configuration
12395 Data type representing the configuration of memcached.
12398 @item @code{memcached} (default: @code{memcached})
12399 The Memcached package to use.
12401 @item @code{interfaces} (default: @code{'("0.0.0.0")})
12402 Network interfaces on which to listen.
12404 @item @code{tcp-port} (default: @code{11211})
12405 Port on which to accept connections on,
12407 @item @code{udp-port} (default: @code{11211})
12408 Port on which to accept UDP connections on, a value of 0 will disable
12409 listening on a UDP socket.
12411 @item @code{additional-options} (default: @code{'()})
12412 Additional command line options to pass to @code{memcached}.
12416 @defvr {Scheme Variable} mongodb-service-type
12417 This is the service type for @uref{https://www.mongodb.com/, MongoDB}.
12418 The value for the service type is a @code{mongodb-configuration} object.
12422 (service mongodb-service-type)
12425 @deftp {Data Type} mongodb-configuration
12426 Data type representing the configuration of mongodb.
12429 @item @code{mongodb} (default: @code{mongodb})
12430 The MongoDB package to use.
12432 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{%default-mongodb-configuration-file})
12433 The configuration file for MongoDB.
12435 @item @code{data-directory} (default: @code{"/var/lib/mongodb"})
12436 This value is used to create the directory, so that it exists and is
12437 owned by the mongodb user. It should match the data-directory which
12438 MongoDB is configured to use through the configuration file.
12442 @defvr {Scheme Variable} redis-service-type
12443 This is the service type for the @uref{https://redis.io/, Redis}
12444 key/value store, whose value is a @code{redis-configuration} object.
12447 @deftp {Data Type} redis-configuration
12448 Data type representing the configuration of redis.
12451 @item @code{redis} (default: @code{redis})
12452 The Redis package to use.
12454 @item @code{bind} (default: @code{"127.0.0.1"})
12455 Network interface on which to listen.
12457 @item @code{port} (default: @code{6379})
12458 Port on which to accept connections on, a value of 0 will disable
12459 listening on a TCP socket.
12461 @item @code{working-directory} (default: @code{"/var/lib/redis"})
12462 Directory in which to store the database and related files.
12466 @node Mail Services
12467 @subsubsection Mail Services
12471 The @code{(gnu services mail)} module provides Guix service definitions
12472 for email services: IMAP, POP3, and LMTP servers, as well as mail
12473 transport agents (MTAs). Lots of acronyms! These services are detailed
12474 in the subsections below.
12476 @subsubheading Dovecot Service
12478 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} dovecot-service [#:config (dovecot-configuration)]
12479 Return a service that runs the Dovecot IMAP/POP3/LMTP mail server.
12482 By default, Dovecot does not need much configuration; the default
12483 configuration object created by @code{(dovecot-configuration)} will
12484 suffice if your mail is delivered to @code{~/Maildir}. A self-signed
12485 certificate will be generated for TLS-protected connections, though
12486 Dovecot will also listen on cleartext ports by default. There are a
12487 number of options, though, which mail administrators might need to change,
12488 and as is the case with other services, Guix allows the system
12489 administrator to specify these parameters via a uniform Scheme interface.
12491 For example, to specify that mail is located at @code{maildir~/.mail},
12492 one would instantiate the Dovecot service like this:
12495 (dovecot-service #:config
12496 (dovecot-configuration
12497 (mail-location "maildir:~/.mail")))
12500 The available configuration parameters follow. Each parameter
12501 definition is preceded by its type; for example, @samp{string-list foo}
12502 indicates that the @code{foo} parameter should be specified as a list of
12503 strings. There is also a way to specify the configuration as a string,
12504 if you have an old @code{dovecot.conf} file that you want to port over
12505 from some other system; see the end for more details.
12507 @c The following documentation was initially generated by
12508 @c (generate-documentation) in (gnu services mail). Manually maintained
12509 @c documentation is better, so we shouldn't hesitate to edit below as
12510 @c needed. However if the change you want to make to this documentation
12511 @c can be done in an automated way, it's probably easier to change
12512 @c (generate-documentation) than to make it below and have to deal with
12513 @c the churn as dovecot updates.
12515 Available @code{dovecot-configuration} fields are:
12517 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} package dovecot
12518 The dovecot package.
12521 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} comma-separated-string-list listen
12522 A list of IPs or hosts where to listen for connections. @samp{*}
12523 listens on all IPv4 interfaces, @samp{::} listens on all IPv6
12524 interfaces. If you want to specify non-default ports or anything more
12525 complex, customize the address and port fields of the
12526 @samp{inet-listener} of the specific services you are interested in.
12529 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} protocol-configuration-list protocols
12530 List of protocols we want to serve. Available protocols include
12531 @samp{imap}, @samp{pop3}, and @samp{lmtp}.
12533 Available @code{protocol-configuration} fields are:
12535 @deftypevr {@code{protocol-configuration} parameter} string name
12536 The name of the protocol.
12539 @deftypevr {@code{protocol-configuration} parameter} string auth-socket-path
12540 UNIX socket path to the master authentication server to find users.
12541 This is used by imap (for shared users) and lda.
12542 It defaults to @samp{"/var/run/dovecot/auth-userdb"}.
12545 @deftypevr {@code{protocol-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list mail-plugins
12546 Space separated list of plugins to load.
12549 @deftypevr {@code{protocol-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mail-max-userip-connections
12550 Maximum number of IMAP connections allowed for a user from each IP
12551 address. NOTE: The username is compared case-sensitively.
12552 Defaults to @samp{10}.
12557 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} service-configuration-list services
12558 List of services to enable. Available services include @samp{imap},
12559 @samp{imap-login}, @samp{pop3}, @samp{pop3-login}, @samp{auth}, and
12562 Available @code{service-configuration} fields are:
12564 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} string kind
12565 The service kind. Valid values include @code{director},
12566 @code{imap-login}, @code{pop3-login}, @code{lmtp}, @code{imap},
12567 @code{pop3}, @code{auth}, @code{auth-worker}, @code{dict},
12568 @code{tcpwrap}, @code{quota-warning}, or anything else.
12571 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} listener-configuration-list listeners
12572 Listeners for the service. A listener is either a
12573 @code{unix-listener-configuration}, a @code{fifo-listener-configuration}, or
12574 an @code{inet-listener-configuration}.
12575 Defaults to @samp{()}.
12577 Available @code{unix-listener-configuration} fields are:
12579 @deftypevr {@code{unix-listener-configuration} parameter} string path
12580 Path to the file, relative to @code{base-dir} field. This is also used as
12584 @deftypevr {@code{unix-listener-configuration} parameter} string mode
12585 The access mode for the socket.
12586 Defaults to @samp{"0600"}.
12589 @deftypevr {@code{unix-listener-configuration} parameter} string user
12590 The user to own the socket.
12591 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12594 @deftypevr {@code{unix-listener-configuration} parameter} string group
12595 The group to own the socket.
12596 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12600 Available @code{fifo-listener-configuration} fields are:
12602 @deftypevr {@code{fifo-listener-configuration} parameter} string path
12603 Path to the file, relative to @code{base-dir} field. This is also used as
12607 @deftypevr {@code{fifo-listener-configuration} parameter} string mode
12608 The access mode for the socket.
12609 Defaults to @samp{"0600"}.
12612 @deftypevr {@code{fifo-listener-configuration} parameter} string user
12613 The user to own the socket.
12614 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12617 @deftypevr {@code{fifo-listener-configuration} parameter} string group
12618 The group to own the socket.
12619 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12623 Available @code{inet-listener-configuration} fields are:
12625 @deftypevr {@code{inet-listener-configuration} parameter} string protocol
12626 The protocol to listen for.
12629 @deftypevr {@code{inet-listener-configuration} parameter} string address
12630 The address on which to listen, or empty for all addresses.
12631 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12634 @deftypevr {@code{inet-listener-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer port
12635 The port on which to listen.
12638 @deftypevr {@code{inet-listener-configuration} parameter} boolean ssl?
12639 Whether to use SSL for this service; @samp{yes}, @samp{no}, or
12641 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
12646 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer service-count
12647 Number of connections to handle before starting a new process.
12648 Typically the only useful values are 0 (unlimited) or 1. 1 is more
12649 secure, but 0 is faster. <doc/wiki/LoginProcess.txt>.
12650 Defaults to @samp{1}.
12653 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer process-min-avail
12654 Number of processes to always keep waiting for more connections.
12655 Defaults to @samp{0}.
12658 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer vsz-limit
12659 If you set @samp{service-count 0}, you probably need to grow
12661 Defaults to @samp{256000000}.
12666 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} dict-configuration dict
12667 Dict configuration, as created by the @code{dict-configuration}
12670 Available @code{dict-configuration} fields are:
12672 @deftypevr {@code{dict-configuration} parameter} free-form-fields entries
12673 A list of key-value pairs that this dict should hold.
12674 Defaults to @samp{()}.
12679 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} passdb-configuration-list passdbs
12680 A list of passdb configurations, each one created by the
12681 @code{passdb-configuration} constructor.
12683 Available @code{passdb-configuration} fields are:
12685 @deftypevr {@code{passdb-configuration} parameter} string driver
12686 The driver that the passdb should use. Valid values include
12687 @samp{pam}, @samp{passwd}, @samp{shadow}, @samp{bsdauth}, and
12689 Defaults to @samp{"pam"}.
12692 @deftypevr {@code{passdb-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list args
12693 Space separated list of arguments to the passdb driver.
12694 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12699 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} userdb-configuration-list userdbs
12700 List of userdb configurations, each one created by the
12701 @code{userdb-configuration} constructor.
12703 Available @code{userdb-configuration} fields are:
12705 @deftypevr {@code{userdb-configuration} parameter} string driver
12706 The driver that the userdb should use. Valid values include
12707 @samp{passwd} and @samp{static}.
12708 Defaults to @samp{"passwd"}.
12711 @deftypevr {@code{userdb-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list args
12712 Space separated list of arguments to the userdb driver.
12713 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12716 @deftypevr {@code{userdb-configuration} parameter} free-form-args override-fields
12717 Override fields from passwd.
12718 Defaults to @samp{()}.
12723 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} plugin-configuration plugin-configuration
12724 Plug-in configuration, created by the @code{plugin-configuration}
12728 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} list-of-namespace-configuration namespaces
12729 List of namespaces. Each item in the list is created by the
12730 @code{namespace-configuration} constructor.
12732 Available @code{namespace-configuration} fields are:
12734 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} string name
12735 Name for this namespace.
12738 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} string type
12739 Namespace type: @samp{private}, @samp{shared} or @samp{public}.
12740 Defaults to @samp{"private"}.
12743 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} string separator
12744 Hierarchy separator to use. You should use the same separator for
12745 all namespaces or some clients get confused. @samp{/} is usually a good
12746 one. The default however depends on the underlying mail storage
12748 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12751 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} string prefix
12752 Prefix required to access this namespace. This needs to be
12753 different for all namespaces. For example @samp{Public/}.
12754 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12757 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} string location
12758 Physical location of the mailbox. This is in the same format as
12759 mail_location, which is also the default for it.
12760 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12763 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} boolean inbox?
12764 There can be only one INBOX, and this setting defines which
12766 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
12769 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} boolean hidden?
12770 If namespace is hidden, it's not advertised to clients via NAMESPACE
12771 extension. You'll most likely also want to set @samp{list? #f}. This is mostly
12772 useful when converting from another server with different namespaces
12773 which you want to deprecate but still keep working. For example you can
12774 create hidden namespaces with prefixes @samp{~/mail/}, @samp{~%u/mail/}
12776 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
12779 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} boolean list?
12780 Show the mailboxes under this namespace with the LIST command. This
12781 makes the namespace visible for clients that do not support the NAMESPACE
12782 extension. The special @code{children} value lists child mailboxes, but
12783 hides the namespace prefix.
12784 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
12787 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} boolean subscriptions?
12788 Namespace handles its own subscriptions. If set to @code{#f}, the
12789 parent namespace handles them. The empty prefix should always have this
12791 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
12794 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} mailbox-configuration-list mailboxes
12795 List of predefined mailboxes in this namespace.
12796 Defaults to @samp{()}.
12798 Available @code{mailbox-configuration} fields are:
12800 @deftypevr {@code{mailbox-configuration} parameter} string name
12801 Name for this mailbox.
12804 @deftypevr {@code{mailbox-configuration} parameter} string auto
12805 @samp{create} will automatically create this mailbox.
12806 @samp{subscribe} will both create and subscribe to the mailbox.
12807 Defaults to @samp{"no"}.
12810 @deftypevr {@code{mailbox-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list special-use
12811 List of IMAP @code{SPECIAL-USE} attributes as specified by RFC 6154.
12812 Valid values are @code{\All}, @code{\Archive}, @code{\Drafts},
12813 @code{\Flagged}, @code{\Junk}, @code{\Sent}, and @code{\Trash}.
12814 Defaults to @samp{()}.
12821 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name base-dir
12822 Base directory where to store runtime data.
12823 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/dovecot/"}.
12826 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string login-greeting
12827 Greeting message for clients.
12828 Defaults to @samp{"Dovecot ready."}.
12831 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list login-trusted-networks
12832 List of trusted network ranges. Connections from these IPs are
12833 allowed to override their IP addresses and ports (for logging and for
12834 authentication checks). @samp{disable-plaintext-auth} is also ignored
12835 for these networks. Typically you would specify your IMAP proxy servers
12837 Defaults to @samp{()}.
12840 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list login-access-sockets
12841 List of login access check sockets (e.g. tcpwrap).
12842 Defaults to @samp{()}.
12845 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean verbose-proctitle?
12846 Show more verbose process titles (in ps). Currently shows user name
12847 and IP address. Useful for seeing who is actually using the IMAP
12848 processes (e.g. shared mailboxes or if the same uid is used for multiple
12850 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
12853 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean shutdown-clients?
12854 Should all processes be killed when Dovecot master process shuts down.
12855 Setting this to @code{#f} means that Dovecot can be upgraded without
12856 forcing existing client connections to close (although that could also
12857 be a problem if the upgrade is e.g. due to a security fix).
12858 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
12861 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer doveadm-worker-count
12862 If non-zero, run mail commands via this many connections to doveadm
12863 server, instead of running them directly in the same process.
12864 Defaults to @samp{0}.
12867 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string doveadm-socket-path
12868 UNIX socket or host:port used for connecting to doveadm server.
12869 Defaults to @samp{"doveadm-server"}.
12872 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list import-environment
12873 List of environment variables that are preserved on Dovecot startup
12874 and passed down to all of its child processes. You can also give
12875 key=value pairs to always set specific settings.
12878 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean disable-plaintext-auth?
12879 Disable LOGIN command and all other plaintext authentications unless
12880 SSL/TLS is used (LOGINDISABLED capability). Note that if the remote IP
12881 matches the local IP (i.e. you're connecting from the same computer),
12882 the connection is considered secure and plaintext authentication is
12883 allowed. See also ssl=required setting.
12884 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
12887 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer auth-cache-size
12888 Authentication cache size (e.g. @samp{#e10e6}). 0 means it's disabled.
12889 Note that bsdauth, PAM and vpopmail require @samp{cache-key} to be set
12890 for caching to be used.
12891 Defaults to @samp{0}.
12894 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-cache-ttl
12895 Time to live for cached data. After TTL expires the cached record
12896 is no longer used, *except* if the main database lookup returns internal
12897 failure. We also try to handle password changes automatically: If
12898 user's previous authentication was successful, but this one wasn't, the
12899 cache isn't used. For now this works only with plaintext
12901 Defaults to @samp{"1 hour"}.
12904 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-cache-negative-ttl
12905 TTL for negative hits (user not found, password mismatch).
12906 0 disables caching them completely.
12907 Defaults to @samp{"1 hour"}.
12910 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list auth-realms
12911 List of realms for SASL authentication mechanisms that need them.
12912 You can leave it empty if you don't want to support multiple realms.
12913 Many clients simply use the first one listed here, so keep the default
12915 Defaults to @samp{()}.
12918 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-default-realm
12919 Default realm/domain to use if none was specified. This is used for
12920 both SASL realms and appending @@domain to username in plaintext
12922 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12925 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-username-chars
12926 List of allowed characters in username. If the user-given username
12927 contains a character not listed in here, the login automatically fails.
12928 This is just an extra check to make sure user can't exploit any
12929 potential quote escaping vulnerabilities with SQL/LDAP databases. If
12930 you want to allow all characters, set this value to empty.
12931 Defaults to @samp{"abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ01234567890.-_@@"}.
12934 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-username-translation
12935 Username character translations before it's looked up from
12936 databases. The value contains series of from -> to characters. For
12937 example @samp{#@@/@@} means that @samp{#} and @samp{/} characters are
12938 translated to @samp{@@}.
12939 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12942 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-username-format
12943 Username formatting before it's looked up from databases. You can
12944 use the standard variables here, e.g. %Lu would lowercase the username,
12945 %n would drop away the domain if it was given, or @samp{%n-AT-%d} would
12946 change the @samp{@@} into @samp{-AT-}. This translation is done after
12947 @samp{auth-username-translation} changes.
12948 Defaults to @samp{"%Lu"}.
12951 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-master-user-separator
12952 If you want to allow master users to log in by specifying the master
12953 username within the normal username string (i.e. not using SASL
12954 mechanism's support for it), you can specify the separator character
12955 here. The format is then <username><separator><master username>.
12956 UW-IMAP uses @samp{*} as the separator, so that could be a good
12958 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12961 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-anonymous-username
12962 Username to use for users logging in with ANONYMOUS SASL
12964 Defaults to @samp{"anonymous"}.
12967 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer auth-worker-max-count
12968 Maximum number of dovecot-auth worker processes. They're used to
12969 execute blocking passdb and userdb queries (e.g. MySQL and PAM).
12970 They're automatically created and destroyed as needed.
12971 Defaults to @samp{30}.
12974 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-gssapi-hostname
12975 Host name to use in GSSAPI principal names. The default is to use
12976 the name returned by gethostname(). Use @samp{$ALL} (with quotes) to
12977 allow all keytab entries.
12978 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12981 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-krb5-keytab
12982 Kerberos keytab to use for the GSSAPI mechanism. Will use the
12983 system default (usually @file{/etc/krb5.keytab}) if not specified. You may
12984 need to change the auth service to run as root to be able to read this
12986 Defaults to @samp{""}.
12989 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-use-winbind?
12990 Do NTLM and GSS-SPNEGO authentication using Samba's winbind daemon
12991 and @samp{ntlm-auth} helper.
12992 <doc/wiki/Authentication/Mechanisms/Winbind.txt>.
12993 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
12996 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name auth-winbind-helper-path
12997 Path for Samba's @samp{ntlm-auth} helper binary.
12998 Defaults to @samp{"/usr/bin/ntlm_auth"}.
13001 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-failure-delay
13002 Time to delay before replying to failed authentications.
13003 Defaults to @samp{"2 secs"}.
13006 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-ssl-require-client-cert?
13007 Require a valid SSL client certificate or the authentication
13009 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13012 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-ssl-username-from-cert?
13013 Take the username from client's SSL certificate, using
13014 @code{X509_NAME_get_text_by_NID()} which returns the subject's DN's
13016 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13019 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list auth-mechanisms
13020 List of wanted authentication mechanisms. Supported mechanisms are:
13021 @samp{plain}, @samp{login}, @samp{digest-md5}, @samp{cram-md5},
13022 @samp{ntlm}, @samp{rpa}, @samp{apop}, @samp{anonymous}, @samp{gssapi},
13023 @samp{otp}, @samp{skey}, and @samp{gss-spnego}. NOTE: See also
13024 @samp{disable-plaintext-auth} setting.
13027 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list director-servers
13028 List of IPs or hostnames to all director servers, including ourself.
13029 Ports can be specified as ip:port. The default port is the same as what
13030 director service's @samp{inet-listener} is using.
13031 Defaults to @samp{()}.
13034 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list director-mail-servers
13035 List of IPs or hostnames to all backend mail servers. Ranges are
13036 allowed too, like 10.0.0.10-10.0.0.30.
13037 Defaults to @samp{()}.
13040 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string director-user-expire
13041 How long to redirect users to a specific server after it no longer
13042 has any connections.
13043 Defaults to @samp{"15 min"}.
13046 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer director-doveadm-port
13047 TCP/IP port that accepts doveadm connections (instead of director
13048 connections) If you enable this, you'll also need to add
13049 @samp{inet-listener} for the port.
13050 Defaults to @samp{0}.
13053 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string director-username-hash
13054 How the username is translated before being hashed. Useful values
13055 include %Ln if user can log in with or without @@domain, %Ld if mailboxes
13056 are shared within domain.
13057 Defaults to @samp{"%Lu"}.
13060 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string log-path
13061 Log file to use for error messages. @samp{syslog} logs to syslog,
13062 @samp{/dev/stderr} logs to stderr.
13063 Defaults to @samp{"syslog"}.
13066 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string info-log-path
13067 Log file to use for informational messages. Defaults to
13069 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13072 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string debug-log-path
13073 Log file to use for debug messages. Defaults to
13074 @samp{info-log-path}.
13075 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13078 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string syslog-facility
13079 Syslog facility to use if you're logging to syslog. Usually if you
13080 don't want to use @samp{mail}, you'll use local0..local7. Also other
13081 standard facilities are supported.
13082 Defaults to @samp{"mail"}.
13085 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-verbose?
13086 Log unsuccessful authentication attempts and the reasons why they
13088 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13091 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-verbose-passwords?
13092 In case of password mismatches, log the attempted password. Valid
13093 values are no, plain and sha1. sha1 can be useful for detecting brute
13094 force password attempts vs. user simply trying the same password over
13095 and over again. You can also truncate the value to n chars by appending
13096 ":n" (e.g. sha1:6).
13097 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13100 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-debug?
13101 Even more verbose logging for debugging purposes. Shows for example
13103 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13106 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-debug-passwords?
13107 In case of password mismatches, log the passwords and used scheme so
13108 the problem can be debugged. Enabling this also enables
13110 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13113 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mail-debug?
13114 Enable mail process debugging. This can help you figure out why
13115 Dovecot isn't finding your mails.
13116 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13119 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean verbose-ssl?
13120 Show protocol level SSL errors.
13121 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13124 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string log-timestamp
13125 Prefix for each line written to log file. % codes are in
13126 strftime(3) format.
13127 Defaults to @samp{"\"%b %d %H:%M:%S \""}.
13130 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list login-log-format-elements
13131 List of elements we want to log. The elements which have a
13132 non-empty variable value are joined together to form a comma-separated
13136 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string login-log-format
13137 Login log format. %s contains @samp{login-log-format-elements}
13138 string, %$ contains the data we want to log.
13139 Defaults to @samp{"%$: %s"}.
13142 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-log-prefix
13143 Log prefix for mail processes. See doc/wiki/Variables.txt for list
13144 of possible variables you can use.
13145 Defaults to @samp{"\"%s(%u): \""}.
13148 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string deliver-log-format
13149 Format to use for logging mail deliveries. You can use variables:
13152 Delivery status message (e.g. @samp{saved to INBOX})
13164 Defaults to @samp{"msgid=%m: %$"}.
13167 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-location
13168 Location for users' mailboxes. The default is empty, which means
13169 that Dovecot tries to find the mailboxes automatically. This won't work
13170 if the user doesn't yet have any mail, so you should explicitly tell
13171 Dovecot the full location.
13173 If you're using mbox, giving a path to the INBOX
13174 file (e.g. /var/mail/%u) isn't enough. You'll also need to tell Dovecot
13175 where the other mailboxes are kept. This is called the "root mail
13176 directory", and it must be the first path given in the
13177 @samp{mail-location} setting.
13179 There are a few special variables you can use, eg.:
13185 user part in user@@domain, same as %u if there's no domain
13187 domain part in user@@domain, empty if there's no domain
13192 See doc/wiki/Variables.txt for full list. Some examples:
13194 @item maildir:~/Maildir
13195 @item mbox:~/mail:INBOX=/var/mail/%u
13196 @item mbox:/var/mail/%d/%1n/%n:INDEX=/var/indexes/%d/%1n/%
13198 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13201 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-uid
13202 System user and group used to access mails. If you use multiple,
13203 userdb can override these by returning uid or gid fields. You can use
13204 either numbers or names. <doc/wiki/UserIds.txt>.
13205 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13208 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-gid
13210 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13213 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-privileged-group
13214 Group to enable temporarily for privileged operations. Currently
13215 this is used only with INBOX when either its initial creation or
13216 dotlocking fails. Typically this is set to "mail" to give access to
13218 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13221 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-access-groups
13222 Grant access to these supplementary groups for mail processes.
13223 Typically these are used to set up access to shared mailboxes. Note
13224 that it may be dangerous to set these if users can create
13225 symlinks (e.g. if "mail" group is set here, ln -s /var/mail ~/mail/var
13226 could allow a user to delete others' mailboxes, or ln -s
13227 /secret/shared/box ~/mail/mybox would allow reading it).
13228 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13231 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mail-full-filesystem-access?
13232 Allow full file system access to clients. There's no access checks
13233 other than what the operating system does for the active UID/GID. It
13234 works with both maildir and mboxes, allowing you to prefix mailboxes
13235 names with e.g. /path/ or ~user/.
13236 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13239 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mmap-disable?
13240 Don't use mmap() at all. This is required if you store indexes to
13241 shared file systems (NFS or clustered file system).
13242 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13245 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean dotlock-use-excl?
13246 Rely on @samp{O_EXCL} to work when creating dotlock files. NFS
13247 supports @samp{O_EXCL} since version 3, so this should be safe to use
13248 nowadays by default.
13249 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
13252 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-fsync
13253 When to use fsync() or fdatasync() calls:
13256 Whenever necessary to avoid losing important data
13258 Useful with e.g. NFS when write()s are delayed
13260 Never use it (best performance, but crashes can lose data).
13262 Defaults to @samp{"optimized"}.
13265 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mail-nfs-storage?
13266 Mail storage exists in NFS. Set this to yes to make Dovecot flush
13267 NFS caches whenever needed. If you're using only a single mail server
13269 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13272 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mail-nfs-index?
13273 Mail index files also exist in NFS. Setting this to yes requires
13274 @samp{mmap-disable? #t} and @samp{fsync-disable? #f}.
13275 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13278 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string lock-method
13279 Locking method for index files. Alternatives are fcntl, flock and
13280 dotlock. Dotlocking uses some tricks which may create more disk I/O
13281 than other locking methods. NFS users: flock doesn't work, remember to
13282 change @samp{mmap-disable}.
13283 Defaults to @samp{"fcntl"}.
13286 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name mail-temp-dir
13287 Directory in which LDA/LMTP temporarily stores incoming mails >128
13289 Defaults to @samp{"/tmp"}.
13292 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer first-valid-uid
13293 Valid UID range for users. This is mostly to make sure that users can't
13294 log in as daemons or other system users. Note that denying root logins is
13295 hardcoded to dovecot binary and can't be done even if @samp{first-valid-uid}
13297 Defaults to @samp{500}.
13300 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer last-valid-uid
13302 Defaults to @samp{0}.
13305 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer first-valid-gid
13306 Valid GID range for users. Users having non-valid GID as primary group ID
13307 aren't allowed to log in. If user belongs to supplementary groups with
13308 non-valid GIDs, those groups are not set.
13309 Defaults to @samp{1}.
13312 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer last-valid-gid
13314 Defaults to @samp{0}.
13317 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mail-max-keyword-length
13318 Maximum allowed length for mail keyword name. It's only forced when
13319 trying to create new keywords.
13320 Defaults to @samp{50}.
13323 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} colon-separated-file-name-list valid-chroot-dirs
13324 List of directories under which chrooting is allowed for mail
13325 processes (i.e. /var/mail will allow chrooting to /var/mail/foo/bar
13326 too). This setting doesn't affect @samp{login-chroot}
13327 @samp{mail-chroot} or auth chroot settings. If this setting is empty,
13328 "/./" in home dirs are ignored. WARNING: Never add directories here
13329 which local users can modify, that may lead to root exploit. Usually
13330 this should be done only if you don't allow shell access for users.
13331 <doc/wiki/Chrooting.txt>.
13332 Defaults to @samp{()}.
13335 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-chroot
13336 Default chroot directory for mail processes. This can be overridden
13337 for specific users in user database by giving /./ in user's home
13338 directory (e.g. /home/./user chroots into /home). Note that usually
13339 there is no real need to do chrooting, Dovecot doesn't allow users to
13340 access files outside their mail directory anyway. If your home
13341 directories are prefixed with the chroot directory, append "/." to
13342 @samp{mail-chroot}. <doc/wiki/Chrooting.txt>.
13343 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13346 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name auth-socket-path
13347 UNIX socket path to master authentication server to find users.
13348 This is used by imap (for shared users) and lda.
13349 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/dovecot/auth-userdb"}.
13352 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name mail-plugin-dir
13353 Directory where to look up mail plugins.
13354 Defaults to @samp{"/usr/lib/dovecot"}.
13357 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list mail-plugins
13358 List of plugins to load for all services. Plugins specific to IMAP,
13359 LDA, etc. are added to this list in their own .conf files.
13360 Defaults to @samp{()}.
13363 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mail-cache-min-mail-count
13364 The minimum number of mails in a mailbox before updates are done to
13365 cache file. This allows optimizing Dovecot's behavior to do less disk
13366 writes at the cost of more disk reads.
13367 Defaults to @samp{0}.
13370 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mailbox-idle-check-interval
13371 When IDLE command is running, mailbox is checked once in a while to
13372 see if there are any new mails or other changes. This setting defines
13373 the minimum time to wait between those checks. Dovecot can also use
13374 dnotify, inotify and kqueue to find out immediately when changes
13376 Defaults to @samp{"30 secs"}.
13379 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mail-save-crlf?
13380 Save mails with CR+LF instead of plain LF. This makes sending those
13381 mails take less CPU, especially with sendfile() syscall with Linux and
13382 FreeBSD. But it also creates a bit more disk I/O which may just make it
13383 slower. Also note that if other software reads the mboxes/maildirs,
13384 they may handle the extra CRs wrong and cause problems.
13385 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13388 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean maildir-stat-dirs?
13389 By default LIST command returns all entries in maildir beginning
13390 with a dot. Enabling this option makes Dovecot return only entries
13391 which are directories. This is done by stat()ing each entry, so it
13392 causes more disk I/O.
13393 (For systems setting struct @samp{dirent->d_type} this check is free
13394 and it's done always regardless of this setting).
13395 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13398 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean maildir-copy-with-hardlinks?
13399 When copying a message, do it with hard links whenever possible.
13400 This makes the performance much better, and it's unlikely to have any
13402 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
13405 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean maildir-very-dirty-syncs?
13406 Assume Dovecot is the only MUA accessing Maildir: Scan cur/
13407 directory only when its mtime changes unexpectedly or when we can't find
13408 the mail otherwise.
