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
14 @set OPENPGP-SIGNING-KEY-URL https://sv.gnu.org/people/viewgpg.php?user_id=15145
16 @c Base URL for downloads.
17 @set BASE-URL https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/guix
19 @c The official substitute server used by default.
20 @set SUBSTITUTE-SERVER ci.guix.gnu.org
21 @set SUBSTITUTE-URL https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}
24 Copyright @copyright{} 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Ludovic Courtès@*
25 Copyright @copyright{} 2013, 2014, 2016 Andreas Enge@*
26 Copyright @copyright{} 2013 Nikita Karetnikov@*
27 Copyright @copyright{} 2014, 2015, 2016 Alex Kost@*
28 Copyright @copyright{} 2015, 2016 Mathieu Lirzin@*
29 Copyright @copyright{} 2014 Pierre-Antoine Rault@*
30 Copyright @copyright{} 2015 Taylan Ulrich Bayırlı/Kammer@*
31 Copyright @copyright{} 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 Leo Famulari@*
32 Copyright @copyright{} 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Ricardo Wurmus@*
33 Copyright @copyright{} 2016 Ben Woodcroft@*
34 Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017, 2018 Chris Marusich@*
35 Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Efraim Flashner@*
36 Copyright @copyright{} 2016 John Darrington@*
37 Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017 ng0@*
38 Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Jan Nieuwenhuizen@*
39 Copyright @copyright{} 2016 Julien Lepiller@*
40 Copyright @copyright{} 2016 Alex ter Weele@*
41 Copyright @copyright{} 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Christopher Baines@*
42 Copyright @copyright{} 2017, 2018, 2019 Clément Lassieur@*
43 Copyright @copyright{} 2017, 2018 Mathieu Othacehe@*
44 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Federico Beffa@*
45 Copyright @copyright{} 2017, 2018 Carlo Zancanaro@*
46 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Thomas Danckaert@*
47 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 humanitiesNerd@*
48 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Christopher Allan Webber@*
49 Copyright @copyright{} 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Marius Bakke@*
50 Copyright @copyright{} 2017, 2019, 2020 Hartmut Goebel@*
51 Copyright @copyright{} 2017, 2019, 2020 Maxim Cournoyer@*
52 Copyright @copyright{} 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 Tobias Geerinckx-Rice@*
53 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 George Clemmer@*
54 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 Andy Wingo@*
55 Copyright @copyright{} 2017, 2018, 2019 Arun Isaac@*
56 Copyright @copyright{} 2017 nee@*
57 Copyright @copyright{} 2018 Rutger Helling@*
58 Copyright @copyright{} 2018 Oleg Pykhalov@*
59 Copyright @copyright{} 2018 Mike Gerwitz@*
60 Copyright @copyright{} 2018 Pierre-Antoine Rouby@*
61 Copyright @copyright{} 2018, 2019 Gábor Boskovits@*
62 Copyright @copyright{} 2018, 2019 Florian Pelz@*
63 Copyright @copyright{} 2018 Laura Lazzati@*
64 Copyright @copyright{} 2018 Alex Vong@*
65 Copyright @copyright{} 2019 Josh Holland@*
66 Copyright @copyright{} 2019 Diego Nicola Barbato@*
67 Copyright @copyright{} 2019 Ivan Petkov@*
68 Copyright @copyright{} 2019 Jakob L. Kreuze@*
69 Copyright @copyright{} 2019 Kyle Andrews@*
70 Copyright @copyright{} 2019 Alex Griffin@*
71 Copyright @copyright{} 2019 Guillaume Le Vaillant@*
72 Copyright @copyright{} 2020 Leo Prikler@*
73 Copyright @copyright{} 2019, 2020 Simon Tournier@*
74 Copyright @copyright{} 2020 Wiktor Żelazny@*
75 Copyright @copyright{} 2020 Damien Cassou@*
76 Copyright @copyright{} 2020 Jakub Kądziołka@*
77 Copyright @copyright{} 2020 Jack Hill@*
78 Copyright @copyright{} 2020 Naga Malleswari@*
79 Copyright @copyright{} 2020 Brice Waegeneire@*
80 Copyright @copyright{} 2020 R Veera Kumar@*
82 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
83 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
84 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
85 Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A
86 copy of the license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free
87 Documentation License''.
90 @dircategory System administration
92 * Guix: (guix). Manage installed software and system configuration.
93 * guix package: (guix)Invoking guix package. Installing, removing, and upgrading packages.
94 * guix gc: (guix)Invoking guix gc. Reclaiming unused disk space.
95 * guix pull: (guix)Invoking guix pull. Update the list of available packages.
96 * guix system: (guix)Invoking guix system. Manage the operating system configuration.
97 * guix deploy: (guix)Invoking guix deploy. Manage operating system configurations for remote hosts.
100 @dircategory Software development
102 * guix environment: (guix)Invoking guix environment. Building development environments with Guix.
103 * guix build: (guix)Invoking guix build. Building packages.
104 * guix pack: (guix)Invoking guix pack. Creating binary bundles.
108 @title GNU Guix Reference Manual
109 @subtitle Using the GNU Guix Functional Package Manager
110 @author The GNU Guix Developers
113 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
114 Edition @value{EDITION} @*
122 @c *********************************************************************
126 This document describes GNU Guix version @value{VERSION}, a functional
127 package management tool written for the GNU system.
129 @c TRANSLATORS: You can replace the following paragraph with information on
130 @c how to join your own translation team and how to report issues with the
132 This manual is also available in Simplified Chinese (@pxref{Top,,, guix.zh_CN,
133 GNU Guix参考手册}), French (@pxref{Top,,, guix.fr, Manuel de référence de GNU
134 Guix}), German (@pxref{Top,,, guix.de, Referenzhandbuch zu GNU Guix}),
135 Spanish (@pxref{Top,,, guix.es, Manual de referencia de GNU Guix}), and
136 Russian (@pxref{Top,,, guix.ru, Руководство GNU Guix}). If you
137 would like to translate it in your native language, consider joining the
138 @uref{https://translationproject.org/domain/guix-manual.html, Translation
142 * Introduction:: What is Guix about?
143 * Installation:: Installing Guix.
144 * System Installation:: Installing the whole operating system.
145 * Package Management:: Package installation, upgrade, etc.
146 * Development:: Guix-aided software development.
147 * Programming Interface:: Using Guix in Scheme.
148 * Utilities:: Package management commands.
149 * System Configuration:: Configuring the operating system.
150 * Documentation:: Browsing software user manuals.
151 * Installing Debugging Files:: Feeding the debugger.
152 * Security Updates:: Deploying security fixes quickly.
153 * Bootstrapping:: GNU/Linux built from scratch.
154 * Porting:: Targeting another platform or kernel.
155 * Contributing:: Your help needed!
157 * Acknowledgments:: Thanks!
158 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license of this manual.
159 * Concept Index:: Concepts.
160 * Programming Index:: Data types, functions, and variables.
163 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
167 * Managing Software the Guix Way:: What's special.
168 * GNU Distribution:: The packages and tools.
172 * Binary Installation:: Getting Guix running in no time!
173 * Requirements:: Software needed to build and run Guix.
174 * Running the Test Suite:: Testing Guix.
175 * Setting Up the Daemon:: Preparing the build daemon's environment.
176 * Invoking guix-daemon:: Running the build daemon.
177 * Application Setup:: Application-specific setup.
179 Setting Up the Daemon
181 * Build Environment Setup:: Preparing the isolated build environment.
182 * Daemon Offload Setup:: Offloading builds to remote machines.
183 * SELinux Support:: Using an SELinux policy for the daemon.
187 * Limitations:: What you can expect.
188 * Hardware Considerations:: Supported hardware.
189 * USB Stick and DVD Installation:: Preparing the installation medium.
190 * Preparing for Installation:: Networking, partitioning, etc.
191 * Guided Graphical Installation:: Easy graphical installation.
192 * Manual Installation:: Manual installation for wizards.
193 * After System Installation:: When installation succeeded.
194 * Installing Guix in a VM:: Guix System playground.
195 * Building the Installation Image:: How this comes to be.
199 * Keyboard Layout and Networking and Partitioning:: Initial setup.
200 * Proceeding with the Installation:: Installing.
204 * Features:: How Guix will make your life brighter.
205 * Invoking guix package:: Package installation, removal, etc.
206 * Substitutes:: Downloading pre-built binaries.
207 * Packages with Multiple Outputs:: Single source package, multiple outputs.
208 * Invoking guix gc:: Running the garbage collector.
209 * Invoking guix pull:: Fetching the latest Guix and distribution.
210 * Channels:: Customizing the package collection.
211 * Invoking guix time-machine:: Running an older revision of Guix.
212 * Inferiors:: Interacting with another revision of Guix.
213 * Invoking guix describe:: Display information about your Guix revision.
214 * Invoking guix archive:: Exporting and importing store files.
218 * Official Substitute Server:: One particular source of substitutes.
219 * Substitute Server Authorization:: How to enable or disable substitutes.
220 * Substitute Authentication:: How Guix verifies substitutes.
221 * Proxy Settings:: How to get substitutes via proxy.
222 * Substitution Failure:: What happens when substitution fails.
223 * On Trusting Binaries:: How can you trust that binary blob?
227 * Invoking guix environment:: Setting up development environments.
228 * Invoking guix pack:: Creating software bundles.
230 Programming Interface
232 * Package Modules:: Packages from the programmer's viewpoint.
233 * Defining Packages:: Defining new packages.
234 * Build Systems:: Specifying how packages are built.
235 * The Store:: Manipulating the package store.
236 * Derivations:: Low-level interface to package derivations.
237 * The Store Monad:: Purely functional interface to the store.
238 * G-Expressions:: Manipulating build expressions.
239 * Invoking guix repl:: Fiddling with Guix interactively.
243 * package Reference:: The package data type.
244 * origin Reference:: The origin data type.
248 * Invoking guix build:: Building packages from the command line.
249 * Invoking guix edit:: Editing package definitions.
250 * Invoking guix download:: Downloading a file and printing its hash.
251 * Invoking guix hash:: Computing the cryptographic hash of a file.
252 * Invoking guix import:: Importing package definitions.
253 * Invoking guix refresh:: Updating package definitions.
254 * Invoking guix lint:: Finding errors in package definitions.
255 * Invoking guix size:: Profiling disk usage.
256 * Invoking guix graph:: Visualizing the graph of packages.
257 * Invoking guix publish:: Sharing substitutes.
258 * Invoking guix challenge:: Challenging substitute servers.
259 * Invoking guix copy:: Copying to and from a remote store.
260 * Invoking guix container:: Process isolation.
261 * Invoking guix weather:: Assessing substitute availability.
262 * Invoking guix processes:: Listing client processes.
264 Invoking @command{guix build}
266 * Common Build Options:: Build options for most commands.
267 * Package Transformation Options:: Creating variants of packages.
268 * Additional Build Options:: Options specific to 'guix build'.
269 * Debugging Build Failures:: Real life packaging experience.
273 * Using the Configuration System:: Customizing your GNU system.
274 * operating-system Reference:: Detail of operating-system declarations.
275 * File Systems:: Configuring file system mounts.
276 * Mapped Devices:: Block device extra processing.
277 * User Accounts:: Specifying user accounts.
278 * Keyboard Layout:: How the system interprets key strokes.
279 * Locales:: Language and cultural convention settings.
280 * Services:: Specifying system services.
281 * Setuid Programs:: Programs running with root privileges.
282 * X.509 Certificates:: Authenticating HTTPS servers.
283 * Name Service Switch:: Configuring libc's name service switch.
284 * Initial RAM Disk:: Linux-Libre bootstrapping.
285 * Bootloader Configuration:: Configuring the boot loader.
286 * Invoking guix system:: Instantiating a system configuration.
287 * Invoking guix deploy:: Deploying a system configuration to a remote host.
288 * Running Guix in a VM:: How to run Guix System in a virtual machine.
289 * Defining Services:: Adding new service definitions.
293 * Base Services:: Essential system services.
294 * Scheduled Job Execution:: The mcron service.
295 * Log Rotation:: The rottlog service.
296 * Networking Services:: Network setup, SSH daemon, etc.
297 * X Window:: Graphical display.
298 * Printing Services:: Local and remote printer support.
299 * Desktop Services:: D-Bus and desktop services.
300 * Sound Services:: ALSA and Pulseaudio services.
301 * Database Services:: SQL databases, key-value stores, etc.
302 * Mail Services:: IMAP, POP3, SMTP, and all that.
303 * Messaging Services:: Messaging services.
304 * Telephony Services:: Telephony services.
305 * Monitoring Services:: Monitoring services.
306 * Kerberos Services:: Kerberos services.
307 * Web Services:: Web servers.
308 * Certificate Services:: TLS certificates via Let's Encrypt.
309 * DNS Services:: DNS daemons.
310 * VPN Services:: VPN daemons.
311 * Network File System:: NFS related services.
312 * Continuous Integration:: The Cuirass service.
313 * Power Management Services:: Extending battery life.
314 * Audio Services:: The MPD.
315 * Virtualization Services:: Virtualization services.
316 * Version Control Services:: Providing remote access to Git repositories.
317 * Game Services:: Game servers.
318 * PAM Mount Service:: Service to mount volumes when logging in.
319 * Linux Services:: Services tied to the Linux kernel.
320 * Miscellaneous Services:: Other services.
324 * Service Composition:: The model for composing services.
325 * Service Types and Services:: Types and services.
326 * Service Reference:: API reference.
327 * Shepherd Services:: A particular type of service.
332 @c *********************************************************************
334 @chapter Introduction
337 GNU Guix@footnote{``Guix'' is pronounced like ``geeks'', or ``ɡiːks''
338 using the international phonetic alphabet (IPA).} is a package
339 management tool for and distribution of the GNU system.
340 Guix makes it easy for unprivileged
341 users to install, upgrade, or remove software packages, to roll back to a
342 previous package set, to build packages from source, and generally
343 assists with the creation and maintenance of software environments.
346 @cindex GuixSD, now Guix System
347 @cindex Guix System Distribution, now Guix System
348 You can install GNU@tie{}Guix on top of an existing GNU/Linux system where it
349 complements the available tools without interference (@pxref{Installation}),
350 or you can use it as a standalone operating system distribution,
351 @dfn{Guix@tie{}System}@footnote{We used to refer to Guix System as ``Guix
352 System Distribution'' or ``GuixSD''. We now consider it makes more sense to
353 group everything under the ``Guix'' banner since, after all, Guix System is
354 readily available through the @command{guix system} command, even if you're
355 using a different distro underneath!}. @xref{GNU Distribution}.
358 * Managing Software the Guix Way:: What's special.
359 * GNU Distribution:: The packages and tools.
362 @node Managing Software the Guix Way
363 @section Managing Software the Guix Way
365 @cindex user interfaces
366 Guix provides a command-line package management interface
367 (@pxref{Package Management}), tools to help with software development
368 (@pxref{Development}), command-line utilities for more advanced usage,
369 (@pxref{Utilities}), as well as Scheme programming interfaces
370 (@pxref{Programming Interface}).