13409 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13412 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list mbox-read-locks
13413 Which locking methods to use for locking mbox. There are four
13418 Create <mailbox>.lock file. This is the oldest and most NFS-safe
13419 solution. If you want to use /var/mail/ like directory, the users will
13420 need write access to that directory.
13422 Same as dotlock, but if it fails because of permissions or because there
13423 isn't enough disk space, just skip it.
13425 Use this if possible. Works with NFS too if lockd is used.
13427 May not exist in all systems. Doesn't work with NFS.
13429 May not exist in all systems. Doesn't work with NFS.
13432 You can use multiple locking methods; if you do the order they're declared
13433 in is important to avoid deadlocks if other MTAs/MUAs are using multiple
13434 locking methods as well. Some operating systems don't allow using some of
13435 them simultaneously.
13438 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list mbox-write-locks
13442 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mbox-lock-timeout
13443 Maximum time to wait for lock (all of them) before aborting.
13444 Defaults to @samp{"5 mins"}.
13447 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mbox-dotlock-change-timeout
13448 If dotlock exists but the mailbox isn't modified in any way,
13449 override the lock file after this much time.
13450 Defaults to @samp{"2 mins"}.
13453 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mbox-dirty-syncs?
13454 When mbox changes unexpectedly we have to fully read it to find out
13455 what changed. If the mbox is large this can take a long time. Since
13456 the change is usually just a newly appended mail, it'd be faster to
13457 simply read the new mails. If this setting is enabled, Dovecot does
13458 this but still safely fallbacks to re-reading the whole mbox file
13459 whenever something in mbox isn't how it's expected to be. The only real
13460 downside to this setting is that if some other MUA changes message
13461 flags, Dovecot doesn't notice it immediately. Note that a full sync is
13462 done with SELECT, EXAMINE, EXPUNGE and CHECK commands.
13463 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
13466 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mbox-very-dirty-syncs?
13467 Like @samp{mbox-dirty-syncs}, but don't do full syncs even with SELECT,
13468 EXAMINE, EXPUNGE or CHECK commands. If this is set,
13469 @samp{mbox-dirty-syncs} is ignored.
13470 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13473 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mbox-lazy-writes?
13474 Delay writing mbox headers until doing a full write sync (EXPUNGE
13475 and CHECK commands and when closing the mailbox). This is especially
13476 useful for POP3 where clients often delete all mails. The downside is
13477 that our changes aren't immediately visible to other MUAs.
13478 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
13481 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mbox-min-index-size
13482 If mbox size is smaller than this (e.g. 100k), don't write index
13483 files. If an index file already exists it's still read, just not
13485 Defaults to @samp{0}.
13488 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mdbox-rotate-size
13489 Maximum dbox file size until it's rotated.
13490 Defaults to @samp{2000000}.
13493 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mdbox-rotate-interval
13494 Maximum dbox file age until it's rotated. Typically in days. Day
13495 begins from midnight, so 1d = today, 2d = yesterday, etc. 0 = check
13497 Defaults to @samp{"1d"}.
13500 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mdbox-preallocate-space?
13501 When creating new mdbox files, immediately preallocate their size to
13502 @samp{mdbox-rotate-size}. This setting currently works only in Linux
13503 with some file systems (ext4, xfs).
13504 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13507 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-attachment-dir
13508 sdbox and mdbox support saving mail attachments to external files,
13509 which also allows single instance storage for them. Other backends
13510 don't support this for now.
13512 WARNING: This feature hasn't been tested much yet. Use at your own risk.
13514 Directory root where to store mail attachments. Disabled, if empty.
13515 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13518 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mail-attachment-min-size
13519 Attachments smaller than this aren't saved externally. It's also
13520 possible to write a plugin to disable saving specific attachments
13522 Defaults to @samp{128000}.
13525 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-attachment-fs
13526 File system backend to use for saving attachments:
13529 No SiS done by Dovecot (but this might help FS's own deduplication)
13531 SiS with immediate byte-by-byte comparison during saving
13532 @item sis-queue posix
13533 SiS with delayed comparison and deduplication.
13535 Defaults to @samp{"sis posix"}.
13538 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-attachment-hash
13539 Hash format to use in attachment filenames. You can add any text and
13540 variables: @code{%@{md4@}}, @code{%@{md5@}}, @code{%@{sha1@}},
13541 @code{%@{sha256@}}, @code{%@{sha512@}}, @code{%@{size@}}. Variables can be
13542 truncated, e.g. @code{%@{sha256:80@}} returns only first 80 bits.
13543 Defaults to @samp{"%@{sha1@}"}.
13546 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer default-process-limit
13548 Defaults to @samp{100}.
13551 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer default-client-limit
13553 Defaults to @samp{1000}.
13556 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer default-vsz-limit
13557 Default VSZ (virtual memory size) limit for service processes.
13558 This is mainly intended to catch and kill processes that leak memory
13559 before they eat up everything.
13560 Defaults to @samp{256000000}.
13563 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string default-login-user
13564 Login user is internally used by login processes. This is the most
13565 untrusted user in Dovecot system. It shouldn't have access to anything
13567 Defaults to @samp{"dovenull"}.
13570 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string default-internal-user
13571 Internal user is used by unprivileged processes. It should be
13572 separate from login user, so that login processes can't disturb other
13574 Defaults to @samp{"dovecot"}.
13577 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl?
13578 SSL/TLS support: yes, no, required. <doc/wiki/SSL.txt>.
13579 Defaults to @samp{"required"}.
13582 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-cert
13583 PEM encoded X.509 SSL/TLS certificate (public key).
13584 Defaults to @samp{"</etc/dovecot/default.pem"}.
13587 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-key
13588 PEM encoded SSL/TLS private key. The key is opened before
13589 dropping root privileges, so keep the key file unreadable by anyone but
13591 Defaults to @samp{"</etc/dovecot/private/default.pem"}.
13594 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-key-password
13595 If key file is password protected, give the password here.
13596 Alternatively give it when starting dovecot with -p parameter. Since
13597 this file is often world-readable, you may want to place this setting
13598 instead to a different.
13599 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13602 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-ca
13603 PEM encoded trusted certificate authority. Set this only if you
13604 intend to use @samp{ssl-verify-client-cert? #t}. The file should
13605 contain the CA certificate(s) followed by the matching
13606 CRL(s). (e.g. @samp{ssl-ca </etc/ssl/certs/ca.pem}).
13607 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13610 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean ssl-require-crl?
13611 Require that CRL check succeeds for client certificates.
13612 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
13615 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean ssl-verify-client-cert?
13616 Request client to send a certificate. If you also want to require
13617 it, set @samp{auth-ssl-require-client-cert? #t} in auth section.
13618 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13621 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-cert-username-field
13622 Which field from certificate to use for username. commonName and
13623 x500UniqueIdentifier are the usual choices. You'll also need to set
13624 @samp{auth-ssl-username-from-cert? #t}.
13625 Defaults to @samp{"commonName"}.
13628 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} hours ssl-parameters-regenerate
13629 How often to regenerate the SSL parameters file. Generation is
13630 quite CPU intensive operation. The value is in hours, 0 disables
13631 regeneration entirely.
13632 Defaults to @samp{168}.
13635 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-protocols
13636 SSL protocols to use.
13637 Defaults to @samp{"!SSLv2"}.
13640 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-cipher-list
13641 SSL ciphers to use.
13642 Defaults to @samp{"ALL:!LOW:!SSLv2:!EXP:!aNULL"}.
13645 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-crypto-device
13646 SSL crypto device to use, for valid values run "openssl engine".
13647 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13650 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string postmaster-address
13651 Address to use when sending rejection mails.
13652 %d expands to recipient domain.
13653 Defaults to @samp{"postmaster@@%d"}.
13656 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string hostname
13657 Hostname to use in various parts of sent mails (e.g. in Message-Id)
13658 and in LMTP replies. Default is the system's real hostname@@domain.
13659 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13662 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean quota-full-tempfail?
13663 If user is over quota, return with temporary failure instead of
13665 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13668 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name sendmail-path
13669 Binary to use for sending mails.
13670 Defaults to @samp{"/usr/sbin/sendmail"}.
13673 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string submission-host
13674 If non-empty, send mails via this SMTP host[:port] instead of
13676 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13679 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string rejection-subject
13680 Subject: header to use for rejection mails. You can use the same
13681 variables as for @samp{rejection-reason} below.
13682 Defaults to @samp{"Rejected: %s"}.
13685 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string rejection-reason
13686 Human readable error message for rejection mails. You can use
13699 Defaults to @samp{"Your message to <%t> was automatically rejected:%n%r"}.
13702 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string recipient-delimiter
13703 Delimiter character between local-part and detail in email
13705 Defaults to @samp{"+"}.
13708 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string lda-original-recipient-header
13709 Header where the original recipient address (SMTP's RCPT TO:
13710 address) is taken from if not available elsewhere. With dovecot-lda -a
13711 parameter overrides this. A commonly used header for this is
13713 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13716 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean lda-mailbox-autocreate?
13717 Should saving a mail to a nonexistent mailbox automatically create
13719 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13722 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean lda-mailbox-autosubscribe?
13723 Should automatically created mailboxes be also automatically
13725 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
13728 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer imap-max-line-length
13729 Maximum IMAP command line length. Some clients generate very long
13730 command lines with huge mailboxes, so you may need to raise this if you
13731 get "Too long argument" or "IMAP command line too large" errors
13733 Defaults to @samp{64000}.
13736 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-logout-format
13737 IMAP logout format string:
13740 total number of bytes read from client
13742 total number of bytes sent to client.
13744 Defaults to @samp{"in=%i out=%o"}.
13747 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-capability
13748 Override the IMAP CAPABILITY response. If the value begins with '+',
13749 add the given capabilities on top of the defaults (e.g. +XFOO XBAR).
13750 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13753 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-idle-notify-interval
13754 How long to wait between "OK Still here" notifications when client
13756 Defaults to @samp{"2 mins"}.
13759 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-id-send
13760 ID field names and values to send to clients. Using * as the value
13761 makes Dovecot use the default value. The following fields have default
13762 values currently: name, version, os, os-version, support-url,
13764 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13767 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-id-log
13768 ID fields sent by client to log. * means everything.
13769 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13772 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list imap-client-workarounds
13773 Workarounds for various client bugs:
13776 @item delay-newmail
13777 Send EXISTS/RECENT new mail notifications only when replying to NOOP and
13778 CHECK commands. Some clients ignore them otherwise, for example OSX
13779 Mail (<v2.1). Outlook Express breaks more badly though, without this it
13780 may show user "Message no longer in server" errors. Note that OE6
13781 still breaks even with this workaround if synchronization is set to
13784 @item tb-extra-mailbox-sep
13785 Thunderbird gets somehow confused with LAYOUT=fs (mbox and dbox) and
13786 adds extra @samp{/} suffixes to mailbox names. This option causes Dovecot to
13787 ignore the extra @samp{/} instead of treating it as invalid mailbox name.
13789 @item tb-lsub-flags
13790 Show \Noselect flags for LSUB replies with LAYOUT=fs (e.g. mbox).
13791 This makes Thunderbird realize they aren't selectable and show them
13792 greyed out, instead of only later giving "not selectable" popup error.
13794 Defaults to @samp{()}.
13797 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-urlauth-host
13798 Host allowed in URLAUTH URLs sent by client. "*" allows all.
13799 Defaults to @samp{""}.
13803 Whew! Lots of configuration options. The nice thing about it though is
13804 that GuixSD has a complete interface to Dovecot's configuration
13805 language. This allows not only a nice way to declare configurations,
13806 but also offers reflective capabilities as well: users can write code to
13807 inspect and transform configurations from within Scheme.
13809 However, it could be that you just want to get a @code{dovecot.conf} up
13810 and running. In that case, you can pass an
13811 @code{opaque-dovecot-configuration} as the @code{#:config} parameter to
13812 @code{dovecot-service}. As its name indicates, an opaque configuration
13813 does not have easy reflective capabilities.
13815 Available @code{opaque-dovecot-configuration} fields are:
13817 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-dovecot-configuration} parameter} package dovecot
13818 The dovecot package.
13821 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-dovecot-configuration} parameter} string string
13822 The contents of the @code{dovecot.conf}, as a string.
13825 For example, if your @code{dovecot.conf} is just the empty string, you
13826 could instantiate a dovecot service like this:
13829 (dovecot-service #:config
13830 (opaque-dovecot-configuration
13834 @subsubheading OpenSMTPD Service
13836 @deffn {Scheme Variable} opensmtpd-service-type
13837 This is the type of the @uref{https://www.opensmtpd.org, OpenSMTPD}
13838 service, whose value should be an @code{opensmtpd-configuration} object
13839 as in this example:
13842 (service opensmtpd-service-type
13843 (opensmtpd-configuration
13844 (config-file (local-file "./my-smtpd.conf"))))
13848 @deftp {Data Type} opensmtpd-configuration
13849 Data type representing the configuration of opensmtpd.
13852 @item @code{package} (default: @var{opensmtpd})
13853 Package object of the OpenSMTPD SMTP server.
13855 @item @code{config-file} (default: @var{%default-opensmtpd-file})
13856 File-like object of the OpenSMTPD configuration file to use. By default
13857 it listens on the loopback network interface, and allows for mail from
13858 users and daemons on the local machine, as well as permitting email to
13859 remote servers. Run @command{man smtpd.conf} for more information.
13864 @subsubheading Exim Service
13866 @cindex mail transfer agent (MTA)
13867 @cindex MTA (mail transfer agent)
13870 @deffn {Scheme Variable} exim-service-type
13871 This is the type of the @uref{https://exim.org, Exim} mail transfer
13872 agent (MTA), whose value should be an @code{exim-configuration} object
13873 as in this example:
13876 (service exim-service-type
13877 (exim-configuration
13878 (config-file (local-file "./my-exim.conf"))))
13882 In order to use an @code{exim-service-type} service you must also have a
13883 @code{mail-aliases-service-type} service present in your
13884 @code{operating-system} (even if it has no aliases).
13886 @deftp {Data Type} exim-configuration
13887 Data type representing the configuration of exim.
13890 @item @code{package} (default: @var{exim})
13891 Package object of the Exim server.
13893 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{#f})
13894 File-like object of the Exim configuration file to use. If its value is
13895 @code{#f} then use the default configuration file from the package
13896 provided in @code{package}. The resulting configuration file is loaded
13897 after setting the @code{exim_user} and @code{exim_group} configuration
13903 @subsubheading Mail Aliases Service
13905 @cindex email aliases
13906 @cindex aliases, for email addresses
13908 @deffn {Scheme Variable} mail-aliases-service-type
13909 This is the type of the service which provides @code{/etc/aliases},
13910 specifying how to deliver mail to users on this system.
13913 (service mail-aliases-service-type
13914 '(("postmaster" "bob")
13915 ("bob" "bob@@example.com" "bob@@example2.com")))
13919 The configuration for a @code{mail-aliases-service-type} service is an
13920 association list denoting how to deliver mail that comes to this
13921 system. Each entry is of the form @code{(alias addresses ...)}, with
13922 @code{alias} specifying the local alias and @code{addresses} specifying
13923 where to deliver this user's mail.
13925 The aliases aren't required to exist as users on the local system. In
13926 the above example, there doesn't need to be a @code{postmaster} entry in
13927 the @code{operating-system}'s @code{user-accounts} in order to deliver
13928 the @code{postmaster} mail to @code{bob} (which subsequently would
13929 deliver mail to @code{bob@@example.com} and @code{bob@@example2.com}).
13931 @node Messaging Services
13932 @subsubsection Messaging Services
13937 The @code{(gnu services messaging)} module provides Guix service
13938 definitions for messaging services: currently only Prosody is supported.
13940 @subsubheading Prosody Service
13942 @deffn {Scheme Variable} prosody-service-type
13943 This is the type for the @uref{http://prosody.im, Prosody XMPP
13944 communication server}. Its value must be a @code{prosody-configuration}
13945 record as in this example:
13948 (service prosody-service-type
13949 (prosody-configuration
13950 (modules-enabled (cons "groups" "mam" %default-modules-enabled))
13953 (int-component-configuration
13954 (hostname "conference.example.net")
13956 (mod-muc (mod-muc-configuration)))))
13959 (virtualhost-configuration
13960 (domain "example.net"))))))
13963 See below for details about @code{prosody-configuration}.
13967 By default, Prosody does not need much configuration. Only one
13968 @code{virtualhosts} field is needed: it specifies the domain you wish
13971 You can perform various sanity checks on the generated configuration
13972 with the @code{prosodyctl check} command.
13974 Prosodyctl will also help you to import certificates from the
13975 @code{letsencrypt} directory so that the @code{prosody} user can access
13976 them. See @url{https://prosody.im/doc/letsencrypt}.
13979 prosodyctl --root cert import /etc/letsencrypt/live
13982 The available configuration parameters follow. Each parameter
13983 definition is preceded by its type; for example, @samp{string-list foo}
13984 indicates that the @code{foo} parameter should be specified as a list of
13985 strings. Types starting with @code{maybe-} denote parameters that won't
13986 show up in @code{prosody.cfg.lua} when their value is @code{'disabled}.
13988 There is also a way to specify the configuration as a string, if you
13989 have an old @code{prosody.cfg.lua} file that you want to port over from
13990 some other system; see the end for more details.
13992 @c The following documentation was initially generated by
13993 @c (generate-documentation) in (gnu services messaging). Manually maintained
13994 @c documentation is better, so we shouldn't hesitate to edit below as
13995 @c needed. However if the change you want to make to this documentation
13996 @c can be done in an automated way, it's probably easier to change
13997 @c (generate-documentation) than to make it below and have to deal with
13998 @c the churn as Prosody updates.
14000 Available @code{prosody-configuration} fields are:
14002 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} package prosody
14003 The Prosody package.
14006 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} file-name data-path
14007 Location of the Prosody data storage directory. See
14008 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/configure}.
14009 Defaults to @samp{"/var/lib/prosody"}.
14012 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} file-name-list plugin-paths
14013 Additional plugin directories. They are searched in all the specified
14014 paths in order. See @url{http://prosody.im/doc/plugins_directory}.
14015 Defaults to @samp{()}.
14018 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} file-name certificates
14019 Every virtual host and component needs a certificate so that clients and
14020 servers can securely verify its identity. Prosody will automatically load
14021 certificates/keys from the directory specified here.
14022 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/prosody/certs"}.
14025 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string-list admins
14026 This is a list of accounts that are admins for the server. Note that you
14027 must create the accounts separately. See @url{http://prosody.im/doc/admins} and
14028 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/creating_accounts}.
14029 Example: @code{(admins '("user1@@example.com" "user2@@example.net"))}
14030 Defaults to @samp{()}.
14033 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} boolean use-libevent?
14034 Enable use of libevent for better performance under high load. See
14035 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/libevent}.
14036 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
14039 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} module-list modules-enabled
14040 This is the list of modules Prosody will load on startup. It looks for
14041 @code{mod_modulename.lua} in the plugins folder, so make sure that exists too.
14042 Documentation on modules can be found at:
14043 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/modules}.
14044 Defaults to @samp{("roster" "saslauth" "tls" "dialback" "disco" "carbons" "private" "blocklist" "vcard" "version" "uptime" "time" "ping" "pep" "register" "admin_adhoc")}.
14047 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string-list modules-disabled
14048 @samp{"offline"}, @samp{"c2s"} and @samp{"s2s"} are auto-loaded, but
14049 should you want to disable them then add them to this list.
14050 Defaults to @samp{()}.
14053 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} file-name groups-file
14054 Path to a text file where the shared groups are defined. If this path is
14055 empty then @samp{mod_groups} does nothing. See
14056 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_groups}.
14057 Defaults to @samp{"/var/lib/prosody/sharedgroups.txt"}.
14060 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} boolean allow-registration?
14061 Disable account creation by default, for security. See
14062 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/creating_accounts}.
14063 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
14066 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} maybe-ssl-configuration ssl
14067 These are the SSL/TLS-related settings. Most of them are disabled so to
14068 use Prosody's defaults. If you do not completely understand these options, do
14069 not add them to your config, it is easy to lower the security of your server
14070 using them. See @url{http://prosody.im/doc/advanced_ssl_config}.
14072 Available @code{ssl-configuration} fields are:
14074 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string protocol
14075 This determines what handshake to use.
14078 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-file-name key
14079 Path to your private key file.
14082 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-file-name certificate
14083 Path to your certificate file.
14086 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} file-name capath
14087 Path to directory containing root certificates that you wish Prosody to
14088 trust when verifying the certificates of remote servers.
14089 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/ssl/certs"}.
14092 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-file-name cafile
14093 Path to a file containing root certificates that you wish Prosody to trust.
14094 Similar to @code{capath} but with all certificates concatenated together.
14097 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string-list verify
14098 A list of verification options (these mostly map to OpenSSL's
14099 @code{set_verify()} flags).
14102 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string-list options
14103 A list of general options relating to SSL/TLS. These map to OpenSSL's
14104 @code{set_options()}. For a full list of options available in LuaSec, see the
14108 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer depth
14109 How long a chain of certificate authorities to check when looking for a
14110 trusted root certificate.
14113 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string ciphers
14114 An OpenSSL cipher string. This selects what ciphers Prosody will offer to
14115 clients, and in what order.
14118 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-file-name dhparam
14119 A path to a file containing parameters for Diffie-Hellman key exchange. You
14120 can create such a file with:
14121 @code{openssl dhparam -out /etc/prosody/certs/dh-2048.pem 2048}
14124 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string curve
14125 Curve for Elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman. Prosody's default is
14126 @samp{"secp384r1"}.
14129 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string-list verifyext
14130 A list of "extra" verification options.
14133 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string password
14134 Password for encrypted private keys.
14139 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} boolean c2s-require-encryption?
14140 Whether to force all client-to-server connections to be encrypted or not.
14141 See @url{http://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_tls}.
14142 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
14145 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string-list disable-sasl-mechanisms
14146 Set of mechanisms that will never be offered. See
14147 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_saslauth}.
14148 Defaults to @samp{("DIGEST-MD5")}.
14151 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} boolean s2s-require-encryption?
14152 Whether to force all server-to-server connections to be encrypted or not.
14153 See @url{http://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_tls}.
14154 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
14157 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} boolean s2s-secure-auth?
14158 Whether to require encryption and certificate authentication. This
14159 provides ideal security, but requires servers you communicate with to support
14160 encryption AND present valid, trusted certificates. See
14161 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/s2s#security}.
14162 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
14165 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string-list s2s-insecure-domains
14166 Many servers don't support encryption or have invalid or self-signed
14167 certificates. You can list domains here that will not be required to
14168 authenticate using certificates. They will be authenticated using DNS. See
14169 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/s2s#security}.
14170 Defaults to @samp{()}.
14173 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string-list s2s-secure-domains
14174 Even if you leave @code{s2s-secure-auth?} disabled, you can still require
14175 valid certificates for some domains by specifying a list here. See
14176 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/s2s#security}.
14177 Defaults to @samp{()}.
14180 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string authentication
14181 Select the authentication backend to use. The default provider stores
14182 passwords in plaintext and uses Prosody's configured data storage to store the
14183 authentication data. If you do not trust your server please see
14184 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_auth_internal_hashed} for information
14185 about using the hashed backend. See also
14186 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/authentication}
14187 Defaults to @samp{"internal_plain"}.
14190 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} maybe-string log
14191 Set logging options. Advanced logging configuration is not yet supported
14192 by the GuixSD Prosody Service. See @url{http://prosody.im/doc/logging}.
14193 Defaults to @samp{"*syslog"}.
14196 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} file-name pidfile
14197 File to write pid in. See @url{http://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_posix}.
14198 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/prosody/prosody.pid"}.
14201 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer http-max-content-size
14202 Maximum allowed size of the HTTP body (in bytes).
14205 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} maybe-string http-external-url
14206 Some modules expose their own URL in various ways. This URL is built
14207 from the protocol, host and port used. If Prosody sits behind a proxy, the
14208 public URL will be @code{http-external-url} instead. See
14209 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/http#external_url}.
14212 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} virtualhost-configuration-list virtualhosts
14213 A host in Prosody is a domain on which user accounts can be created. For
14214 example if you want your users to have addresses like
14215 @samp{"john.smith@@example.com"} then you need to add a host
14216 @samp{"example.com"}. All options in this list will apply only to this host.
14218 Note: the name "virtual" host is used in configuration to avoid confusion with
14219 the actual physical host that Prosody is installed on. A single Prosody
14220 instance can serve many domains, each one defined as a VirtualHost entry in
14221 Prosody's configuration. Conversely a server that hosts a single domain would
14222 have just one VirtualHost entry.
14224 See @url{http://prosody.im/doc/configure#virtual_host_settings}.
14226 Available @code{virtualhost-configuration} fields are:
14228 all these @code{prosody-configuration} fields: @code{admins}, @code{use-libevent?}, @code{modules-enabled}, @code{modules-disabled}, @code{groups-file}, @code{allow-registration?}, @code{ssl}, @code{c2s-require-encryption?}, @code{disable-sasl-mechanisms}, @code{s2s-require-encryption?}, @code{s2s-secure-auth?}, @code{s2s-insecure-domains}, @code{s2s-secure-domains}, @code{authentication}, @code{log}, @code{http-max-content-size}, @code{http-external-url}, @code{raw-content}, plus:
14229 @deftypevr {@code{virtualhost-configuration} parameter} string domain
14230 Domain you wish Prosody to serve.
14235 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} int-component-configuration-list int-components
14236 Components are extra services on a server which are available to clients,
14237 usually on a subdomain of the main server (such as
14238 @samp{"mycomponent.example.com"}). Example components might be chatroom
14239 servers, user directories, or gateways to other protocols.
14241 Internal components are implemented with Prosody-specific plugins. To add an
14242 internal component, you simply fill the hostname field, and the plugin you wish
14243 to use for the component.
14245 See @url{http://prosody.im/doc/components}.
14246 Defaults to @samp{()}.
14248 Available @code{int-component-configuration} fields are:
14250 all these @code{prosody-configuration} fields: @code{admins}, @code{use-libevent?}, @code{modules-enabled}, @code{modules-disabled}, @code{groups-file}, @code{allow-registration?}, @code{ssl}, @code{c2s-require-encryption?}, @code{disable-sasl-mechanisms}, @code{s2s-require-encryption?}, @code{s2s-secure-auth?}, @code{s2s-insecure-domains}, @code{s2s-secure-domains}, @code{authentication}, @code{log}, @code{http-max-content-size}, @code{http-external-url}, @code{raw-content}, plus:
14251 @deftypevr {@code{int-component-configuration} parameter} string hostname
14252 Hostname of the component.
14255 @deftypevr {@code{int-component-configuration} parameter} string plugin
14256 Plugin you wish to use for the component.
14259 @deftypevr {@code{int-component-configuration} parameter} maybe-mod-muc-configuration mod-muc
14260 Multi-user chat (MUC) is Prosody's module for allowing you to create
14261 hosted chatrooms/conferences for XMPP users.
14263 General information on setting up and using multi-user chatrooms can be found
14264 in the "Chatrooms" documentation (@url{http://prosody.im/doc/chatrooms}),
14265 which you should read if you are new to XMPP chatrooms.
14267 See also @url{http://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_muc}.
14269 Available @code{mod-muc-configuration} fields are:
14271 @deftypevr {@code{mod-muc-configuration} parameter} string name
14272 The name to return in service discovery responses.
14273 Defaults to @samp{"Prosody Chatrooms"}.
14276 @deftypevr {@code{mod-muc-configuration} parameter} string-or-boolean restrict-room-creation
14277 If @samp{#t}, this will only allow admins to create new chatrooms.
14278 Otherwise anyone can create a room. The value @samp{"local"} restricts room
14279 creation to users on the service's parent domain. E.g. @samp{user@@example.com}
14280 can create rooms on @samp{rooms.example.com}. The value @samp{"admin"}
14281 restricts to service administrators only.
14282 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
14285 @deftypevr {@code{mod-muc-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-history-messages
14286 Maximum number of history messages that will be sent to the member that has
14287 just joined the room.
14288 Defaults to @samp{20}.
14295 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} ext-component-configuration-list ext-components
14296 External components use XEP-0114, which most standalone components
14297 support. To add an external component, you simply fill the hostname field. See
14298 @url{http://prosody.im/doc/components}.
14299 Defaults to @samp{()}.
14301 Available @code{ext-component-configuration} fields are:
14303 all these @code{prosody-configuration} fields: @code{admins}, @code{use-libevent?}, @code{modules-enabled}, @code{modules-disabled}, @code{groups-file}, @code{allow-registration?}, @code{ssl}, @code{c2s-require-encryption?}, @code{disable-sasl-mechanisms}, @code{s2s-require-encryption?}, @code{s2s-secure-auth?}, @code{s2s-insecure-domains}, @code{s2s-secure-domains}, @code{authentication}, @code{log}, @code{http-max-content-size}, @code{http-external-url}, @code{raw-content}, plus:
14304 @deftypevr {@code{ext-component-configuration} parameter} string component-secret
14305 Password which the component will use to log in.
14308 @deftypevr {@code{ext-component-configuration} parameter} string hostname
14309 Hostname of the component.
14314 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer-list component-ports
14315 Port(s) Prosody listens on for component connections.
14316 Defaults to @samp{(5347)}.
14319 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string component-interface
14320 Interface Prosody listens on for component connections.
14321 Defaults to @samp{"127.0.0.1"}.
14324 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} maybe-raw-content raw-content
14325 Raw content that will be added to the configuration file.
14328 It could be that you just want to get a @code{prosody.cfg.lua}
14329 up and running. In that case, you can pass an
14330 @code{opaque-prosody-configuration} record as the value of
14331 @code{prosody-service-type}. As its name indicates, an opaque configuration
14332 does not have easy reflective capabilities.
14333 Available @code{opaque-prosody-configuration} fields are:
14335 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-prosody-configuration} parameter} package prosody
14336 The prosody package.
14339 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-prosody-configuration} parameter} string prosody.cfg.lua
14340 The contents of the @code{prosody.cfg.lua} to use.
14343 For example, if your @code{prosody.cfg.lua} is just the empty
14344 string, you could instantiate a prosody service like this:
14347 (service prosody-service-type
14348 (opaque-prosody-configuration
14349 (prosody.cfg.lua "")))
14353 @node Telephony Services
14354 @subsubsection Telephony Services
14356 @cindex Murmur (VoIP server)
14357 @cindex VoIP server
14358 This section describes how to set up and run a Murmur server. Murmur is
14359 the server of the @uref{https://mumble.info, Mumble} voice-over-IP
14362 @deftp {Data Type} murmur-configuration
14363 The service type for the Murmur server. An example configuration can
14367 (service murmur-service-type
14368 (murmur-configuration
14370 "Welcome to this Mumble server running on GuixSD!")
14371 (cert-required? #t) ;disallow text password logins
14372 (ssl-cert "/etc/letsencrypt/live/mumble.example.com/fullchain.pem")
14373 (ssl-key "/etc/letsencrypt/live/mumble.example.com/privkey.pem")))
14376 After reconfiguring your system, you can manually set the murmur @code{SuperUser}
14377 password with the command that is printed during the activation phase.
14379 It is recommended to register a normal Mumble user account
14380 and grant it admin or moderator rights.
14381 You can use the @code{mumble} client to
14382 login as new normal user, register yourself, and log out.
14383 For the next step login with the name @code{SuperUser} use
14384 the @code{SuperUser} password that you set previously,
14385 and grant your newly registered mumble user administrator or moderator
14386 rights and create some channels.
14388 Available @code{murmur-configuration} fields are:
14391 @item @code{package} (default: @code{mumble})
14392 Package that contains @code{bin/murmurd}.
14394 @item @code{user} (default: @code{"murmur"})
14395 User who will run the Murmur server.
14397 @item @code{group} (default: @code{"murmur"})
14398 Group of the user who will run the murmur server.
14400 @item @code{port} (default: @code{64738})
14401 Port on which the server will listen.
14403 @item @code{welcome-text} (default: @code{""})
14404 Welcome text sent to clients when they connect.
14406 @item @code{server-password} (default: @code{""})
14407 Password the clients have to enter in order to connect.
14409 @item @code{max-users} (default: @code{100})
14410 Maximum of users that can be connected to the server at once.
14412 @item @code{max-user-bandwidth} (default: @code{#f})
14413 Maximum voice traffic a user can send per second.
14415 @item @code{database-file} (default: @code{"/var/lib/murmur/db.sqlite"})
14416 File name of the sqlite database.
14417 The service's user will become the owner of the directory.
14419 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{"/var/log/murmur/murmur.log"})
14420 File name of the log file.
14421 The service's user will become the owner of the directory.
14423 @item @code{autoban-attempts} (default: @code{10})
14424 Maximum number of logins a user can make in @code{autoban-timeframe}
14425 without getting auto banned for @code{autoban-time}.
14427 @item @code{autoban-timeframe} (default: @code{120})
14428 Timeframe for autoban in seconds.
14430 @item @code{autoban-time} (default: @code{300})
14431 Amount of time in seconds for which a client gets banned
14432 when violating the autoban limits.
14434 @item @code{opus-threshold} (default: @code{100})
14435 Percentage of clients that need to support opus
14436 before switching over to opus audio codec.
14438 @item @code{channel-nesting-limit} (default: @code{10})
14439 How deep channels can be nested at maximum.
14441 @item @code{channelname-regex} (default: @code{#f})
14442 A string in from of a Qt regular expression that channel names must conform to.
14444 @item @code{username-regex} (default: @code{#f})
14445 A string in from of a Qt regular expression that user names must conform to.
14447 @item @code{text-message-length} (default: @code{5000})
14448 Maximum size in bytes that a user can send in one text chat message.
14450 @item @code{image-message-length} (default: @code{(* 128 1024)})
14451 Maximum size in bytes that a user can send in one image message.
14453 @item @code{cert-required?} (default: @code{#f})
14454 If it is set to @code{#t} clients that use weak password authentification
14455 will not be accepted. Users must have completed the certificate wizard to join.
14457 @item @code{remember-channel?} (defualt @code{#f})
14458 Should murmur remember the last channel each user was in when they disconnected
14459 and put them into the remembered channel when they rejoin.
14461 @item @code{allow-html?} (default: @code{#f})
14462 Should html be allowed in text messages, user comments, and channel descriptions.
14464 @item @code{allow-ping?} (default: @code{#f})
14465 Setting to true exposes the current user count, the maximum user count, and
14466 the server's maximum bandwidth per client to unauthenticated users. In the
14467 Mumble client, this information is shown in the Connect dialog.
14469 Disabling this setting will prevent public listing of the server.
14471 @item @code{bonjour?} (default: @code{#f})
14472 Should the server advertise itself in the local network through the bonjour protocol.
14474 @item @code{send-version?} (default: @code{#f})
14475 Should the murmur server version be exposed in ping requests.
14477 @item @code{log-days} (default: @code{31})
14478 Murmur also stores logs in the database, which are accessible via RPC.
14479 The default is 31 days of months, but you can set this setting to 0 to keep logs forever,
14480 or -1 to disable logging to the database.
14482 @item @code{obfuscate-ips?} (default @code{#t})
14483 Should logged ips be obfuscated to protect the privacy of users.
14485 @item @code{ssl-cert} (default: @code{#f})
14486 File name of the SSL/TLS certificate used for encrypted connections.
14489 (ssl-cert "/etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/fullchain.pem")
14491 @item @code{ssl-key} (default: @code{#f})
14492 Filepath to the ssl private key used for encrypted connections.
14494 (ssl-key "/etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/privkey.pem")
14497 @item @code{ssl-dh-params} (default: @code{#f})
14498 File name of a PEM-encoded file with Diffie-Hellman parameters
14499 for the SSL/TLS encryption. Alternatively you set it to
14500 @code{"@@ffdhe2048"}, @code{"@@ffdhe3072"}, @code{"@@ffdhe4096"}, @code{"@@ffdhe6144"}
14501 or @code{"@@ffdhe8192"} to use bundled parameters from RFC 7919.
14503 @item @code{ssl-ciphers} (default: @code{#f})
14504 The @code{ssl-ciphers} option chooses the cipher suites to make available for use
14507 This option is specified using
14508 @uref{https://www.openssl.org/docs/apps/ciphers.html#CIPHER-LIST-FORMAT,
14509 OpenSSL cipher list notation}.
14511 It is recommended that you try your cipher string using 'openssl ciphers <string>'
14512 before setting it here, to get a feel for which cipher suites you will get.
14513 After setting this option, it is recommend that you inspect your Murmur log
14514 to ensure that Murmur is using the cipher suites that you expected it to.
14516 Note: Changing this option may impact the backwards compatibility of your
14517 Murmur server, and can remove the ability for older Mumble clients to be able
14520 @item @code{public-registration} (default: @code{#f})
14521 Must be a @code{<murmur-public-registration-configuration>} record or @code{#f}.
14523 You can optionally register your server in the public server list that the
14524 @code{mumble} client shows on startup.
14525 You cannot register your server if you have set a @code{server-password},
14526 or set @code{allow-ping} to @code{#f}.
14528 It might take a few hours until it shows up in the public list.
14530 @item @code{file} (default: @code{#f})
14531 Optional alternative override for this configuration.
14535 @deftp {Data Type} murmur-public-registration-configuration
14536 Configuration for public registration of a murmur service.
14540 This is a display name for your server. Not to be confused with the hostname.
14542 @item @code{password}
14543 A password to identify your registration.
14544 Subsequent updates will need the same password. Don't lose your password.
14547 This should be a @code{http://} or @code{https://} link to your web
14550 @item @code{hostname} (default: @code{#f})
14551 By default your server will be listed by its IP address.
14552 If it is set your server will be linked by this host name instead.
14558 @node Monitoring Services
14559 @subsubsection Monitoring Services
14561 @subsubheading Tailon Service
14563 @uref{https://tailon.readthedocs.io/, Tailon} is a web application for
14564 viewing and searching log files.
14566 The following example will configure the service with default values.
14567 By default, Tailon can be accessed on port 8080 (@code{http://localhost:8080}).
14570 (service tailon-service-type)
14573 The following example customises more of the Tailon configuration,
14574 adding @command{sed} to the list of allowed commands.
14577 (service tailon-service-type
14578 (tailon-configuration
14580 (tailon-configuration-file
14581 (allowed-commands '("tail" "grep" "awk" "sed"))))))
14585 @deftp {Data Type} tailon-configuration
14586 Data type representing the configuration of Tailon.
14587 This type has the following parameters:
14590 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{(tailon-configuration-file)})
14591 The configuration file to use for Tailon. This can be set to a
14592 @dfn{tailon-configuration-file} record value, or any gexp
14593 (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
14595 For example, to instead use a local file, the @code{local-file} function
14599 (service tailon-service-type
14600 (tailon-configuration
14601 (config-file (local-file "./my-tailon.conf"))))
14604 @item @code{package} (default: @code{tailon})
14605 The tailon package to use.
14610 @deftp {Data Type} tailon-configuration-file
14611 Data type representing the configuration options for Tailon.
14612 This type has the following parameters:
14615 @item @code{files} (default: @code{(list "/var/log")})
14616 List of files to display. The list can include strings for a single file
14617 or directory, or a list, where the first item is the name of a
14618 subsection, and the remaining items are the files or directories in that
14621 @item @code{bind} (default: @code{"localhost:8080"})
14622 Address and port to which Tailon should bind on.
14624 @item @code{relative-root} (default: @code{#f})
14625 URL path to use for Tailon, set to @code{#f} to not use a path.
14627 @item @code{allow-transfers?} (default: @code{#t})
14628 Allow downloading the log files in the web interface.
14630 @item @code{follow-names?} (default: @code{#t})
14631 Allow tailing of not-yet existent files.
14633 @item @code{tail-lines} (default: @code{200})
14634 Number of lines to read initially from each file.
14636 @item @code{allowed-commands} (default: @code{(list "tail" "grep" "awk")})
14637 Commands to allow running. By default, @code{sed} is disabled.
14639 @item @code{debug?} (default: @code{#f})
14640 Set @code{debug?} to @code{#t} to show debug messages.
14642 @item @code{wrap-lines} (default: @code{#t})
14643 Initial line wrapping state in the web interface. Set to @code{#t} to
14644 initially wrap lines (the default), or to @code{#f} to initially not
14647 @item @code{http-auth} (default: @code{#f})
14648 HTTP authentication type to use. Set to @code{#f} to disable
14649 authentication (the default). Supported values are @code{"digest"} or
14652 @item @code{users} (default: @code{#f})
14653 If HTTP authentication is enabled (see @code{http-auth}), access will be
14654 restricted to the credentials provided here. To configure users, use a
14655 list of pairs, where the first element of the pair is the username, and
14656 the 2nd element of the pair is the password.
14659 (tailon-configuration-file
14660 (http-auth "basic")
14661 (users '(("user1" . "password1")
14662 ("user2" . "password2"))))
14669 @node Kerberos Services
14670 @subsubsection Kerberos Services
14673 The @code{(gnu services kerberos)} module provides services relating to
14674 the authentication protocol @dfn{Kerberos}.
14676 @subsubheading Krb5 Service
14678 Programs using a Kerberos client library normally
14679 expect a configuration file in @file{/etc/krb5.conf}.
14680 This service generates such a file from a definition provided in the
14681 operating system declaration.
14682 It does not cause any daemon to be started.
14684 No ``keytab'' files are provided by this service---you must explicitly create them.
14685 This service is known to work with the MIT client library, @code{mit-krb5}.
14686 Other implementations have not been tested.
14688 @defvr {Scheme Variable} krb5-service-type
14689 A service type for Kerberos 5 clients.
14693 Here is an example of its use:
14695 (service krb5-service-type
14696 (krb5-configuration
14697 (default-realm "EXAMPLE.COM")
14698 (allow-weak-crypto? #t)
14701 (name "EXAMPLE.COM")
14702 (admin-server "groucho.example.com")
14703 (kdc "karl.example.com"))
14706 (admin-server "kerb-admin.argrx.edu")
14707 (kdc "keys.argrx.edu"))))))
14711 This example provides a Kerberos@tie{}5 client configuration which:
14713 @item Recognizes two realms, @i{viz:} ``EXAMPLE.COM'' and ``ARGRX.EDU'', both
14714 of which have distinct administration servers and key distribution centers;
14715 @item Will default to the realm ``EXAMPLE.COM'' if the realm is not explicitly
14716 specified by clients;
14717 @item Accepts services which only support encryption types known to be weak.
14720 The @code{krb5-realm} and @code{krb5-configuration} types have many fields.
14721 Only the most commonly used ones are described here.
14722 For a full list, and more detailed explanation of each, see the MIT
14723 @uref{http://web.mit.edu/kerberos/krb5-devel/doc/admin/conf_files/krb5_conf.html,,krb5.conf}
14727 @deftp {Data Type} krb5-realm
14728 @cindex realm, kerberos
14731 This field is a string identifying the name of the realm.
14732 A common convention is to use the fully qualified DNS name of your organization,
14733 converted to upper case.
14735 @item @code{admin-server}
14736 This field is a string identifying the host where the administration server is
14740 This field is a string identifying the key distribution center
14745 @deftp {Data Type} krb5-configuration
14748 @item @code{allow-weak-crypto?} (default: @code{#f})
14749 If this flag is @code{#t} then services which only offer encryption algorithms
14750 known to be weak will be accepted.
14752 @item @code{default-realm} (default: @code{#f})
14753 This field should be a string identifying the default Kerberos
14754 realm for the client.
14755 You should set this field to the name of your Kerberos realm.
14756 If this value is @code{#f}
14757 then a realm must be specified with every Kerberos principal when invoking programs
14758 such as @command{kinit}.
14760 @item @code{realms}
14761 This should be a non-empty list of @code{krb5-realm} objects, which clients may
14763 Normally, one of them will have a @code{name} field matching the @code{default-realm}
14769 @subsubheading PAM krb5 Service
14772 The @code{pam-krb5} service allows for login authentication and password
14773 management via Kerberos.
14774 You will need this service if you want PAM enabled applications to authenticate
14775 users using Kerberos.
14777 @defvr {Scheme Variable} pam-krb5-service-type
14778 A service type for the Kerberos 5 PAM module.
14781 @deftp {Data Type} pam-krb5-configuration
14782 Data type representing the configuration of the Kerberos 5 PAM module
14783 This type has the following parameters:
14785 @item @code{pam-krb5} (default: @code{pam-krb5})
14786 The pam-krb5 package to use.
14788 @item @code{minimum-uid} (default: @code{1000})
14789 The smallest user ID for which Kerberos authentications should be attempted.
14790 Local accounts with lower values will silently fail to authenticate.
14796 @subsubsection Web Services
14801 The @code{(gnu services web)} module provides the nginx web server and
14802 also a fastcgi wrapper daemon.
14804 @deffn {Scheme Variable} nginx-service-type
14805 Service type for the @uref{https://nginx.org/,NGinx} web server. The
14806 value for this service type is a @code{<nginx-configuration>} record.
14808 A simple example configuration is given below.
14811 (service nginx-service-type
14812 (nginx-configuration
14814 (list (nginx-server-configuration
14815 (server-name '("www.example.com"))
14816 (root "/srv/http/www.example.com")
14818 (ssl-certificate #f)
14819 (ssl-certificate-key #f))))))
14822 In addition to adding server blocks to the service configuration
14823 directly, this service can be extended by other services to add server
14824 blocks, as in this example:
14827 (simple-service 'my-extra-server nginx-service-type
14828 (list (nginx-server-configuration
14830 (ssl-certificate #f)
14831 (ssl-certificate-key #f)
14832 (root "/srv/http/extra-website")
14833 (try-files (list "$uri" "$uri/index.html")))))
14837 At startup, @command{nginx} has not yet read its configuration file, so
14838 it uses a default file to log error messages. If it fails to load its
14839 configuration file, that is where error messages are logged. After the
14840 configuration file is loaded, the default error log file changes as per
14841 configuration. In our case, startup error messages can be found in
14842 @file{/var/run/nginx/logs/error.log}, and after configuration in
14843 @file{/var/log/nginx/error.log}. The second location can be changed
14844 with the @var{log-directory} configuration option.
14846 @deffn {Data Type} nginx-configuration
14847 This data type represents the configuration for NGinx. Some
14848 configuration can be done through this and the other provided record
14849 types, or alternatively, a config file can be provided.
14852 @item @code{nginx} (default: @code{nginx})
14853 The nginx package to use.
14855 @item @code{log-directory} (default: @code{"/var/log/nginx"})
14856 The directory to which NGinx will write log files.
14858 @item @code{run-directory} (default: @code{"/var/run/nginx"})
14859 The directory in which NGinx will create a pid file, and write temporary
14862 @item @code{server-blocks} (default: @code{'()})
14863 A list of @dfn{server blocks} to create in the generated configuration
14864 file, the elements should be of type
14865 @code{<nginx-server-configuration>}.
14867 The following example would setup NGinx to serve @code{www.example.com}
14868 from the @code{/srv/http/www.example.com} directory, without using
14871 (service nginx-service-type
14872 (nginx-configuration
14874 (list (nginx-server-configuration
14875 (server-name '("www.example.com"))
14876 (root "/srv/http/www.example.com")
14878 (ssl-certificate #f)
14879 (ssl-certificate-key #f))))))
14882 @item @code{upstream-blocks} (default: @code{'()})
14883 A list of @dfn{upstream blocks} to create in the generated configuration
14884 file, the elements should be of type
14885 @code{<nginx-upstream-configuration>}.
14887 Configuring upstreams through the @code{upstream-blocks} can be useful
14888 when combined with @code{locations} in the
14889 @code{<nginx-server-configuration>} records. The following example
14890 creates a server configuration with one location configuration, that
14891 will proxy requests to a upstream configuration, which will handle
14892 requests with two servers.
14897 (nginx-configuration
14899 (list (nginx-server-configuration
14900 (server-name '("www.example.com"))
14901 (root "/srv/http/www.example.com")
14903 (ssl-certificate #f)
14904 (ssl-certificate-key #f)
14907 (nginx-location-configuration
14909 (body '("proxy_pass http://server-proxy;"))))))))
14911 (list (nginx-upstream-configuration
14912 (name "server-proxy")
14913 (servers (list "server1.example.com"
14914 "server2.example.com")))))))
14917 @item @code{file} (default: @code{#f})
14918 If a configuration @var{file} is provided, this will be used, rather than
14919 generating a configuration file from the provided @code{log-directory},
14920 @code{run-directory}, @code{server-blocks} and @code{upstream-blocks}. For
14921 proper operation, these arguments should match what is in @var{file} to ensure
14922 that the directories are created when the service is activated.
14924 This can be useful if you have an existing configuration file, or it's
14925 not possible to do what is required through the other parts of the
14926 nginx-configuration record.
14931 @deftp {Data Type} nginx-server-configuration
14932 Data type representing the configuration of an nginx server block.
14933 This type has the following parameters:
14936 @item @code{http-port} (default: @code{80})
14937 Nginx will listen for HTTP connection on this port. Set it at @code{#f} if
14938 nginx should not listen for HTTP (non secure) connection for this
14939 @dfn{server block}.
14941 @item @code{https-port} (default: @code{443})
14942 Nginx will listen for HTTPS connection on this port. Set it at @code{#f} if
14943 nginx should not listen for HTTPS (secure) connection for this @dfn{server block}.
14945 Note that nginx can listen for HTTP and HTTPS connections in the same
14946 @dfn{server block}.
14948 @item @code{server-name} (default: @code{(list 'default)})
14949 A list of server names this server represents. @code{'default} represents the
14950 default server for connections matching no other server.
14952 @item @code{root} (default: @code{"/srv/http"})
14953 Root of the website nginx will serve.
14955 @item @code{locations} (default: @code{'()})
14956 A list of @dfn{nginx-location-configuration} or
14957 @dfn{nginx-named-location-configuration} records to use within this
14960 @item @code{index} (default: @code{(list "index.html")})
14961 Index files to look for when clients ask for a directory. If it cannot be found,
14962 Nginx will send the list of files in the directory.
14964 @item @code{try-files} (default: @code{'()})
14965 A list of files whose existence is checked in the specified order.
14966 @code{nginx} will use the first file it finds to process the request.
14968 @item @code{ssl-certificate} (default: @code{"/etc/nginx/cert.pem"})
14969 Where to find the certificate for secure connections. Set it to @code{#f} if
14970 you don't have a certificate or you don't want to use HTTPS.
14972 @item @code{ssl-certificate-key} (default: @code{"/etc/nginx/key.pem"})
14973 Where to find the private key for secure connections. Set it to @code{#f} if
14974 you don't have a key or you don't want to use HTTPS.
14976 @item @code{server-tokens?} (default: @code{#f})
14977 Whether the server should add its configuration to response.
14982 @deftp {Data Type} nginx-upstream-configuration
14983 Data type representing the configuration of an nginx @code{upstream}
14984 block. This type has the following parameters:
14988 Name for this group of servers.
14990 @item @code{servers}
14991 Specify the addresses of the servers in the group. The address can be
14992 specified as a IP address (e.g. @samp{127.0.0.1}), domain name
14993 (e.g. @samp{backend1.example.com}) or a path to a UNIX socket using the
14994 prefix @samp{unix:}. For addresses using an IP address or domain name,
14995 the default port is 80, and a different port can be specified
15001 @deftp {Data Type} nginx-location-configuration
15002 Data type representing the configuration of an nginx @code{location}
15003 block. This type has the following parameters:
15007 URI which this location block matches.
15009 @anchor{nginx-location-configuration body}
15011 Body of the location block, specified as a string. This can contain many
15012 configuration directives. For example, to pass requests to a upstream
15013 server group defined using an @code{nginx-upstream-configuration} block,
15014 the following directive would be specified in the body @samp{proxy_pass
15015 http://upstream-name;}.
15020 @deftp {Data Type} nginx-named-location-configuration
15021 Data type representing the configuration of an nginx named location
15022 block. Named location blocks are used for request redirection, and not
15023 used for regular request processing. This type has the following
15028 Name to identify this location block.
15031 @xref{nginx-location-configuration body}, as the body for named location
15032 blocks can be used in a similar way to the
15033 @code{nginx-location-configuration body}. One restriction is that the
15034 body of a named location block cannot contain location blocks.
15041 FastCGI is an interface between the front-end and the back-end of a web
15042 service. It is a somewhat legacy facility; new web services should
15043 generally just talk HTTP between the front-end and the back-end.
15044 However there are a number of back-end services such as PHP or the
15045 optimized HTTP Git repository access that use FastCGI, so we have
15046 support for it in Guix.
15048 To use FastCGI, you configure the front-end web server (e.g., nginx) to
15049 dispatch some subset of its requests to the fastcgi backend, which
15050 listens on a local TCP or UNIX socket. There is an intermediary
15051 @code{fcgiwrap} program that sits between the actual backend process and
15052 the web server. The front-end indicates which backend program to run,
15053 passing that information to the @code{fcgiwrap} process.
15055 @defvr {Scheme Variable} fcgiwrap-service-type
15056 A service type for the @code{fcgiwrap} FastCGI proxy.
15059 @deftp {Data Type} fcgiwrap-configuration
15060 Data type representing the configuration of the @code{fcgiwrap} serice.
15061 This type has the following parameters:
15063 @item @code{package} (default: @code{fcgiwrap})
15064 The fcgiwrap package to use.
15066 @item @code{socket} (default: @code{tcp:127.0.0.1:9000})
15067 The socket on which the @code{fcgiwrap} process should listen, as a
15068 string. Valid @var{socket} values include
15069 @code{unix:@var{/path/to/unix/socket}},
15070 @code{tcp:@var{dot.ted.qu.ad}:@var{port}} and
15071 @code{tcp6:[@var{ipv6_addr}]:port}.
15073 @item @code{user} (default: @code{fcgiwrap})
15074 @itemx @code{group} (default: @code{fcgiwrap})
15075 The user and group names, as strings, under which to run the
15076 @code{fcgiwrap} process. The @code{fastcgi} service will ensure that if
15077 the user asks for the specific user or group names @code{fcgiwrap} that
15078 the corresponding user and/or group is present on the system.
15080 It is possible to configure a FastCGI-backed web service to pass HTTP
15081 authentication information from the front-end to the back-end, and to
15082 allow @code{fcgiwrap} to run the back-end process as a corresponding
15083 local user. To enable this capability on the back-end., run
15084 @code{fcgiwrap} as the @code{root} user and group. Note that this
15085 capability also has to be configured on the front-end as well.
15089 @node Certificate Services
15090 @subsubsection Certificate Services
15093 @cindex HTTP, HTTPS
15094 @cindex Let's Encrypt
15095 @cindex TLS certificates
15096 The @code{(gnu services certbot)} module provides a service to
15097 automatically obtain a valid TLS certificate from the Let's Encrypt
15098 certificate authority. These certificates can then be used to serve
15099 content securely over HTTPS or other TLS-based protocols, with the
15100 knowledge that the client will be able to verify the server's
15103 @url{https://letsencrypt.org/, Let's Encrypt} provides the
15104 @code{certbot} tool to automate the certification process. This tool
15105 first securely generates a key on the server. It then makes a request
15106 to the Let's Encrypt certificate authority (CA) to sign the key. The CA
15107 checks that the request originates from the host in question by using a
15108 challenge-response protocol, requiring the server to provide its
15109 response over HTTP. If that protocol completes successfully, the CA
15110 signs the key, resulting in a certificate. That certificate is valid
15111 for a limited period of time, and therefore to continue to provide TLS
15112 services, the server needs to periodically ask the CA to renew its
15115 The certbot service automates this process: the initial key
15116 generation, the initial certification request to the Let's Encrypt
15117 service, the web server challenge/response integration, writing the
15118 certificate to disk, and the automated periodic renewals.
15120 @defvr {Scheme Variable} certbot-service-type
15121 A service type for the @code{certbot} Let's Encrypt client.
15124 @deftp {Data Type} certbot-configuration
15125 Data type representing the configuration of the @code{certbot} serice.
15126 This type has the following parameters:
15129 @item @code{package} (default: @code{certbot})
15130 The certbot package to use.
15132 @item @code{webroot} (default: @code{/var/www})
15133 The directory from which to serve the Let's Encrypt challenge/response
15136 @item @code{hosts} (default: @code{()})
15137 A list of hosts for which to generate certificates and request
15140 @item @code{default-location} (default: @i{see below})
15141 The default @code{nginx-location-configuration}. Because @code{certbot}
15142 needs to be able to serve challenges and responses, it needs to be able
15143 to run a web server. It does so by extending the @code{nginx} web
15144 service with an @code{nginx-server-configuration} listening on the
15145 @var{hosts} on port 80, and which has a
15146 @code{nginx-location-configuration} for the @code{/.well-known/} URI
15147 path subspace used by Let's Encrypt. @xref{Web Services}, for more on
15148 these nginx configuration data types.
15150 Requests to other URL paths will be matched by the
15151 @code{default-location}, which if present is added to all
15152 @code{nginx-server-configuration}s.
15154 By default, the @code{default-location} will issue a redirect from
15155 @code{http://@var{host}/...} to @code{https://@var{host}/...}, leaving
15156 you to define what to serve on your site via @code{https}.
15158 Pass @code{#f} to not issue a default location.
15162 The public key and its signatures will be written to
15163 @code{/etc/letsencrypt/live/@var{host}/fullchain.pem}, for each
15164 @var{host} in the configuration. The private key is written to
15165 @code{/etc/letsencrypt/live/@var{host}/privkey.pem}.
15169 @subsubsection DNS Services
15170 @cindex DNS (domain name system)
15171 @cindex domain name system (DNS)
15173 The @code{(gnu services dns)} module provides services related to the
15174 @dfn{domain name system} (DNS). It provides a server service for hosting
15175 an @emph{authoritative} DNS server for multiple zones, slave or master.
15176 This service uses @uref{https://www.knot-dns.cz/, Knot DNS}.
15178 An example configuration of an authoritative server for two zones, one master
15182 (define-zone-entries example.org.zone
15183 ;; Name TTL Class Type Data
15184 ("@@" "" "IN" "A" "127.0.0.1")
15185 ("@@" "" "IN" "NS" "ns")
15186 ("ns" "" "IN" "A" "127.0.0.1"))
15188 (define master-zone
15189 (knot-zone-configuration
15190 (domain "example.org")
15192 (origin "example.org")
15193 (entries example.org.zone)))))
15196 (knot-zone-configuration
15197 (domain "plop.org")
15198 (dnssec-policy "default")
15199 (master (list "plop-master"))))
15201 (define plop-master
15202 (knot-remote-configuration
15204 (address (list "208.76.58.171"))))
15208 (services (cons* (service knot-service-type
15209 (knot-confifguration
15210 (remotes (list plop-master))
15211 (zones (list master-zone slave-zone))))
15216 @deffn {Scheme Variable} knot-service-type
15217 This is the type for the Knot DNS server.
15219 Knot DNS is an authoritative DNS server, meaning that it can serve multiple
15220 zones, that is to say domain names you would buy from a registrar. This server
15221 is not a resolver, meaning that it can only resolve names for which it is
15222 authoritative. This server can be configured to serve zones as a master server
15223 or a slave server as a per-zone basis. Slave zones will get their data from
15224 masters, and will serve it as an authoritative server. From the point of view
15225 of a resolver, there is no difference between master and slave.
15227 The following data types are used to configure the Knot DNS server:
15230 @deftp {Data Type} knot-key-configuration
15231 Data type representing a key.
15232 This type has the following parameters:
15235 @item @code{id} (default: @code{""})
15236 An identifier for other configuration fields to refer to this key. IDs must
15237 be unique and must not be empty.
15239 @item @code{algorithm} (default: @code{#f})
15240 The algorithm to use. Choose between @code{#f}, @code{'hmac-md5},
15241 @code{'hmac-sha1}, @code{'hmac-sha224}, @code{'hmac-sha256}, @code{'hmac-sha384}
15242 and @code{'hmac-sha512}.
15244 @item @code{secret} (default: @code{""})
15245 The secret key itself.
15250 @deftp {Data Type} knot-acl-configuration
15251 Data type representing an Access Control List (ACL) configuration.
15252 This type has the following parameters:
15255 @item @code{id} (default: @code{""})
15256 An identifier for ether configuration fields to refer to this key. IDs must be
15257 unique and must not be empty.
15259 @item @code{address} (default: @code{'()})
15260 An ordered list of IP addresses, network subnets, or network ranges represented
15261 with strings. The query must match one of them. Empty value means that
15262 address match is not required.
15264 @item @code{key} (default: @code{'()})
15265 An ordered list of references to keys represented with strings. The string
15266 must match a key ID defined in a @code{knot-key-configuration}. No key means
15267 that a key is not require to match that ACL.
15269 @item @code{action} (default: @code{'()})
15270 An ordered list of actions that are permitted or forbidden by this ACL. Possible
15271 values are lists of zero or more elements from @code{'transfer}, @code{'notify}
15272 and @code{'update}.
15274 @item @code{deny?} (default: @code{#f})
15275 When true, the ACL defines restrictions. Listed actions are forbidden. When
15276 false, listed actions are allowed.
15281 @deftp {Data Type} zone-entry
15282 Data type represnting a record entry in a zone file.
15283 This type has the following parameters:
15286 @item @code{name} (default: @code{"@@"})
15287 The name of the record. @code{"@@"} refers to the origin of the zone. Names
15288 are relative to the origin of the zone. For example, in the @code{example.org}
15289 zone, @code{"ns.example.org"} actually refers to @code{ns.example.org.example.org}.