372 Its @dfn{build daemon} is responsible for building packages on behalf of
373 users (@pxref{Setting Up the Daemon}) and for downloading pre-built
374 binaries from authorized sources (@pxref{Substitutes}).
376 @cindex extensibility of the distribution
377 @cindex customization, of packages
378 Guix includes package definitions for many GNU and non-GNU packages, all
379 of which @uref{https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html, respect the
380 user's computing freedom}. It is @emph{extensible}: users can write
381 their own package definitions (@pxref{Defining Packages}) and make them
382 available as independent package modules (@pxref{Package Modules}). It
383 is also @emph{customizable}: users can @emph{derive} specialized package
384 definitions from existing ones, including from the command line
385 (@pxref{Package Transformation Options}).
387 @cindex functional package management
389 Under the hood, Guix implements the @dfn{functional package management}
390 discipline pioneered by Nix (@pxref{Acknowledgments}).
391 In Guix, the package build and installation process is seen
392 as a @emph{function}, in the mathematical sense. That function takes inputs,
393 such as build scripts, a compiler, and libraries, and
394 returns an installed package. As a pure function, its result depends
395 solely on its inputs---for instance, it cannot refer to software or
396 scripts that were not explicitly passed as inputs. A build function
397 always produces the same result when passed a given set of inputs. It
398 cannot alter the environment of the running system in
399 any way; for instance, it cannot create, modify, or delete files outside
400 of its build and installation directories. This is achieved by running
401 build processes in isolated environments (or @dfn{containers}), where only their
402 explicit inputs are visible.
405 The result of package build functions is @dfn{cached} in the file
406 system, in a special directory called @dfn{the store} (@pxref{The
407 Store}). Each package is installed in a directory of its own in the
408 store---by default under @file{/gnu/store}. The directory name contains
409 a hash of all the inputs used to build that package; thus, changing an
410 input yields a different directory name.
412 This approach is the foundation for the salient features of Guix: support
413 for transactional package upgrade and rollback, per-user installation, and
414 garbage collection of packages (@pxref{Features}).
417 @node GNU Distribution
418 @section GNU Distribution
421 Guix comes with a distribution of the GNU system consisting entirely of
422 free software@footnote{The term ``free'' here refers to the
423 @url{https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html,freedom provided to
424 users of that software}.}. The
425 distribution can be installed on its own (@pxref{System Installation}),
426 but it is also possible to install Guix as a package manager on top of
427 an installed GNU/Linux system (@pxref{Installation}). When we need to
428 distinguish between the two, we refer to the standalone distribution as
431 The distribution provides core GNU packages such as GNU libc, GCC, and
432 Binutils, as well as many GNU and non-GNU applications. The complete
433 list of available packages can be browsed
434 @url{https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/packages,on-line} or by
435 running @command{guix package} (@pxref{Invoking guix package}):
438 guix package --list-available
441 Our goal is to provide a practical 100% free software distribution of
442 Linux-based and other variants of GNU, with a focus on the promotion and
443 tight integration of GNU components, and an emphasis on programs and
444 tools that help users exert that freedom.
446 Packages are currently available on the following platforms:
451 Intel/AMD @code{x86_64} architecture, Linux-Libre kernel;
454 Intel 32-bit architecture (IA32), Linux-Libre kernel;
457 ARMv7-A architecture with hard float, Thumb-2 and NEON,
458 using the EABI hard-float application binary interface (ABI),
459 and Linux-Libre kernel.
462 little-endian 64-bit ARMv8-A processors, Linux-Libre kernel.
465 little-endian 64-bit MIPS processors, specifically the Loongson series,
466 n32 ABI, and Linux-Libre kernel. This configuration is no longer fully
467 supported; in particular, the project's build farms no longer provide
468 substitutes for this architecture.
472 With Guix@tie{}System, you @emph{declare} all aspects of the operating system
473 configuration and Guix takes care of instantiating the configuration in a
474 transactional, reproducible, and stateless fashion (@pxref{System
475 Configuration}). Guix System uses the Linux-libre kernel, the Shepherd
476 initialization system (@pxref{Introduction,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd
477 Manual}), the well-known GNU utilities and tool chain, as well as the
478 graphical environment or system services of your choice.
480 Guix System is available on all the above platforms except
481 @code{mips64el-linux}.
484 For information on porting to other architectures or kernels,
487 Building this distribution is a cooperative effort, and you are invited
488 to join! @xref{Contributing}, for information about how you can help.
491 @c *********************************************************************
493 @chapter Installation
495 @cindex installing Guix
498 We recommend the use of this
499 @uref{https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/plain/etc/guix-install.sh,
500 shell installer script} to install Guix on top of a running GNU/Linux system,
501 thereafter called a @dfn{foreign distro}.@footnote{This section is concerned
502 with the installation of the package manager, which can be done on top of a
503 running GNU/Linux system. If, instead, you want to install the complete GNU
504 operating system, @pxref{System Installation}.} The script automates the
505 download, installation, and initial configuration of Guix. It should be run
509 @cindex foreign distro
510 @cindex directories related to foreign distro
511 When installed on a foreign distro, GNU@tie{}Guix complements the available
512 tools without interference. Its data lives exclusively in two directories,
513 usually @file{/gnu/store} and @file{/var/guix}; other files on your system,
514 such as @file{/etc}, are left untouched.
516 Once installed, Guix can be updated by running @command{guix pull}
517 (@pxref{Invoking guix pull}).
519 If you prefer to perform the installation steps manually or want to tweak
520 them, you may find the following subsections useful. They describe the
521 software requirements of Guix, as well as how to install it manually and get
525 * Binary Installation:: Getting Guix running in no time!
526 * Requirements:: Software needed to build and run Guix.
527 * Running the Test Suite:: Testing Guix.
528 * Setting Up the Daemon:: Preparing the build daemon's environment.
529 * Invoking guix-daemon:: Running the build daemon.
530 * Application Setup:: Application-specific setup.
531 * Upgrading Guix:: Upgrading Guix and its build daemon.
534 @node Binary Installation
535 @section Binary Installation
537 @cindex installing Guix from binaries
538 @cindex installer script
539 This section describes how to install Guix on an arbitrary system from a
540 self-contained tarball providing binaries for Guix and for all its
541 dependencies. This is often quicker than installing from source, which
542 is described in the next sections. The only requirement is to have
545 @c Note duplicated from the ``Installation'' node.
547 We recommend the use of this
548 @uref{https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/plain/etc/guix-install.sh,
549 shell installer script}. The script automates the download, installation, and
550 initial configuration steps described below. It should be run as the root
551 user. As root, you can thus run this:
555 wget https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix.git/plain/etc/guix-install.sh
556 chmod +x guix-install.sh
561 Installing goes along these lines:
565 @cindex downloading Guix binary
566 Download the binary tarball from
567 @indicateurl{@value{BASE-URL}/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz},
568 where @var{system} is @code{x86_64-linux} for an @code{x86_64} machine
569 already running the kernel Linux, and so on.
571 @c The following is somewhat duplicated in ``System Installation''.
572 Make sure to download the associated @file{.sig} file and to verify the
573 authenticity of the tarball against it, along these lines:
576 $ wget @value{BASE-URL}/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz.sig
577 $ gpg --verify guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz.sig
580 If that command fails because you do not have the required public key,
581 then run this command to import it:
584 $ wget @value{OPENPGP-SIGNING-KEY-URL} \
585 -qO - | gpg --import -
589 and rerun the @code{gpg --verify} command.
591 Take note that a warning like ``This key is not certified with a trusted
592 signature!'' is normal.
594 @c end authentication part
597 Now, you need to become the @code{root} user. Depending on your distribution,
598 you may have to run @code{su -} or @code{sudo -i}. As @code{root}, run:
602 # tar --warning=no-timestamp -xf \
603 /path/to/guix-binary-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.tar.xz
604 # mv var/guix /var/ && mv gnu /
607 This creates @file{/gnu/store} (@pxref{The Store}) and @file{/var/guix}.
608 The latter contains a ready-to-use profile for @code{root} (see next
611 Do @emph{not} unpack the tarball on a working Guix system since that
612 would overwrite its own essential files.
614 The @code{--warning=no-timestamp} option makes sure GNU@tie{}tar does
615 not emit warnings about ``implausibly old time stamps'' (such
616 warnings were triggered by GNU@tie{}tar 1.26 and older; recent
618 They stem from the fact that all the
619 files in the archive have their modification time set to zero (which
620 means January 1st, 1970.) This is done on purpose to make sure the
621 archive content is independent of its creation time, thus making it
625 Make the profile available under @file{~root/.config/guix/current}, which is
626 where @command{guix pull} will install updates (@pxref{Invoking guix pull}):
629 # mkdir -p ~root/.config/guix
630 # ln -sf /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix \
631 ~root/.config/guix/current
634 Source @file{etc/profile} to augment @code{PATH} and other relevant
635 environment variables:
638 # GUIX_PROFILE="`echo ~root`/.config/guix/current" ; \
639 source $GUIX_PROFILE/etc/profile
643 Create the group and user accounts for build users as explained below
644 (@pxref{Build Environment Setup}).
647 Run the daemon, and set it to automatically start on boot.
649 If your host distro uses the systemd init system, this can be achieved
652 @c Versions of systemd that supported symlinked service files are not
653 @c yet widely deployed, so we should suggest that users copy the service
656 @c See this thread for more information:
657 @c https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2017-01/msg01199.html
660 # cp ~root/.config/guix/current/lib/systemd/system/guix-daemon.service \
662 # systemctl enable --now guix-daemon
665 If your host distro uses the Upstart init system:
668 # initctl reload-configuration
669 # cp ~root/.config/guix/current/lib/upstart/system/guix-daemon.conf \
674 Otherwise, you can still start the daemon manually with:
677 # ~root/.config/guix/current/bin/guix-daemon \
678 --build-users-group=guixbuild
682 Make the @command{guix} command available to other users on the machine,
686 # mkdir -p /usr/local/bin
688 # ln -s /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix/bin/guix
691 It is also a good idea to make the Info version of this manual available
695 # mkdir -p /usr/local/share/info
696 # cd /usr/local/share/info
697 # for i in /var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/current-guix/share/info/* ;
701 That way, assuming @file{/usr/local/share/info} is in the search path,
702 running @command{info guix} will open this manual (@pxref{Other Info
703 Directories,,, texinfo, GNU Texinfo}, for more details on changing the
707 @cindex substitutes, authorization thereof
708 To use substitutes from @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} or one of its mirrors
709 (@pxref{Substitutes}), authorize them:
712 # guix archive --authorize < \
713 ~root/.config/guix/current/share/guix/@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}.pub
717 Each user may need to perform a few additional steps to make their Guix
718 environment ready for use, @pxref{Application Setup}.
721 Voilà, the installation is complete!
723 You can confirm that Guix is working by installing a sample package into
730 The binary installation tarball can be (re)produced and verified simply
731 by running the following command in the Guix source tree:
734 make guix-binary.@var{system}.tar.xz
738 ...@: which, in turn, runs:
741 guix pack -s @var{system} --localstatedir \
742 --profile-name=current-guix guix
745 @xref{Invoking guix pack}, for more info on this handy tool.
748 @section Requirements
750 This section lists requirements when building Guix from source. The
751 build procedure for Guix is the same as for other GNU software, and is
752 not covered here. Please see the files @file{README} and @file{INSTALL}
753 in the Guix source tree for additional details.
755 @cindex official website
756 GNU Guix is available for download from its website at
757 @url{https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/}.
759 GNU Guix depends on the following packages:
762 @item @url{https://gnu.org/software/guile/, GNU Guile}, version 3.0.x or
764 @item @url{https://notabug.org/cwebber/guile-gcrypt, Guile-Gcrypt}, version
767 @uref{https://gnutls.org/, GnuTLS}, specifically its Guile bindings
768 (@pxref{Guile Preparations, how to install the GnuTLS bindings for
769 Guile,, gnutls-guile, GnuTLS-Guile});
771 @uref{https://notabug.org/guile-sqlite3/guile-sqlite3, Guile-SQLite3}, version 0.1.0
774 @c FIXME: Specify a version number once a release has been made.
775 @uref{https://gitlab.com/guile-git/guile-git, Guile-Git}, from August
777 @item @uref{https://savannah.nongnu.org/projects/guile-json/, Guile-JSON} 3.x;
778 @item @url{https://zlib.net, zlib};
779 @item @url{https://www.gnu.org/software/make/, GNU Make}.
782 The following dependencies are optional:
786 @c Note: We need at least 0.12.0 for 'userauth-gssapi!'.
787 Support for build offloading (@pxref{Daemon Offload Setup}) and
788 @command{guix copy} (@pxref{Invoking guix copy}) depends on
789 @uref{https://github.com/artyom-poptsov/guile-ssh, Guile-SSH},
790 version 0.12.0 or later.
793 When @url{https://www.nongnu.org/lzip/lzlib.html, lzlib} is available, lzlib
794 substitutes can be used and @command{guix publish} can compress substitutes
798 When @url{http://www.bzip.org, libbz2} is available,
799 @command{guix-daemon} can use it to compress build logs.
802 Unless @code{--disable-daemon} was passed to @command{configure}, the
803 following packages are also needed:
806 @item @url{https://gnupg.org/, GNU libgcrypt};
807 @item @url{https://sqlite.org, SQLite 3};
808 @item @url{https://gcc.gnu.org, GCC's g++}, with support for the
812 @cindex state directory
813 When configuring Guix on a system that already has a Guix installation,
814 be sure to specify the same state directory as the existing installation
815 using the @code{--localstatedir} option of the @command{configure}
816 script (@pxref{Directory Variables, @code{localstatedir},, standards,
817 GNU Coding Standards}). Usually, this @var{localstatedir} option is
818 set to the value @file{/var}. The @command{configure} script protects
819 against unintended misconfiguration of @var{localstatedir} so you do not
820 inadvertently corrupt your store (@pxref{The Store}).
822 @node Running the Test Suite
823 @section Running the Test Suite
826 After a successful @command{configure} and @code{make} run, it is a good
827 idea to run the test suite. It can help catch issues with the setup or
828 environment, or bugs in Guix itself---and really, reporting test
829 failures is a good way to help improve the software. To run the test
836 Test cases can run in parallel: you can use the @code{-j} option of
837 GNU@tie{}make to speed things up. The first run may take a few minutes
838 on a recent machine; subsequent runs will be faster because the store
839 that is created for test purposes will already have various things in
842 It is also possible to run a subset of the tests by defining the
843 @code{TESTS} makefile variable as in this example:
846 make check TESTS="tests/store.scm tests/cpio.scm"
849 By default, tests results are displayed at a file level. In order to
850 see the details of every individual test cases, it is possible to define
851 the @code{SCM_LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS} makefile variable as in this example:
854 make check TESTS="tests/base64.scm" SCM_LOG_DRIVER_FLAGS="--brief=no"
857 Upon failure, please email @email{bug-guix@@gnu.org} and attach the
858 @file{test-suite.log} file. Please specify the Guix version being used
859 as well as version numbers of the dependencies (@pxref{Requirements}) in
862 Guix also comes with a whole-system test suite that tests complete
863 Guix System instances. It can only run on systems where
864 Guix is already installed, using:
871 or, again, by defining @code{TESTS} to select a subset of tests to run:
874 make check-system TESTS="basic mcron"
877 These system tests are defined in the @code{(gnu tests @dots{})}
878 modules. They work by running the operating systems under test with
879 lightweight instrumentation in a virtual machine (VM). They can be
880 computationally intensive or rather cheap, depending on whether
881 substitutes are available for their dependencies (@pxref{Substitutes}).
882 Some of them require a lot of storage space to hold VM images.
884 Again in case of test failures, please send @email{bug-guix@@gnu.org}
887 @node Setting Up the Daemon
888 @section Setting Up the Daemon
891 Operations such as building a package or running the garbage collector
892 are all performed by a specialized process, the @dfn{build daemon}, on
893 behalf of clients. Only the daemon may access the store and its
894 associated database. Thus, any operation that manipulates the store
895 goes through the daemon. For instance, command-line tools such as
896 @command{guix package} and @command{guix build} communicate with the
897 daemon (@i{via} remote procedure calls) to instruct it what to do.
899 The following sections explain how to prepare the build daemon's
900 environment. See also @ref{Substitutes}, for information on how to allow
901 the daemon to download pre-built binaries.
904 * Build Environment Setup:: Preparing the isolated build environment.
905 * Daemon Offload Setup:: Offloading builds to remote machines.
906 * SELinux Support:: Using an SELinux policy for the daemon.
909 @node Build Environment Setup
910 @subsection Build Environment Setup
912 @cindex build environment
913 In a standard multi-user setup, Guix and its daemon---the
914 @command{guix-daemon} program---are installed by the system
915 administrator; @file{/gnu/store} is owned by @code{root} and
916 @command{guix-daemon} runs as @code{root}. Unprivileged users may use
917 Guix tools to build packages or otherwise access the store, and the
918 daemon will do it on their behalf, ensuring that the store is kept in a
919 consistent state, and allowing built packages to be shared among users.
922 When @command{guix-daemon} runs as @code{root}, you may not want package
923 build processes themselves to run as @code{root} too, for obvious
924 security reasons. To avoid that, a special pool of @dfn{build users}
925 should be created for use by build processes started by the daemon.
926 These build users need not have a shell and a home directory: they will
927 just be used when the daemon drops @code{root} privileges in build
928 processes. Having several such users allows the daemon to launch
929 distinct build processes under separate UIDs, which guarantees that they
930 do not interfere with each other---an essential feature since builds are
931 regarded as pure functions (@pxref{Introduction}).
933 On a GNU/Linux system, a build user pool may be created like this (using
934 Bash syntax and the @code{shadow} commands):
936 @c See https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-guix/2013-01/msg00239.html
937 @c for why `-G' is needed.
939 # groupadd --system guixbuild
940 # for i in `seq -w 1 10`;
942 useradd -g guixbuild -G guixbuild \
943 -d /var/empty -s `which nologin` \
944 -c "Guix build user $i" --system \
950 The number of build users determines how many build jobs may run in
951 parallel, as specified by the @option{--max-jobs} option
952 (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon, @option{--max-jobs}}). To use
953 @command{guix system vm} and related commands, you may need to add the
954 build users to the @code{kvm} group so they can access @file{/dev/kvm},
955 using @code{-G guixbuild,kvm} instead of @code{-G guixbuild}
956 (@pxref{Invoking guix system}).
958 The @code{guix-daemon} program may then be run as @code{root} with the
959 following command@footnote{If your machine uses the systemd init system,
960 dropping the @file{@var{prefix}/lib/systemd/system/guix-daemon.service}
961 file in @file{/etc/systemd/system} will ensure that
962 @command{guix-daemon} is automatically started. Similarly, if your
963 machine uses the Upstart init system, drop the
964 @file{@var{prefix}/lib/upstart/system/guix-daemon.conf}
965 file in @file{/etc/init}.}:
968 # guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild
973 This way, the daemon starts build processes in a chroot, under one of
974 the @code{guixbuilder} users. On GNU/Linux, by default, the chroot
975 environment contains nothing but:
977 @c Keep this list in sync with libstore/build.cc! -----------------------
980 a minimal @code{/dev} directory, created mostly independently from the
981 host @code{/dev}@footnote{``Mostly'', because while the set of files
982 that appear in the chroot's @code{/dev} is fixed, most of these files
983 can only be created if the host has them.};
986 the @code{/proc} directory; it only shows the processes of the container
987 since a separate PID name space is used;
990 @file{/etc/passwd} with an entry for the current user and an entry for
994 @file{/etc/group} with an entry for the user's group;
997 @file{/etc/hosts} with an entry that maps @code{localhost} to
1001 a writable @file{/tmp} directory.
1004 You can influence the directory where the daemon stores build trees
1005 @i{via} the @code{TMPDIR} environment variable. However, the build tree
1006 within the chroot is always called @file{/tmp/guix-build-@var{name}.drv-0},
1007 where @var{name} is the derivation name---e.g., @code{coreutils-8.24}.
1008 This way, the value of @code{TMPDIR} does not leak inside build
1009 environments, which avoids discrepancies in cases where build processes
1010 capture the name of their build tree.
1013 The daemon also honors the @code{http_proxy} environment variable for
1014 HTTP downloads it performs, be it for fixed-output derivations
1015 (@pxref{Derivations}) or for substitutes (@pxref{Substitutes}).
1017 If you are installing Guix as an unprivileged user, it is still possible
1018 to run @command{guix-daemon} provided you pass @code{--disable-chroot}.
1019 However, build processes will not be isolated from one another, and not
1020 from the rest of the system. Thus, build processes may interfere with
1021 each other, and may access programs, libraries, and other files
1022 available on the system---making it much harder to view them as
1023 @emph{pure} functions.
1026 @node Daemon Offload Setup
1027 @subsection Using the Offload Facility
1031 When desired, the build daemon can @dfn{offload} derivation builds to
1032 other machines running Guix, using the @code{offload} @dfn{build
1033 hook}@footnote{This feature is available only when
1034 @uref{https://github.com/artyom-poptsov/guile-ssh, Guile-SSH} is
1035 present.}. When that
1036 feature is enabled, a list of user-specified build machines is read from
1037 @file{/etc/guix/machines.scm}; every time a build is requested, for
1038 instance via @code{guix build}, the daemon attempts to offload it to one
1039 of the machines that satisfy the constraints of the derivation, in
1040 particular its system type---e.g., @file{x86_64-linux}. Missing
1041 prerequisites for the build are copied over SSH to the target machine,
1042 which then proceeds with the build; upon success the output(s) of the
1043 build are copied back to the initial machine.
1045 The @file{/etc/guix/machines.scm} file typically looks like this:
1048 (list (build-machine
1049 (name "eightysix.example.org")
1050 (system "x86_64-linux")
1051 (host-key "ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3Nza@dots{}")
1053 (speed 2.)) ;incredibly fast!
1056 (name "meeps.example.org")
1057 (system "mips64el-linux")
1058 (host-key "ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nza@dots{}")
1061 (string-append (getenv "HOME")
1062 "/.ssh/identity-for-guix"))))
1066 In the example above we specify a list of two build machines, one for
1067 the @code{x86_64} architecture and one for the @code{mips64el}
1070 In fact, this file is---not surprisingly!---a Scheme file that is
1071 evaluated when the @code{offload} hook is started. Its return value
1072 must be a list of @code{build-machine} objects. While this example
1073 shows a fixed list of build machines, one could imagine, say, using
1074 DNS-SD to return a list of potential build machines discovered in the
1075 local network (@pxref{Introduction, Guile-Avahi,, guile-avahi, Using
1076 Avahi in Guile Scheme Programs}). The @code{build-machine} data type is
1079 @deftp {Data Type} build-machine
1080 This data type represents build machines to which the daemon may offload
1081 builds. The important fields are:
1086 The host name of the remote machine.
1089 The system type of the remote machine---e.g., @code{"x86_64-linux"}.
1092 The user account to use when connecting to the remote machine over SSH.
1093 Note that the SSH key pair must @emph{not} be passphrase-protected, to
1094 allow non-interactive logins.
1097 This must be the machine's SSH @dfn{public host key} in OpenSSH format.
1098 This is used to authenticate the machine when we connect to it. It is a
1099 long string that looks like this:
1102 ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC@dots{}mde+UhL hint@@example.org
1105 If the machine is running the OpenSSH daemon, @command{sshd}, the host
1106 key can be found in a file such as
1107 @file{/etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub}.
1109 If the machine is running the SSH daemon of GNU@tie{}lsh,
1110 @command{lshd}, the host key is in @file{/etc/lsh/host-key.pub} or a
1111 similar file. It can be converted to the OpenSSH format using
1112 @command{lsh-export-key} (@pxref{Converting keys,,, lsh, LSH Manual}):
1115 $ lsh-export-key --openssh < /etc/lsh/host-key.pub
1116 ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAAEOp8FoQAAAQEAs1eB46LV@dots{}
1121 A number of optional fields may be specified:
1125 @item @code{port} (default: @code{22})
1126 Port number of SSH server on the machine.
1128 @item @code{private-key} (default: @file{~root/.ssh/id_rsa})
1129 The SSH private key file to use when connecting to the machine, in
1130 OpenSSH format. This key must not be protected with a passphrase.
1132 Note that the default value is the private key @emph{of the root
1133 account}. Make sure it exists if you use the default.
1135 @item @code{compression} (default: @code{"zlib@@openssh.com,zlib"})
1136 @itemx @code{compression-level} (default: @code{3})
1137 The SSH-level compression methods and compression level requested.
1139 Note that offloading relies on SSH compression to reduce bandwidth usage
1140 when transferring files to and from build machines.
1142 @item @code{daemon-socket} (default: @code{"/var/guix/daemon-socket/socket"})
1143 File name of the Unix-domain socket @command{guix-daemon} is listening
1146 @item @code{parallel-builds} (default: @code{1})
1147 The number of builds that may run in parallel on the machine.
1149 @item @code{speed} (default: @code{1.0})
1150 A ``relative speed factor''. The offload scheduler will tend to prefer
1151 machines with a higher speed factor.
1153 @item @code{features} (default: @code{'()})
1154 A list of strings denoting specific features supported by the machine.
1155 An example is @code{"kvm"} for machines that have the KVM Linux modules
1156 and corresponding hardware support. Derivations can request features by
1157 name, and they will be scheduled on matching build machines.
1162 The @command{guix} command must be in the search path on the build
1163 machines. You can check whether this is the case by running:
1166 ssh build-machine guix repl --version
1169 There is one last thing to do once @file{machines.scm} is in place. As
1170 explained above, when offloading, files are transferred back and forth
1171 between the machine stores. For this to work, you first need to
1172 generate a key pair on each machine to allow the daemon to export signed
1173 archives of files from the store (@pxref{Invoking guix archive}):
1176 # guix archive --generate-key
1180 Each build machine must authorize the key of the master machine so that
1181 it accepts store items it receives from the master:
1184 # guix archive --authorize < master-public-key.txt
1188 Likewise, the master machine must authorize the key of each build machine.
1190 All the fuss with keys is here to express pairwise mutual trust
1191 relations between the master and the build machines. Concretely, when
1192 the master receives files from a build machine (and @i{vice versa}), its
1193 build daemon can make sure they are genuine, have not been tampered
1194 with, and that they are signed by an authorized key.
1196 @cindex offload test
1197 To test whether your setup is operational, run this command on the
1204 This will attempt to connect to each of the build machines specified in
1205 @file{/etc/guix/machines.scm}, make sure Guile and the Guix modules are
1206 available on each machine, attempt to export to the machine and import
1207 from it, and report any error in the process.
1209 If you want to test a different machine file, just specify it on the
1213 # guix offload test machines-qualif.scm
1216 Last, you can test the subset of the machines whose name matches a
1217 regular expression like this:
1220 # guix offload test machines.scm '\.gnu\.org$'
1223 @cindex offload status
1224 To display the current load of all build hosts, run this command on the
1228 # guix offload status
1232 @node SELinux Support
1233 @subsection SELinux Support
1235 @cindex SELinux, daemon policy
1236 @cindex mandatory access control, SELinux
1237 @cindex security, guix-daemon
1238 Guix includes an SELinux policy file at @file{etc/guix-daemon.cil} that
1239 can be installed on a system where SELinux is enabled, in order to label
1240 Guix files and to specify the expected behavior of the daemon. Since
1241 Guix System does not provide an SELinux base policy, the daemon policy cannot
1242 be used on Guix System.
1244 @subsubsection Installing the SELinux policy
1245 @cindex SELinux, policy installation
1246 To install the policy run this command as root:
1249 semodule -i etc/guix-daemon.cil
1252 Then relabel the file system with @code{restorecon} or by a different
1253 mechanism provided by your system.
1255 Once the policy is installed, the file system has been relabeled, and
1256 the daemon has been restarted, it should be running in the
1257 @code{guix_daemon_t} context. You can confirm this with the following
1261 ps -Zax | grep guix-daemon
1264 Monitor the SELinux log files as you run a command like @code{guix build
1265 hello} to convince yourself that SELinux permits all necessary
1268 @subsubsection Limitations
1269 @cindex SELinux, limitations
1271 This policy is not perfect. Here is a list of limitations or quirks
1272 that should be considered when deploying the provided SELinux policy for
1277 @code{guix_daemon_socket_t} isn’t actually used. None of the socket
1278 operations involve contexts that have anything to do with
1279 @code{guix_daemon_socket_t}. It doesn’t hurt to have this unused label,
1280 but it would be preferrable to define socket rules for only this label.
1283 @code{guix gc} cannot access arbitrary links to profiles. By design,
1284 the file label of the destination of a symlink is independent of the
1285 file label of the link itself. Although all profiles under
1286 $localstatedir are labelled, the links to these profiles inherit the
1287 label of the directory they are in. For links in the user’s home
1288 directory this will be @code{user_home_t}. But for links from the root
1289 user’s home directory, or @file{/tmp}, or the HTTP server’s working
1290 directory, etc, this won’t work. @code{guix gc} would be prevented from
1291 reading and following these links.
1294 The daemon’s feature to listen for TCP connections might no longer work.
1295 This might require extra rules, because SELinux treats network sockets
1296 differently from files.
1299 Currently all files with a name matching the regular expression
1300 @code{/gnu/store/.+-(guix-.+|profile)/bin/guix-daemon} are assigned the
1301 label @code{guix_daemon_exec_t}; this means that @emph{any} file with
1302 that name in any profile would be permitted to run in the
1303 @code{guix_daemon_t} domain. This is not ideal. An attacker could
1304 build a package that provides this executable and convince a user to
1305 install and run it, which lifts it into the @code{guix_daemon_t} domain.