15290 Names ending with a dot are absolute, which means that @code{"ns.example.org."}
15291 refers to @code{ns.example.org}.
15293 @item @code{ttl} (default: @code{""})
15294 The Time-To-Live (TTL) of this record. If not set, the default TTL is used.
15296 @item @code{class} (default: @code{"IN"})
15297 The class of the record. Knot currently supports only @code{"IN"} and
15298 partially @code{"CH"}.
15300 @item @code{type} (default: @code{"A"})
15301 The type of the record. Common types include A (IPv4 address), AAAA (IPv6
15302 address), NS (Name Server) and MX (Mail eXchange). Many other types are
15305 @item @code{data} (default: @code{""})
15306 The data contained in the record. For instance an IP address associated with
15307 an A record, or a domain name associated with an NS record. Remember that
15308 domain names are relative to the origin unless they end with a dot.
15313 @deftp {Data Type} zone-file
15314 Data type representing the content of a zone file.
15315 This type has the following parameters:
15318 @item @code{entries} (default: @code{'()})
15319 The list of entries. The SOA record is taken care of, so you don't need to
15320 put it in the list of entries. This list should probably contain an entry
15321 for your primary authoritative DNS server. Other than using a list of entries
15322 directly, you can use @code{define-zone-entries} to define a object containing
15323 the list of entries more easily, that you can later pass to the @code{entries}
15324 field of the @code{zone-file}.
15326 @item @code{origin} (default: @code{""})
15327 The name of your zone. This parameter cannot be empty.
15329 @item @code{ns} (default: @code{"ns"})
15330 The domain of your primary authoritative DNS server. The name is relative to
15331 the origin, unless it ends with a dot. It is mandatory that this primary
15332 DNS server corresponds to an NS record in the zone and that it is associated
15333 to an IP address in the list of entries.
15335 @item @code{mail} (default: @code{"hostmaster"})
15336 An email address people can contact you at, as the owner of the zone. This
15337 is translated as @code{<mail>@@<origin>}.
15339 @item @code{serial} (default: @code{1})
15340 The serial number of the zone. As this is used to keep track of changes by
15341 both slaves and resolvers, it is mandatory that it @emph{never} decreases.
15342 Always increment it when you make a change in your zone.
15344 @item @code{refresh} (default: @code{(* 2 24 3600)})
15345 The frequency at which slaves will do a zone transfer. This value is a number
15346 of seconds. It can be computed by multiplications or with
15347 @code{(string->duration)}.
15349 @item @code{retry} (default: @code{(* 15 60)})
15350 The period after which a slave will retry to contact its master when it fails
15351 to do so a first time.
15353 @item @code{expiry} (default: @code{(* 14 24 3600)})
15354 Default TTL of records. Existing records are considered correct for at most
15355 this amount of time. After this period, resolvers will invalidate their cache
15356 and check again that it still exists.
15358 @item @code{nx} (default: @code{3600})
15359 Default TTL of inexistant records. This delay is usually short because you want
15360 your new domains to reach everyone quickly.
15365 @deftp {Data Type} knot-remote-configuration
15366 Data type representing a remote configuration.
15367 This type has the following parameters:
15370 @item @code{id} (default: @code{""})
15371 An identifier for other configuration fields to refer to this remote. IDs must
15372 be unique and must not be empty.
15374 @item @code{address} (default: @code{'()})
15375 An ordered list of destination IP addresses. Addresses are tried in sequence.
15376 An optional port can be given with the @@ separator. For instance:
15377 @code{(list "1.2.3.4" "2.3.4.5@@53")}. Default port is 53.
15379 @item @code{via} (default: @code{'()})
15380 An ordered list of source IP addresses. An empty list will have Knot choose
15381 an appropriate source IP. An optional port can be given with the @@ separator.
15382 The default is to choose at random.
15384 @item @code{key} (default: @code{#f})
15385 A reference to a key, that is a string containing the identifier of a key
15386 defined in a @code{knot-key-configuration} field.
15391 @deftp {Data Type} knot-keystore-configuration
15392 Data type representing a keystore to hold dnssec keys.
15393 This type has the following parameters:
15396 @item @code{id} (default: @code{""})
15397 The id of the keystore. It must not be empty.
15399 @item @code{backend} (default: @code{'pem})
15400 The backend to store the keys in. Can be @code{'pem} or @code{'pkcs11}.
15402 @item @code{config} (default: @code{"/var/lib/knot/keys/keys"})
15403 The configuration string of the backend. An example for the PKCS#11 is:
15404 @code{"pkcs11:token=knot;pin-value=1234 /gnu/store/.../lib/pkcs11/libsofthsm2.so"}.
15405 For the pem backend, the string reprensents a path in the filesystem.
15410 @deftp {Data Type} knot-policy-configuration
15411 Data type representing a dnssec policy. Knot DNS is able to automatically
15412 sign your zones. It can either generate and manage your keys automatically or
15413 use keys that you generate.
15415 Dnssec is usually implemented using two keys: a Key Signing Key (KSK) that is
15416 used to sign the second, and a Zone Signing Key (ZSK) that is used to sign the
15417 zone. In order to be trusted, the KSK needs to be present in the parent zone
15418 (usually a top-level domain). If your registrar supports dnssec, you will
15419 have to send them your KSK's hash so they can add a DS record in their zone.
15420 This is not automated and need to be done each time you change your KSK.
15422 The policy also defines the lifetime of keys. Usually, ZSK can be changed
15423 easily and use weaker cryptographic functions (they use lower parameters) in
15424 order to sign records quickly, so they are changed often. The KSK however
15425 requires manual interaction with the registrar, so they are changed less often
15426 and use stronger parameters because they sign only one record.
15428 This type has the following parameters:
15431 @item @code{id} (default: @code{""})
15432 The id of the policy. It must not be empty.
15434 @item @code{keystore} (default: @code{"default"})
15435 A reference to a keystore, that is a string containing the identifier of a
15436 keystore defined in a @code{knot-keystore-configuration} field. The
15437 @code{"default"} identifier means the default keystore (a kasp database that
15438 was setup by this service).
15440 @item @code{manual?} (default: @code{#f})
15441 Whether the key management is manual or automatic.
15443 @item @code{single-type-signing?} (default: @code{#f})
15444 When @code{#t}, use the Single-Type Signing Scheme.
15446 @item @code{algorithm} (default: @code{"ecdsap256sha256"})
15447 An algorithm of signing keys and issued signatures.
15449 @item @code{ksk-size} (default: @code{256})
15450 The length of the KSK. Note that this value is correct for the default
15451 algorithm, but would be unsecure for other algorithms.
15453 @item @code{zsk-size} (default: @code{256})
15454 The length of the ZSK. Note that this value is correct for the default
15455 algorithm, but would be unsecure for other algorithms.
15457 @item @code{dnskey-ttl} (default: @code{'default})
15458 The TTL value for DNSKEY records added into zone apex. The special
15459 @code{'default} value means same as the zone SOA TTL.
15461 @item @code{zsk-lifetime} (default: @code{(* 30 24 3600)})
15462 The period between ZSK publication and the next rollover initiation.
15464 @item @code{propagation-delay} (default: @code{(* 24 3600)})
15465 An extra delay added for each key rollover step. This value should be high
15466 enough to cover propagation of data from the master server to all slaves.
15468 @item @code{rrsig-lifetime} (default: @code{(* 14 24 3600)})
15469 A validity period of newly issued signatures.
15471 @item @code{rrsig-refresh} (default: @code{(* 7 24 3600)})
15472 A period how long before a signature expiration the signature will be refreshed.
15474 @item @code{nsec3?} (default: @code{#f})
15475 When @code{#t}, NSEC3 will be used instead of NSEC.
15477 @item @code{nsec3-iterations} (default: @code{5})
15478 The number of additional times the hashing is performed.
15480 @item @code{nsec3-salt-length} (default: @code{8})
15481 The length of a salt field in octets, which is appended to the original owner
15482 name before hashing.
15484 @item @code{nsec3-salt-lifetime} (default: @code{(* 30 24 3600)})
15485 The validity period of newly issued salt field.
15490 @deftp {Data Type} knot-zone-configuration
15491 Data type representing a zone served by Knot.
15492 This type has the following parameters:
15495 @item @code{domain} (default: @code{""})
15496 The domain served by this configuration. It must not be empty.
15498 @item @code{file} (default: @code{""})
15499 The file where this zone is saved. This parameter is ignored by master zones.
15500 Empty means default location that depends on the domain name.
15502 @item @code{zone} (default: @code{(zone-file)})
15503 The content of the zone file. This parameter is ignored by slave zones. It
15504 must contain a zone-file record.
15506 @item @code{master} (default: @code{'()})
15507 A list of master remotes. When empty, this zone is a master. When set, this
15508 zone is a slave. This is a list of remotes identifiers.
15510 @item @code{ddns-master} (default: @code{#f})
15511 The main master. When empty, it defaults to the first master in the list of
15514 @item @code{notify} (default: @code{'()})
15515 A list of slave remote identifiers.
15517 @item @code{acl} (default: @code{'()})
15518 A list of acl identifiers.
15520 @item @code{semantic-checks?} (default: @code{#f})
15521 When set, this adds more semantic checks to the zone.
15523 @item @code{disable-any?} (default: @code{#f})
15524 When set, this forbids queries of the ANY type.
15526 @item @code{zonefile-sync} (default: @code{0})
15527 The delay between a modification in memory and on disk. 0 means immediate
15530 @item @code{serial-policy} (default: @code{'increment})
15531 A policy between @code{'increment} and @code{'unixtime}.
15536 @deftp {Data Type} knot-configuration
15537 Data type representing the Knot configuration.
15538 This type has the following parameters:
15541 @item @code{knot} (default: @code{knot})
15544 @item @code{run-directory} (default: @code{"/var/run/knot"})
15545 The run directory. This directory will be used for pid file and sockets.
15547 @item @code{listen-v4} (default: @code{"0.0.0.0"})
15548 An ip address on which to listen.
15550 @item @code{listen-v6} (default: @code{"::"})
15551 An ip address on which to listen.
15553 @item @code{listen-port} (default: @code{53})
15554 A port on which to listen.
15556 @item @code{keys} (default: @code{'()})
15557 The list of knot-key-configuration used by this configuration.
15559 @item @code{acls} (default: @code{'()})
15560 The list of knot-acl-configuration used by this configuration.
15562 @item @code{remotes} (default: @code{'()})
15563 The list of knot-remote-configuration used by this configuration.
15565 @item @code{zones} (default: @code{'()})
15566 The list of knot-zone-configuration used by this configuration.
15573 @subsubsection VPN Services
15574 @cindex VPN (virtual private network)
15575 @cindex virtual private network (VPN)
15577 The @code{(gnu services vpn)} module provides services related to
15578 @dfn{virtual private networks} (VPNs). It provides a @emph{client} service for
15579 your machine to connect to a VPN, and a @emph{servire} service for your machine
15580 to host a VPN. Both services use @uref{https://openvpn.net/, OpenVPN}.
15582 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} openvpn-client-service @
15583 [#:config (openvpn-client-configuration)]
15585 Return a service that runs @command{openvpn}, a VPN daemon, as a client.
15588 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} openvpn-server-service @
15589 [#:config (openvpn-server-configuration)]
15591 Return a service that runs @command{openvpn}, a VPN daemon, as a server.
15593 Both can be run simultaneously.
15596 @c %automatically generated documentation
15598 Available @code{openvpn-client-configuration} fields are:
15600 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} package openvpn
15601 The OpenVPN package.
15605 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} string pid-file
15606 The OpenVPN pid file.
15608 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/openvpn/openvpn.pid"}.
15612 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} proto proto
15613 The protocol (UDP or TCP) used to open a channel between clients and
15616 Defaults to @samp{udp}.
15620 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} dev dev
15621 The device type used to represent the VPN connection.
15623 Defaults to @samp{tun}.
15627 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} string ca
15628 The certificate authority to check connections against.
15630 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/ca.crt"}.
15634 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} string cert
15635 The certificate of the machine the daemon is running on. It should be
15636 signed by the authority given in @code{ca}.
15638 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/client.crt"}.
15642 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} string key
15643 The key of the machine the daemon is running on. It must be the key whose
15644 certificate is @code{cert}.
15646 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/client.key"}.
15650 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} boolean comp-lzo?
15651 Whether to use the lzo compression algorithm.
15653 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
15657 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} boolean persist-key?
15658 Don't re-read key files across SIGUSR1 or --ping-restart.
15660 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
15664 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} boolean persist-tun?
15665 Don't close and reopen TUN/TAP device or run up/down scripts across
15666 SIGUSR1 or --ping-restart restarts.
15668 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
15672 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} number verbosity
15675 Defaults to @samp{3}.
15679 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} tls-auth-client tls-auth
15680 Add an additional layer of HMAC authentication on top of the TLS control
15681 channel to protect against DoS attacks.
15683 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15687 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} key-usage verify-key-usage?
15688 Whether to check the server certificate has server usage extension.
15690 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
15694 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} bind bind?
15695 Bind to a specific local port number.
15697 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15701 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} resolv-retry resolv-retry?
15702 Retry resolving server address.
15704 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
15708 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} openvpn-remote-list remote
15709 A list of remote servers to connect to.
15711 Defaults to @samp{()}.
15713 Available @code{openvpn-remote-configuration} fields are:
15715 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-remote-configuration} parameter} string name
15718 Defaults to @samp{"my-server"}.
15722 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-remote-configuration} parameter} number port
15723 Port number the server listens to.
15725 Defaults to @samp{1194}.
15730 @c %end of automatic openvpn-client documentation
15732 @c %automatically generated documentation
15734 Available @code{openvpn-server-configuration} fields are:
15736 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} package openvpn
15737 The OpenVPN package.
15741 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string pid-file
15742 The OpenVPN pid file.
15744 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/openvpn/openvpn.pid"}.
15748 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} proto proto
15749 The protocol (UDP or TCP) used to open a channel between clients and
15752 Defaults to @samp{udp}.
15756 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} dev dev
15757 The device type used to represent the VPN connection.
15759 Defaults to @samp{tun}.
15763 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string ca
15764 The certificate authority to check connections against.
15766 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/ca.crt"}.
15770 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string cert
15771 The certificate of the machine the daemon is running on. It should be
15772 signed by the authority given in @code{ca}.
15774 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/client.crt"}.
15778 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string key
15779 The key of the machine the daemon is running on. It must be the key whose
15780 certificate is @code{cert}.
15782 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/client.key"}.
15786 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} boolean comp-lzo?
15787 Whether to use the lzo compression algorithm.
15789 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
15793 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} boolean persist-key?
15794 Don't re-read key files across SIGUSR1 or --ping-restart.
15796 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
15800 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} boolean persist-tun?
15801 Don't close and reopen TUN/TAP device or run up/down scripts across
15802 SIGUSR1 or --ping-restart restarts.
15804 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
15808 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} number verbosity
15811 Defaults to @samp{3}.
15815 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} tls-auth-server tls-auth
15816 Add an additional layer of HMAC authentication on top of the TLS control
15817 channel to protect against DoS attacks.
15819 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15823 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} number port
15824 Specifies the port number on which the server listens.
15826 Defaults to @samp{1194}.
15830 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} ip-mask server
15831 An ip and mask specifying the subnet inside the virtual network.
15833 Defaults to @samp{"10.8.0.0 255.255.255.0"}.
15837 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} cidr6 server-ipv6
15838 A CIDR notation specifying the IPv6 subnet inside the virtual network.
15840 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15844 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string dh
15845 The Diffie-Hellman parameters file.
15847 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/dh2048.pem"}.
15851 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string ifconfig-pool-persist
15852 The file that records client IPs.
15854 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/ipp.txt"}.
15858 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} gateway redirect-gateway?
15859 When true, the server will act as a gateway for its clients.
15861 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15865 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} boolean client-to-client?
15866 When true, clients are allowed to talk to each other inside the VPN.
15868 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15872 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} keepalive keepalive
15873 Causes ping-like messages to be sent back and forth over the link so
15874 that each side knows when the other side has gone down. @code{keepalive}
15875 requires a pair. The first element is the period of the ping sending,
15876 and the second element is the timeout before considering the other side
15881 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} number max-clients
15882 The maximum number of clients.
15884 Defaults to @samp{100}.
15888 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string status
15889 The status file. This file shows a small report on current connection.
15890 It is truncated and rewritten every minute.
15892 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/openvpn/status"}.
15896 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} openvpn-ccd-list client-config-dir
15897 The list of configuration for some clients.
15899 Defaults to @samp{()}.
15901 Available @code{openvpn-ccd-configuration} fields are:
15903 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-ccd-configuration} parameter} string name
15906 Defaults to @samp{"client"}.
15910 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-ccd-configuration} parameter} ip-mask iroute
15913 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15917 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-ccd-configuration} parameter} ip-mask ifconfig-push
15920 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15927 @c %end of automatic openvpn-server documentation
15930 @node Network File System
15931 @subsubsection Network File System
15934 The @code{(gnu services nfs)} module provides the following services,
15935 which are most commonly used in relation to mounting or exporting
15936 directory trees as @dfn{network file systems} (NFS).
15938 @subsubheading RPC Bind Service
15941 The RPC Bind service provides a facility to map program numbers into
15942 universal addresses.
15943 Many NFS related services use this facility. Hence it is automatically
15944 started when a dependent service starts.
15946 @defvr {Scheme Variable} rpcbind-service-type
15947 A service type for the RPC portmapper daemon.
15951 @deftp {Data Type} rpcbind-configuration
15952 Data type representing the configuration of the RPC Bind Service.
15953 This type has the following parameters:
15955 @item @code{rpcbind} (default: @code{rpcbind})
15956 The rpcbind package to use.
15958 @item @code{warm-start?} (default: @code{#t})
15959 If this parameter is @code{#t}, then the daemon will read a
15960 state file on startup thus reloading state information saved by a previous
15966 @subsubheading Pipefs Pseudo File System
15970 The pipefs file system is used to transfer NFS related data
15971 between the kernel and user space programs.
15973 @defvr {Scheme Variable} pipefs-service-type
15974 A service type for the pipefs pseudo file system.
15977 @deftp {Data Type} pipefs-configuration
15978 Data type representing the configuration of the pipefs pseudo file system service.
15979 This type has the following parameters:
15981 @item @code{mount-point} (default: @code{"/var/lib/nfs/rpc_pipefs"})
15982 The directory to which the file system is to be attached.
15987 @subsubheading GSS Daemon Service
15990 @cindex global security system
15992 The @dfn{global security system} (GSS) daemon provides strong security for RPC
15994 Before exchanging RPC requests an RPC client must establish a security
15995 context. Typically this is done using the Kerberos command @command{kinit}
15996 or automatically at login time using PAM services (@pxref{Kerberos Services}).
15998 @defvr {Scheme Variable} gss-service-type
15999 A service type for the Global Security System (GSS) daemon.
16002 @deftp {Data Type} gss-configuration
16003 Data type representing the configuration of the GSS daemon service.
16004 This type has the following parameters:
16006 @item @code{nfs-utils} (default: @code{nfs-utils})
16007 The package in which the @command{rpc.gssd} command is to be found.
16009 @item @code{pipefs-directory} (default: @code{"/var/lib/nfs/rpc_pipefs"})
16010 The directory where the pipefs file system is mounted.
16016 @subsubheading IDMAP Daemon Service
16018 @cindex name mapper
16020 The idmap daemon service provides mapping between user IDs and user names.
16021 Typically it is required in order to access file systems mounted via NFSv4.
16023 @defvr {Scheme Variable} idmap-service-type
16024 A service type for the Identity Mapper (IDMAP) daemon.
16027 @deftp {Data Type} idmap-configuration
16028 Data type representing the configuration of the IDMAP daemon service.
16029 This type has the following parameters:
16031 @item @code{nfs-utils} (default: @code{nfs-utils})
16032 The package in which the @command{rpc.idmapd} command is to be found.
16034 @item @code{pipefs-directory} (default: @code{"/var/lib/nfs/rpc_pipefs"})
16035 The directory where the pipefs file system is mounted.
16037 @item @code{domain} (default: @code{#f})
16038 The local NFSv4 domain name.
16039 This must be a string or @code{#f}.
16040 If it is @code{#f} then the daemon will use the host's fully qualified domain name.
16045 @node Continuous Integration
16046 @subsubsection Continuous Integration
16048 @cindex continuous integration
16049 @uref{https://notabug.org/mthl/cuirass, Cuirass} is a continuous
16050 integration tool for Guix. It can be used both for development and for
16051 providing substitutes to others (@pxref{Substitutes}).
16053 The @code{(gnu services cuirass)} module provides the following service.
16055 @defvr {Scheme Procedure} cuirass-service-type
16056 The type of the Cuirass service. Its value must be a
16057 @code{cuirass-configuration} object, as described below.
16060 To add build jobs, you have to set the @code{specifications} field of
16061 the configuration. Here is an example of a service defining a build job
16062 based on a specification that can be found in Cuirass source tree. This
16063 service polls the Guix repository and builds a subset of the Guix
16064 packages, as prescribed in the @file{gnu-system.scm} example spec:
16067 (let ((spec #~((#:name . "guix")
16068 (#:url . "git://git.savannah.gnu.org/guix.git")
16069 (#:load-path . ".")
16070 (#:file . "build-aux/cuirass/gnu-system.scm")
16071 (#:proc . cuirass-jobs)
16072 (#:arguments (subset . "hello"))
16073 (#:branch . "master"))))
16074 (service cuirass-service-type
16075 (cuirass-configuration
16076 (specifications #~(list '#$spec)))))
16079 While information related to build jobs is located directly in the
16080 specifications, global settings for the @command{cuirass} process are
16081 accessible in other @code{cuirass-configuration} fields.
16083 @deftp {Data Type} cuirass-configuration
16084 Data type representing the configuration of Cuirass.
16087 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{"/var/log/cuirass.log"})
16088 Location of the log file.
16090 @item @code{cache-directory} (default: @code{"/var/cache/cuirass"})
16091 Location of the repository cache.
16093 @item @code{user} (default: @code{"cuirass"})
16094 Owner of the @code{cuirass} process.
16096 @item @code{group} (default: @code{"cuirass"})
16097 Owner's group of the @code{cuirass} process.
16099 @item @code{interval} (default: @code{60})
16100 Number of seconds between the poll of the repositories followed by the
16103 @item @code{database} (default: @code{"/var/run/cuirass/cuirass.db"})
16104 Location of sqlite database which contains the build results and previously
16105 added specifications.
16107 @item @code{port} (default: @code{8081})
16108 Port number used by the HTTP server.
16110 @item --listen=@var{host}
16111 Listen on the network interface for @var{host}. The default is to
16112 accept connections from localhost.
16114 @item @code{specifications} (default: @code{#~'()})
16115 A gexp (@pxref{G-Expressions}) that evaluates to a list of specifications,
16116 where a specification is an association list
16117 (@pxref{Associations Lists,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}) whose
16118 keys are keywords (@code{#:keyword-example}) as shown in the example
16121 @item @code{use-substitutes?} (default: @code{#f})
16122 This allows using substitutes to avoid building every dependencies of a job
16125 @item @code{one-shot?} (default: @code{#f})
16126 Only evaluate specifications and build derivations once.
16128 @item @code{fallback?} (default: @code{#f})
16129 When substituting a pre-built binary fails, fall back to building
16132 @item @code{load-path} (default: @code{'()})
16133 This allows users to define their own packages and make them visible to
16134 cuirass as in @command{guix build} command.
16136 @item @code{cuirass} (default: @code{cuirass})
16137 The Cuirass package to use.
16141 @node Power management Services
16142 @subsubsection Power management Services
16144 @cindex power management with TLP
16145 The @code{(gnu services pm)} module provides a Guix service definition
16146 for the Linux power management tool TLP.
16148 TLP enables various powersaving modes in userspace and kernel.
16149 Contrary to @code{upower-service}, it is not a passive,
16150 monitoring tool, as it will apply custom settings each time a new power
16151 source is detected. More information can be found at
16152 @uref{http://linrunner.de/en/tlp/tlp.html, TLP home page}.
16154 @deffn {Scheme Variable} tlp-service-type
16155 The service type for the TLP tool. Its value should be a valid
16156 TLP configuration (see below). To use the default settings, simply
16159 (service tlp-service-type)
16163 By default TLP does not need much configuration but most TLP parameters
16164 can be tweaked using @code{tlp-configuration}.
16166 Each parameter definition is preceded by its type; for example,
16167 @samp{boolean foo} indicates that the @code{foo} parameter
16168 should be specified as a boolean. Types starting with
16169 @code{maybe-} denote parameters that won't show up in TLP config file
16170 when their value is @code{'disabled}.
16172 @c The following documentation was initially generated by
16173 @c (generate-tlp-documentation) in (gnu services pm). Manually maintained
16174 @c documentation is better, so we shouldn't hesitate to edit below as
16175 @c needed. However if the change you want to make to this documentation
16176 @c can be done in an automated way, it's probably easier to change
16177 @c (generate-documentation) than to make it below and have to deal with
16178 @c the churn as TLP updates.
16180 Available @code{tlp-configuration} fields are:
16182 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} package tlp
16187 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean tlp-enable?
16188 Set to true if you wish to enable TLP.
16190 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16194 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string tlp-default-mode
16195 Default mode when no power supply can be detected. Alternatives are AC
16198 Defaults to @samp{"AC"}.
16202 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer disk-idle-secs-on-ac
16203 Number of seconds Linux kernel has to wait after the disk goes idle,
16204 before syncing on AC.
16206 Defaults to @samp{0}.
16210 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer disk-idle-secs-on-bat
16211 Same as @code{disk-idle-ac} but on BAT mode.
16213 Defaults to @samp{2}.
16217 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-lost-work-secs-on-ac
16218 Dirty pages flushing periodicity, expressed in seconds.
16220 Defaults to @samp{15}.
16224 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-lost-work-secs-on-bat
16225 Same as @code{max-lost-work-secs-on-ac} but on BAT mode.
16227 Defaults to @samp{60}.
16231 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list cpu-scaling-governor-on-ac
16232 CPU frequency scaling governor on AC mode. With intel_pstate driver,
16233 alternatives are powersave and performance. With acpi-cpufreq driver,
16234 alternatives are ondemand, powersave, performance and conservative.
16236 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16240 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list cpu-scaling-governor-on-bat
16241 Same as @code{cpu-scaling-governor-on-ac} but on BAT mode.
16243 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16247 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-scaling-min-freq-on-ac
16248 Set the min available frequency for the scaling governor on AC.
16250 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16254 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-scaling-max-freq-on-ac
16255 Set the max available frequency for the scaling governor on AC.
16257 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16261 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-scaling-min-freq-on-bat
16262 Set the min available frequency for the scaling governor on BAT.
16264 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16268 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-scaling-max-freq-on-bat
16269 Set the max available frequency for the scaling governor on BAT.
16271 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16275 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-min-perf-on-ac
16276 Limit the min P-state to control the power dissipation of the CPU, in AC
16277 mode. Values are stated as a percentage of the available performance.
16279 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16283 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-max-perf-on-ac
16284 Limit the max P-state to control the power dissipation of the CPU, in AC
16285 mode. Values are stated as a percentage of the available performance.
16287 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16291 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-min-perf-on-bat
16292 Same as @code{cpu-min-perf-on-ac} on BAT mode.
16294 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16298 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-max-perf-on-bat
16299 Same as @code{cpu-max-perf-on-ac} on BAT mode.
16301 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16305 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean cpu-boost-on-ac?
16306 Enable CPU turbo boost feature on AC mode.
16308 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16312 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean cpu-boost-on-bat?
16313 Same as @code{cpu-boost-on-ac?} on BAT mode.
16315 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16319 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean sched-powersave-on-ac?
16320 Allow Linux kernel to minimize the number of CPU cores/hyper-threads
16321 used under light load conditions.
16323 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16327 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean sched-powersave-on-bat?
16328 Same as @code{sched-powersave-on-ac?} but on BAT mode.
16330 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16334 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean nmi-watchdog?
16335 Enable Linux kernel NMI watchdog.
16337 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16341 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-string phc-controls
16342 For Linux kernels with PHC patch applied, change CPU voltages. An
16343 example value would be @samp{"F:V F:V F:V F:V"}.
16345 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16349 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string energy-perf-policy-on-ac
16350 Set CPU performance versus energy saving policy on AC. Alternatives are
16351 performance, normal, powersave.
16353 Defaults to @samp{"performance"}.
16357 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string energy-perf-policy-on-bat
16358 Same as @code{energy-perf-policy-ac} but on BAT mode.
16360 Defaults to @samp{"powersave"}.
16364 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list disks-devices
16369 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list disk-apm-level-on-ac
16370 Hard disk advanced power management level.
16374 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list disk-apm-level-on-bat
16375 Same as @code{disk-apm-bat} but on BAT mode.
16379 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list disk-spindown-timeout-on-ac
16380 Hard disk spin down timeout. One value has to be specified for each
16381 declared hard disk.
16383 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16387 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list disk-spindown-timeout-on-bat
16388 Same as @code{disk-spindown-timeout-on-ac} but on BAT mode.
16390 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16394 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list disk-iosched
16395 Select IO scheduler for disk devices. One value has to be specified for
16396 each declared hard disk. Example alternatives are cfq, deadline and
16399 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16403 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string sata-linkpwr-on-ac
16404 SATA aggressive link power management (ALPM) level. Alternatives are
16405 min_power, medium_power, max_performance.
16407 Defaults to @samp{"max_performance"}.
16411 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string sata-linkpwr-on-bat
16412 Same as @code{sata-linkpwr-ac} but on BAT mode.
16414 Defaults to @samp{"min_power"}.
16418 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-string sata-linkpwr-blacklist
16419 Exclude specified SATA host devices for link power management.
16421 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16425 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-on-off-boolean ahci-runtime-pm-on-ac?
16426 Enable Runtime Power Management for AHCI controller and disks on AC
16429 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16433 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-on-off-boolean ahci-runtime-pm-on-bat?
16434 Same as @code{ahci-runtime-pm-on-ac} on BAT mode.
16436 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16440 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer ahci-runtime-pm-timeout
16441 Seconds of inactivity before disk is suspended.
16443 Defaults to @samp{15}.
16447 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string pcie-aspm-on-ac
16448 PCI Express Active State Power Management level. Alternatives are
16449 default, performance, powersave.
16451 Defaults to @samp{"performance"}.
16455 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string pcie-aspm-on-bat
16456 Same as @code{pcie-aspm-ac} but on BAT mode.
16458 Defaults to @samp{"powersave"}.
16462 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-power-profile-on-ac
16463 Radeon graphics clock speed level. Alternatives are low, mid, high,
16466 Defaults to @samp{"high"}.
16470 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-power-profile-on-bat
16471 Same as @code{radeon-power-ac} but on BAT mode.
16473 Defaults to @samp{"low"}.
16477 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-dpm-state-on-ac
16478 Radeon dynamic power management method (DPM). Alternatives are battery,
16481 Defaults to @samp{"performance"}.
16485 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-dpm-state-on-bat
16486 Same as @code{radeon-dpm-state-ac} but on BAT mode.
16488 Defaults to @samp{"battery"}.
16492 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-dpm-perf-level-on-ac
16493 Radeon DPM performance level. Alternatives are auto, low, high.
16495 Defaults to @samp{"auto"}.
16499 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-dpm-perf-level-on-bat
16500 Same as @code{radeon-dpm-perf-ac} but on BAT mode.
16502 Defaults to @samp{"auto"}.
16506 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} on-off-boolean wifi-pwr-on-ac?
16507 Wifi power saving mode.
16509 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16513 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} on-off-boolean wifi-pwr-on-bat?
16514 Same as @code{wifi-power-ac?} but on BAT mode.
16516 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16520 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} y-n-boolean wol-disable?
16521 Disable wake on LAN.
16523 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16527 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer sound-power-save-on-ac
16528 Timeout duration in seconds before activating audio power saving on
16529 Intel HDA and AC97 devices. A value of 0 disables power saving.
16531 Defaults to @samp{0}.
16535 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer sound-power-save-on-bat
16536 Same as @code{sound-powersave-ac} but on BAT mode.
16538 Defaults to @samp{1}.
16542 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} y-n-boolean sound-power-save-controller?
16543 Disable controller in powersaving mode on Intel HDA devices.
16545 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16549 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean bay-poweroff-on-bat?
16550 Enable optical drive in UltraBay/MediaBay on BAT mode. Drive can be
16551 powered on again by releasing (and reinserting) the eject lever or by
16552 pressing the disc eject button on newer models.
16554 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16558 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string bay-device
16559 Name of the optical drive device to power off.
16561 Defaults to @samp{"sr0"}.
16565 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string runtime-pm-on-ac
16566 Runtime Power Management for PCI(e) bus devices. Alternatives are on
16569 Defaults to @samp{"on"}.
16573 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string runtime-pm-on-bat
16574 Same as @code{runtime-pm-ac} but on BAT mode.
16576 Defaults to @samp{"auto"}.
16580 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean runtime-pm-all?
16581 Runtime Power Management for all PCI(e) bus devices, except blacklisted
16584 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16588 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list runtime-pm-blacklist
16589 Exclude specified PCI(e) device addresses from Runtime Power Management.
16591 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16595 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list runtime-pm-driver-blacklist
16596 Exclude PCI(e) devices assigned to the specified drivers from Runtime
16601 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean usb-autosuspend?
16602 Enable USB autosuspend feature.
16604 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16608 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-string usb-blacklist
16609 Exclude specified devices from USB autosuspend.
16611 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16615 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean usb-blacklist-wwan?
16616 Exclude WWAN devices from USB autosuspend.
16618 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16622 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-string usb-whitelist
16623 Include specified devices into USB autosuspend, even if they are already
16624 excluded by the driver or via @code{usb-blacklist-wwan?}.
16626 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16630 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean usb-autosuspend-disable-on-shutdown?
16631 Enable USB autosuspend before shutdown.
16633 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
16637 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean restore-device-state-on-startup?
16638 Restore radio device state (bluetooth, wifi, wwan) from previous
16639 shutdown on system startup.
16641 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16646 The @code{(gnu services pm)} module provides an interface to
16647 thermald, a CPU frequency scaling service which helps prevent overheating.
16649 @defvr {Scheme Variable} thermald-service-type
16650 This is the service type for
16651 @uref{https://01.org/linux-thermal-daemon/, thermald}, the Linux
16652 Thermal Daemon, which is responsible for controlling the thermal state
16653 of processors and preventing overheating.
16656 @deftp {Data Type} thermald-configuration
16657 Data type representing the configuration of @code{thermald-service-type}.
16660 @item @code{ignore-cpuid-check?} (default: @code{#f})
16661 Ignore cpuid check for supported CPU models.
16663 @item @code{thermald} (default: @var{thermald})
16664 Package object of thermald.
16669 @node Audio Services
16670 @subsubsection Audio Services
16672 The @code{(gnu services audio)} module provides a service to start MPD
16673 (the Music Player Daemon).
16676 @subsubheading Music Player Daemon
16678 The Music Player Daemon (MPD) is a service that can play music while
16679 being controlled from the local machine or over the network by a variety
16682 The following example shows how one might run @code{mpd} as user
16683 @code{"bob"} on port @code{6666}. It uses pulseaudio for output.
16686 (service mpd-service-type
16692 @defvr {Scheme Variable} mpd-service-type
16693 The service type for @command{mpd}
16696 @deftp {Data Type} mpd-configuration
16697 Data type representing the configuration of @command{mpd}.
16700 @item @code{user} (default: @code{"mpd"})
16701 The user to run mpd as.
16703 @item @code{music-dir} (default: @code{"~/Music"})
16704 The directory to scan for music files.
16706 @item @code{playlist-dir} (default: @code{"~/.mpd/playlists"})
16707 The directory to store playlists.
16709 @item @code{port} (default: @code{"6600"})
16710 The port to run mpd on.
16712 @item @code{address} (default: @code{"any"})
16713 The address that mpd will bind to. To use a Unix domain socket,
16714 an absolute path can be specified here.
16719 @node Virtualization Services
16720 @subsubsection Virtualization services
16721 The @code{(gnu services virtualization)} module provides services for
16722 the libvirt and virtlog daemons.
16724 @subsubheading Libvirt daemon
16725 @code{libvirtd} is the server side daemon component of the libvirt
16726 virtualization management system. This daemon runs on host servers
16727 and performs required management tasks for virtualized guests.
16729 @deffn {Scheme Variable} libvirt-service-type
16730 This is the type of the @uref{https://libvirt.org, libvirt daemon}.
16731 Its value must be a @code{libvirt-configuration}.
16734 (service libvirt-service-type
16735 (libvirt-configuration
16736 (unix-sock-group "libvirt")
16737 (tls-port "16555")))
16741 @c Auto-generated with (generate-libvirt-documentation)
16742 Available @code{libvirt-configuration} fields are:
16744 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} package libvirt
16749 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean listen-tls?
16750 Flag listening for secure TLS connections on the public TCP/IP port.
16751 must set @code{listen} for this to have any effect.
16753 It is necessary to setup a CA and issue server certificates before using
16756 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16760 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean listen-tcp?
16761 Listen for unencrypted TCP connections on the public TCP/IP port. must
16762 set @code{listen} for this to have any effect.
16764 Using the TCP socket requires SASL authentication by default. Only SASL
16765 mechanisms which support data encryption are allowed. This is
16766 DIGEST_MD5 and GSSAPI (Kerberos5)
16768 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16772 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string tls-port
16773 Port for accepting secure TLS connections This can be a port number, or
16776 Defaults to @samp{"16514"}.
16780 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string tcp-port
16781 Port for accepting insecure TCP connections This can be a port number,
16784 Defaults to @samp{"16509"}.
16788 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string listen-addr
16789 IP address or hostname used for client connections.
16791 Defaults to @samp{"0.0.0.0"}.
16795 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean mdns-adv?
16796 Flag toggling mDNS advertisement of the libvirt service.
16798 Alternatively can disable for all services on a host by stopping the
16801 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16805 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string mdns-name
16806 Default mDNS advertisement name. This must be unique on the immediate
16809 Defaults to @samp{"Virtualization Host <hostname>"}.
16813 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string unix-sock-group
16814 UNIX domain socket group ownership. This can be used to allow a
16815 'trusted' set of users access to management capabilities without
16818 Defaults to @samp{"root"}.
16822 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string unix-sock-ro-perms
16823 UNIX socket permissions for the R/O socket. This is used for monitoring
16826 Defaults to @samp{"0777"}.
16830 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string unix-sock-rw-perms
16831 UNIX socket permissions for the R/W socket. Default allows only root.
16832 If PolicyKit is enabled on the socket, the default will change to allow
16833 everyone (eg, 0777)
16835 Defaults to @samp{"0770"}.
16839 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string unix-sock-admin-perms
16840 UNIX socket permissions for the admin socket. Default allows only owner
16841 (root), do not change it unless you are sure to whom you are exposing
16844 Defaults to @samp{"0777"}.
16848 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string unix-sock-dir
16849 The directory in which sockets will be found/created.
16851 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/libvirt"}.
16855 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string auth-unix-ro
16856 Authentication scheme for UNIX read-only sockets. By default socket
16857 permissions allow anyone to connect
16859 Defaults to @samp{"polkit"}.
16863 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string auth-unix-rw
16864 Authentication scheme for UNIX read-write sockets. By default socket
16865 permissions only allow root. If PolicyKit support was compiled into
16866 libvirt, the default will be to use 'polkit' auth.
16868 Defaults to @samp{"polkit"}.
16872 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string auth-tcp
16873 Authentication scheme for TCP sockets. If you don't enable SASL, then
16874 all TCP traffic is cleartext. Don't do this outside of a dev/test
16877 Defaults to @samp{"sasl"}.
16881 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string auth-tls
16882 Authentication scheme for TLS sockets. TLS sockets already have
16883 encryption provided by the TLS layer, and limited authentication is done
16886 It is possible to make use of any SASL authentication mechanism as well,
16887 by using 'sasl' for this option
16889 Defaults to @samp{"none"}.
16893 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} optional-list access-drivers
16894 API access control scheme.
16896 By default an authenticated user is allowed access to all APIs. Access
16897 drivers can place restrictions on this.
16899 Defaults to @samp{()}.
16903 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string key-file
16904 Server key file path. If set to an empty string, then no private key is
16907 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16911 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string cert-file
16912 Server key file path. If set to an empty string, then no certificate is
16915 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16919 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string ca-file
16920 Server key file path. If set to an empty string, then no CA certificate
16923 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16927 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string crl-file
16928 Certificate revocation list path. If set to an empty string, then no
16931 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16935 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean tls-no-sanity-cert
16936 Disable verification of our own server certificates.
16938 When libvirtd starts it performs some sanity checks against its own
16941 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16945 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean tls-no-verify-cert
16946 Disable verification of client certificates.
16948 Client certificate verification is the primary authentication mechanism.
16949 Any client which does not present a certificate signed by the CA will be
16952 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16956 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} optional-list tls-allowed-dn-list
16957 Whitelist of allowed x509 Distinguished Name.
16959 Defaults to @samp{()}.
16963 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} optional-list sasl-allowed-usernames
16964 Whitelist of allowed SASL usernames. The format for username depends on
16965 the SASL authentication mechanism.
16967 Defaults to @samp{()}.
16971 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string tls-priority
16972 Override the compile time default TLS priority string. The default is
16973 usually "NORMAL" unless overridden at build time. Only set this is it
16974 is desired for libvirt to deviate from the global default settings.
16976 Defaults to @samp{"NORMAL"}.
16980 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-clients
16981 Maximum number of concurrent client connections to allow over all
16984 Defaults to @samp{5000}.
16988 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-queued-clients
16989 Maximum length of queue of connections waiting to be accepted by the
16990 daemon. Note, that some protocols supporting retransmission may obey
16991 this so that a later reattempt at connection succeeds.
16993 Defaults to @samp{1000}.
16997 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-anonymous-clients
16998 Maximum length of queue of accepted but not yet authenticated clients.
16999 Set this to zero to turn this feature off
17001 Defaults to @samp{20}.
17005 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer min-workers
17006 Number of workers to start up initially.
17008 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17012 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-workers
17013 Maximum number of worker threads.
17015 If the number of active clients exceeds @code{min-workers}, then more
17016 threads are spawned, up to max_workers limit. Typically you'd want
17017 max_workers to equal maximum number of clients allowed.
17019 Defaults to @samp{20}.
17023 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer prio-workers
17024 Number of priority workers. If all workers from above pool are stuck,
17025 some calls marked as high priority (notably domainDestroy) can be
17026 executed in this pool.
17028 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17032 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-requests
17033 Total global limit on concurrent RPC calls.
17035 Defaults to @samp{20}.
17039 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-client-requests
17040 Limit on concurrent requests from a single client connection. To avoid
17041 one client monopolizing the server this should be a small fraction of
17042 the global max_requests and max_workers parameter.
17044 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17048 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-min-workers
17049 Same as @code{min-workers} but for the admin interface.
17051 Defaults to @samp{1}.
17055 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-max-workers
17056 Same as @code{max-workers} but for the admin interface.
17058 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17062 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-max-clients
17063 Same as @code{max-clients} but for the admin interface.
17065 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17069 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-max-queued-clients
17070 Same as @code{max-queued-clients} but for the admin interface.
17072 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17076 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-max-client-requests
17077 Same as @code{max-client-requests} but for the admin interface.
17079 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17083 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer log-level
17084 Logging level. 4 errors, 3 warnings, 2 information, 1 debug.
17086 Defaults to @samp{3}.
17090 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string log-filters
17093 A filter allows to select a different logging level for a given category
17094 of logs The format for a filter is one of:
17105 where @code{name} is a string which is matched against the category
17106 given in the @code{VIR_LOG_INIT()} at the top of each libvirt source
17107 file, e.g., "remote", "qemu", or "util.json" (the name in the filter can
17108 be a substring of the full category name, in order to match multiple
17109 similar categories), the optional "+" prefix tells libvirt to log stack
17110 trace for each message matching name, and @code{x} is the minimal level
17111 where matching messages should be logged:
17128 Multiple filters can be defined in a single filters statement, they just
17129 need to be separated by spaces.
17131 Defaults to @samp{"3:remote 4:event"}.
17135 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string log-outputs
17138 An output is one of the places to save logging information The format
17139 for an output can be:
17143 output goes to stderr
17145 @item x:syslog:name
17146 use syslog for the output and use the given name as the ident
17148 @item x:file:file_path
17149 output to a file, with the given filepath
17152 output to journald logging system
17156 In all case the x prefix is the minimal level, acting as a filter
17173 Multiple outputs can be defined, they just need to be separated by
17176 Defaults to @samp{"3:stderr"}.
17180 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer audit-level
17181 Allows usage of the auditing subsystem to be altered
17185 0: disable all auditing
17188 1: enable auditing, only if enabled on host
17191 2: enable auditing, and exit if disabled on host.
17195 Defaults to @samp{1}.
17199 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean audit-logging
17200 Send audit messages via libvirt logging infrastructure.
17202 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17206 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} optional-string host-uuid
17207 Host UUID. UUID must not have all digits be the same.
17209 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17213 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string host-uuid-source
17214 Source to read host UUID.
17218 @code{smbios}: fetch the UUID from @code{dmidecode -s system-uuid}
17221 @code{machine-id}: fetch the UUID from @code{/etc/machine-id}
17225 If @code{dmidecode} does not provide a valid UUID a temporary UUID will
17228 Defaults to @samp{"smbios"}.
17232 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer keepalive-interval
17233 A keepalive message is sent to a client after @code{keepalive_interval}
17234 seconds of inactivity to check if the client is still responding. If
17235 set to -1, libvirtd will never send keepalive requests; however clients
17236 can still send them and the daemon will send responses.
17238 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17242 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer keepalive-count
17243 Maximum number of keepalive messages that are allowed to be sent to the
17244 client without getting any response before the connection is considered
17247 In other words, the connection is automatically closed approximately
17248 after @code{keepalive_interval * (keepalive_count + 1)} seconds since
17249 the last message received from the client. When @code{keepalive-count}
17250 is set to 0, connections will be automatically closed after
17251 @code{keepalive-interval} seconds of inactivity without sending any
17252 keepalive messages.
17254 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17258 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-keepalive-interval
17259 Same as above but for admin interface.
17261 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17265 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-keepalive-count
17266 Same as above but for admin interface.
17268 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17272 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer ovs-timeout
17273 Timeout for Open vSwitch calls.
17275 The @code{ovs-vsctl} utility is used for the configuration and its
17276 timeout option is set by default to 5 seconds to avoid potential
17277 infinite waits blocking libvirt.
17279 Defaults to @samp{5}.
17283 @c %end of autogenerated docs
17285 @subsubheading Virtlog daemon
17286 The virtlogd service is a server side daemon component of libvirt that is
17287 used to manage logs from virtual machine consoles.
17289 This daemon is not used directly by libvirt client applications, rather it
17290 is called on their behalf by @code{libvirtd}. By maintaining the logs in a
17291 standalone daemon, the main @code{libvirtd} daemon can be restarted without
17292 risk of losing logs. The @code{virtlogd} daemon has the ability to re-exec()
17293 itself upon receiving @code{SIGUSR1}, to allow live upgrades without downtime.
17295 @deffn {Scheme Variable} virtlog-service-type
17296 This is the type of the virtlog daemon.
17297 Its value must be a @code{virtlog-configuration}.
17300 (service virtlog-service-type
17301 (virtlog-configuration
17302 (max-clients 1000)))
17306 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} integer log-level
17307 Logging level. 4 errors, 3 warnings, 2 information, 1 debug.
17309 Defaults to @samp{3}.
17313 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} string log-filters
17316 A filter allows to select a different logging level for a given category
17317 of logs The format for a filter is one of:
17328 where @code{name} is a string which is matched against the category
17329 given in the @code{VIR_LOG_INIT()} at the top of each libvirt source
17330 file, e.g., "remote", "qemu", or "util.json" (the name in the filter can
17331 be a substring of the full category name, in order to match multiple
17332 similar categories), the optional "+" prefix tells libvirt to log stack
17333 trace for each message matching name, and @code{x} is the minimal level
17334 where matching messages should be logged:
17351 Multiple filters can be defined in a single filters statement, they just
17352 need to be separated by spaces.
17354 Defaults to @samp{"3:remote 4:event"}.
17358 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} string log-outputs
17361 An output is one of the places to save logging information The format
17362 for an output can be:
17366 output goes to stderr
17368 @item x:syslog:name
17369 use syslog for the output and use the given name as the ident
17371 @item x:file:file_path
17372 output to a file, with the given filepath
17375 output to journald logging system
17379 In all case the x prefix is the minimal level, acting as a filter
17396 Multiple outputs can be defined, they just need to be separated by
17399 Defaults to @samp{"3:stderr"}.
17403 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} integer max-clients
17404 Maximum number of concurrent client connections to allow over all
17407 Defaults to @samp{1024}.
17411 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} integer max-size
17412 Maximum file size before rolling over.
17414 Defaults to @samp{2MB}
17418 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} integer max-backups
17419 Maximum number of backup files to keep.
17421 Defaults to @samp{3}
17426 @node Version Control Services
17427 @subsubsection Version Control Services
17429 The @code{(gnu services version-control)} module provides a service to
17430 allow remote access to local Git repositories. There are two options:
17431 the @code{git-daemon-service}, which provides access to repositories via
17432 the @code{git://} unsecured TCP-based protocol, or extending the
17433 @code{nginx} web server to proxy some requests to
17434 @code{git-http-backend}.
17436 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} git-daemon-service [#:config (git-daemon-configuration)]
17438 Return a service that runs @command{git daemon}, a simple TCP server to
17439 expose repositories over the Git protocol for anonymous access.
17441 The optional @var{config} argument should be a
17442 @code{<git-daemon-configuration>} object, by default it allows read-only
17443 access to exported@footnote{By creating the magic file
17444 "git-daemon-export-ok" in the repository directory.} repositories under
17449 @deftp {Data Type} git-daemon-configuration
17450 Data type representing the configuration for @code{git-daemon-service}.
17453 @item @code{package} (default: @var{git})
17454 Package object of the Git distributed version control system.
17456 @item @code{export-all?} (default: @var{#f})
17457 Whether to allow access for all Git repositories, even if they do not
17458 have the @file{git-daemon-export-ok} file.
17460 @item @code{base-path} (default: @file{/srv/git})
17461 Whether to remap all the path requests as relative to the given path.
17462 If you run git daemon with @var{(base-path "/srv/git")} on example.com,
17463 then if you later try to pull @code{git://example.com/hello.git}, git
17464 daemon will interpret the path as @code{/srv/git/hello.git}.
17466 @item @code{user-path} (default: @var{#f})
17467 Whether to allow @code{~user} notation to be used in requests. When
17468 specified with empty string, requests to @code{git://host/~alice/foo} is
17469 taken as a request to access @code{foo} repository in the home directory
17470 of user @code{alice}. If @var{(user-path "path")} is specified, the
17471 same request is taken as a request to access @code{path/foo} repository
17472 in the home directory of user @code{alice}.
17474 @item @code{listen} (default: @var{'()})
17475 Whether to listen on specific IP addresses or hostnames, defaults to
17478 @item @code{port} (default: @var{#f})
17479 Whether to listen on an alternative port, which defaults to 9418.
17481 @item @code{whitelist} (default: @var{'()})
17482 If not empty, only allow access to this list of directories.
17484 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @var{'()})
17485 Extra options will be passed to @code{git daemon}, please run
17486 @command{man git-daemon} for more information.
17491 The @code{git://} protocol lacks authentication. When you pull from a
17492 repository fetched via @code{git://}, you don't know that the data you
17493 receive was modified is really coming from the specified host, and you
17494 have your connection is subject to eavesdropping. It's better to use an
17495 authenticated and encrypted transport, such as @code{https}. Although Git allows you
17496 to serve repositories using unsophisticated file-based web servers,
17497 there is a faster protocol implemented by the @code{git-http-backend}
17498 program. This program is the back-end of a proper Git web service. It
17499 is designed to sit behind a FastCGI proxy. @xref{Web Services}, for more
17500 on running the necessary @code{fcgiwrap} daemon.
17502 Guix has a separate configuration data type for serving Git repositories
17505 @deftp {Data Type} git-http-configuration
17506 Data type representing the configuration for @code{git-http-service}.
17509 @item @code{package} (default: @var{git})
17510 Package object of the Git distributed version control system.
17512 @item @code{git-root} (default: @file{/srv/git})
17513 Directory containing the Git repositories to expose to the world.
17515 @item @code{export-all?} (default: @var{#f})
17516 Whether to expose access for all Git repositories in @var{git-root},
17517 even if they do not have the @file{git-daemon-export-ok} file.
17519 @item @code{uri-path} (default: @file{/git/})
17520 Path prefix for Git access. With the default @code{/git/} prefix, this
17521 will map @code{http://@var{server}/git/@var{repo}.git} to
17522 @code{/srv/git/@var{repo}.git}. Requests whose URI paths do not begin
17523 with this prefix are not passed on to this Git instance.
17525 @item @code{fcgiwrap-socket} (default: @code{127.0.0.1:9000})
17526 The socket on which the @code{fcgiwrap} daemon is listening. @xref{Web
17531 There is no @code{git-http-service-type}, currently; instead you can
17532 create an @code{nginx-location-configuration} from a
17533 @code{git-http-configuration} and then add that location to a web
17536 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} git-http-nginx-location-configuration @
17537 [config=(git-http-configuration)]
17538 Compute an @code{nginx-location-configuration} that corresponds to the
17539 given Git http configuration. An example nginx service definition to
17540 serve the default @file{/srv/git} over HTTPS might be:
17543 (service nginx-service-type
17544 (nginx-configuration
17547 (nginx-server-configuration
17549 (server-name "git.my-host.org")
17551 "/etc/letsencrypt/live/git.my-host.org/fullchain.pem")
17552 (ssl-certificate-key
17553 "/etc/letsencrypt/live/git.my-host.org/privkey.pem")
17556 (git-http-nginx-location-configuration
17557 (git-http-configuration (uri-path "/"))))))))))
17560 This example assumes that you are using Let's Encrypt to get your TLS
17561 certificate. @xref{Certificate Services}. The default @code{certbot}
17562 service will redirect all HTTP traffic on @code{git.my-host.org} to
17563 HTTPS. You will also need to add an @code{fcgiwrap} proxy to your
17564 system services. @xref{Web Services}.
17567 @node Miscellaneous Services
17568 @subsubsection Miscellaneous Services
17571 @subsubheading System Control Service
17573 The @code{(gnu services sysctl)} provides a service to configure kernel
17574 parameters at boot.
17576 @defvr {Scheme Variable} sysctl-service-type
17577 The service type for @command{sysctl}, which modifies kernel parameters
17578 under @file{/proc/sys/}. To enable IPv4 forwarding, it can be
17582 (service sysctl-service-type
17583 (sysctl-configuration
17584 (settings '(("net.ipv4.ip_forward" . "1")))))
17588 @deftp {Data Type} sysctl-configuration
17589 The data type representing the configuration of @command{sysctl}.
17592 @item @code{sysctl} (default: @code{(file-append procps "/sbin/sysctl"})
17593 The @command{sysctl} executable to use.
17595 @item @code{settings} (default: @code{'()})
17596 An association list specifies kernel parameters and their values.
17601 @subsubheading Lirc Service
17603 The @code{(gnu services lirc)} module provides the following service.
17605 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} lirc-service [#:lirc lirc] @
17606 [#:device #f] [#:driver #f] [#:config-file #f] @
17607 [#:extra-options '()]
17608 Return a service that runs @url{http://www.lirc.org,LIRC}, a daemon that
17609 decodes infrared signals from remote controls.
17611 Optionally, @var{device}, @var{driver} and @var{config-file}
17612 (configuration file name) may be specified. See @command{lircd} manual
17615 Finally, @var{extra-options} is a list of additional command-line options
17616 passed to @command{lircd}.
17620 @subsubheading Spice Service
17622 The @code{(gnu services spice)} module provides the following service.
17624 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} spice-vdagent-service [#:spice-vdagent]
17625 Returns a service that runs @url{http://www.spice-space.org,VDAGENT}, a daemon
17626 that enables sharing the clipboard with a vm and setting the guest display
17627 resolution when the graphical console window resizes.
17630 @subsubsection Dictionary Services
17632 The @code{(gnu services dict)} module provides the following service:
17634 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} dicod-service [#:config (dicod-configuration)]
17635 Return a service that runs the @command{dicod} daemon, an implementation
17636 of DICT server (@pxref{Dicod,,, dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
17638 The optional @var{config} argument specifies the configuration for
17639 @command{dicod}, which should be a @code{<dicod-configuration>} object, by
17640 default it serves the GNU Collaborative International Dictonary of English.
17642 You can add @command{open localhost} to your @file{~/.dico} file to make
17643 @code{localhost} the default server for @command{dico} client
17644 (@pxref{Initialization File,,, dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
17647 @deftp {Data Type} dicod-configuration
17648 Data type representing the configuration of dicod.
17651 @item @code{dico} (default: @var{dico})
17652 Package object of the GNU Dico dictionary server.
17654 @item @code{interfaces} (default: @var{'("localhost")})
17655 This is the list of IP addresses and ports and possibly socket file
17656 names to listen to (@pxref{Server Settings, @code{listen} directive,,
17657 dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
17659 @item @code{handlers} (default: @var{'()})
17660 List of @code{<dicod-handler>} objects denoting handlers (module instances).
17662 @item @code{databases} (default: @var{(list %dicod-database:gcide)})
17663 List of @code{<dicod-database>} objects denoting dictionaries to be served.
17667 @deftp {Data Type} dicod-handler
17668 Data type representing a dictionary handler (module instance).
17672 Name of the handler (module instance).
17674 @item @code{module} (default: @var{#f})
17675 Name of the dicod module of the handler (instance). If it is @code{#f},
17676 the module has the same name as the handler.
17677 (@pxref{Modules,,, dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
17679 @item @code{options}
17680 List of strings or gexps representing the arguments for the module handler
17684 @deftp {Data Type} dicod-database
17685 Data type representing a dictionary database.
17689 Name of the database, will be used in DICT commands.
17691 @item @code{handler}
17692 Name of the dicod handler (module instance) used by this database
17693 (@pxref{Handlers,,, dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
17695 @item @code{complex?} (default: @var{#f})
17696 Whether the database configuration complex. The complex configuration
17697 will need a corresponding @code{<dicod-handler>} object, otherwise not.
17699 @item @code{options}
17700 List of strings or gexps representing the arguments for the database
17701 (@pxref{Databases,,, dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
17705 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %dicod-database:gcide
17706 A @code{<dicod-database>} object serving the GNU Collaborative International
17707 Dictionary of English using the @code{gcide} package.
17710 The following is an example @code{dicod-service} configuration.
17713 (dicod-service #:config
17714 (dicod-configuration
17715 (handlers (list (dicod-handler
17719 (list #~(string-append "dbdir=" #$wordnet))))))
17720 (databases (list (dicod-database
17723 (handler "wordnet")
17724 (options '("database=wn")))
17725 %dicod-database:gcide))))
17729 @subsubheading Cgit Service
17731 @cindex Cgit service
17732 @cindex Git, web interface
17733 @uref{https://git.zx2c4.com/cgit/, Cgit} is a web frontend for Git
17734 repositories written in C.
17736 The following example will configure the service with default values.
17737 By default, Cgit can be accessed on port 80 (@code{http://localhost:80}).
17740 (service nginx-service-type)
17741 (service fcgiwrap-service-type)
17742 (service cgit-service-type)
17745 @deftp {Data Type} cgit-configuration
17746 Data type representing the configuration of Cgit.
17747 This type has the following parameters:
17750 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{(cgit-configuration-file)})
17751 The configuration file to use for Cgit. This can be set to a
17752 @dfn{cgit-configuration-file} record value, or any gexp
17753 (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
17755 For example, to instead use a local file, the @code{local-file} function
17759 (service cgit-service-type
17760 (cgit-configuration
17761 (config-file (local-file "./my-cgitrc.conf"))))
17764 @item @code{package} (default: @code{cgit})
17765 The Cgit package to use.
17770 @deftp {Data Type} cgit-configuration-file
17771 Data type representing the configuration options for Cgit.
17772 This type has the following parameters:
17775 @item @code{css} (default: @code{"/share/cgit/cgit.css"})
17776 URL which specifies the css document to include in all Cgit pages.
17778 @item @code{logo} (default: @code{"/share/cgit/cgit.png"})
17779 URL which specifies the source of an image which will be used as a logo
17782 @item @code{virtual-root} (default: @code{"/"})
17783 URL which, if specified, will be used as root for all Cgit links.
17785 @item @code{repository-directory} (default: @code{"/srv/git"})
17786 Name of the directory to scan for repositories.
17788 @item @code{robots} (default: @code{(list "noindex" "nofollow")})
17789 Text used as content for the ``robots'' meta-tag.
17794 @node Setuid Programs
17795 @subsection Setuid Programs
17797 @cindex setuid programs
17798 Some programs need to run with ``root'' privileges, even when they are
17799 launched by unprivileged users. A notorious example is the
17800 @command{passwd} program, which users can run to change their
17801 password, and which needs to access the @file{/etc/passwd} and
17802 @file{/etc/shadow} files---something normally restricted to root, for
17803 obvious security reasons. To address that, these executables are
17804 @dfn{setuid-root}, meaning that they always run with root privileges
17805 (@pxref{How Change Persona,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual},
17806 for more info about the setuid mechanism.)