1306 At that point SELinux could not prevent it from accessing files that are
1307 allowed for processes in that domain.
1309 We could generate a much more restrictive policy at installation time,
1310 so that only the @emph{exact} file name of the currently installed
1311 @code{guix-daemon} executable would be labelled with
1312 @code{guix_daemon_exec_t}, instead of using a broad regular expression.
1313 The downside is that root would have to install or upgrade the policy at
1314 installation time whenever the Guix package that provides the
1315 effectively running @code{guix-daemon} executable is upgraded.
1318 @node Invoking guix-daemon
1319 @section Invoking @command{guix-daemon}
1321 The @command{guix-daemon} program implements all the functionality to
1322 access the store. This includes launching build processes, running the
1323 garbage collector, querying the availability of a build result, etc. It
1324 is normally run as @code{root} like this:
1327 # guix-daemon --build-users-group=guixbuild
1331 For details on how to set it up, @pxref{Setting Up the Daemon}.
1334 @cindex container, build environment
1335 @cindex build environment
1336 @cindex reproducible builds
1337 By default, @command{guix-daemon} launches build processes under
1338 different UIDs, taken from the build group specified with
1339 @code{--build-users-group}. In addition, each build process is run in a
1340 chroot environment that only contains the subset of the store that the
1341 build process depends on, as specified by its derivation
1342 (@pxref{Programming Interface, derivation}), plus a set of specific
1343 system directories. By default, the latter contains @file{/dev} and
1344 @file{/dev/pts}. Furthermore, on GNU/Linux, the build environment is a
1345 @dfn{container}: in addition to having its own file system tree, it has
1346 a separate mount name space, its own PID name space, network name space,
1347 etc. This helps achieve reproducible builds (@pxref{Features}).
1349 When the daemon performs a build on behalf of the user, it creates a
1350 build directory under @file{/tmp} or under the directory specified by
1351 its @code{TMPDIR} environment variable. This directory is shared with
1352 the container for the duration of the build, though within the container,
1353 the build tree is always called @file{/tmp/guix-build-@var{name}.drv-0}.
1355 The build directory is automatically deleted upon completion, unless the
1356 build failed and the client specified @option{--keep-failed}
1357 (@pxref{Invoking guix build, @option{--keep-failed}}).
1359 The daemon listens for connections and spawns one sub-process for each session
1360 started by a client (one of the @command{guix} sub-commands.) The
1361 @command{guix processes} command allows you to get an overview of the activity
1362 on your system by viewing each of the active sessions and clients.
1363 @xref{Invoking guix processes}, for more information.
1365 The following command-line options are supported:
1368 @item --build-users-group=@var{group}
1369 Take users from @var{group} to run build processes (@pxref{Setting Up
1370 the Daemon, build users}).
1372 @item --no-substitutes
1374 Do not use substitutes for build products. That is, always build things
1375 locally instead of allowing downloads of pre-built binaries
1376 (@pxref{Substitutes}).
1378 When the daemon runs with @code{--no-substitutes}, clients can still
1379 explicitly enable substitution @i{via} the @code{set-build-options}
1380 remote procedure call (@pxref{The Store}).
1382 @item --substitute-urls=@var{urls}
1383 @anchor{daemon-substitute-urls}
1384 Consider @var{urls} the default whitespace-separated list of substitute
1385 source URLs. When this option is omitted,
1386 @indicateurl{https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} is used.
1388 This means that substitutes may be downloaded from @var{urls}, as long
1389 as they are signed by a trusted signature (@pxref{Substitutes}).
1393 Do not use offload builds to other machines (@pxref{Daemon Offload
1394 Setup}). That is, always build things locally instead of offloading
1395 builds to remote machines.
1397 @item --cache-failures
1398 Cache build failures. By default, only successful builds are cached.
1400 When this option is used, @command{guix gc --list-failures} can be used
1401 to query the set of store items marked as failed; @command{guix gc
1402 --clear-failures} removes store items from the set of cached failures.
1403 @xref{Invoking guix gc}.
1405 @item --cores=@var{n}
1407 Use @var{n} CPU cores to build each derivation; @code{0} means as many
1410 The default value is @code{0}, but it may be overridden by clients, such
1411 as the @code{--cores} option of @command{guix build} (@pxref{Invoking
1414 The effect is to define the @code{NIX_BUILD_CORES} environment variable
1415 in the build process, which can then use it to exploit internal
1416 parallelism---for instance, by running @code{make -j$NIX_BUILD_CORES}.
1418 @item --max-jobs=@var{n}
1420 Allow at most @var{n} build jobs in parallel. The default value is
1421 @code{1}. Setting it to @code{0} means that no builds will be performed
1422 locally; instead, the daemon will offload builds (@pxref{Daemon Offload
1423 Setup}), or simply fail.
1425 @item --max-silent-time=@var{seconds}
1426 When the build or substitution process remains silent for more than
1427 @var{seconds}, terminate it and report a build failure.
1429 The default value is @code{0}, which disables the timeout.
1431 The value specified here can be overridden by clients (@pxref{Common
1432 Build Options, @code{--max-silent-time}}).
1434 @item --timeout=@var{seconds}
1435 Likewise, when the build or substitution process lasts for more than
1436 @var{seconds}, terminate it and report a build failure.
1438 The default value is @code{0}, which disables the timeout.
1440 The value specified here can be overridden by clients (@pxref{Common
1441 Build Options, @code{--timeout}}).
1443 @item --rounds=@var{N}
1444 Build each derivation @var{n} times in a row, and raise an error if
1445 consecutive build results are not bit-for-bit identical. Note that this
1446 setting can be overridden by clients such as @command{guix build}
1447 (@pxref{Invoking guix build}).
1449 When used in conjunction with @option{--keep-failed}, the differing
1450 output is kept in the store, under @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-check}.
1451 This makes it easy to look for differences between the two results.
1454 Produce debugging output.
1456 This is useful to debug daemon start-up issues, but then it may be
1457 overridden by clients, for example the @code{--verbosity} option of
1458 @command{guix build} (@pxref{Invoking guix build}).
1460 @item --chroot-directory=@var{dir}
1461 Add @var{dir} to the build chroot.
1463 Doing this may change the result of build processes---for instance if
1464 they use optional dependencies found in @var{dir} when it is available,
1465 and not otherwise. For that reason, it is not recommended to do so.
1466 Instead, make sure that each derivation declares all the inputs that it
1469 @item --disable-chroot
1470 Disable chroot builds.
1472 Using this option is not recommended since, again, it would allow build
1473 processes to gain access to undeclared dependencies. It is necessary,
1474 though, when @command{guix-daemon} is running under an unprivileged user
1477 @item --log-compression=@var{type}
1478 Compress build logs according to @var{type}, one of @code{gzip},
1479 @code{bzip2}, or @code{none}.
1481 Unless @code{--lose-logs} is used, all the build logs are kept in the
1482 @var{localstatedir}. To save space, the daemon automatically compresses
1483 them with bzip2 by default.
1485 @item --disable-deduplication
1486 @cindex deduplication
1487 Disable automatic file ``deduplication'' in the store.
1489 By default, files added to the store are automatically ``deduplicated'':
1490 if a newly added file is identical to another one found in the store,
1491 the daemon makes the new file a hard link to the other file. This can
1492 noticeably reduce disk usage, at the expense of slightly increased
1493 input/output load at the end of a build process. This option disables
1496 @item --gc-keep-outputs[=yes|no]
1497 Tell whether the garbage collector (GC) must keep outputs of live
1501 @cindex garbage collector roots
1502 When set to ``yes'', the GC will keep the outputs of any live derivation
1503 available in the store---the @code{.drv} files. The default is ``no'',
1504 meaning that derivation outputs are kept only if they are reachable from a GC
1505 root. @xref{Invoking guix gc}, for more on GC roots.
1507 @item --gc-keep-derivations[=yes|no]
1508 Tell whether the garbage collector (GC) must keep derivations
1509 corresponding to live outputs.
1511 When set to ``yes'', as is the case by default, the GC keeps
1512 derivations---i.e., @code{.drv} files---as long as at least one of their
1513 outputs is live. This allows users to keep track of the origins of
1514 items in their store. Setting it to ``no'' saves a bit of disk space.
1516 In this way, setting @code{--gc-keep-derivations} to ``yes'' causes liveness
1517 to flow from outputs to derivations, and setting @code{--gc-keep-outputs} to
1518 ``yes'' causes liveness to flow from derivations to outputs. When both are
1519 set to ``yes'', the effect is to keep all the build prerequisites (the
1520 sources, compiler, libraries, and other build-time tools) of live objects in
1521 the store, regardless of whether these prerequisites are reachable from a GC
1522 root. This is convenient for developers since it saves rebuilds or downloads.
1524 @item --impersonate-linux-2.6
1525 On Linux-based systems, impersonate Linux 2.6. This means that the
1526 kernel's @code{uname} system call will report 2.6 as the release number.
1528 This might be helpful to build programs that (usually wrongfully) depend
1529 on the kernel version number.
1532 Do not keep build logs. By default they are kept under
1533 @code{@var{localstatedir}/guix/log}.
1535 @item --system=@var{system}
1536 Assume @var{system} as the current system type. By default it is the
1537 architecture/kernel pair found at configure time, such as
1538 @code{x86_64-linux}.
1540 @item --listen=@var{endpoint}
1541 Listen for connections on @var{endpoint}. @var{endpoint} is interpreted
1542 as the file name of a Unix-domain socket if it starts with
1543 @code{/} (slash sign). Otherwise, @var{endpoint} is interpreted as a
1544 host name or host name and port to listen to. Here are a few examples:
1547 @item --listen=/gnu/var/daemon
1548 Listen for connections on the @file{/gnu/var/daemon} Unix-domain socket,
1549 creating it if needed.
1551 @item --listen=localhost
1552 @cindex daemon, remote access
1553 @cindex remote access to the daemon
1554 @cindex daemon, cluster setup
1555 @cindex clusters, daemon setup
1556 Listen for TCP connections on the network interface corresponding to
1557 @code{localhost}, on port 44146.
1559 @item --listen=128.0.0.42:1234
1560 Listen for TCP connections on the network interface corresponding to
1561 @code{128.0.0.42}, on port 1234.
1564 This option can be repeated multiple times, in which case
1565 @command{guix-daemon} accepts connections on all the specified
1566 endpoints. Users can tell client commands what endpoint to connect to
1567 by setting the @code{GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET} environment variable
1568 (@pxref{The Store, @code{GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET}}).
1571 The daemon protocol is @emph{unauthenticated and unencrypted}. Using
1572 @code{--listen=@var{host}} is suitable on local networks, such as
1573 clusters, where only trusted nodes may connect to the build daemon. In
1574 other cases where remote access to the daemon is needed, we recommend
1575 using Unix-domain sockets along with SSH.
1578 When @code{--listen} is omitted, @command{guix-daemon} listens for
1579 connections on the Unix-domain socket located at
1580 @file{@var{localstatedir}/guix/daemon-socket/socket}.
1584 @node Application Setup
1585 @section Application Setup
1587 @cindex foreign distro
1588 When using Guix on top of GNU/Linux distribution other than Guix System---a
1589 so-called @dfn{foreign distro}---a few additional steps are needed to
1590 get everything in place. Here are some of them.
1594 @anchor{locales-and-locpath}
1595 @cindex locales, when not on Guix System
1597 @vindex GUIX_LOCPATH
1598 Packages installed @i{via} Guix will not use the locale data of the
1599 host system. Instead, you must first install one of the locale packages
1600 available with Guix and then define the @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} environment
1604 $ guix install glibc-locales
1605 $ export GUIX_LOCPATH=$HOME/.guix-profile/lib/locale
1608 Note that the @code{glibc-locales} package contains data for all the
1609 locales supported by the GNU@tie{}libc and weighs in at around
1610 917@tie{}MiB. Alternatively, the @code{glibc-utf8-locales} is smaller but
1611 limited to a few UTF-8 locales.
1613 The @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} variable plays a role similar to @code{LOCPATH}
1614 (@pxref{Locale Names, @code{LOCPATH},, libc, The GNU C Library Reference
1615 Manual}). There are two important differences though:
1619 @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} is honored only by the libc in Guix, and not by the libc
1620 provided by foreign distros. Thus, using @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} allows you
1621 to make sure the programs of the foreign distro will not end up loading
1622 incompatible locale data.
1625 libc suffixes each entry of @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} with @code{/X.Y}, where
1626 @code{X.Y} is the libc version---e.g., @code{2.22}. This means that,
1627 should your Guix profile contain a mixture of programs linked against
1628 different libc version, each libc version will only try to load locale
1629 data in the right format.
1632 This is important because the locale data format used by different libc
1633 versions may be incompatible.
1635 @subsection Name Service Switch
1637 @cindex name service switch, glibc
1638 @cindex NSS (name service switch), glibc
1639 @cindex nscd (name service caching daemon)
1640 @cindex name service caching daemon (nscd)
1641 When using Guix on a foreign distro, we @emph{strongly recommend} that
1642 the system run the GNU C library's @dfn{name service cache daemon},
1643 @command{nscd}, which should be listening on the
1644 @file{/var/run/nscd/socket} socket. Failing to do that, applications
1645 installed with Guix may fail to look up host names or user accounts, or
1646 may even crash. The next paragraphs explain why.
1648 @cindex @file{nsswitch.conf}
1649 The GNU C library implements a @dfn{name service switch} (NSS), which is
1650 an extensible mechanism for ``name lookups'' in general: host name
1651 resolution, user accounts, and more (@pxref{Name Service Switch,,, libc,
1652 The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
1654 @cindex Network information service (NIS)
1655 @cindex NIS (Network information service)
1656 Being extensible, the NSS supports @dfn{plugins}, which provide new name
1657 lookup implementations: for example, the @code{nss-mdns} plugin allow
1658 resolution of @code{.local} host names, the @code{nis} plugin allows
1659 user account lookup using the Network information service (NIS), and so
1660 on. These extra ``lookup services'' are configured system-wide in
1661 @file{/etc/nsswitch.conf}, and all the programs running on the system
1662 honor those settings (@pxref{NSS Configuration File,,, libc, The GNU C
1665 When they perform a name lookup---for instance by calling the
1666 @code{getaddrinfo} function in C---applications first try to connect to
1667 the nscd; on success, nscd performs name lookups on their behalf. If
1668 the nscd is not running, then they perform the name lookup by
1669 themselves, by loading the name lookup services into their own address
1670 space and running it. These name lookup services---the
1671 @file{libnss_*.so} files---are @code{dlopen}'d, but they may come from
1672 the host system's C library, rather than from the C library the
1673 application is linked against (the C library coming from Guix).
1675 And this is where the problem is: if your application is linked against
1676 Guix's C library (say, glibc 2.24) and tries to load NSS plugins from
1677 another C library (say, @code{libnss_mdns.so} for glibc 2.22), it will
1678 likely crash or have its name lookups fail unexpectedly.
1680 Running @command{nscd} on the system, among other advantages, eliminates
1681 this binary incompatibility problem because those @code{libnss_*.so}
1682 files are loaded in the @command{nscd} process, not in applications
1685 @subsection X11 Fonts
1688 The majority of graphical applications use Fontconfig to locate and
1689 load fonts and perform X11-client-side rendering. The @code{fontconfig}
1690 package in Guix looks for fonts in @file{$HOME/.guix-profile}
1691 by default. Thus, to allow graphical applications installed with Guix
1692 to display fonts, you have to install fonts with Guix as well.
1693 Essential font packages include @code{gs-fonts}, @code{font-dejavu}, and
1694 @code{font-gnu-freefont}.
1696 @cindex @code{fc-cache}
1698 Once you have installed or removed fonts, or when you notice an
1699 application that does not find fonts, you may need to install Fontconfig
1700 and to force an update of its font cache by running:
1703 guix install fontconfig
1707 To display text written in Chinese languages, Japanese, or Korean in
1708 graphical applications, consider installing
1709 @code{font-adobe-source-han-sans} or @code{font-wqy-zenhei}. The former
1710 has multiple outputs, one per language family (@pxref{Packages with
1711 Multiple Outputs}). For instance, the following command installs fonts
1712 for Chinese languages:
1715 guix install font-adobe-source-han-sans:cn
1718 @cindex @code{xterm}
1719 Older programs such as @command{xterm} do not use Fontconfig and instead
1720 rely on server-side font rendering. Such programs require to specify a
1721 full name of a font using XLFD (X Logical Font Description), like this:
1724 -*-dejavu sans-medium-r-normal-*-*-100-*-*-*-*-*-1
1727 To be able to use such full names for the TrueType fonts installed in
1728 your Guix profile, you need to extend the font path of the X server:
1730 @c Note: 'xset' does not accept symlinks so the trick below arranges to
1731 @c get at the real directory. See <https://bugs.gnu.org/30655>.
1733 xset +fp $(dirname $(readlink -f ~/.guix-profile/share/fonts/truetype/fonts.dir))
1736 @cindex @code{xlsfonts}
1737 After that, you can run @code{xlsfonts} (from @code{xlsfonts} package)
1738 to make sure your TrueType fonts are listed there.
1741 @subsection X.509 Certificates
1743 @cindex @code{nss-certs}
1744 The @code{nss-certs} package provides X.509 certificates, which allow
1745 programs to authenticate Web servers accessed over HTTPS.
1747 When using Guix on a foreign distro, you can install this package and
1748 define the relevant environment variables so that packages know where to
1749 look for certificates. @xref{X.509 Certificates}, for detailed
1752 @subsection Emacs Packages
1754 @cindex @code{emacs}
1755 When you install Emacs packages with Guix, the Elisp files are placed
1756 under the @file{share/emacs/site-lisp/} directory of the profile in
1757 which they are installed. The Elisp libraries are made available to
1758 Emacs through the @code{EMACSLOADPATH} environment variable, which is
1759 set when installing Emacs itself.
1761 Additionally, autoload definitions are automatically evaluated at the
1762 initialization of Emacs, by the Guix-specific
1763 @code{guix-emacs-autoload-packages} procedure. If, for some reason, you
1764 want to avoid auto-loading the Emacs packages installed with Guix, you
1765 can do so by running Emacs with the @code{--no-site-file} option
1766 (@pxref{Init File,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
1768 @subsection The GCC toolchain
1773 Guix offers individual compiler packages such as @code{gcc} but if you
1774 are in need of a complete toolchain for compiling and linking source
1775 code what you really want is the @code{gcc-toolchain} package. This
1776 package provides a complete GCC toolchain for C/C++ development,
1777 including GCC itself, the GNU C Library (headers and binaries, plus
1778 debugging symbols in the @code{debug} output), Binutils, and a linker
1781 The wrapper's purpose is to inspect the @code{-L} and @code{-l} switches
1782 passed to the linker, add corresponding @code{-rpath} arguments, and
1783 invoke the actual linker with this new set of arguments. You can instruct the
1784 wrapper to refuse to link against libraries not in the store by setting the
1785 @code{GUIX_LD_WRAPPER_ALLOW_IMPURITIES} environment variable to @code{no}.
1787 @node Upgrading Guix
1788 @section Upgrading Guix
1790 @cindex Upgrading Guix, on a foreign distro
1792 To upgrade Guix, run:
1798 @xref{Invoking guix pull}, for more information.
1800 @cindex upgrading Guix for the root user, on a foreign distro
1801 @cindex upgrading the Guix daemon, on a foreign distro
1802 @cindex @command{guix pull} for the root user, on a foreign distro
1804 On a foreign distro, you can upgrade the build daemon by running:
1811 followed by (assuming your distro uses the systemd service management
1815 systemctl restart guix-daemon.service
1818 On Guix System, upgrading the daemon is achieved by reconfiguring the
1819 system (@pxref{Invoking guix system, @code{guix system reconfigure}}).
1823 @c *********************************************************************
1824 @node System Installation
1825 @chapter System Installation
1827 @cindex installing Guix System
1828 @cindex Guix System, installation
1829 This section explains how to install Guix System
1830 on a machine. Guix, as a package manager, can
1831 also be installed on top of a running GNU/Linux system,
1832 @pxref{Installation}.
1836 @c This paragraph is for people reading this from tty2 of the
1837 @c installation image.
1838 You are reading this documentation with an Info reader. For details on
1839 how to use it, hit the @key{RET} key (``return'' or ``enter'') on the
1840 link that follows: @pxref{Top, Info reader,, info-stnd, Stand-alone GNU
1841 Info}. Hit @kbd{l} afterwards to come back here.
1843 Alternately, run @command{info info} in another tty to keep the manual
1849 * Limitations:: What you can expect.
1850 * Hardware Considerations:: Supported hardware.
1851 * USB Stick and DVD Installation:: Preparing the installation medium.
1852 * Preparing for Installation:: Networking, partitioning, etc.
1853 * Guided Graphical Installation:: Easy graphical installation.
1854 * Manual Installation:: Manual installation for wizards.
1855 * After System Installation:: When installation succeeded.
1856 * Installing Guix in a VM:: Guix System playground.
1857 * Building the Installation Image:: How this comes to be.
1861 @section Limitations
1863 We consider Guix System to be ready for a wide range of ``desktop'' and server
1864 use cases. The reliability guarantees it provides---transactional upgrades
1865 and rollbacks, reproducibility---make it a solid foundation.
1867 Nevertheless, before you proceed with the installation, be aware of the
1868 following noteworthy limitations applicable to version @value{VERSION}:
1872 Support for the Logical Volume Manager (LVM) is missing.
1875 More and more system services are provided (@pxref{Services}), but some
1879 GNOME, Xfce, LXDE, and Enlightenment are available (@pxref{Desktop Services}),
1880 as well as a number of X11 window managers. However, KDE is currently
1884 More than a disclaimer, this is an invitation to report issues (and success
1885 stories!), and to join us in improving it. @xref{Contributing}, for more
1889 @node Hardware Considerations
1890 @section Hardware Considerations
1892 @cindex hardware support on Guix System
1893 GNU@tie{}Guix focuses on respecting the user's computing freedom. It
1894 builds around the kernel Linux-libre, which means that only hardware for
1895 which free software drivers and firmware exist is supported. Nowadays,
1896 a wide range of off-the-shelf hardware is supported on
1897 GNU/Linux-libre---from keyboards to graphics cards to scanners and
1898 Ethernet controllers. Unfortunately, there are still areas where
1899 hardware vendors deny users control over their own computing, and such
1900 hardware is not supported on Guix System.
1902 @cindex WiFi, hardware support
1903 One of the main areas where free drivers or firmware are lacking is WiFi
1904 devices. WiFi devices known to work include those using Atheros chips
1905 (AR9271 and AR7010), which corresponds to the @code{ath9k} Linux-libre
1906 driver, and those using Broadcom/AirForce chips (BCM43xx with
1907 Wireless-Core Revision 5), which corresponds to the @code{b43-open}
1908 Linux-libre driver. Free firmware exists for both and is available
1909 out-of-the-box on Guix System, as part of @code{%base-firmware}
1910 (@pxref{operating-system Reference, @code{firmware}}).
1912 @cindex RYF, Respects Your Freedom
1913 The @uref{https://www.fsf.org/, Free Software Foundation} runs
1914 @uref{https://www.fsf.org/ryf, @dfn{Respects Your Freedom}} (RYF), a
1915 certification program for hardware products that respect your freedom
1916 and your privacy and ensure that you have control over your device. We
1917 encourage you to check the list of RYF-certified devices.
1919 Another useful resource is the @uref{https://www.h-node.org/, H-Node}
1920 web site. It contains a catalog of hardware devices with information
1921 about their support in GNU/Linux.
1924 @node USB Stick and DVD Installation
1925 @section USB Stick and DVD Installation
1927 An ISO-9660 installation image that can be written to a USB stick or
1928 burnt to a DVD can be downloaded from
1929 @indicateurl{@value{BASE-URL}/guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz},
1930 where @var{system} is one of:
1934 for a GNU/Linux system on Intel/AMD-compatible 64-bit CPUs;
1937 for a 32-bit GNU/Linux system on Intel-compatible CPUs.
1940 @c start duplication of authentication part from ``Binary Installation''
1941 Make sure to download the associated @file{.sig} file and to verify the
1942 authenticity of the image against it, along these lines:
1945 $ wget @value{BASE-URL}/guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz.sig
1946 $ gpg --verify guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz.sig
1949 If that command fails because you do not have the required public key,
1950 then run this command to import it:
1953 $ wget @value{OPENPGP-SIGNING-KEY-URL} \
1954 -qO - | gpg --import -
1958 and rerun the @code{gpg --verify} command.
1960 Take note that a warning like ``This key is not certified with a trusted
1961 signature!'' is normal.
1965 This image contains the tools necessary for an installation.
1966 It is meant to be copied @emph{as is} to a large-enough USB stick or DVD.
1968 @unnumberedsubsec Copying to a USB Stick
1970 To copy the image to a USB stick, follow these steps:
1974 Decompress the image using the @command{xz} command:
1977 xz -d guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz
1981 Insert a USB stick of 1@tie{}GiB or more into your machine, and determine
1982 its device name. Assuming that the USB stick is known as @file{/dev/sdX},
1983 copy the image with:
1986 dd if=guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso of=/dev/sdX
1990 Access to @file{/dev/sdX} usually requires root privileges.
1993 @unnumberedsubsec Burning on a DVD
1995 To copy the image to a DVD, follow these steps:
1999 Decompress the image using the @command{xz} command:
2002 xz -d guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso.xz
2006 Insert a blank DVD into your machine, and determine
2007 its device name. Assuming that the DVD drive is known as @file{/dev/srX},
2008 copy the image with:
2011 growisofs -dvd-compat -Z /dev/srX=guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso
2014 Access to @file{/dev/srX} usually requires root privileges.
2017 @unnumberedsubsec Booting
2019 Once this is done, you should be able to reboot the system and boot from
2020 the USB stick or DVD. The latter usually requires you to get in the
2021 BIOS or UEFI boot menu, where you can choose to boot from the USB stick.
2022 In order to boot from Libreboot, switch to the command mode by pressing
2023 the @kbd{c} key and type @command{search_grub usb}.
2025 @xref{Installing Guix in a VM}, if, instead, you would like to install
2026 Guix System in a virtual machine (VM).
2029 @node Preparing for Installation
2030 @section Preparing for Installation
2032 Once you have booted, you can use the guided graphical installer, which makes
2033 it easy to get started (@pxref{Guided Graphical Installation}). Alternately,
2034 if you are already familiar with GNU/Linux and if you want more control than
2035 what the graphical installer provides, you can choose the ``manual''
2036 installation process (@pxref{Manual Installation}).
2038 The graphical installer is available on TTY1. You can obtain root shells on
2039 TTYs 3 to 6 by hitting @kbd{ctrl-alt-f3}, @kbd{ctrl-alt-f4}, etc. TTY2 shows
2040 this documentation and you can reach it with @kbd{ctrl-alt-f2}. Documentation
2041 is browsable using the Info reader commands (@pxref{Top,,, info-stnd,
2042 Stand-alone GNU Info}). The installation system runs the GPM mouse daemon,
2043 which allows you to select text with the left mouse button and to paste it
2044 with the middle button.
2047 Installation requires access to the Internet so that any missing
2048 dependencies of your system configuration can be downloaded. See the
2049 ``Networking'' section below.
2052 @node Guided Graphical Installation
2053 @section Guided Graphical Installation
2055 The graphical installer is a text-based user interface. It will guide you,
2056 with dialog boxes, through the steps needed to install GNU@tie{}Guix System.
2058 The first dialog boxes allow you to set up the system as you use it during the
2059 installation: you can choose the language, keyboard layout, and set up
2060 networking, which will be used during the installation. The image below shows
2061 the networking dialog.
2063 @image{images/installer-network,5in,, networking setup with the graphical installer}
2065 Later steps allow you to partition your hard disk, as shown in the image
2066 below, to choose whether or not to use encrypted file systems, to enter the
2067 host name and root password, and to create an additional account, among other
2070 @image{images/installer-partitions,5in,, partitioning with the graphical installer}
2072 Note that, at any time, the installer allows you to exit the current
2073 installation step and resume at a previous step, as show in the image below.
2075 @image{images/installer-resume,5in,, resuming the installation process}
2077 Once you're done, the installer produces an operating system configuration and
2078 displays it (@pxref{Using the Configuration System}). At that point you can
2079 hit ``OK'' and installation will proceed. On success, you can reboot into the
2080 new system and enjoy. @xref{After System Installation}, for what's next!
2083 @node Manual Installation
2084 @section Manual Installation
2086 This section describes how you would ``manually'' install GNU@tie{}Guix System
2087 on your machine. This option requires familiarity with GNU/Linux, with the
2088 shell, and with common administration tools. If you think this is not for
2089 you, consider using the guided graphical installer (@pxref{Guided Graphical
2092 The installation system provides root shells on TTYs 3 to 6; press
2093 @kbd{ctrl-alt-f3}, @kbd{ctrl-alt-f4}, and so on to reach them. It includes
2094 many common tools needed to install the system. But it is also a full-blown
2095 Guix System, which means that you can install additional packages, should you
2096 need it, using @command{guix package} (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).
2099 * Keyboard Layout and Networking and Partitioning:: Initial setup.
2100 * Proceeding with the Installation:: Installing.
2103 @node Keyboard Layout and Networking and Partitioning
2104 @subsection Keyboard Layout, Networking, and Partitioning
2106 Before you can install the system, you may want to adjust the keyboard layout,
2107 set up networking, and partition your target hard disk. This section will
2108 guide you through this.