17808 The store itself @emph{cannot} contain setuid programs: that would be a
17809 security issue since any user on the system can write derivations that
17810 populate the store (@pxref{The Store}). Thus, a different mechanism is
17811 used: instead of changing the setuid bit directly on files that are in
17812 the store, we let the system administrator @emph{declare} which programs
17813 should be setuid root.
17815 The @code{setuid-programs} field of an @code{operating-system}
17816 declaration contains a list of G-expressions denoting the names of
17817 programs to be setuid-root (@pxref{Using the Configuration System}).
17818 For instance, the @command{passwd} program, which is part of the Shadow
17819 package, can be designated by this G-expression (@pxref{G-Expressions}):
17822 #~(string-append #$shadow "/bin/passwd")
17825 A default set of setuid programs is defined by the
17826 @code{%setuid-programs} variable of the @code{(gnu system)} module.
17828 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %setuid-programs
17829 A list of G-expressions denoting common programs that are setuid-root.
17831 The list includes commands such as @command{passwd}, @command{ping},
17832 @command{su}, and @command{sudo}.
17835 Under the hood, the actual setuid programs are created in the
17836 @file{/run/setuid-programs} directory at system activation time. The
17837 files in this directory refer to the ``real'' binaries, which are in the
17840 @node X.509 Certificates
17841 @subsection X.509 Certificates
17843 @cindex HTTPS, certificates
17844 @cindex X.509 certificates
17846 Web servers available over HTTPS (that is, HTTP over the transport-layer
17847 security mechanism, TLS) send client programs an @dfn{X.509 certificate}
17848 that the client can then use to @emph{authenticate} the server. To do
17849 that, clients verify that the server's certificate is signed by a
17850 so-called @dfn{certificate authority} (CA). But to verify the CA's
17851 signature, clients must have first acquired the CA's certificate.
17853 Web browsers such as GNU@tie{}IceCat include their own set of CA
17854 certificates, such that they are able to verify CA signatures
17857 However, most other programs that can talk HTTPS---@command{wget},
17858 @command{git}, @command{w3m}, etc.---need to be told where CA
17859 certificates can be found.
17861 @cindex @code{nss-certs}
17862 In GuixSD, this is done by adding a package that provides certificates
17863 to the @code{packages} field of the @code{operating-system} declaration
17864 (@pxref{operating-system Reference}). GuixSD includes one such package,
17865 @code{nss-certs}, which is a set of CA certificates provided as part of
17866 Mozilla's Network Security Services.
17868 Note that it is @emph{not} part of @var{%base-packages}, so you need to
17869 explicitly add it. The @file{/etc/ssl/certs} directory, which is where
17870 most applications and libraries look for certificates by default, points
17871 to the certificates installed globally.
17873 Unprivileged users, including users of Guix on a foreign distro,
17874 can also install their own certificate package in
17875 their profile. A number of environment variables need to be defined so
17876 that applications and libraries know where to find them. Namely, the
17877 OpenSSL library honors the @code{SSL_CERT_DIR} and @code{SSL_CERT_FILE}
17878 variables. Some applications add their own environment variables; for
17879 instance, the Git version control system honors the certificate bundle
17880 pointed to by the @code{GIT_SSL_CAINFO} environment variable. Thus, you
17881 would typically run something like:
17884 $ guix package -i nss-certs
17885 $ export SSL_CERT_DIR="$HOME/.guix-profile/etc/ssl/certs"
17886 $ export SSL_CERT_FILE="$HOME/.guix-profile/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt"
17887 $ export GIT_SSL_CAINFO="$SSL_CERT_FILE"
17890 As another example, R requires the @code{CURL_CA_BUNDLE} environment
17891 variable to point to a certificate bundle, so you would have to run
17892 something like this:
17895 $ guix package -i nss-certs
17896 $ export CURL_CA_BUNDLE="$HOME/.guix-profile/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt"
17899 For other applications you may want to look up the required environment
17900 variable in the relevant documentation.
17903 @node Name Service Switch
17904 @subsection Name Service Switch
17906 @cindex name service switch
17908 The @code{(gnu system nss)} module provides bindings to the
17909 configuration file of the libc @dfn{name service switch} or @dfn{NSS}
17910 (@pxref{NSS Configuration File,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference
17911 Manual}). In a nutshell, the NSS is a mechanism that allows libc to be
17912 extended with new ``name'' lookup methods for system databases, which
17913 includes host names, service names, user accounts, and more (@pxref{Name
17914 Service Switch, System Databases and Name Service Switch,, libc, The GNU
17915 C Library Reference Manual}).
17917 The NSS configuration specifies, for each system database, which lookup
17918 method is to be used, and how the various methods are chained
17919 together---for instance, under which circumstances NSS should try the
17920 next method in the list. The NSS configuration is given in the
17921 @code{name-service-switch} field of @code{operating-system} declarations
17922 (@pxref{operating-system Reference, @code{name-service-switch}}).
17925 @cindex .local, host name lookup
17926 As an example, the declaration below configures the NSS to use the
17927 @uref{http://0pointer.de/lennart/projects/nss-mdns/, @code{nss-mdns}
17928 back-end}, which supports host name lookups over multicast DNS (mDNS)
17929 for host names ending in @code{.local}:
17932 (name-service-switch
17933 (hosts (list %files ;first, check /etc/hosts
17935 ;; If the above did not succeed, try
17936 ;; with 'mdns_minimal'.
17938 (name "mdns_minimal")
17940 ;; 'mdns_minimal' is authoritative for
17941 ;; '.local'. When it returns "not found",
17942 ;; no need to try the next methods.
17943 (reaction (lookup-specification
17944 (not-found => return))))
17946 ;; Then fall back to DNS.
17950 ;; Finally, try with the "full" 'mdns'.
17955 Do not worry: the @code{%mdns-host-lookup-nss} variable (see below)
17956 contains this configuration, so you will not have to type it if all you
17957 want is to have @code{.local} host lookup working.
17959 Note that, in this case, in addition to setting the
17960 @code{name-service-switch} of the @code{operating-system} declaration,
17961 you also need to use @code{avahi-service} (@pxref{Networking Services,
17962 @code{avahi-service}}), or @var{%desktop-services}, which includes it
17963 (@pxref{Desktop Services}). Doing this makes @code{nss-mdns} accessible
17964 to the name service cache daemon (@pxref{Base Services,
17965 @code{nscd-service}}).
17967 For convenience, the following variables provide typical NSS
17970 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-nss
17971 This is the default name service switch configuration, a
17972 @code{name-service-switch} object.
17975 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %mdns-host-lookup-nss
17976 This is the name service switch configuration with support for host name
17977 lookup over multicast DNS (mDNS) for host names ending in @code{.local}.
17980 The reference for name service switch configuration is given below. It
17981 is a direct mapping of the configuration file format of the C library , so
17982 please refer to the C library manual for more information (@pxref{NSS
17983 Configuration File,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
17984 Compared to the configuration file format of libc NSS, it has the advantage
17985 not only of adding this warm parenthetic feel that we like, but also
17986 static checks: you will know about syntax errors and typos as soon as you
17987 run @command{guix system}.
17989 @deftp {Data Type} name-service-switch
17991 This is the data type representation the configuration of libc's name
17992 service switch (NSS). Each field below represents one of the supported
18009 The system databases handled by the NSS. Each of these fields must be a
18010 list of @code{<name-service>} objects (see below).
18014 @deftp {Data Type} name-service
18016 This is the data type representing an actual name service and the
18017 associated lookup action.
18021 A string denoting the name service (@pxref{Services in the NSS
18022 configuration,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
18024 Note that name services listed here must be visible to nscd. This is
18025 achieved by passing the @code{#:name-services} argument to
18026 @code{nscd-service} the list of packages providing the needed name
18027 services (@pxref{Base Services, @code{nscd-service}}).
18030 An action specified using the @code{lookup-specification} macro
18031 (@pxref{Actions in the NSS configuration,,, libc, The GNU C Library
18032 Reference Manual}). For example:
18035 (lookup-specification (unavailable => continue)
18036 (success => return))
18041 @node Initial RAM Disk
18042 @subsection Initial RAM Disk
18045 @cindex initial RAM disk
18046 For bootstrapping purposes, the Linux-Libre kernel is passed an
18047 @dfn{initial RAM disk}, or @dfn{initrd}. An initrd contains a temporary
18048 root file system as well as an initialization script. The latter is
18049 responsible for mounting the real root file system, and for loading any
18050 kernel modules that may be needed to achieve that.
18052 The @code{initrd} field of an @code{operating-system} declaration allows
18053 you to specify which initrd you would like to use. The @code{(gnu
18054 system linux-initrd)} module provides three ways to build an initrd: the
18055 high-level @code{base-initrd} procedure and the low-level
18056 @code{raw-initrd} and @code{expression->initrd} procedures.
18058 The @code{base-initrd} procedure is intended to cover most common uses.
18059 For example, if you want to add a bunch of kernel modules to be loaded
18060 at boot time, you can define the @code{initrd} field of the operating
18061 system declaration like this:
18064 (initrd (lambda (file-systems . rest)
18065 ;; Create a standard initrd that has modules "foo.ko"
18066 ;; and "bar.ko", as well as their dependencies, in
18067 ;; addition to the modules available by default.
18068 (apply base-initrd file-systems
18069 #:extra-modules '("foo" "bar")
18073 The @code{base-initrd} procedure also handles common use cases that
18074 involves using the system as a QEMU guest, or as a ``live'' system with
18075 volatile root file system.
18077 The @code{base-initrd} procedure is built from @code{raw-initrd} procedure.
18078 Unlike @code{base-initrd}, @code{raw-initrd} doesn't do anything high-level,
18079 such as trying to guess which kernel modules and packages should be included
18080 to the initrd. An example use of @code{raw-initrd} is when a user has
18081 a custom Linux kernel configuration and default kernel modules included by
18082 @code{base-initrd} are not available.
18084 The initial RAM disk produced by @code{base-initrd} or @code{raw-initrd}
18085 honors several options passed on the Linux kernel command line
18086 (that is, arguments passed @i{via} the @code{linux} command of GRUB, or the
18087 @code{-append} option of QEMU), notably:
18090 @item --load=@var{boot}
18091 Tell the initial RAM disk to load @var{boot}, a file containing a Scheme
18092 program, once it has mounted the root file system.
18094 GuixSD uses this option to yield control to a boot program that runs the
18095 service activation programs and then spawns the GNU@tie{}Shepherd, the
18096 initialization system.
18098 @item --root=@var{root}
18099 Mount @var{root} as the root file system. @var{root} can be a
18100 device name like @code{/dev/sda1}, a partition label, or a partition
18103 @item --system=@var{system}
18104 Have @file{/run/booted-system} and @file{/run/current-system} point to
18107 @item modprobe.blacklist=@var{modules}@dots{}
18108 @cindex module, black-listing
18109 @cindex black list, of kernel modules
18110 Instruct the initial RAM disk as well as the @command{modprobe} command
18111 (from the kmod package) to refuse to load @var{modules}. @var{modules}
18112 must be a comma-separated list of module names---e.g.,
18113 @code{usbkbd,9pnet}.
18116 Start a read-eval-print loop (REPL) from the initial RAM disk before it
18117 tries to load kernel modules and to mount the root file system. Our
18118 marketing team calls it @dfn{boot-to-Guile}. The Schemer in you will
18119 love it. @xref{Using Guile Interactively,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference
18120 Manual}, for more information on Guile's REPL.
18124 Now that you know all the features that initial RAM disks produced by
18125 @code{base-initrd} and @code{raw-initrd} provide,
18126 here is how to use it and customize it further.
18129 @cindex initial RAM disk
18130 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} raw-initrd @var{file-systems} @
18131 [#:linux-modules '()] [#:mapped-devices '()] @
18132 [#:helper-packages '()] [#:qemu-networking? #f] [#:volatile-root? #f]
18133 Return a monadic derivation that builds a raw initrd. @var{file-systems} is
18134 a list of file systems to be mounted by the initrd, possibly in addition to
18135 the root file system specified on the kernel command line via @code{--root}.
18136 @var{linux-modules} is a list of kernel modules to be loaded at boot time.
18137 @var{mapped-devices} is a list of device mappings to realize before
18138 @var{file-systems} are mounted (@pxref{Mapped Devices}).
18139 @var{helper-packages} is a list of packages to be copied in the initrd. It may
18140 include @code{e2fsck/static} or other packages needed by the initrd to check
18143 When @var{qemu-networking?} is true, set up networking with the standard QEMU
18144 parameters. When @var{virtio?} is true, load additional modules so that the
18145 initrd can be used as a QEMU guest with para-virtualized I/O drivers.
18147 When @var{volatile-root?} is true, the root file system is writable but any changes
18151 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} base-initrd @var{file-systems} @
18152 [#:mapped-devices '()] [#:qemu-networking? #f] [#:volatile-root? #f]@
18153 [#:virtio? #t] [#:extra-modules '()]
18154 Return a monadic derivation that builds a generic initrd. @var{file-systems} is
18155 a list of file systems to be mounted by the initrd like for @code{raw-initrd}.
18156 @var{mapped-devices}, @var{qemu-networking?} and @var{volatile-root?}
18157 also behaves as in @code{raw-initrd}.
18159 When @var{virtio?} is true, load additional modules so that the
18160 initrd can be used as a QEMU guest with para-virtualized I/O drivers.
18162 The initrd is automatically populated with all the kernel modules necessary
18163 for @var{file-systems} and for the given options. However, additional kernel
18164 modules can be listed in @var{extra-modules}. They will be added to the initrd, and
18165 loaded at boot time in the order in which they appear.
18168 Needless to say, the initrds we produce and use embed a
18169 statically-linked Guile, and the initialization program is a Guile
18170 program. That gives a lot of flexibility. The
18171 @code{expression->initrd} procedure builds such an initrd, given the
18172 program to run in that initrd.
18174 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} expression->initrd @var{exp} @
18175 [#:guile %guile-static-stripped] [#:name "guile-initrd"]
18176 Return a derivation that builds a Linux initrd (a gzipped cpio archive)
18177 containing @var{guile} and that evaluates @var{exp}, a G-expression,
18178 upon booting. All the derivations referenced by @var{exp} are
18179 automatically copied to the initrd.
18182 @node Bootloader Configuration
18183 @subsection Bootloader Configuration
18186 @cindex boot loader
18188 The operating system supports multiple bootloaders. The bootloader is
18189 configured using @code{bootloader-configuration} declaration. All the
18190 fields of this structure are bootloader agnostic except for one field,
18191 @code{bootloader} that indicates the bootloader to be configured and
18194 Some of the bootloaders do not honor every field of
18195 @code{bootloader-configuration}. For instance, the extlinux
18196 bootloader does not support themes and thus ignores the @code{theme}
18199 @deftp {Data Type} bootloader-configuration
18200 The type of a bootloader configuration declaration.
18204 @item @code{bootloader}
18205 @cindex EFI, bootloader
18206 @cindex UEFI, bootloader
18207 @cindex BIOS, bootloader
18208 The bootloader to use, as a @code{bootloader} object. For now
18209 @code{grub-bootloader}, @code{grub-efi-bootloader},
18210 @code{extlinux-bootloader} and @code{u-boot-bootloader} are supported.
18211 @code{grub-efi-bootloader} allows to boot on modern systems using the
18212 @dfn{Unified Extensible Firmware Interface} (UEFI).
18214 Available bootloaders are described in @code{(gnu bootloader @dots{})}
18217 @item @code{target}
18218 This is a string denoting the target onto which to install the
18219 bootloader. The exact interpretation depends on the bootloader in
18220 question; for @code{grub-bootloader}, for example, it should be a device
18221 name understood by the bootloader @command{installer} command, such as
18222 @code{/dev/sda} or @code{(hd0)} (for GRUB, @pxref{Invoking
18223 grub-install,,, grub, GNU GRUB Manual}). For
18224 @code{grub-efi-bootloader}, it should be the path to a mounted EFI file
18227 @item @code{menu-entries} (default: @code{()})
18228 A possibly empty list of @code{menu-entry} objects (see below), denoting
18229 entries to appear in the bootloader menu, in addition to the current
18230 system entry and the entry pointing to previous system generations.
18233 @item @code{default-entry} (default: @code{0})
18234 The index of the default boot menu entry. Index 0 is for the entry of the
18237 @item @code{timeout} (default: @code{5})
18238 The number of seconds to wait for keyboard input before booting. Set to
18239 0 to boot immediately, and to -1 to wait indefinitely.
18241 @item @code{theme} (default: @var{#f})
18242 The bootloader theme object describing the theme to use. If no theme
18243 is provided, some bootloaders might use a default theme, that's true
18246 @item @code{terminal-outputs} (default: @code{'gfxterm})
18247 The output terminals used for the bootloader boot menu, as a list of
18248 symbols. GRUB accepts the values: @code{console}, @code{serial},
18249 @code{serial_@{0-3@}}, @code{gfxterm}, @code{vga_text},
18250 @code{mda_text}, @code{morse}, and @code{pkmodem}. This field
18251 corresponds to the GRUB variable GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT (@pxref{Simple
18252 configuration,,, grub,GNU GRUB manual}).
18254 @item @code{terminal-inputs} (default: @code{'()})
18255 The input terminals used for the bootloader boot menu, as a list of
18256 symbols. For GRUB, the default is the native platform terminal as
18257 determined at run-time. GRUB accepts the values: @code{console},
18258 @code{serial}, @code{serial_@{0-3@}}, @code{at_keyboard}, and
18259 @code{usb_keyboard}. This field corresponds to the GRUB variable
18260 GRUB_TERMINAL_INPUT (@pxref{Simple configuration,,, grub,GNU GRUB
18263 @item @code{serial-unit} (default: @code{#f})
18264 The serial unit used by the bootloader, as an integer from 0 to 3.
18265 For GRUB, it is chosen at run-time; currently GRUB chooses 0, which
18266 corresponds to COM1 (@pxref{Serial terminal,,, grub,GNU GRUB manual}).
18268 @item @code{serial-speed} (default: @code{#f})
18269 The speed of the serial interface, as an integer. For GRUB, the
18270 default value is chosen at run-time; currently GRUB chooses
18271 9600@tie{}bps (@pxref{Serial terminal,,, grub,GNU GRUB manual}).
18278 Should you want to list additional boot menu entries @i{via} the
18279 @code{menu-entries} field above, you will need to create them with the
18280 @code{menu-entry} form. For example, imagine you want to be able to
18281 boot another distro (hard to imagine!), you can define a menu entry
18286 (label "The Other Distro")
18287 (linux "/boot/old/vmlinux-2.6.32")
18288 (linux-arguments '("root=/dev/sda2"))
18289 (initrd "/boot/old/initrd"))
18294 @deftp {Data Type} menu-entry
18295 The type of an entry in the bootloader menu.
18300 The label to show in the menu---e.g., @code{"GNU"}.
18303 The Linux kernel image to boot, for example:
18306 (file-append linux-libre "/bzImage")
18309 For GRUB, it is also possible to specify a device explicitly in the
18310 file path using GRUB's device naming convention (@pxref{Naming
18311 convention,,, grub, GNU GRUB manual}), for example:
18314 "(hd0,msdos1)/boot/vmlinuz"
18317 If the device is specified explicitly as above, then the @code{device}
18318 field is ignored entirely.
18320 @item @code{linux-arguments} (default: @code{()})
18321 The list of extra Linux kernel command-line arguments---e.g.,
18322 @code{("console=ttyS0")}.
18324 @item @code{initrd}
18325 A G-Expression or string denoting the file name of the initial RAM disk
18326 to use (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
18327 @item @code{device} (default: @code{#f})
18328 The device where the kernel and initrd are to be found---i.e., for GRUB,
18329 @dfn{root} for this menu entry (@pxref{root,,, grub, GNU GRUB manual}).
18331 This may be a file system label (a string), a file system UUID (a
18332 bytevector, @pxref{File Systems}), or @code{#f}, in which case
18333 the bootloader will search the device containing the file specified by
18334 the @code{linux} field (@pxref{search,,, grub, GNU GRUB manual}). It
18335 must @emph{not} be an OS device name such as @file{/dev/sda1}.
18340 @c FIXME: Write documentation once it's stable.
18341 Fow now only GRUB has theme support. GRUB themes are created using
18342 the @code{grub-theme} form, which is not documented yet.
18344 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-theme
18345 This is the default GRUB theme used by the operating system if no
18346 @code{theme} field is specified in @code{bootloader-configuration}
18349 It comes with a fancy background image displaying the GNU and Guix
18354 @node Invoking guix system
18355 @subsection Invoking @code{guix system}
18357 Once you have written an operating system declaration as seen in the
18358 previous section, it can be @dfn{instantiated} using the @command{guix
18359 system} command. The synopsis is:
18362 guix system @var{options}@dots{} @var{action} @var{file}
18365 @var{file} must be the name of a file containing an
18366 @code{operating-system} declaration. @var{action} specifies how the
18367 operating system is instantiated. Currently the following values are
18372 Display available service type definitions that match the given regular
18373 expressions, sorted by relevance:
18376 $ guix system search console font
18377 name: console-fonts
18378 location: gnu/services/base.scm:729:2
18379 extends: shepherd-root
18380 description: Install the given fonts on the specified ttys (fonts are
18381 + per virtual console on GNU/Linux). The value of this service is a list
18382 + of tty/font pairs like:
18384 + '(("tty1" . "LatGrkCyr-8x16"))
18388 location: gnu/services/base.scm:1048:2
18389 extends: shepherd-root
18390 description: Provide console login using the `mingetty' program.
18394 location: gnu/services/base.scm:775:2
18396 description: Provide a console log-in service as specified by its
18397 + configuration value, a `login-configuration' object.
18403 As for @command{guix package --search}, the result is written in
18404 @code{recutils} format, which makes it easy to filter the output
18405 (@pxref{Top, GNU recutils databases,, recutils, GNU recutils manual}).
18408 Build the operating system described in @var{file}, activate it, and
18409 switch to it@footnote{This action (and the related actions
18410 @code{switch-generation} and @code{roll-back}) are usable only on
18411 systems already running GuixSD.}.
18413 This effects all the configuration specified in @var{file}: user
18414 accounts, system services, global package list, setuid programs, etc.
18415 The command starts system services specified in @var{file} that are not
18416 currently running; if a service is currently running, it does not
18417 attempt to upgrade it since this would not be possible without stopping it
18420 This command creates a new generation whose number is one greater than
18421 the current generation (as reported by @command{guix system
18422 list-generations}). If that generation already exists, it will be
18423 overwritten. This behavior mirrors that of @command{guix package}
18424 (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).
18426 It also adds a bootloader menu entry for the new OS configuration,
18427 ---unless @option{--no-bootloader} is passed. For GRUB, it moves
18428 entries for older configurations to a submenu, allowing you to choose
18429 an older system generation at boot time should you need it.
18432 @c The paragraph below refers to the problem discussed at
18433 @c <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2014-08/msg00057.html>.
18434 It is highly recommended to run @command{guix pull} once before you run
18435 @command{guix system reconfigure} for the first time (@pxref{Invoking
18436 guix pull}). Failing to do that you would see an older version of Guix
18437 once @command{reconfigure} has completed.
18440 @item switch-generation
18441 @cindex generations
18442 Switch to an existing system generation. This action atomically
18443 switches the system profile to the specified system generation. It
18444 also rearranges the system's existing bootloader menu entries. It
18445 makes the menu entry for the specified system generation the default,
18446 and it moves the entries for the other generatiors to a submenu, if
18447 supported by the bootloader being used. The next time the system
18448 boots, it will use the specified system generation.
18450 The bootloader itself is not being reinstalled when using this
18451 command. Thus, the installed bootloader is used with an updated
18452 configuration file.
18454 The target generation can be specified explicitly by its generation
18455 number. For example, the following invocation would switch to system
18459 guix system switch-generation 7
18462 The target generation can also be specified relative to the current
18463 generation with the form @code{+N} or @code{-N}, where @code{+3} means
18464 ``3 generations ahead of the current generation,'' and @code{-1} means
18465 ``1 generation prior to the current generation.'' When specifying a
18466 negative value such as @code{-1}, you must precede it with @code{--} to
18467 prevent it from being parsed as an option. For example:
18470 guix system switch-generation -- -1
18473 Currently, the effect of invoking this action is @emph{only} to switch
18474 the system profile to an existing generation and rearrange the
18475 bootloader menu entries. To actually start using the target system
18476 generation, you must reboot after running this action. In the future,
18477 it will be updated to do the same things as @command{reconfigure},
18478 like activating and deactivating services.
18480 This action will fail if the specified generation does not exist.
18483 @cindex rolling back
18484 Switch to the preceding system generation. The next time the system
18485 boots, it will use the preceding system generation. This is the inverse
18486 of @command{reconfigure}, and it is exactly the same as invoking
18487 @command{switch-generation} with an argument of @code{-1}.
18489 Currently, as with @command{switch-generation}, you must reboot after
18490 running this action to actually start using the preceding system
18494 Build the derivation of the operating system, which includes all the
18495 configuration files and programs needed to boot and run the system.
18496 This action does not actually install anything.
18499 Populate the given directory with all the files necessary to run the
18500 operating system specified in @var{file}. This is useful for first-time
18501 installations of GuixSD. For instance:
18504 guix system init my-os-config.scm /mnt
18507 copies to @file{/mnt} all the store items required by the configuration
18508 specified in @file{my-os-config.scm}. This includes configuration
18509 files, packages, and so on. It also creates other essential files
18510 needed for the system to operate correctly---e.g., the @file{/etc},
18511 @file{/var}, and @file{/run} directories, and the @file{/bin/sh} file.
18513 This command also installs bootloader on the target specified in
18514 @file{my-os-config}, unless the @option{--no-bootloader} option was
18518 @cindex virtual machine
18520 @anchor{guix system vm}
18521 Build a virtual machine that contains the operating system declared in
18522 @var{file}, and return a script to run that virtual machine (VM).
18523 Arguments given to the script are passed to QEMU as in the example
18524 below, which enables networking and requests 1@tie{}GiB of RAM for the
18528 $ /gnu/store/@dots{}-run-vm.sh -m 1024 -net user
18531 The VM shares its store with the host system.
18533 Additional file systems can be shared between the host and the VM using
18534 the @code{--share} and @code{--expose} command-line options: the former
18535 specifies a directory to be shared with write access, while the latter
18536 provides read-only access to the shared directory.
18538 The example below creates a VM in which the user's home directory is
18539 accessible read-only, and where the @file{/exchange} directory is a
18540 read-write mapping of @file{$HOME/tmp} on the host:
18543 guix system vm my-config.scm \
18544 --expose=$HOME --share=$HOME/tmp=/exchange
18547 On GNU/Linux, the default is to boot directly to the kernel; this has
18548 the advantage of requiring only a very tiny root disk image since the
18549 store of the host can then be mounted.
18551 The @code{--full-boot} option forces a complete boot sequence, starting
18552 with the bootloader. This requires more disk space since a root image
18553 containing at least the kernel, initrd, and bootloader data files must
18554 be created. The @code{--image-size} option can be used to specify the
18559 Return a virtual machine or disk image of the operating system declared
18560 in @var{file} that stands alone. By default, @command{guix system}
18561 estimates the size of the image needed to store the system, but you can
18562 use the @option{--image-size} option to specify a value.
18564 You can specify the root file system type by using the
18565 @option{--file-system-type} option. It defaults to @code{ext4}.
18567 When using @code{vm-image}, the returned image is in qcow2 format, which
18568 the QEMU emulator can efficiently use. @xref{Running GuixSD in a VM},
18569 for more information on how to run the image in a virtual machine.
18571 When using @code{disk-image}, a raw disk image is produced; it can be
18572 copied as is to a USB stick, for instance. Assuming @code{/dev/sdc} is
18573 the device corresponding to a USB stick, one can copy the image to it
18574 using the following command:
18577 # dd if=$(guix system disk-image my-os.scm) of=/dev/sdc
18581 Return a script to run the operating system declared in @var{file}
18582 within a container. Containers are a set of lightweight isolation
18583 mechanisms provided by the kernel Linux-libre. Containers are
18584 substantially less resource-demanding than full virtual machines since
18585 the kernel, shared objects, and other resources can be shared with the
18586 host system; this also means they provide thinner isolation.
18588 Currently, the script must be run as root in order to support more than
18589 a single user and group. The container shares its store with the host
18592 As with the @code{vm} action (@pxref{guix system vm}), additional file
18593 systems to be shared between the host and container can be specified
18594 using the @option{--share} and @option{--expose} options:
18597 guix system container my-config.scm \
18598 --expose=$HOME --share=$HOME/tmp=/exchange
18602 This option requires Linux-libre 3.19 or newer.
18607 @var{options} can contain any of the common build options (@pxref{Common
18608 Build Options}). In addition, @var{options} can contain one of the
18612 @item --system=@var{system}
18613 @itemx -s @var{system}
18614 Attempt to build for @var{system} instead of the host system type.
18615 This works as per @command{guix build} (@pxref{Invoking guix build}).
18619 Return the derivation file name of the given operating system without
18622 @item --file-system-type=@var{type}
18623 @itemx -t @var{type}
18624 For the @code{disk-image} action, create a file system of the given
18625 @var{type} on the image.
18627 When this option is omitted, @command{guix system} uses @code{ext4}.
18629 @cindex ISO-9660 format
18630 @cindex CD image format
18631 @cindex DVD image format
18632 @code{--file-system-type=iso9660} produces an ISO-9660 image, suitable
18633 for burning on CDs and DVDs.
18635 @item --image-size=@var{size}
18636 For the @code{vm-image} and @code{disk-image} actions, create an image
18637 of the given @var{size}. @var{size} may be a number of bytes, or it may
18638 include a unit as a suffix (@pxref{Block size, size specifications,,
18639 coreutils, GNU Coreutils}).
18641 When this option is omitted, @command{guix system} computes an estimate
18642 of the image size as a function of the size of the system declared in
18645 @item --root=@var{file}
18646 @itemx -r @var{file}
18647 Make @var{file} a symlink to the result, and register it as a garbage
18650 @item --on-error=@var{strategy}
18651 Apply @var{strategy} when an error occurs when reading @var{file}.
18652 @var{strategy} may be one of the following:
18655 @item nothing-special
18656 Report the error concisely and exit. This is the default strategy.
18659 Likewise, but also display a backtrace.
18662 Report the error and enter Guile's debugger. From there, you can run
18663 commands such as @code{,bt} to get a backtrace, @code{,locals} to
18664 display local variable values, and more generally inspect the state of the
18665 program. @xref{Debug Commands,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}, for
18666 a list of available debugging commands.
18671 All the actions above, except @code{build} and @code{init},
18672 can use KVM support in the Linux-libre kernel. Specifically, if the
18673 machine has hardware virtualization support, the corresponding
18674 KVM kernel module should be loaded, and the @file{/dev/kvm} device node
18675 must exist and be readable and writable by the user and by the
18676 build users of the daemon (@pxref{Build Environment Setup}).