2110 @subsubsection Keyboard Layout
2112 @cindex keyboard layout
2113 The installation image uses the US qwerty keyboard layout. If you want
2114 to change it, you can use the @command{loadkeys} command. For example,
2115 the following command selects the Dvorak keyboard layout:
2121 See the files under @file{/run/current-system/profile/share/keymaps} for
2122 a list of available keyboard layouts. Run @command{man loadkeys} for
2125 @subsubsection Networking
2127 Run the following command to see what your network interfaces are called:
2134 @dots{} or, using the GNU/Linux-specific @command{ip} command:
2140 @c https://cgit.freedesktop.org/systemd/systemd/tree/src/udev/udev-builtin-net_id.c#n20
2141 Wired interfaces have a name starting with @samp{e}; for example, the
2142 interface corresponding to the first on-board Ethernet controller is
2143 called @samp{eno1}. Wireless interfaces have a name starting with
2144 @samp{w}, like @samp{w1p2s0}.
2147 @item Wired connection
2148 To configure a wired network run the following command, substituting
2149 @var{interface} with the name of the wired interface you want to use.
2152 ifconfig @var{interface} up
2156 @dots{} or, using the GNU/Linux-specific @command{ip} command:
2159 ip link set @var{interface} up
2162 @item Wireless connection
2165 To configure wireless networking, you can create a configuration file
2166 for the @command{wpa_supplicant} configuration tool (its location is not
2167 important) using one of the available text editors such as
2171 nano wpa_supplicant.conf
2174 As an example, the following stanza can go to this file and will work
2175 for many wireless networks, provided you give the actual SSID and
2176 passphrase for the network you are connecting to:
2180 ssid="@var{my-ssid}"
2182 psk="the network's secret passphrase"
2186 Start the wireless service and run it in the background with the
2187 following command (substitute @var{interface} with the name of the
2188 network interface you want to use):
2191 wpa_supplicant -c wpa_supplicant.conf -i @var{interface} -B
2194 Run @command{man wpa_supplicant} for more information.
2198 At this point, you need to acquire an IP address. On a network where IP
2199 addresses are automatically assigned @i{via} DHCP, you can run:
2202 dhclient -v @var{interface}
2205 Try to ping a server to see if networking is up and running:
2211 Setting up network access is almost always a requirement because the
2212 image does not contain all the software and tools that may be needed.
2214 @cindex proxy, during system installation
2215 If you need HTTP and HTTPS access to go through a proxy, run the
2219 herd set-http-proxy guix-daemon @var{URL}
2223 where @var{URL} is the proxy URL, for example
2224 @code{http://example.org:8118}.
2226 @cindex installing over SSH
2227 If you want to, you can continue the installation remotely by starting
2231 herd start ssh-daemon
2234 Make sure to either set a password with @command{passwd}, or configure
2235 OpenSSH public key authentication before logging in.
2237 @subsubsection Disk Partitioning
2239 Unless this has already been done, the next step is to partition, and
2240 then format the target partition(s).
2242 The installation image includes several partitioning tools, including
2243 Parted (@pxref{Overview,,, parted, GNU Parted User Manual}),
2244 @command{fdisk}, and @command{cfdisk}. Run it and set up your disk with
2245 the partition layout you want:
2251 If your disk uses the GUID Partition Table (GPT) format and you plan to
2252 install BIOS-based GRUB (which is the default), make sure a BIOS Boot
2253 Partition is available (@pxref{BIOS installation,,, grub, GNU GRUB
2256 @cindex EFI, installation
2257 @cindex UEFI, installation
2258 @cindex ESP, EFI system partition
2259 If you instead wish to use EFI-based GRUB, a FAT32 @dfn{EFI System Partition}
2260 (ESP) is required. This partition can be mounted at @file{/boot/efi} for
2261 instance and must have the @code{esp} flag set. E.g., for @command{parted}:
2264 parted /dev/sda set 1 esp on
2268 @vindex grub-bootloader
2269 @vindex grub-efi-bootloader
2270 Unsure whether to use EFI- or BIOS-based GRUB? If the directory
2271 @file{/sys/firmware/efi} exists in the installation image, then you should
2272 probably perform an EFI installation, using @code{grub-efi-bootloader}.
2273 Otherwise you should use the BIOS-based GRUB, known as
2274 @code{grub-bootloader}. @xref{Bootloader Configuration}, for more info on
2278 Once you are done partitioning the target hard disk drive, you have to
2279 create a file system on the relevant partition(s)@footnote{Currently
2280 Guix System only supports ext4, btrfs, and JFS file systems. In particular,
2281 code that reads file system UUIDs and labels only works for these file system
2282 types.}. For the ESP, if you have one and assuming it is
2283 @file{/dev/sda1}, run:
2286 mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sda1
2289 Preferably, assign file systems a label so that you can easily and
2290 reliably refer to them in @code{file-system} declarations (@pxref{File
2291 Systems}). This is typically done using the @code{-L} option of
2292 @command{mkfs.ext4} and related commands. So, assuming the target root
2293 partition lives at @file{/dev/sda2}, a file system with the label
2294 @code{my-root} can be created with:
2297 mkfs.ext4 -L my-root /dev/sda2
2300 @cindex encrypted disk
2301 If you are instead planning to encrypt the root partition, you can use
2302 the Cryptsetup/LUKS utilities to do that (see @inlinefmtifelse{html,
2303 @uref{https://linux.die.net/man/8/cryptsetup, @code{man cryptsetup}},
2304 @code{man cryptsetup}} for more information.) Assuming you want to
2305 store the root partition on @file{/dev/sda2}, the command sequence would
2306 be along these lines:
2309 cryptsetup luksFormat /dev/sda2
2310 cryptsetup open --type luks /dev/sda2 my-partition
2311 mkfs.ext4 -L my-root /dev/mapper/my-partition
2314 Once that is done, mount the target file system under @file{/mnt}
2315 with a command like (again, assuming @code{my-root} is the label of the
2319 mount LABEL=my-root /mnt
2322 Also mount any other file systems you would like to use on the target
2323 system relative to this path. If you have opted for @file{/boot/efi} as an
2324 EFI mount point for example, mount it at @file{/mnt/boot/efi} now so it is
2325 found by @code{guix system init} afterwards.
2327 Finally, if you plan to use one or more swap partitions (@pxref{Memory
2328 Concepts, swap space,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}), make
2329 sure to initialize them with @command{mkswap}. Assuming you have one
2330 swap partition on @file{/dev/sda3}, you would run:
2337 Alternatively, you may use a swap file. For example, assuming that in
2338 the new system you want to use the file @file{/swapfile} as a swap file,
2339 you would run@footnote{This example will work for many types of file
2340 systems (e.g., ext4). However, for copy-on-write file systems (e.g.,
2341 btrfs), the required steps may be different. For details, see the
2342 manual pages for @command{mkswap} and @command{swapon}.}:
2345 # This is 10 GiB of swap space. Adjust "count" to change the size.
2346 dd if=/dev/zero of=/mnt/swapfile bs=1MiB count=10240
2347 # For security, make the file readable and writable only by root.
2348 chmod 600 /mnt/swapfile
2349 mkswap /mnt/swapfile
2350 swapon /mnt/swapfile
2353 Note that if you have encrypted the root partition and created a swap
2354 file in its file system as described above, then the encryption also
2355 protects the swap file, just like any other file in that file system.
2357 @node Proceeding with the Installation
2358 @subsection Proceeding with the Installation
2360 With the target partitions ready and the target root mounted on
2361 @file{/mnt}, we're ready to go. First, run:
2364 herd start cow-store /mnt
2367 This makes @file{/gnu/store} copy-on-write, such that packages added to it
2368 during the installation phase are written to the target disk on @file{/mnt}
2369 rather than kept in memory. This is necessary because the first phase of
2370 the @command{guix system init} command (see below) entails downloads or
2371 builds to @file{/gnu/store} which, initially, is an in-memory file system.
2373 Next, you have to edit a file and
2374 provide the declaration of the operating system to be installed. To
2375 that end, the installation system comes with three text editors. We
2376 recommend GNU nano (@pxref{Top,,, nano, GNU nano Manual}), which
2377 supports syntax highlighting and parentheses matching; other editors
2378 include GNU Zile (an Emacs clone), and
2379 nvi (a clone of the original BSD @command{vi} editor).
2380 We strongly recommend storing that file on the target root file system, say,
2381 as @file{/mnt/etc/config.scm}. Failing to do that, you will have lost your
2382 configuration file once you have rebooted into the newly-installed system.
2384 @xref{Using the Configuration System}, for an overview of the
2385 configuration file. The example configurations discussed in that
2386 section are available under @file{/etc/configuration} in the
2387 installation image. Thus, to get started with a system configuration
2388 providing a graphical display server (a ``desktop'' system), you can run
2389 something along these lines:
2393 # cp /etc/configuration/desktop.scm /mnt/etc/config.scm
2394 # nano /mnt/etc/config.scm
2397 You should pay attention to what your configuration file contains, and
2402 Make sure the @code{bootloader-configuration} form refers to the target
2403 you want to install GRUB on. It should mention @code{grub-bootloader} if
2404 you are installing GRUB in the legacy way, or @code{grub-efi-bootloader}
2405 for newer UEFI systems. For legacy systems, the @code{target} field
2406 names a device, like @code{/dev/sda}; for UEFI systems it names a path
2407 to a mounted EFI partition, like @code{/boot/efi}; do make sure the path is
2408 currently mounted and a @code{file-system} entry is specified in your
2412 Be sure that your file system labels match the value of their respective
2413 @code{device} fields in your @code{file-system} configuration, assuming
2414 your @code{file-system} configuration uses the @code{file-system-label}
2415 procedure in its @code{device} field.
2418 If there are encrypted or RAID partitions, make sure to add a
2419 @code{mapped-devices} field to describe them (@pxref{Mapped Devices}).
2422 Once you are done preparing the configuration file, the new system must
2423 be initialized (remember that the target root file system is mounted
2427 guix system init /mnt/etc/config.scm /mnt
2431 This copies all the necessary files and installs GRUB on
2432 @file{/dev/sdX}, unless you pass the @option{--no-bootloader} option. For
2433 more information, @pxref{Invoking guix system}. This command may trigger
2434 downloads or builds of missing packages, which can take some time.
2436 Once that command has completed---and hopefully succeeded!---you can run
2437 @command{reboot} and boot into the new system. The @code{root} password
2438 in the new system is initially empty; other users' passwords need to be
2439 initialized by running the @command{passwd} command as @code{root},
2440 unless your configuration specifies otherwise
2441 (@pxref{user-account-password, user account passwords}).
2442 @xref{After System Installation}, for what's next!
2445 @node After System Installation
2446 @section After System Installation
2448 Success, you've now booted into Guix System! From then on, you can update the
2449 system whenever you want by running, say:
2453 sudo guix system reconfigure /etc/config.scm
2457 This builds a new system generation with the latest packages and services
2458 (@pxref{Invoking guix system}). We recommend doing that regularly so that
2459 your system includes the latest security updates (@pxref{Security Updates}).
2461 @c See <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2019-01/msg00268.html>.
2463 @cindex sudo vs. @command{guix pull}
2464 Note that @command{sudo guix} runs your user's @command{guix} command and
2465 @emph{not} root's, because @command{sudo} leaves @code{PATH} unchanged. To
2466 explicitly run root's @command{guix}, type @command{sudo -i guix @dots{}}.
2468 The difference matters here, because @command{guix pull} updates
2469 the @command{guix} command and package definitions only for the user it is ran
2470 as. This means that if you choose to use @command{guix system reconfigure} in
2471 root's login shell, you'll need to @command{guix pull} separately.
2474 Join us on @code{#guix} on the Freenode IRC network or on
2475 @email{guix-devel@@gnu.org} to share your experience!
2478 @node Installing Guix in a VM
2479 @section Installing Guix in a Virtual Machine
2481 @cindex virtual machine, Guix System installation
2482 @cindex virtual private server (VPS)
2483 @cindex VPS (virtual private server)
2484 If you'd like to install Guix System in a virtual machine (VM) or on a
2485 virtual private server (VPS) rather than on your beloved machine, this
2488 To boot a @uref{https://qemu.org/,QEMU} VM for installing Guix System in a
2489 disk image, follow these steps:
2493 First, retrieve and decompress the Guix system installation image as
2494 described previously (@pxref{USB Stick and DVD Installation}).
2497 Create a disk image that will hold the installed system. To make a
2498 qcow2-formatted disk image, use the @command{qemu-img} command:
2501 qemu-img create -f qcow2 guix-system.img 50G
2504 The resulting file will be much smaller than 50 GB (typically less than
2505 1 MB), but it will grow as the virtualized storage device is filled up.
2508 Boot the USB installation image in an VM:
2511 qemu-system-x86_64 -m 1024 -smp 1 -enable-kvm \
2512 -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci -boot menu=on,order=d \
2513 -drive file=guix-system.img \
2514 -drive media=cdrom,file=guix-system-install-@value{VERSION}.@var{system}.iso
2517 @code{-enable-kvm} is optional, but significantly improves performance,
2518 @pxref{Running Guix in a VM}.
2521 You're now root in the VM, proceed with the installation process.
2522 @xref{Preparing for Installation}, and follow the instructions.
2525 Once installation is complete, you can boot the system that's on your
2526 @file{guix-system.img} image. @xref{Running Guix in a VM}, for how to do
2529 @node Building the Installation Image
2530 @section Building the Installation Image
2532 @cindex installation image
2533 The installation image described above was built using the @command{guix
2534 system} command, specifically:
2537 guix system disk-image --file-system-type=iso9660 \
2538 gnu/system/install.scm
2541 Have a look at @file{gnu/system/install.scm} in the source tree,
2542 and see also @ref{Invoking guix system} for more information
2543 about the installation image.
2545 @section Building the Installation Image for ARM Boards
2547 Many ARM boards require a specific variant of the
2548 @uref{https://www.denx.de/wiki/U-Boot/, U-Boot} bootloader.
2550 If you build a disk image and the bootloader is not available otherwise
2551 (on another boot drive etc), it's advisable to build an image that
2552 includes the bootloader, specifically:
2555 guix system disk-image --system=armhf-linux -e '((@@ (gnu system install) os-with-u-boot) (@@ (gnu system install) installation-os) "A20-OLinuXino-Lime2")'
2558 @code{A20-OLinuXino-Lime2} is the name of the board. If you specify an invalid
2559 board, a list of possible boards will be printed.
2561 @c *********************************************************************
2562 @node Package Management
2563 @chapter Package Management
2566 The purpose of GNU Guix is to allow users to easily install, upgrade, and
2567 remove software packages, without having to know about their build
2568 procedures or dependencies. Guix also goes beyond this obvious set of
2571 This chapter describes the main features of Guix, as well as the
2572 package management tools it provides. Along with the command-line
2573 interface described below (@pxref{Invoking guix package, @code{guix
2574 package}}), you may also use the Emacs-Guix interface (@pxref{Top,,,
2575 emacs-guix, The Emacs-Guix Reference Manual}), after installing
2576 @code{emacs-guix} package (run @kbd{M-x guix-help} command to start
2580 guix install emacs-guix
2584 * Features:: How Guix will make your life brighter.
2585 * Invoking guix package:: Package installation, removal, etc.
2586 * Substitutes:: Downloading pre-built binaries.
2587 * Packages with Multiple Outputs:: Single source package, multiple outputs.
2588 * Invoking guix gc:: Running the garbage collector.
2589 * Invoking guix pull:: Fetching the latest Guix and distribution.
2590 * Channels:: Customizing the package collection.
2591 * Invoking guix time-machine:: Running an older revision of Guix.
2592 * Inferiors:: Interacting with another revision of Guix.
2593 * Invoking guix describe:: Display information about your Guix revision.
2594 * Invoking guix archive:: Exporting and importing store files.
2600 When using Guix, each package ends up in the @dfn{package store}, in its
2601 own directory---something that resembles
2602 @file{/gnu/store/xxx-package-1.2}, where @code{xxx} is a base32 string.
2604 Instead of referring to these directories, users have their own
2605 @dfn{profile}, which points to the packages that they actually want to
2606 use. These profiles are stored within each user's home directory, at
2607 @code{$HOME/.guix-profile}.
2609 For example, @code{alice} installs GCC 4.7.2. As a result,
2610 @file{/home/alice/.guix-profile/bin/gcc} points to
2611 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-gcc-4.7.2/bin/gcc}. Now, on the same machine,
2612 @code{bob} had already installed GCC 4.8.0. The profile of @code{bob}
2613 simply continues to point to
2614 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-gcc-4.8.0/bin/gcc}---i.e., both versions of GCC
2615 coexist on the same system without any interference.
2617 The @command{guix package} command is the central tool to manage
2618 packages (@pxref{Invoking guix package}). It operates on the per-user
2619 profiles, and can be used @emph{with normal user privileges}.
2621 @cindex transactions
2622 The command provides the obvious install, remove, and upgrade
2623 operations. Each invocation is actually a @emph{transaction}: either
2624 the specified operation succeeds, or nothing happens. Thus, if the
2625 @command{guix package} process is terminated during the transaction,
2626 or if a power outage occurs during the transaction, then the user's
2627 profile remains in its previous state, and remains usable.
2629 In addition, any package transaction may be @emph{rolled back}. So, if,
2630 for example, an upgrade installs a new version of a package that turns
2631 out to have a serious bug, users may roll back to the previous instance
2632 of their profile, which was known to work well. Similarly, the global
2633 system configuration on Guix is subject to
2634 transactional upgrades and roll-back
2635 (@pxref{Using the Configuration System}).
2637 All packages in the package store may be @emph{garbage-collected}.
2638 Guix can determine which packages are still referenced by user
2639 profiles, and remove those that are provably no longer referenced
2640 (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}). Users may also explicitly remove old
2641 generations of their profile so that the packages they refer to can be
2644 @cindex reproducibility
2645 @cindex reproducible builds
2646 Guix takes a @dfn{purely functional} approach to package
2647 management, as described in the introduction (@pxref{Introduction}).
2648 Each @file{/gnu/store} package directory name contains a hash of all the
2649 inputs that were used to build that package---compiler, libraries, build
2650 scripts, etc. This direct correspondence allows users to make sure a
2651 given package installation matches the current state of their
2652 distribution. It also helps maximize @dfn{build reproducibility}:
2653 thanks to the isolated build environments that are used, a given build
2654 is likely to yield bit-identical files when performed on different
2655 machines (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon, container}).
2658 This foundation allows Guix to support @dfn{transparent binary/source
2659 deployment}. When a pre-built binary for a @file{/gnu/store} item is
2660 available from an external source---a @dfn{substitute}, Guix just
2661 downloads it and unpacks it;
2662 otherwise, it builds the package from source, locally
2663 (@pxref{Substitutes}). Because build results are usually bit-for-bit
2664 reproducible, users do not have to trust servers that provide
2665 substitutes: they can force a local build and @emph{challenge} providers
2666 (@pxref{Invoking guix challenge}).
2668 Control over the build environment is a feature that is also useful for
2669 developers. The @command{guix environment} command allows developers of
2670 a package to quickly set up the right development environment for their
2671 package, without having to manually install the dependencies of the
2672 package into their profile (@pxref{Invoking guix environment}).
2674 @cindex replication, of software environments
2675 @cindex provenance tracking, of software artifacts
2676 All of Guix and its package definitions is version-controlled, and
2677 @command{guix pull} allows you to ``travel in time'' on the history of Guix
2678 itself (@pxref{Invoking guix pull}). This makes it possible to replicate a
2679 Guix instance on a different machine or at a later point in time, which in
2680 turn allows you to @emph{replicate complete software environments}, while
2681 retaining precise @dfn{provenance tracking} of the software.
2683 @node Invoking guix package
2684 @section Invoking @command{guix package}
2686 @cindex installing packages
2687 @cindex removing packages
2688 @cindex package installation
2689 @cindex package removal
2690 The @command{guix package} command is the tool that allows users to
2691 install, upgrade, and remove packages, as well as rolling back to
2692 previous configurations. It operates only on the user's own profile,
2693 and works with normal user privileges (@pxref{Features}). Its syntax
2697 guix package @var{options}
2700 @cindex transactions
2701 Primarily, @var{options} specifies the operations to be performed during
2702 the transaction. Upon completion, a new profile is created, but
2703 previous @dfn{generations} of the profile remain available, should the user
2706 For example, to remove @code{lua} and install @code{guile} and
2707 @code{guile-cairo} in a single transaction:
2710 guix package -r lua -i guile guile-cairo
2713 @cindex aliases, for @command{guix package}
2714 For your convenience, we also provide the following aliases:
2718 @command{guix search} is an alias for @command{guix package -s},
2720 @command{guix install} is an alias for @command{guix package -i},
2722 @command{guix remove} is an alias for @command{guix package -r},
2724 @command{guix upgrade} is an alias for @command{guix package -u},
2726 and @command{guix show} is an alias for @command{guix package --show=}.
2729 These aliases are less expressive than @command{guix package} and provide
2730 fewer options, so in some cases you'll probably want to use @command{guix
2733 @command{guix package} also supports a @dfn{declarative approach}
2734 whereby the user specifies the exact set of packages to be available and
2735 passes it @i{via} the @option{--manifest} option
2736 (@pxref{profile-manifest, @option{--manifest}}).
2739 For each user, a symlink to the user's default profile is automatically
2740 created in @file{$HOME/.guix-profile}. This symlink always points to the
2741 current generation of the user's default profile. Thus, users can add
2742 @file{$HOME/.guix-profile/bin} to their @code{PATH} environment
2743 variable, and so on.
2744 @cindex search paths
2745 If you are not using Guix System, consider adding the
2746 following lines to your @file{~/.bash_profile} (@pxref{Bash Startup
2747 Files,,, bash, The GNU Bash Reference Manual}) so that newly-spawned
2748 shells get all the right environment variable definitions:
2751 GUIX_PROFILE="$HOME/.guix-profile" ; \
2752 source "$HOME/.guix-profile/etc/profile"
2755 In a multi-user setup, user profiles are stored in a place registered as
2756 a @dfn{garbage-collector root}, which @file{$HOME/.guix-profile} points
2757 to (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}). That directory is normally
2758 @code{@var{localstatedir}/guix/profiles/per-user/@var{user}}, where
2759 @var{localstatedir} is the value passed to @code{configure} as
2760 @code{--localstatedir}, and @var{user} is the user name. The
2761 @file{per-user} directory is created when @command{guix-daemon} is
2762 started, and the @var{user} sub-directory is created by @command{guix
2765 The @var{options} can be among the following:
2769 @item --install=@var{package} @dots{}
2770 @itemx -i @var{package} @dots{}
2771 Install the specified @var{package}s.
2773 Each @var{package} may specify either a simple package name, such as
2774 @code{guile}, or a package name followed by an at-sign and version number,
2775 such as @code{guile@@1.8.8} or simply @code{guile@@1.8} (in the latter
2776 case, the newest version prefixed by @code{1.8} is selected.)
2778 If no version number is specified, the
2779 newest available version will be selected. In addition, @var{package}
2780 may contain a colon, followed by the name of one of the outputs of the
2781 package, as in @code{gcc:doc} or @code{binutils@@2.22:lib}
2782 (@pxref{Packages with Multiple Outputs}). Packages with a corresponding
2783 name (and optionally version) are searched for among the GNU
2784 distribution modules (@pxref{Package Modules}).
2786 @cindex propagated inputs
2787 Sometimes packages have @dfn{propagated inputs}: these are dependencies
2788 that automatically get installed along with the required package
2789 (@pxref{package-propagated-inputs, @code{propagated-inputs} in
2790 @code{package} objects}, for information about propagated inputs in
2791 package definitions).
2793 @anchor{package-cmd-propagated-inputs}
2794 An example is the GNU MPC library: its C header files refer to those of
2795 the GNU MPFR library, which in turn refer to those of the GMP library.
2796 Thus, when installing MPC, the MPFR and GMP libraries also get installed
2797 in the profile; removing MPC also removes MPFR and GMP---unless they had
2798 also been explicitly installed by the user.
2800 Besides, packages sometimes rely on the definition of environment
2801 variables for their search paths (see explanation of
2802 @code{--search-paths} below). Any missing or possibly incorrect
2803 environment variable definitions are reported here.
2805 @item --install-from-expression=@var{exp}
2807 Install the package @var{exp} evaluates to.
2809 @var{exp} must be a Scheme expression that evaluates to a
2810 @code{<package>} object. This option is notably useful to disambiguate
2811 between same-named variants of a package, with expressions such as
2812 @code{(@@ (gnu packages base) guile-final)}.
2814 Note that this option installs the first output of the specified
2815 package, which may be insufficient when needing a specific output of a
2816 multiple-output package.
2818 @item --install-from-file=@var{file}
2819 @itemx -f @var{file}
2820 Install the package that the code within @var{file} evaluates to.
2822 As an example, @var{file} might contain a definition like this
2823 (@pxref{Defining Packages}):
2826 @include package-hello.scm
2829 Developers may find it useful to include such a @file{guix.scm} file
2830 in the root of their project source tree that can be used to test
2831 development snapshots and create reproducible development environments
2832 (@pxref{Invoking guix environment}).
2834 The @var{file} may also contain a JSON representation of one or more
2835 package definitions. Running @code{guix package -f} on
2836 @file{hello.json} with the following contents would result in installing
2837 the package @code{greeter} after building @code{myhello}:
2840 @verbatiminclude package-hello.json
2843 @item --remove=@var{package} @dots{}
2844 @itemx -r @var{package} @dots{}
2845 Remove the specified @var{package}s.
2847 As for @code{--install}, each @var{package} may specify a version number
2848 and/or output name in addition to the package name. For instance,
2849 @code{-r glibc:debug} would remove the @code{debug} output of
2852 @item --upgrade[=@var{regexp} @dots{}]
2853 @itemx -u [@var{regexp} @dots{}]
2854 @cindex upgrading packages
2855 Upgrade all the installed packages. If one or more @var{regexp}s are
2856 specified, upgrade only installed packages whose name matches a
2857 @var{regexp}. Also see the @code{--do-not-upgrade} option below.
2859 Note that this upgrades package to the latest version of packages found
2860 in the distribution currently installed. To update your distribution,
2861 you should regularly run @command{guix pull} (@pxref{Invoking guix
2864 @item --do-not-upgrade[=@var{regexp} @dots{}]
2865 When used together with the @code{--upgrade} option, do @emph{not}
2866 upgrade any packages whose name matches a @var{regexp}. For example, to
2867 upgrade all packages in the current profile except those containing the
2868 substring ``emacs'':
2871 $ guix package --upgrade . --do-not-upgrade emacs
2874 @item @anchor{profile-manifest}--manifest=@var{file}
2875 @itemx -m @var{file}
2876 @cindex profile declaration
2877 @cindex profile manifest
2878 Create a new generation of the profile from the manifest object
2879 returned by the Scheme code in @var{file}. This option can be repeated
2880 several times, in which case the manifests are concatenated.
2882 This allows you to @emph{declare} the profile's contents rather than
2883 constructing it through a sequence of @code{--install} and similar
2884 commands. The advantage is that @var{file} can be put under version
2885 control, copied to different machines to reproduce the same profile, and
2888 @c FIXME: Add reference to (guix profile) documentation when available.
2889 @var{file} must return a @dfn{manifest} object, which is roughly a list
2892 @findex packages->manifest
2894 (use-package-modules guile emacs)
2899 ;; Use a specific package output.
2900 (list guile-2.0 "debug")))
2903 @findex specifications->manifest
2904 In this example we have to know which modules define the @code{emacs}
2905 and @code{guile-2.0} variables to provide the right
2906 @code{use-package-modules} line, which can be cumbersome. We can
2907 instead provide regular package specifications and let
2908 @code{specifications->manifest} look up the corresponding package
2912 (specifications->manifest
2913 '("emacs" "guile@@2.2" "guile@@2.2:debug"))
2917 @cindex rolling back
2918 @cindex undoing transactions
2919 @cindex transactions, undoing
2920 Roll back to the previous @dfn{generation} of the profile---i.e., undo
2921 the last transaction.
2923 When combined with options such as @code{--install}, roll back occurs
2924 before any other actions.
2926 When rolling back from the first generation that actually contains
2927 installed packages, the profile is made to point to the @dfn{zeroth
2928 generation}, which contains no files apart from its own metadata.
2930 After having rolled back, installing, removing, or upgrading packages
2931 overwrites previous future generations. Thus, the history of the
2932 generations in a profile is always linear.
2934 @item --switch-generation=@var{pattern}
2935 @itemx -S @var{pattern}
2937 Switch to a particular generation defined by @var{pattern}.
2939 @var{pattern} may be either a generation number or a number prefixed
2940 with ``+'' or ``-''. The latter means: move forward/backward by a
2941 specified number of generations. For example, if you want to return to
2942 the latest generation after @code{--roll-back}, use
2943 @code{--switch-generation=+1}.
2945 The difference between @code{--roll-back} and
2946 @code{--switch-generation=-1} is that @code{--switch-generation} will
2947 not make a zeroth generation, so if a specified generation does not
2948 exist, the current generation will not be changed.
2950 @item --search-paths[=@var{kind}]
2951 @cindex search paths
2952 Report environment variable definitions, in Bash syntax, that may be
2953 needed in order to use the set of installed packages. These environment
2954 variables are used to specify @dfn{search paths} for files used by some
2955 of the installed packages.