18679 Once you have built, configured, re-configured, and re-re-configured
18680 your GuixSD installation, you may find it useful to list the operating
18681 system generations available on disk---and that you can choose from the
18682 bootloader boot menu:
18686 @item list-generations
18687 List a summary of each generation of the operating system available on
18688 disk, in a human-readable way. This is similar to the
18689 @option{--list-generations} option of @command{guix package}
18690 (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).
18692 Optionally, one can specify a pattern, with the same syntax that is used
18693 in @command{guix package --list-generations}, to restrict the list of
18694 generations displayed. For instance, the following command displays
18695 generations that are up to 10 days old:
18698 $ guix system list-generations 10d
18703 The @command{guix system} command has even more to offer! The following
18704 sub-commands allow you to visualize how your system services relate to
18707 @anchor{system-extension-graph}
18710 @item extension-graph
18711 Emit in Dot/Graphviz format to standard output the @dfn{service
18712 extension graph} of the operating system defined in @var{file}
18713 (@pxref{Service Composition}, for more information on service
18719 $ guix system extension-graph @var{file} | dot -Tpdf > services.pdf
18722 produces a PDF file showing the extension relations among services.
18724 @anchor{system-shepherd-graph}
18725 @item shepherd-graph
18726 Emit in Dot/Graphviz format to standard output the @dfn{dependency
18727 graph} of shepherd services of the operating system defined in
18728 @var{file}. @xref{Shepherd Services}, for more information and for an
18733 @node Running GuixSD in a VM
18734 @subsection Running GuixSD in a Virtual Machine
18736 @cindex virtual machine
18737 To run GuixSD in a virtual machine (VM), one can either use the
18738 pre-built GuixSD VM image distributed at
18739 @indicateurl{ftp://alpha.gnu.org/guix/guixsd-vm-image-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz}
18740 , or build their own virtual machine image using @command{guix system
18741 vm-image} (@pxref{Invoking guix system}). The returned image is in
18742 qcow2 format, which the @uref{http://qemu.org/, QEMU emulator} can
18746 If you built your own image, you must copy it out of the store
18747 (@pxref{The Store}) and give yourself permission to write to the copy
18748 before you can use it. When invoking QEMU, you must choose a system
18749 emulator that is suitable for your hardware platform. Here is a minimal
18750 QEMU invocation that will boot the result of @command{guix system
18751 vm-image} on x86_64 hardware:
18754 $ qemu-system-x86_64 \
18755 -net user -net nic,model=virtio \
18756 -enable-kvm -m 256 /tmp/qemu-image
18759 Here is what each of these options means:
18762 @item qemu-system-x86_64
18763 This specifies the hardware platform to emulate. This should match the
18767 Enable the unprivileged user-mode network stack. The guest OS can
18768 access the host but not vice versa. This is the simplest way to get the
18771 @item -net nic,model=virtio
18772 You must create a network interface of a given model. If you do not
18773 create a NIC, the boot will fail. Assuming your hardware platform is
18774 x86_64, you can get a list of available NIC models by running
18775 @command{qemu-system-x86_64 -net nic,model=help}.
18778 If your system has hardware virtualization extensions, enabling the
18779 virtual machine support (KVM) of the Linux kernel will make things run
18783 RAM available to the guest OS, in mebibytes. Defaults to 128@tie{}MiB,
18784 which may be insufficient for some operations.
18786 @item /tmp/qemu-image
18787 The file name of the qcow2 image.
18790 The default @command{run-vm.sh} script that is returned by an invocation of
18791 @command{guix system vm} does not add a @command{-net user} flag by default.
18792 To get network access from within the vm add the @code{(dhcp-client-service)}
18793 to your system definition and start the VM using
18794 @command{`guix system vm config.scm` -net user}. An important caveat of using
18795 @command{-net user} for networking is that @command{ping} will not work, because
18796 it uses the ICMP protocol. You'll have to use a different command to check for
18797 network connectivity, for example @command{guix download}.
18799 @subsubsection Connecting Through SSH
18803 To enable SSH inside a VM you need to add a SSH server like @code{(dropbear-service)}
18804 or @code{(lsh-service)} to your VM. The @code{(lsh-service}) doesn't currently
18805 boot unsupervised. It requires you to type some characters to initialize the
18806 randomness generator. In addition you need to forward the SSH port, 22 by
18807 default, to the host. You can do this with
18810 `guix system vm config.scm` -net user,hostfwd=tcp::10022-:22
18813 To connect to the VM you can run
18816 ssh -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -p 10022
18819 The @command{-p} tells @command{ssh} the port you want to connect to.
18820 @command{-o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null} prevents @command{ssh} from complaining
18821 every time you modify your @command{config.scm} file and the
18822 @command{-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no} prevents you from having to allow a
18823 connection to an unknown host every time you connect.
18825 @subsubsection Using @command{virt-viewer} with Spice
18827 As an alternative to the default @command{qemu} graphical client you can
18828 use the @command{remote-viewer} from the @command{virt-viewer} package. To
18829 connect pass the @command{-spice port=5930,disable-ticketing} flag to
18830 @command{qemu}. See previous section for further information on how to do this.
18832 Spice also allows you to do some nice stuff like share your clipboard with your
18833 VM. To enable that you'll also have to pass the following flags to @command{qemu}:
18836 -device virtio-serial-pci,id=virtio-serial0,max_ports=16,bus=pci.0,addr=0x5
18837 -chardev spicevmc,name=vdagent,id=vdagent
18838 -device virtserialport,nr=1,bus=virtio-serial0.0,chardev=vdagent,
18839 name=com.redhat.spice.0
18842 You'll also need to add the @pxref{Miscellaneous Services, Spice service}.
18844 @node Defining Services
18845 @subsection Defining Services
18847 The previous sections show the available services and how one can combine
18848 them in an @code{operating-system} declaration. But how do we define
18849 them in the first place? And what is a service anyway?
18852 * Service Composition:: The model for composing services.
18853 * Service Types and Services:: Types and services.
18854 * Service Reference:: API reference.
18855 * Shepherd Services:: A particular type of service.
18858 @node Service Composition
18859 @subsubsection Service Composition
18863 Here we define a @dfn{service} as, broadly, something that extends the
18864 functionality of the operating system. Often a service is a process---a
18865 @dfn{daemon}---started when the system boots: a secure shell server, a
18866 Web server, the Guix build daemon, etc. Sometimes a service is a daemon
18867 whose execution can be triggered by another daemon---e.g., an FTP server
18868 started by @command{inetd} or a D-Bus service activated by
18869 @command{dbus-daemon}. Occasionally, a service does not map to a
18870 daemon. For instance, the ``account'' service collects user accounts
18871 and makes sure they exist when the system runs; the ``udev'' service
18872 collects device management rules and makes them available to the eudev
18873 daemon; the @file{/etc} service populates the @file{/etc} directory
18876 @cindex service extensions
18877 GuixSD services are connected by @dfn{extensions}. For instance, the
18878 secure shell service @emph{extends} the Shepherd---the GuixSD
18879 initialization system, running as PID@tie{}1---by giving it the command
18880 lines to start and stop the secure shell daemon (@pxref{Networking
18881 Services, @code{lsh-service}}); the UPower service extends the D-Bus
18882 service by passing it its @file{.service} specification, and extends the
18883 udev service by passing it device management rules (@pxref{Desktop
18884 Services, @code{upower-service}}); the Guix daemon service extends the
18885 Shepherd by passing it the command lines to start and stop the daemon,
18886 and extends the account service by passing it a list of required build
18887 user accounts (@pxref{Base Services}).
18889 All in all, services and their ``extends'' relations form a directed
18890 acyclic graph (DAG). If we represent services as boxes and extensions
18891 as arrows, a typical system might provide something like this:
18893 @image{images/service-graph,,5in,Typical service extension graph.}
18895 @cindex system service
18896 At the bottom, we see the @dfn{system service}, which produces the
18897 directory containing everything to run and boot the system, as returned
18898 by the @command{guix system build} command. @xref{Service Reference},
18899 to learn about the other service types shown here.
18900 @xref{system-extension-graph, the @command{guix system extension-graph}
18901 command}, for information on how to generate this representation for a
18902 particular operating system definition.
18904 @cindex service types
18905 Technically, developers can define @dfn{service types} to express these
18906 relations. There can be any number of services of a given type on the
18907 system---for instance, a system running two instances of the GNU secure
18908 shell server (lsh) has two instances of @var{lsh-service-type}, with
18909 different parameters.
18911 The following section describes the programming interface for service
18912 types and services.
18914 @node Service Types and Services
18915 @subsubsection Service Types and Services
18917 A @dfn{service type} is a node in the DAG described above. Let us start
18918 with a simple example, the service type for the Guix build daemon
18919 (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon}):
18922 (define guix-service-type
18926 (list (service-extension shepherd-root-service-type guix-shepherd-service)
18927 (service-extension account-service-type guix-accounts)
18928 (service-extension activation-service-type guix-activation)))
18929 (default-value (guix-configuration))))
18933 It defines three things:
18937 A name, whose sole purpose is to make inspection and debugging easier.
18940 A list of @dfn{service extensions}, where each extension designates the
18941 target service type and a procedure that, given the parameters of the
18942 service, returns a list of objects to extend the service of that type.
18944 Every service type has at least one service extension. The only
18945 exception is the @dfn{boot service type}, which is the ultimate service.
18948 Optionally, a default value for instances of this type.
18951 In this example, @var{guix-service-type} extends three services:
18954 @item shepherd-root-service-type
18955 The @var{guix-shepherd-service} procedure defines how the Shepherd
18956 service is extended. Namely, it returns a @code{<shepherd-service>}
18957 object that defines how @command{guix-daemon} is started and stopped
18958 (@pxref{Shepherd Services}).
18960 @item account-service-type
18961 This extension for this service is computed by @var{guix-accounts},
18962 which returns a list of @code{user-group} and @code{user-account}
18963 objects representing the build user accounts (@pxref{Invoking
18966 @item activation-service-type
18967 Here @var{guix-activation} is a procedure that returns a gexp, which is
18968 a code snippet to run at ``activation time''---e.g., when the service is
18972 A service of this type is instantiated like this:
18975 (service guix-service-type
18976 (guix-configuration
18978 (use-substitutes? #f)))
18981 The second argument to the @code{service} form is a value representing
18982 the parameters of this specific service instance.
18983 @xref{guix-configuration-type, @code{guix-configuration}}, for
18984 information about the @code{guix-configuration} data type. When the
18985 value is omitted, the default value specified by
18986 @code{guix-service-type} is used:
18989 (service guix-service-type)
18992 @var{guix-service-type} is quite simple because it extends other
18993 services but is not extensible itself.
18995 @c @subsubsubsection Extensible Service Types
18997 The service type for an @emph{extensible} service looks like this:
19000 (define udev-service-type
19001 (service-type (name 'udev)
19003 (list (service-extension shepherd-root-service-type
19004 udev-shepherd-service)))
19006 (compose concatenate) ;concatenate the list of rules
19007 (extend (lambda (config rules)
19009 (($ <udev-configuration> udev initial-rules)
19010 (udev-configuration
19011 (udev udev) ;the udev package to use
19012 (rules (append initial-rules rules)))))))))
19015 This is the service type for the
19016 @uref{https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Eudev, eudev device
19017 management daemon}. Compared to the previous example, in addition to an
19018 extension of @var{shepherd-root-service-type}, we see two new fields:
19022 This is the procedure to @dfn{compose} the list of extensions to
19023 services of this type.
19025 Services can extend the udev service by passing it lists of rules; we
19026 compose those extensions simply by concatenating them.
19029 This procedure defines how the value of the service is @dfn{extended} with
19030 the composition of the extensions.
19032 Udev extensions are composed into a list of rules, but the udev service
19033 value is itself a @code{<udev-configuration>} record. So here, we
19034 extend that record by appending the list of rules it contains to the
19035 list of contributed rules.
19038 This is a string giving an overview of the service type. The string can
19039 contain Texinfo markup (@pxref{Overview,,, texinfo, GNU Texinfo}). The
19040 @command{guix system search} command searches these strings and displays
19041 them (@pxref{Invoking guix system}).
19044 There can be only one instance of an extensible service type such as
19045 @var{udev-service-type}. If there were more, the
19046 @code{service-extension} specifications would be ambiguous.
19048 Still here? The next section provides a reference of the programming
19049 interface for services.
19051 @node Service Reference
19052 @subsubsection Service Reference
19054 We have seen an overview of service types (@pxref{Service Types and
19055 Services}). This section provides a reference on how to manipulate
19056 services and service types. This interface is provided by the
19057 @code{(gnu services)} module.
19059 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service @var{type} [@var{value}]
19060 Return a new service of @var{type}, a @code{<service-type>} object (see
19061 below.) @var{value} can be any object; it represents the parameters of
19062 this particular service instance.
19064 When @var{value} is omitted, the default value specified by @var{type}
19065 is used; if @var{type} does not specify a default value, an error is
19068 For instance, this:
19071 (service openssh-service-type)
19075 is equivalent to this:
19078 (service openssh-service-type
19079 (openssh-configuration))
19082 In both cases the result is an instance of @code{openssh-service-type}
19083 with the default configuration.
19086 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service? @var{obj}
19087 Return true if @var{obj} is a service.
19090 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-kind @var{service}
19091 Return the type of @var{service}---i.e., a @code{<service-type>} object.
19094 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-value @var{service}
19095 Return the value associated with @var{service}. It represents its
19099 Here is an example of how a service is created and manipulated:
19103 (service nginx-service-type
19104 (nginx-configuration
19106 (log-directory log-directory)
19107 (run-directory run-directory)
19108 (file config-file))))
19113 (eq? (service-kind s) nginx-service-type)
19117 The @code{modify-services} form provides a handy way to change the
19118 parameters of some of the services of a list such as
19119 @var{%base-services} (@pxref{Base Services, @code{%base-services}}). It
19120 evaluates to a list of services. Of course, you could always use
19121 standard list combinators such as @code{map} and @code{fold} to do that
19122 (@pxref{SRFI-1, List Library,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual});
19123 @code{modify-services} simply provides a more concise form for this
19126 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} modify-services @var{services} @
19127 (@var{type} @var{variable} => @var{body}) @dots{}
19129 Modify the services listed in @var{services} according to the given
19130 clauses. Each clause has the form:
19133 (@var{type} @var{variable} => @var{body})
19136 where @var{type} is a service type---e.g.,
19137 @code{guix-service-type}---and @var{variable} is an identifier that is
19138 bound within the @var{body} to the service parameters---e.g., a
19139 @code{guix-configuration} instance---of the original service of that
19142 The @var{body} should evaluate to the new service parameters, which will
19143 be used to configure the new service. This new service will replace the
19144 original in the resulting list. Because a service's service parameters
19145 are created using @code{define-record-type*}, you can write a succinct
19146 @var{body} that evaluates to the new service parameters by using the
19147 @code{inherit} feature that @code{define-record-type*} provides.
19149 @xref{Using the Configuration System}, for example usage.
19153 Next comes the programming interface for service types. This is
19154 something you want to know when writing new service definitions, but not
19155 necessarily when simply looking for ways to customize your
19156 @code{operating-system} declaration.
19158 @deftp {Data Type} service-type
19159 @cindex service type
19160 This is the representation of a @dfn{service type} (@pxref{Service Types
19165 This is a symbol, used only to simplify inspection and debugging.
19167 @item @code{extensions}
19168 A non-empty list of @code{<service-extension>} objects (see below).
19170 @item @code{compose} (default: @code{#f})
19171 If this is @code{#f}, then the service type denotes services that cannot
19172 be extended---i.e., services that do not receive ``values'' from other
19175 Otherwise, it must be a one-argument procedure. The procedure is called
19176 by @code{fold-services} and is passed a list of values collected from
19177 extensions. It must return a value that is a valid parameter value for
19178 the service instance.
19180 @item @code{extend} (default: @code{#f})
19181 If this is @code{#f}, services of this type cannot be extended.
19183 Otherwise, it must be a two-argument procedure: @code{fold-services}
19184 calls it, passing it the initial value of the service as the first argument
19185 and the result of applying @code{compose} to the extension values as the
19189 @xref{Service Types and Services}, for examples.
19192 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-extension @var{target-type} @
19194 Return a new extension for services of type @var{target-type}.
19195 @var{compute} must be a one-argument procedure: @code{fold-services}
19196 calls it, passing it the value associated with the service that provides
19197 the extension; it must return a valid value for the target service.
19200 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-extension? @var{obj}
19201 Return true if @var{obj} is a service extension.
19204 Occasionally, you might want to simply extend an existing service. This
19205 involves creating a new service type and specifying the extension of
19206 interest, which can be verbose; the @code{simple-service} procedure
19207 provides a shorthand for this.
19209 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} simple-service @var{name} @var{target} @var{value}
19210 Return a service that extends @var{target} with @var{value}. This works
19211 by creating a singleton service type @var{name}, of which the returned
19212 service is an instance.
19214 For example, this extends mcron (@pxref{Scheduled Job Execution}) with
19218 (simple-service 'my-mcron-job mcron-service-type
19219 #~(job '(next-hour (3)) "guix gc -F 2G"))
19223 At the core of the service abstraction lies the @code{fold-services}
19224 procedure, which is responsible for ``compiling'' a list of services
19225 down to a single directory that contains everything needed to boot and
19226 run the system---the directory shown by the @command{guix system build}
19227 command (@pxref{Invoking guix system}). In essence, it propagates
19228 service extensions down the service graph, updating each node parameters
19229 on the way, until it reaches the root node.
19231 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} fold-services @var{services} @
19232 [#:target-type @var{system-service-type}]
19233 Fold @var{services} by propagating their extensions down to the root of
19234 type @var{target-type}; return the root service adjusted accordingly.
19237 Lastly, the @code{(gnu services)} module also defines several essential
19238 service types, some of which are listed below.
19240 @defvr {Scheme Variable} system-service-type
19241 This is the root of the service graph. It produces the system directory
19242 as returned by the @command{guix system build} command.
19245 @defvr {Scheme Variable} boot-service-type
19246 The type of the ``boot service'', which produces the @dfn{boot script}.
19247 The boot script is what the initial RAM disk runs when booting.
19250 @defvr {Scheme Variable} etc-service-type
19251 The type of the @file{/etc} service. This service is used to create
19252 files under @file{/etc} and can be extended by
19253 passing it name/file tuples such as:
19256 (list `("issue" ,(plain-file "issue" "Welcome!\n")))
19259 In this example, the effect would be to add an @file{/etc/issue} file
19260 pointing to the given file.
19263 @defvr {Scheme Variable} setuid-program-service-type
19264 Type for the ``setuid-program service''. This service collects lists of
19265 executable file names, passed as gexps, and adds them to the set of
19266 setuid-root programs on the system (@pxref{Setuid Programs}).
19269 @defvr {Scheme Variable} profile-service-type
19270 Type of the service that populates the @dfn{system profile}---i.e., the
19271 programs under @file{/run/current-system/profile}. Other services can
19272 extend it by passing it lists of packages to add to the system profile.
19276 @node Shepherd Services
19277 @subsubsection Shepherd Services
19279 @cindex shepherd services
19281 @cindex init system
19282 The @code{(gnu services shepherd)} module provides a way to define
19283 services managed by the GNU@tie{}Shepherd, which is the GuixSD
19284 initialization system---the first process that is started when the
19285 system boots, also known as PID@tie{}1
19286 (@pxref{Introduction,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).
19288 Services in the Shepherd can depend on each other. For instance, the
19289 SSH daemon may need to be started after the syslog daemon has been
19290 started, which in turn can only happen once all the file systems have
19291 been mounted. The simple operating system defined earlier (@pxref{Using
19292 the Configuration System}) results in a service graph like this:
19294 @image{images/shepherd-graph,,5in,Typical shepherd service graph.}
19296 You can actually generate such a graph for any operating system
19297 definition using the @command{guix system shepherd-graph} command
19298 (@pxref{system-shepherd-graph, @command{guix system shepherd-graph}}).
19300 The @var{%shepherd-root-service} is a service object representing
19301 PID@tie{}1, of type @var{shepherd-root-service-type}; it can be extended
19302 by passing it lists of @code{<shepherd-service>} objects.
19304 @deftp {Data Type} shepherd-service
19305 The data type representing a service managed by the Shepherd.
19308 @item @code{provision}
19309 This is a list of symbols denoting what the service provides.
19311 These are the names that may be passed to @command{herd start},
19312 @command{herd status}, and similar commands (@pxref{Invoking herd,,,
19313 shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}). @xref{Slots of services, the
19314 @code{provides} slot,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}, for details.
19316 @item @code{requirements} (default: @code{'()})
19317 List of symbols denoting the Shepherd services this one depends on.
19319 @item @code{respawn?} (default: @code{#t})
19320 Whether to restart the service when it stops, for instance when the
19321 underlying process dies.
19324 @itemx @code{stop} (default: @code{#~(const #f)})
19325 The @code{start} and @code{stop} fields refer to the Shepherd's
19326 facilities to start and stop processes (@pxref{Service De- and
19327 Constructors,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}). They are given as
19328 G-expressions that get expanded in the Shepherd configuration file
19329 (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
19331 @item @code{documentation}
19332 A documentation string, as shown when running:
19335 herd doc @var{service-name}
19338 where @var{service-name} is one of the symbols in @var{provision}
19339 (@pxref{Invoking herd,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).
19341 @item @code{modules} (default: @var{%default-modules})
19342 This is the list of modules that must be in scope when @code{start} and
19343 @code{stop} are evaluated.
19348 @defvr {Scheme Variable} shepherd-root-service-type
19349 The service type for the Shepherd ``root service''---i.e., PID@tie{}1.
19351 This is the service type that extensions target when they want to create
19352 shepherd services (@pxref{Service Types and Services}, for an example).
19353 Each extension must pass a list of @code{<shepherd-service>}.
19356 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %shepherd-root-service
19357 This service represents PID@tie{}1.
19361 @node Documentation
19362 @section Documentation
19364 @cindex documentation, searching for
19365 @cindex searching for documentation
19366 @cindex Info, documentation format
19368 @cindex manual pages
19369 In most cases packages installed with Guix come with documentation.
19370 There are two main documentation formats: ``Info'', a browseable
19371 hypertext format used for GNU software, and ``manual pages'' (or ``man
19372 pages''), the linear documentation format traditionally found on Unix.
19373 Info manuals are accessed with the @command{info} command or with Emacs,
19374 and man pages are accessed using @command{man}.
19376 You can look for documentation of software installed on your system by
19377 keyword. For example, the following command searches for information
19378 about ``TLS'' in Info manuals:
19382 "(emacs)Network Security" -- STARTTLS
19383 "(emacs)Network Security" -- TLS
19384 "(gnutls)Core TLS API" -- gnutls_certificate_set_verify_flags
19385 "(gnutls)Core TLS API" -- gnutls_certificate_set_verify_function
19390 The command below searches for the same keyword in man pages:
19394 SSL (7) - OpenSSL SSL/TLS library
19395 certtool (1) - GnuTLS certificate tool
19399 These searches are purely local to your computer so you have the
19400 guarantee that documentation you find corresponds to what you have
19401 actually installed, you can access it off-line, and your privacy is
19404 Once you have these results, you can view the relevant documentation by
19408 $ info "(gnutls)Core TLS API"
19418 Info manuals contain sections and indices as well as hyperlinks like
19419 those found in Web pages. The @command{info} reader (@pxref{Top, Info
19420 reader,, info-stnd, Stand-alone GNU Info}) and its Emacs counterpart
19421 (@pxref{Misc Help,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}) provide intuitive key
19422 bindings to navigate manuals. @xref{Getting Started,,, info, Info: An
19423 Introduction}, for an introduction to Info navigation.
19425 @node Installing Debugging Files
19426 @section Installing Debugging Files
19428 @cindex debugging files
19429 Program binaries, as produced by the GCC compilers for instance, are
19430 typically written in the ELF format, with a section containing
19431 @dfn{debugging information}. Debugging information is what allows the
19432 debugger, GDB, to map binary code to source code; it is required to
19433 debug a compiled program in good conditions.
19435 The problem with debugging information is that is takes up a fair amount
19436 of disk space. For example, debugging information for the GNU C Library
19437 weighs in at more than 60 MiB. Thus, as a user, keeping all the
19438 debugging info of all the installed programs is usually not an option.
19439 Yet, space savings should not come at the cost of an impediment to
19440 debugging---especially in the GNU system, which should make it easier
19441 for users to exert their computing freedom (@pxref{GNU Distribution}).
19443 Thankfully, the GNU Binary Utilities (Binutils) and GDB provide a
19444 mechanism that allows users to get the best of both worlds: debugging
19445 information can be stripped from the binaries and stored in separate
19446 files. GDB is then able to load debugging information from those files,
19447 when they are available (@pxref{Separate Debug Files,,, gdb, Debugging
19450 The GNU distribution takes advantage of this by storing debugging
19451 information in the @code{lib/debug} sub-directory of a separate package
19452 output unimaginatively called @code{debug} (@pxref{Packages with
19453 Multiple Outputs}). Users can choose to install the @code{debug} output
19454 of a package when they need it. For instance, the following command
19455 installs the debugging information for the GNU C Library and for GNU
19459 guix package -i glibc:debug guile:debug
19462 GDB must then be told to look for debug files in the user's profile, by
19463 setting the @code{debug-file-directory} variable (consider setting it
19464 from the @file{~/.gdbinit} file, @pxref{Startup,,, gdb, Debugging with
19468 (gdb) set debug-file-directory ~/.guix-profile/lib/debug
19471 From there on, GDB will pick up debugging information from the
19472 @code{.debug} files under @file{~/.guix-profile/lib/debug}.
19474 In addition, you will most likely want GDB to be able to show the source
19475 code being debugged. To do that, you will have to unpack the source
19476 code of the package of interest (obtained with @code{guix build
19477 --source}, @pxref{Invoking guix build}), and to point GDB to that source
19478 directory using the @code{directory} command (@pxref{Source Path,
19479 @code{directory},, gdb, Debugging with GDB}).
19481 @c XXX: keep me up-to-date
19482 The @code{debug} output mechanism in Guix is implemented by the
19483 @code{gnu-build-system} (@pxref{Build Systems}). Currently, it is
19484 opt-in---debugging information is available only for the packages
19485 with definitions explicitly declaring a @code{debug} output. This may be
19486 changed to opt-out in the future if our build farm servers can handle
19487 the load. To check whether a package has a @code{debug} output, use
19488 @command{guix package --list-available} (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).
19491 @node Security Updates
19492 @section Security Updates
19494 @cindex security updates
19495 @cindex security vulnerabilities
19496 Occasionally, important security vulnerabilities are discovered in software
19497 packages and must be patched. Guix developers try hard to keep track of
19498 known vulnerabilities and to apply fixes as soon as possible in the
19499 @code{master} branch of Guix (we do not yet provide a ``stable'' branch
19500 containing only security updates.) The @command{guix lint} tool helps
19501 developers find out about vulnerable versions of software packages in the
19506 gnu/packages/base.scm:652:2: glibc@@2.21: probably vulnerable to CVE-2015-1781, CVE-2015-7547
19507 gnu/packages/gcc.scm:334:2: gcc@@4.9.3: probably vulnerable to CVE-2015-5276
19508 gnu/packages/image.scm:312:2: openjpeg@@2.1.0: probably vulnerable to CVE-2016-1923, CVE-2016-1924
19512 @xref{Invoking guix lint}, for more information.
19515 As of version @value{VERSION}, the feature described below is considered
19519 Guix follows a functional
19520 package management discipline (@pxref{Introduction}), which implies
19521 that, when a package is changed, @emph{every package that depends on it}
19522 must be rebuilt. This can significantly slow down the deployment of
19523 fixes in core packages such as libc or Bash, since basically the whole
19524 distribution would need to be rebuilt. Using pre-built binaries helps
19525 (@pxref{Substitutes}), but deployment may still take more time than
19529 To address this, Guix implements @dfn{grafts}, a mechanism that allows
19530 for fast deployment of critical updates without the costs associated
19531 with a whole-distribution rebuild. The idea is to rebuild only the
19532 package that needs to be patched, and then to ``graft'' it onto packages
19533 explicitly installed by the user and that were previously referring to
19534 the original package. The cost of grafting is typically very low, and
19535 order of magnitudes lower than a full rebuild of the dependency chain.
19537 @cindex replacements of packages, for grafts
19538 For instance, suppose a security update needs to be applied to Bash.
19539 Guix developers will provide a package definition for the ``fixed''
19540 Bash, say @var{bash-fixed}, in the usual way (@pxref{Defining
19541 Packages}). Then, the original package definition is augmented with a
19542 @code{replacement} field pointing to the package containing the bug fix:
19549 (replacement bash-fixed)))
19552 From there on, any package depending directly or indirectly on Bash---as
19553 reported by @command{guix gc --requisites} (@pxref{Invoking guix
19554 gc})---that is installed is automatically ``rewritten'' to refer to
19555 @var{bash-fixed} instead of @var{bash}. This grafting process takes
19556 time proportional to the size of the package, usually less than a
19557 minute for an ``average'' package on a recent machine. Grafting is
19558 recursive: when an indirect dependency requires grafting, then grafting
19559 ``propagates'' up to the package that the user is installing.
19561 Currently, the length of the name and version of the graft and that of
19562 the package it replaces (@var{bash-fixed} and @var{bash} in the example
19563 above) must be equal. This restriction mostly comes from the fact that
19564 grafting works by patching files, including binary files, directly.
19565 Other restrictions may apply: for instance, when adding a graft to a
19566 package providing a shared library, the original shared library and its
19567 replacement must have the same @code{SONAME} and be binary-compatible.
19569 The @option{--no-grafts} command-line option allows you to forcefully
19570 avoid grafting (@pxref{Common Build Options, @option{--no-grafts}}).
19574 guix build bash --no-grafts
19578 returns the store file name of the original Bash, whereas:
19585 returns the store file name of the ``fixed'', replacement Bash. This
19586 allows you to distinguish between the two variants of Bash.
19588 To verify which Bash your whole profile refers to, you can run
19589 (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}):
19592 guix gc -R `readlink -f ~/.guix-profile` | grep bash
19596 @dots{} and compare the store file names that you get with those above.
19597 Likewise for a complete GuixSD system generation:
19600 guix gc -R `guix system build my-config.scm` | grep bash
19603 Lastly, to check which Bash running processes are using, you can use the
19604 @command{lsof} command:
19607 lsof | grep /gnu/store/.*bash
19611 @node Package Modules
19612 @section Package Modules
19614 From a programming viewpoint, the package definitions of the
19615 GNU distribution are provided by Guile modules in the @code{(gnu packages
19616 @dots{})} name space@footnote{Note that packages under the @code{(gnu
19617 packages @dots{})} module name space are not necessarily ``GNU
19618 packages''. This module naming scheme follows the usual Guile module
19619 naming convention: @code{gnu} means that these modules are distributed
19620 as part of the GNU system, and @code{packages} identifies modules that
19621 define packages.} (@pxref{Modules, Guile modules,, guile, GNU Guile
19622 Reference Manual}). For instance, the @code{(gnu packages emacs)}
19623 module exports a variable named @code{emacs}, which is bound to a
19624 @code{<package>} object (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
19626 The @code{(gnu packages @dots{})} module name space is
19627 automatically scanned for packages by the command-line tools. For
19628 instance, when running @code{guix package -i emacs}, all the @code{(gnu
19629 packages @dots{})} modules are scanned until one that exports a package
19630 object whose name is @code{emacs} is found. This package search
19631 facility is implemented in the @code{(gnu packages)} module.
19633 @cindex customization, of packages
19634 @cindex package module search path
19635 Users can store package definitions in modules with different
19636 names---e.g., @code{(my-packages emacs)}@footnote{Note that the file
19637 name and module name must match. For instance, the @code{(my-packages
19638 emacs)} module must be stored in a @file{my-packages/emacs.scm} file
19639 relative to the load path specified with @option{--load-path} or
19640 @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH}. @xref{Modules and the File System,,,
19641 guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}, for details.}. These package definitions
19642 will not be visible by default. Users can invoke commands such as
19643 @command{guix package} and @command{guix build} with the
19644 @code{-e} option so that they know where to find the package. Better
19645 yet, they can use the
19646 @code{-L} option of these commands to make those modules visible
19647 (@pxref{Invoking guix build, @code{--load-path}}), or define the
19648 @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH} environment variable. This environment
19649 variable makes it easy to extend or customize the distribution and is
19650 honored by all the user interfaces.
19652 @defvr {Environment Variable} GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH
19653 This is a colon-separated list of directories to search for additional
19654 package modules. Directories listed in this variable take precedence
19655 over the own modules of the distribution.
19658 The distribution is fully @dfn{bootstrapped} and @dfn{self-contained}:
19659 each package is built based solely on other packages in the
19660 distribution. The root of this dependency graph is a small set of
19661 @dfn{bootstrap binaries}, provided by the @code{(gnu packages
19662 bootstrap)} module. For more information on bootstrapping,
19663 @pxref{Bootstrapping}.
19665 @node Packaging Guidelines
19666 @section Packaging Guidelines
19668 @cindex packages, creating
19669 The GNU distribution is nascent and may well lack some of your favorite
19670 packages. This section describes how you can help make the distribution
19671 grow. @xref{Contributing}, for additional information on how you can
19674 Free software packages are usually distributed in the form of
19675 @dfn{source code tarballs}---typically @file{tar.gz} files that contain
19676 all the source files. Adding a package to the distribution means
19677 essentially two things: adding a @dfn{recipe} that describes how to
19678 build the package, including a list of other packages required to build
19679 it, and adding @dfn{package metadata} along with that recipe, such as a
19680 description and licensing information.
19682 In Guix all this information is embodied in @dfn{package definitions}.
19683 Package definitions provide a high-level view of the package. They are
19684 written using the syntax of the Scheme programming language; in fact,
19685 for each package we define a variable bound to the package definition,
19686 and export that variable from a module (@pxref{Package Modules}).
19687 However, in-depth Scheme knowledge is @emph{not} a prerequisite for
19688 creating packages. For more information on package definitions,
19689 @pxref{Defining Packages}.
19691 Once a package definition is in place, stored in a file in the Guix
19692 source tree, it can be tested using the @command{guix build} command
19693 (@pxref{Invoking guix build}). For example, assuming the new package is
19694 called @code{gnew}, you may run this command from the Guix build tree
19695 (@pxref{Running Guix Before It Is Installed}):
19698 ./pre-inst-env guix build gnew --keep-failed
19701 Using @code{--keep-failed} makes it easier to debug build failures since
19702 it provides access to the failed build tree. Another useful
19703 command-line option when debugging is @code{--log-file}, to access the
19706 If the package is unknown to the @command{guix} command, it may be that
19707 the source file contains a syntax error, or lacks a @code{define-public}
19708 clause to export the package variable. To figure it out, you may load
19709 the module from Guile to get more information about the actual error:
19712 ./pre-inst-env guile -c '(use-modules (gnu packages gnew))'
19715 Once your package builds correctly, please send us a patch
19716 (@pxref{Contributing}). Well, if you need help, we will be happy to
19717 help you too. Once the patch is committed in the Guix repository, the
19718 new package automatically gets built on the supported platforms by
19719 @url{http://hydra.gnu.org/jobset/gnu/master, our continuous integration
19722 @cindex substituter
19723 Users can obtain the new package definition simply by running
19724 @command{guix pull} (@pxref{Invoking guix pull}). When
19725 @code{hydra.gnu.org} is done building the package, installing the
19726 package automatically downloads binaries from there
19727 (@pxref{Substitutes}). The only place where human intervention is
19728 needed is to review and apply the patch.
19732 * Software Freedom:: What may go into the distribution.
19733 * Package Naming:: What's in a name?
19734 * Version Numbers:: When the name is not enough.
19735 * Synopses and Descriptions:: Helping users find the right package.
19736 * Python Modules:: A touch of British comedy.
19737 * Perl Modules:: Little pearls.
19738 * Java Packages:: Coffee break.
19739 * Fonts:: Fond of fonts.
19742 @node Software Freedom
19743 @subsection Software Freedom
19745 @c Adapted from http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html.
19746 @cindex free software
19747 The GNU operating system has been developed so that users can have
19748 freedom in their computing. GNU is @dfn{free software}, meaning that
19749 users have the @url{http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html,four
19750 essential freedoms}: to run the program, to study and change the program
19751 in source code form, to redistribute exact copies, and to distribute
19752 modified versions. Packages found in the GNU distribution provide only
19753 software that conveys these four freedoms.
19755 In addition, the GNU distribution follow the
19756 @url{http://www.gnu.org/distros/free-system-distribution-guidelines.html,free
19757 software distribution guidelines}. Among other things, these guidelines
19758 reject non-free firmware, recommendations of non-free software, and
19759 discuss ways to deal with trademarks and patents.
19761 Some otherwise free upstream package sources contain a small and optional
19762 subset that violates the above guidelines, for instance because this subset
19763 is itself non-free code. When that happens, the offending items are removed
19764 with appropriate patches or code snippets in the @code{origin} form of the
19765 package (@pxref{Defining Packages}). This way, @code{guix
19766 build --source} returns the ``freed'' source rather than the unmodified
19770 @node Package Naming
19771 @subsection Package Naming
19773 @cindex package name
19774 A package has actually two names associated with it:
19775 First, there is the name of the @emph{Scheme variable}, the one following
19776 @code{define-public}. By this name, the package can be made known in the
19777 Scheme code, for instance as input to another package. Second, there is
19778 the string in the @code{name} field of a package definition. This name
19779 is used by package management commands such as
19780 @command{guix package} and @command{guix build}.
19782 Both are usually the same and correspond to the lowercase conversion of
19783 the project name chosen upstream, with underscores replaced with
19784 hyphens. For instance, GNUnet is available as @code{gnunet}, and
19785 SDL_net as @code{sdl-net}.
19787 We do not add @code{lib} prefixes for library packages, unless these are
19788 already part of the official project name. But @pxref{Python
19789 Modules} and @ref{Perl Modules} for special rules concerning modules for
19790 the Python and Perl languages.
19792 Font package names are handled differently, @pxref{Fonts}.
19795 @node Version Numbers
19796 @subsection Version Numbers
19798 @cindex package version
19799 We usually package only the latest version of a given free software
19800 project. But sometimes, for instance for incompatible library versions,
19801 two (or more) versions of the same package are needed. These require
19802 different Scheme variable names. We use the name as defined
19803 in @ref{Package Naming}
19804 for the most recent version; previous versions use the same name, suffixed
19805 by @code{-} and the smallest prefix of the version number that may
19806 distinguish the two versions.
19808 The name inside the package definition is the same for all versions of a
19809 package and does not contain any version number.
19811 For instance, the versions 2.24.20 and 3.9.12 of GTK+ may be packaged as follows:
19814 (define-public gtk+
19819 (define-public gtk+-2
19822 (version "2.24.20")
19825 If we also wanted GTK+ 3.8.2, this would be packaged as
19827 (define-public gtk+-3.8
19834 @c See <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2016-01/msg00425.html>,
19835 @c for a discussion of what follows.
19836 @cindex version number, for VCS snapshots
19837 Occasionally, we package snapshots of upstream's version control system
19838 (VCS) instead of formal releases. This should remain exceptional,
19839 because it is up to upstream developers to clarify what the stable
19840 release is. Yet, it is sometimes necessary. So, what should we put in
19841 the @code{version} field?
19843 Clearly, we need to make the commit identifier of the VCS snapshot
19844 visible in the version string, but we also need to make sure that the
19845 version string is monotonically increasing so that @command{guix package
19846 --upgrade} can determine which version is newer. Since commit
19847 identifiers, notably with Git, are not monotonically increasing, we add
19848 a revision number that we increase each time we upgrade to a newer
19849 snapshot. The resulting version string looks like this:
19854 | | `-- upstream commit ID
19856 | `--- Guix package revision
19858 latest upstream version
19861 It is a good idea to strip commit identifiers in the @code{version}
19862 field to, say, 7 digits. It avoids an aesthetic annoyance (assuming
19863 aesthetics have a role to play here) as well as problems related to OS
19864 limits such as the maximum shebang length (127 bytes for the Linux
19865 kernel.) It is best to use the full commit identifiers in
19866 @code{origin}s, though, to avoid ambiguities. A typical package
19867 definition may look like this:
19871 (let ((commit "c3f29bc928d5900971f65965feaae59e1272a3f7")
19872 (revision "1")) ;Guix package revision
19874 (version (git-version "0.9" revision commit))
19877 (uri (git-reference
19878 (url "git://example.org/my-package.git")
19880 (sha256 (base32 "1mbikn@dots{}"))
19881 (file-name (git-file-name name version))))
19886 @node Synopses and Descriptions
19887 @subsection Synopses and Descriptions
19889 @cindex package description
19890 @cindex package synopsis
19891 As we have seen before, each package in GNU@tie{}Guix includes a
19892 synopsis and a description (@pxref{Defining Packages}). Synopses and
19893 descriptions are important: They are what @command{guix package
19894 --search} searches, and a crucial piece of information to help users
19895 determine whether a given package suits their needs. Consequently,
19896 packagers should pay attention to what goes into them.
19898 Synopses must start with a capital letter and must not end with a
19899 period. They must not start with ``a'' or ``the'', which usually does
19900 not bring anything; for instance, prefer ``File-frobbing tool'' over ``A
19901 tool that frobs files''. The synopsis should say what the package
19902 is---e.g., ``Core GNU utilities (file, text, shell)''---or what it is
19903 used for---e.g., the synopsis for GNU@tie{}grep is ``Print lines
19904 matching a pattern''.
19906 Keep in mind that the synopsis must be meaningful for a very wide
19907 audience. For example, ``Manipulate alignments in the SAM format''
19908 might make sense for a seasoned bioinformatics researcher, but might be
19909 fairly unhelpful or even misleading to a non-specialized audience. It
19910 is a good idea to come up with a synopsis that gives an idea of the
19911 application domain of the package. In this example, this might give
19912 something like ``Manipulate nucleotide sequence alignments'', which
19913 hopefully gives the user a better idea of whether this is what they are
19916 Descriptions should take between five and ten lines. Use full
19917 sentences, and avoid using acronyms without first introducing them.
19918 Please avoid marketing phrases such as ``world-leading'',
19919 ``industrial-strength'', and ``next-generation'', and avoid superlatives
19920 like ``the most advanced''---they are not helpful to users looking for a
19921 package and may even sound suspicious. Instead, try to be factual,
19922 mentioning use cases and features.
19924 @cindex Texinfo markup, in package descriptions
19925 Descriptions can include Texinfo markup, which is useful to introduce
19926 ornaments such as @code{@@code} or @code{@@dfn}, bullet lists, or
19927 hyperlinks (@pxref{Overview,,, texinfo, GNU Texinfo}). However you
19928 should be careful when using some characters for example @samp{@@} and
19929 curly braces which are the basic special characters in Texinfo
19930 (@pxref{Special Characters,,, texinfo, GNU Texinfo}). User interfaces
19931 such as @command{guix package --show} take care of rendering it
19934 Synopses and descriptions are translated by volunteers
19935 @uref{http://translationproject.org/domain/guix-packages.html, at the
19936 Translation Project} so that as many users as possible can read them in
19937 their native language. User interfaces search them and display them in
19938 the language specified by the current locale.
19940 To allow @command{xgettext} to extract them as translatable strings,
19941 synopses and descriptions @emph{must be literal strings}. This means
19942 that you cannot use @code{string-append} or @code{format} to construct
19948 (synopsis "This is translatable")
19949 (description (string-append "This is " "*not*" " translatable.")))
19952 Translation is a lot of work so, as a packager, please pay even more
19953 attention to your synopses and descriptions as every change may entail
19954 additional work for translators. In order to help them, it is possible
19955 to make recommendations or instructions visible to them by inserting
19956 special comments like this (@pxref{xgettext Invocation,,, gettext, GNU
19960 ;; TRANSLATORS: "X11 resize-and-rotate" should not be translated.
19961 (description "ARandR is designed to provide a simple visual front end
19962 for the X11 resize-and-rotate (RandR) extension. @dots{}")
19966 @node Python Modules
19967 @subsection Python Modules
19970 We currently package Python 2 and Python 3, under the Scheme variable names
19971 @code{python-2} and @code{python} as explained in @ref{Version Numbers}.
19972 To avoid confusion and naming clashes with other programming languages, it
19973 seems desirable that the name of a package for a Python module contains
19974 the word @code{python}.
19976 Some modules are compatible with only one version of Python, others with both.
19977 If the package Foo compiles only with Python 3, we name it
19978 @code{python-foo}; if it compiles only with Python 2, we name it
19979 @code{python2-foo}. If it is compatible with both versions, we create two
19980 packages with the corresponding names.
19982 If a project already contains the word @code{python}, we drop this;
19983 for instance, the module python-dateutil is packaged under the names
19984 @code{python-dateutil} and @code{python2-dateutil}. If the project name
19985 starts with @code{py} (e.g. @code{pytz}), we keep it and prefix it as
19988 @subsubsection Specifying Dependencies
19989 @cindex inputs, for Python packages
19991 Dependency information for Python packages is usually available in the
19992 package source tree, with varying degrees of accuracy: in the
19993 @file{setup.py} file, in @file{requirements.txt}, or in @file{tox.ini}.
19995 Your mission, when writing a recipe for a Python package, is to map
19996 these dependencies to the appropriate type of ``input'' (@pxref{package
19997 Reference, inputs}). Although the @code{pypi} importer normally does a
19998 good job (@pxref{Invoking guix import}), you may want to check the
19999 following check list to determine which dependency goes where.
20004 We currently package Python 2 with @code{setuptools} and @code{pip}
20005 installed like Python 3.4 has per default. Thus you don't need to
20006 specify either of these as an input. @command{guix lint} will warn you
20010 Python dependencies required at run time go into
20011 @code{propagated-inputs}. They are typically defined with the
20012 @code{install_requires} keyword in @file{setup.py}, or in the
20013 @file{requirements.txt} file.
20016 Python packages required only at build time---e.g., those listed with
20017 the @code{setup_requires} keyword in @file{setup.py}---or only for
20018 testing---e.g., those in @code{tests_require}---go into
20019 @code{native-inputs}. The rationale is that (1) they do not need to be
20020 propagated because they are not needed at run time, and (2) in a
20021 cross-compilation context, it's the ``native'' input that we'd want.
20023 Examples are the @code{pytest}, @code{mock}, and @code{nose} test
20024 frameworks. Of course if any of these packages is also required at
20025 run-time, it needs to go to @code{propagated-inputs}.
20028 Anything that does not fall in the previous categories goes to
20029 @code{inputs}, for example programs or C libraries required for building
20030 Python packages containing C extensions.
20033 If a Python package has optional dependencies (@code{extras_require}),
20034 it is up to you to decide whether to add them or not, based on their
20035 usefulness/overhead ratio (@pxref{Submitting Patches, @command{guix
20042 @subsection Perl Modules
20045 Perl programs standing for themselves are named as any other package,
20046 using the lowercase upstream name.
20047 For Perl packages containing a single class, we use the lowercase class name,
20048 replace all occurrences of @code{::} by dashes and prepend the prefix
20050 So the class @code{XML::Parser} becomes @code{perl-xml-parser}.
20051 Modules containing several classes keep their lowercase upstream name and
20052 are also prepended by @code{perl-}. Such modules tend to have the word
20053 @code{perl} somewhere in their name, which gets dropped in favor of the
20054 prefix. For instance, @code{libwww-perl} becomes @code{perl-libwww}.
20057 @node Java Packages
20058 @subsection Java Packages
20061 Java programs standing for themselves are named as any other package,
20062 using the lowercase upstream name.
20064 To avoid confusion and naming clashes with other programming languages,
20065 it is desirable that the name of a package for a Java package is
20066 prefixed with @code{java-}. If a project already contains the word
20067 @code{java}, we drop this; for instance, the package @code{ngsjava} is
20068 packaged under the name @code{java-ngs}.
20070 For Java packages containing a single class or a small class hierarchy,
20071 we use the lowercase class name, replace all occurrences of @code{.} by
20072 dashes and prepend the prefix @code{java-}. So the class
20073 @code{apache.commons.cli} becomes package
20074 @code{java-apache-commons-cli}.
20081 For fonts that are in general not installed by a user for typesetting
20082 purposes, or that are distributed as part of a larger software package,
20083 we rely on the general packaging rules for software; for instance, this
20084 applies to the fonts delivered as part of the X.Org system or fonts that
20085 are part of TeX Live.
20087 To make it easier for a user to search for fonts, names for other packages
20088 containing only fonts are constructed as follows, independently of the
20089 upstream package name.
20091 The name of a package containing only one font family starts with
20092 @code{font-}; it is followed by the foundry name and a dash @code{-}
20093 if the foundry is known, and the font family name, in which spaces are
20094 replaced by dashes (and as usual, all upper case letters are transformed
20096 For example, the Gentium font family by SIL is packaged under the name
20097 @code{font-sil-gentium}.
20099 For a package containing several font families, the name of the collection
20100 is used in the place of the font family name.
20101 For instance, the Liberation fonts consist of three families,
20102 Liberation Sans, Liberation Serif and Liberation Mono.
20103 These could be packaged separately under the names
20104 @code{font-liberation-sans} and so on; but as they are distributed together
20105 under a common name, we prefer to package them together as
20106 @code{font-liberation}.
20108 In the case where several formats of the same font family or font collection
20109 are packaged separately, a short form of the format, prepended by a dash,
20110 is added to the package name. We use @code{-ttf} for TrueType fonts,
20111 @code{-otf} for OpenType fonts and @code{-type1} for PostScript Type 1
20116 @node Bootstrapping
20117 @section Bootstrapping
20119 @c Adapted from the ELS 2013 paper.
20121 @cindex bootstrapping
20123 Bootstrapping in our context refers to how the distribution gets built
20124 ``from nothing''. Remember that the build environment of a derivation
20125 contains nothing but its declared inputs (@pxref{Introduction}). So
20126 there's an obvious chicken-and-egg problem: how does the first package
20127 get built? How does the first compiler get compiled? Note that this is
20128 a question of interest only to the curious hacker, not to the regular
20129 user, so you can shamelessly skip this section if you consider yourself
20130 a ``regular user''.
20132 @cindex bootstrap binaries
20133 The GNU system is primarily made of C code, with libc at its core. The
20134 GNU build system itself assumes the availability of a Bourne shell and
20135 command-line tools provided by GNU Coreutils, Awk, Findutils, `sed', and
20136 `grep'. Furthermore, build programs---programs that run
20137 @code{./configure}, @code{make}, etc.---are written in Guile Scheme
20138 (@pxref{Derivations}). Consequently, to be able to build anything at
20139 all, from scratch, Guix relies on pre-built binaries of Guile, GCC,
20140 Binutils, libc, and the other packages mentioned above---the
20141 @dfn{bootstrap binaries}.
20143 These bootstrap binaries are ``taken for granted'', though we can also
20144 re-create them if needed (more on that later).
20146 @unnumberedsubsec Preparing to Use the Bootstrap Binaries
20148 @c As of Emacs 24.3, Info-mode displays the image, but since it's a
20149 @c large image, it's hard to scroll. Oh well.
20150 @image{images/bootstrap-graph,6in,,Dependency graph of the early bootstrap derivations}
20152 The figure above shows the very beginning of the dependency graph of the
20153 distribution, corresponding to the package definitions of the @code{(gnu
20154 packages bootstrap)} module. A similar figure can be generated with
20155 @command{guix graph} (@pxref{Invoking guix graph}), along the lines of:
20158 guix graph -t derivation \
20159 -e '(@@@@ (gnu packages bootstrap) %bootstrap-gcc)' \
20163 At this level of detail, things are
20164 slightly complex. First, Guile itself consists of an ELF executable,
20165 along with many source and compiled Scheme files that are dynamically
20166 loaded when it runs. This gets stored in the @file{guile-2.0.7.tar.xz}
20167 tarball shown in this graph. This tarball is part of Guix's ``source''
20168 distribution, and gets inserted into the store with @code{add-to-store}
20169 (@pxref{The Store}).
20171 But how do we write a derivation that unpacks this tarball and adds it
20172 to the store? To solve this problem, the @code{guile-bootstrap-2.0.drv}
20173 derivation---the first one that gets built---uses @code{bash} as its
20174 builder, which runs @code{build-bootstrap-guile.sh}, which in turn calls
20175 @code{tar} to unpack the tarball. Thus, @file{bash}, @file{tar},
20176 @file{xz}, and @file{mkdir} are statically-linked binaries, also part of
20177 the Guix source distribution, whose sole purpose is to allow the Guile
20178 tarball to be unpacked.
20180 Once @code{guile-bootstrap-2.0.drv} is built, we have a functioning
20181 Guile that can be used to run subsequent build programs. Its first task
20182 is to download tarballs containing the other pre-built binaries---this
20183 is what the @code{.tar.xz.drv} derivations do. Guix modules such as
20184 @code{ftp-client.scm} are used for this purpose. The
20185 @code{module-import.drv} derivations import those modules in a directory
20186 in the store, using the original layout. The
20187 @code{module-import-compiled.drv} derivations compile those modules, and
20188 write them in an output directory with the right layout. This
20189 corresponds to the @code{#:modules} argument of
20190 @code{build-expression->derivation} (@pxref{Derivations}).
20192 Finally, the various tarballs are unpacked by the
20193 derivations @code{gcc-bootstrap-0.drv}, @code{glibc-bootstrap-0.drv},
20194 etc., at which point we have a working C tool chain.
20197 @unnumberedsubsec Building the Build Tools
20199 Bootstrapping is complete when we have a full tool chain that does not
20200 depend on the pre-built bootstrap tools discussed above. This
20201 no-dependency requirement is verified by checking whether the files of
20202 the final tool chain contain references to the @file{/gnu/store}
20203 directories of the bootstrap inputs. The process that leads to this
20204 ``final'' tool chain is described by the package definitions found in
20205 the @code{(gnu packages commencement)} module.
20207 The @command{guix graph} command allows us to ``zoom out'' compared to
20208 the graph above, by looking at the level of package objects instead of
20209 individual derivations---remember that a package may translate to
20210 several derivations, typically one derivation to download its source,
20211 one to build the Guile modules it needs, and one to actually build the
20212 package from source. The command:
20215 guix graph -t bag \
20216 -e '(@@@@ (gnu packages commencement)
20217 glibc-final-with-bootstrap-bash)' | dot -Tps > t.ps
20221 produces the dependency graph leading to the ``final'' C
20222 library@footnote{You may notice the @code{glibc-intermediate} label,
20223 suggesting that it is not @emph{quite} final, but as a good
20224 approximation, we will consider it final.}, depicted below.
20226 @image{images/bootstrap-packages,6in,,Dependency graph of the early packages}
20228 @c See <http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnu-system-discuss/2012-10/msg00000.html>.
20229 The first tool that gets built with the bootstrap binaries is
20230 GNU@tie{}Make---noted @code{make-boot0} above---which is a prerequisite
20231 for all the following packages. From there Findutils and Diffutils get
20234 Then come the first-stage Binutils and GCC, built as pseudo cross
20235 tools---i.e., with @code{--target} equal to @code{--host}. They are
20236 used to build libc. Thanks to this cross-build trick, this libc is
20237 guaranteed not to hold any reference to the initial tool chain.
20239 From there the final Binutils and GCC (not shown above) are built.
20241 from the final Binutils, and links programs against the just-built libc.
20242 This tool chain is used to build the other packages used by Guix and by
20243 the GNU Build System: Guile, Bash, Coreutils, etc.
20245 And voilà! At this point we have the complete set of build tools that
20246 the GNU Build System expects. These are in the @code{%final-inputs}
20247 variable of the @code{(gnu packages commencement)} module, and are
20248 implicitly used by any package that uses @code{gnu-build-system}
20249 (@pxref{Build Systems, @code{gnu-build-system}}).
20252 @unnumberedsubsec Building the Bootstrap Binaries
20254 @cindex bootstrap binaries
20255 Because the final tool chain does not depend on the bootstrap binaries,
20256 those rarely need to be updated. Nevertheless, it is useful to have an
20257 automated way to produce them, should an update occur, and this is what
20258 the @code{(gnu packages make-bootstrap)} module provides.
20260 The following command builds the tarballs containing the bootstrap
20261 binaries (Guile, Binutils, GCC, libc, and a tarball containing a mixture
20262 of Coreutils and other basic command-line tools):
20265 guix build bootstrap-tarballs
20268 The generated tarballs are those that should be referred to in the
20269 @code{(gnu packages bootstrap)} module mentioned at the beginning of
20272 Still here? Then perhaps by now you've started to wonder: when do we
20273 reach a fixed point? That is an interesting question! The answer is
20274 unknown, but if you would like to investigate further (and have
20275 significant computational and storage resources to do so), then let us
20278 @unnumberedsubsec Reducing the Set of Bootstrap Binaries
20280 Our bootstrap binaries currently include GCC, Guile, etc. That's a lot
20281 of binary code! Why is that a problem? It's a problem because these
20282 big chunks of binary code are practically non-auditable, which makes it
20283 hard to establish what source code produced them. Every unauditable
20284 binary also leaves us vulnerable to compiler backdoors as described by
20285 Ken Thompson in the 1984 paper @emph{Reflections on Trusting Trust}.
20287 This is mitigated by the fact that our bootstrap binaries were generated
20288 from an earlier Guix revision. Nevertheless it lacks the level of
20289 transparency that we get in the rest of the package dependency graph,
20290 where Guix always gives us a source-to-binary mapping. Thus, our goal
20291 is to reduce the set of bootstrap binaries to the bare minimum.
20293 The @uref{http://bootstrappable.org, Bootstrappable.org web site} lists
20294 on-going projects to do that. One of these is about replacing the
20295 bootstrap GCC with a sequence of assemblers, interpreters, and compilers
20296 of increasing complexity, which could be built from source starting from
20297 a simple and auditable assembler. Your help is welcome!
20301 @section Porting to a New Platform
20303 As discussed above, the GNU distribution is self-contained, and
20304 self-containment is achieved by relying on pre-built ``bootstrap
20305 binaries'' (@pxref{Bootstrapping}). These binaries are specific to an
20306 operating system kernel, CPU architecture, and application binary
20307 interface (ABI). Thus, to port the distribution to a platform that is
20308 not yet supported, one must build those bootstrap binaries, and update
20309 the @code{(gnu packages bootstrap)} module to use them on that platform.
20311 Fortunately, Guix can @emph{cross compile} those bootstrap binaries.
20312 When everything goes well, and assuming the GNU tool chain supports the
20313 target platform, this can be as simple as running a command like this
20317 guix build --target=armv5tel-linux-gnueabi bootstrap-tarballs
20320 For this to work, the @code{glibc-dynamic-linker} procedure in
20321 @code{(gnu packages bootstrap)} must be augmented to return the right
20322 file name for libc's dynamic linker on that platform; likewise,
20323 @code{system->linux-architecture} in @code{(gnu packages linux)} must be
20324 taught about the new platform.
20326 Once these are built, the @code{(gnu packages bootstrap)} module needs
20327 to be updated to refer to these binaries on the target platform. That
20328 is, the hashes and URLs of the bootstrap tarballs for the new platform
20329 must be added alongside those of the currently supported platforms. The
20330 bootstrap Guile tarball is treated specially: it is expected to be
20331 available locally, and @file{gnu/local.mk} has rules do download it for
20332 the supported architectures; a rule for the new platform must be added
20335 In practice, there may be some complications. First, it may be that the
20336 extended GNU triplet that specifies an ABI (like the @code{eabi} suffix
20337 above) is not recognized by all the GNU tools. Typically, glibc
20338 recognizes some of these, whereas GCC uses an extra @code{--with-abi}
20339 configure flag (see @code{gcc.scm} for examples of how to handle this).
20340 Second, some of the required packages could fail to build for that
20341 platform. Lastly, the generated binaries could be broken for some
20344 @c *********************************************************************
20345 @include contributing.texi
20347 @c *********************************************************************
20348 @node Acknowledgments
20349 @chapter Acknowledgments
20351 Guix is based on the @uref{http://nixos.org/nix/, Nix package manager},
20352 which was designed and
20353 implemented by Eelco Dolstra, with contributions from other people (see
20354 the @file{nix/AUTHORS} file in Guix.) Nix pioneered functional package
20355 management, and promoted unprecedented features, such as transactional
20356 package upgrades and rollbacks, per-user profiles, and referentially
20357 transparent build processes. Without this work, Guix would not exist.
20359 The Nix-based software distributions, Nixpkgs and NixOS, have also been
20360 an inspiration for Guix.
20362 GNU@tie{}Guix itself is a collective work with contributions from a
20363 number of people. See the @file{AUTHORS} file in Guix for more
20364 information on these fine people. The @file{THANKS} file lists people
20365 who have helped by reporting bugs, taking care of the infrastructure,
20366 providing artwork and themes, making suggestions, and more---thank you!
20369 @c *********************************************************************
20370 @node GNU Free Documentation License
20371 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
20372 @cindex license, GNU Free Documentation License
20373 @include fdl-1.3.texi
20375 @c *********************************************************************
20376 @node Concept Index
20377 @unnumbered Concept Index
20380 @node Programming Index
20381 @unnumbered Programming Index
20382 @syncodeindex tp fn
20383 @syncodeindex vr fn
20388 @c Local Variables:
20389 @c ispell-local-dictionary: "american";