2957 For example, GCC needs the @code{CPATH} and @code{LIBRARY_PATH}
2958 environment variables to be defined so it can look for headers and
2959 libraries in the user's profile (@pxref{Environment Variables,,, gcc,
2960 Using the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC)}). If GCC and, say, the C
2961 library are installed in the profile, then @code{--search-paths} will
2962 suggest setting these variables to @code{@var{profile}/include} and
2963 @code{@var{profile}/lib}, respectively.
2965 The typical use case is to define these environment variables in the
2969 $ eval `guix package --search-paths`
2972 @var{kind} may be one of @code{exact}, @code{prefix}, or @code{suffix},
2973 meaning that the returned environment variable definitions will either
2974 be exact settings, or prefixes or suffixes of the current value of these
2975 variables. When omitted, @var{kind} defaults to @code{exact}.
2977 This option can also be used to compute the @emph{combined} search paths
2978 of several profiles. Consider this example:
2981 $ guix package -p foo -i guile
2982 $ guix package -p bar -i guile-json
2983 $ guix package -p foo -p bar --search-paths
2986 The last command above reports about the @code{GUILE_LOAD_PATH}
2987 variable, even though, taken individually, neither @file{foo} nor
2988 @file{bar} would lead to that recommendation.
2991 @item --profile=@var{profile}
2992 @itemx -p @var{profile}
2993 Use @var{profile} instead of the user's default profile.
2995 @var{profile} must be the name of a file that will be created upon
2996 completion. Concretely, @var{profile} will be a mere symbolic link
2997 (``symlink'') pointing to the actual profile where packages are
3001 $ guix install hello -p ~/code/my-profile
3003 $ ~/code/my-profile/bin/hello
3007 All it takes to get rid of the profile is to remove this symlink and its
3008 siblings that point to specific generations:
3011 $ rm ~/code/my-profile ~/code/my-profile-*-link
3014 @item --list-profiles
3015 List all the user's profiles:
3018 $ guix package --list-profiles
3019 /home/charlie/.guix-profile
3020 /home/charlie/code/my-profile
3021 /home/charlie/code/devel-profile
3022 /home/charlie/tmp/test
3025 When running as root, list all the profiles of all the users.
3027 @cindex collisions, in a profile
3028 @cindex colliding packages in profiles
3029 @cindex profile collisions
3030 @item --allow-collisions
3031 Allow colliding packages in the new profile. Use at your own risk!
3033 By default, @command{guix package} reports as an error @dfn{collisions}
3034 in the profile. Collisions happen when two or more different versions
3035 or variants of a given package end up in the profile.
3038 Use the bootstrap Guile to build the profile. This option is only
3039 useful to distribution developers.
3043 In addition to these actions, @command{guix package} supports the
3044 following options to query the current state of a profile, or the
3045 availability of packages:
3049 @item --search=@var{regexp}
3050 @itemx -s @var{regexp}
3051 @cindex searching for packages
3052 List the available packages whose name, synopsis, or description matches
3053 @var{regexp} (in a case-insensitive fashion), sorted by relevance.
3054 Print all the metadata of matching packages in
3055 @code{recutils} format (@pxref{Top, GNU recutils databases,, recutils,
3056 GNU recutils manual}).
3058 This allows specific fields to be extracted using the @command{recsel}
3059 command, for instance:
3062 $ guix package -s malloc | recsel -p name,version,relevance
3076 Similarly, to show the name of all the packages available under the
3077 terms of the GNU@tie{}LGPL version 3:
3080 $ guix package -s "" | recsel -p name -e 'license ~ "LGPL 3"'
3087 It is also possible to refine search results using several @code{-s} flags to
3088 @command{guix package}, or several arguments to @command{guix search}. For
3089 example, the following command returns a list of board games (this time using
3090 the @command{guix search} alias):
3093 $ guix search '\<board\>' game | recsel -p name
3098 If we were to omit @code{-s game}, we would also get software packages
3099 that deal with printed circuit boards; removing the angle brackets
3100 around @code{board} would further add packages that have to do with
3103 And now for a more elaborate example. The following command searches
3104 for cryptographic libraries, filters out Haskell, Perl, Python, and Ruby
3105 libraries, and prints the name and synopsis of the matching packages:
3108 $ guix search crypto library | \
3109 recsel -e '! (name ~ "^(ghc|perl|python|ruby)")' -p name,synopsis
3113 @xref{Selection Expressions,,, recutils, GNU recutils manual}, for more
3114 information on @dfn{selection expressions} for @code{recsel -e}.
3116 @item --show=@var{package}
3117 Show details about @var{package}, taken from the list of available packages, in
3118 @code{recutils} format (@pxref{Top, GNU recutils databases,, recutils, GNU
3122 $ guix package --show=python | recsel -p name,version
3130 You may also specify the full name of a package to only get details about a
3131 specific version of it (this time using the @command{guix show} alias):
3133 $ guix show python@@3.4 | recsel -p name,version
3140 @item --list-installed[=@var{regexp}]
3141 @itemx -I [@var{regexp}]
3142 List the currently installed packages in the specified profile, with the
3143 most recently installed packages shown last. When @var{regexp} is
3144 specified, list only installed packages whose name matches @var{regexp}.
3146 For each installed package, print the following items, separated by
3147 tabs: the package name, its version string, the part of the package that
3148 is installed (for instance, @code{out} for the default output,
3149 @code{include} for its headers, etc.), and the path of this package in
3152 @item --list-available[=@var{regexp}]
3153 @itemx -A [@var{regexp}]
3154 List packages currently available in the distribution for this system
3155 (@pxref{GNU Distribution}). When @var{regexp} is specified, list only
3156 available packages whose name matches @var{regexp}.
3158 For each package, print the following items separated by tabs: its name,
3159 its version string, the parts of the package (@pxref{Packages with
3160 Multiple Outputs}), and the source location of its definition.
3162 @item --list-generations[=@var{pattern}]
3163 @itemx -l [@var{pattern}]
3165 Return a list of generations along with their creation dates; for each
3166 generation, show the installed packages, with the most recently
3167 installed packages shown last. Note that the zeroth generation is never
3170 For each installed package, print the following items, separated by
3171 tabs: the name of a package, its version string, the part of the package
3172 that is installed (@pxref{Packages with Multiple Outputs}), and the
3173 location of this package in the store.
3175 When @var{pattern} is used, the command returns only matching
3176 generations. Valid patterns include:
3179 @item @emph{Integers and comma-separated integers}. Both patterns denote
3180 generation numbers. For instance, @code{--list-generations=1} returns
3183 And @code{--list-generations=1,8,2} outputs three generations in the
3184 specified order. Neither spaces nor trailing commas are allowed.
3186 @item @emph{Ranges}. @code{--list-generations=2..9} prints the
3187 specified generations and everything in between. Note that the start of
3188 a range must be smaller than its end.
3190 It is also possible to omit the endpoint. For example,
3191 @code{--list-generations=2..}, returns all generations starting from the
3194 @item @emph{Durations}. You can also get the last @emph{N}@tie{}days, weeks,
3195 or months by passing an integer along with the first letter of the
3196 duration. For example, @code{--list-generations=20d} lists generations
3197 that are up to 20 days old.
3200 @item --delete-generations[=@var{pattern}]
3201 @itemx -d [@var{pattern}]
3202 When @var{pattern} is omitted, delete all generations except the current
3205 This command accepts the same patterns as @option{--list-generations}.
3206 When @var{pattern} is specified, delete the matching generations. When
3207 @var{pattern} specifies a duration, generations @emph{older} than the
3208 specified duration match. For instance, @code{--delete-generations=1m}
3209 deletes generations that are more than one month old.
3211 If the current generation matches, it is @emph{not} deleted. Also, the
3212 zeroth generation is never deleted.
3214 Note that deleting generations prevents rolling back to them.
3215 Consequently, this command must be used with care.
3219 Finally, since @command{guix package} may actually start build
3220 processes, it supports all the common build options (@pxref{Common Build
3221 Options}). It also supports package transformation options, such as
3222 @option{--with-source} (@pxref{Package Transformation Options}).
3223 However, note that package transformations are lost when upgrading; to
3224 preserve transformations across upgrades, you should define your own
3225 package variant in a Guile module and add it to @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH}
3226 (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
3229 @section Substitutes
3232 @cindex pre-built binaries
3233 Guix supports transparent source/binary deployment, which means that it
3234 can either build things locally, or download pre-built items from a
3235 server, or both. We call these pre-built items @dfn{substitutes}---they
3236 are substitutes for local build results. In many cases, downloading a
3237 substitute is much faster than building things locally.
3239 Substitutes can be anything resulting from a derivation build
3240 (@pxref{Derivations}). Of course, in the common case, they are
3241 pre-built package binaries, but source tarballs, for instance, which
3242 also result from derivation builds, can be available as substitutes.
3245 * Official Substitute Server:: One particular source of substitutes.
3246 * Substitute Server Authorization:: How to enable or disable substitutes.
3247 * Substitute Authentication:: How Guix verifies substitutes.
3248 * Proxy Settings:: How to get substitutes via proxy.
3249 * Substitution Failure:: What happens when substitution fails.
3250 * On Trusting Binaries:: How can you trust that binary blob?
3253 @node Official Substitute Server
3254 @subsection Official Substitute Server
3257 The @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} server is a front-end to an official build farm
3258 that builds packages from Guix continuously for some
3259 architectures, and makes them available as substitutes. This is the
3260 default source of substitutes; it can be overridden by passing the
3261 @option{--substitute-urls} option either to @command{guix-daemon}
3262 (@pxref{daemon-substitute-urls,, @code{guix-daemon --substitute-urls}})
3263 or to client tools such as @command{guix package}
3264 (@pxref{client-substitute-urls,, client @option{--substitute-urls}
3267 Substitute URLs can be either HTTP or HTTPS.
3268 HTTPS is recommended because communications are encrypted; conversely,
3269 using HTTP makes all communications visible to an eavesdropper, who
3270 could use the information gathered to determine, for instance, whether
3271 your system has unpatched security vulnerabilities.
3273 Substitutes from the official build farm are enabled by default when
3274 using Guix System (@pxref{GNU Distribution}). However,
3275 they are disabled by default when using Guix on a foreign distribution,
3276 unless you have explicitly enabled them via one of the recommended
3277 installation steps (@pxref{Installation}). The following paragraphs
3278 describe how to enable or disable substitutes for the official build
3279 farm; the same procedure can also be used to enable substitutes for any
3280 other substitute server.
3282 @node Substitute Server Authorization
3283 @subsection Substitute Server Authorization
3286 @cindex substitutes, authorization thereof
3287 @cindex access control list (ACL), for substitutes
3288 @cindex ACL (access control list), for substitutes
3289 To allow Guix to download substitutes from @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} or a
3291 must add its public key to the access control list (ACL) of archive
3292 imports, using the @command{guix archive} command (@pxref{Invoking guix
3293 archive}). Doing so implies that you trust @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} to not
3294 be compromised and to serve genuine substitutes.
3296 The public key for @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} is installed along with Guix, in
3297 @code{@var{prefix}/share/guix/@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}.pub}, where @var{prefix} is
3298 the installation prefix of Guix. If you installed Guix from source,
3299 make sure you checked the GPG signature of
3300 @file{guix-@value{VERSION}.tar.gz}, which contains this public key file.
3301 Then, you can run something like this:
3304 # guix archive --authorize < @var{prefix}/share/guix/@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}.pub
3307 Once this is in place, the output of a command like @code{guix build}
3308 should change from something like:
3311 $ guix build emacs --dry-run
3312 The following derivations would be built:
3313 /gnu/store/yr7bnx8xwcayd6j95r2clmkdl1qh688w-emacs-24.3.drv
3314 /gnu/store/x8qsh1hlhgjx6cwsjyvybnfv2i37z23w-dbus-1.6.4.tar.gz.drv
3315 /gnu/store/1ixwp12fl950d15h2cj11c73733jay0z-alsa-lib-1.0.27.1.tar.bz2.drv
3316 /gnu/store/nlma1pw0p603fpfiqy7kn4zm105r5dmw-util-linux-2.21.drv
3324 $ guix build emacs --dry-run
3325 112.3 MB would be downloaded:
3326 /gnu/store/pk3n22lbq6ydamyymqkkz7i69wiwjiwi-emacs-24.3
3327 /gnu/store/2ygn4ncnhrpr61rssa6z0d9x22si0va3-libjpeg-8d
3328 /gnu/store/71yz6lgx4dazma9dwn2mcjxaah9w77jq-cairo-1.12.16
3329 /gnu/store/7zdhgp0n1518lvfn8mb96sxqfmvqrl7v-libxrender-0.9.7
3334 The text changed from ``The following derivations would be built'' to
3335 ``112.3 MB would be downloaded''. This indicates that substitutes from
3336 @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} are usable and will be downloaded, when
3337 possible, for future builds.
3339 @cindex substitutes, how to disable
3340 The substitute mechanism can be disabled globally by running
3341 @code{guix-daemon} with @code{--no-substitutes} (@pxref{Invoking
3342 guix-daemon}). It can also be disabled temporarily by passing the
3343 @code{--no-substitutes} option to @command{guix package}, @command{guix
3344 build}, and other command-line tools.
3346 @node Substitute Authentication
3347 @subsection Substitute Authentication
3349 @cindex digital signatures
3350 Guix detects and raises an error when attempting to use a substitute
3351 that has been tampered with. Likewise, it ignores substitutes that are
3352 not signed, or that are not signed by one of the keys listed in the ACL.
3354 There is one exception though: if an unauthorized server provides
3355 substitutes that are @emph{bit-for-bit identical} to those provided by
3356 an authorized server, then the unauthorized server becomes eligible for
3357 downloads. For example, assume we have chosen two substitute servers
3361 --substitute-urls="https://a.example.org https://b.example.org"
3365 @cindex reproducible builds
3366 If the ACL contains only the key for @code{b.example.org}, and if
3367 @code{a.example.org} happens to serve the @emph{exact same} substitutes,
3368 then Guix will download substitutes from @code{a.example.org} because it
3369 comes first in the list and can be considered a mirror of
3370 @code{b.example.org}. In practice, independent build machines usually
3371 produce the same binaries, thanks to bit-reproducible builds (see
3374 When using HTTPS, the server's X.509 certificate is @emph{not} validated
3375 (in other words, the server is not authenticated), contrary to what
3376 HTTPS clients such as Web browsers usually do. This is because Guix
3377 authenticates substitute information itself, as explained above, which
3378 is what we care about (whereas X.509 certificates are about
3379 authenticating bindings between domain names and public keys.)
3381 @node Proxy Settings
3382 @subsection Proxy Settings
3385 Substitutes are downloaded over HTTP or HTTPS.
3386 The @code{http_proxy} environment
3387 variable can be set in the environment of @command{guix-daemon} and is
3388 honored for downloads of substitutes. Note that the value of
3389 @code{http_proxy} in the environment where @command{guix build},
3390 @command{guix package}, and other client commands are run has
3391 @emph{absolutely no effect}.
3393 @node Substitution Failure
3394 @subsection Substitution Failure
3396 Even when a substitute for a derivation is available, sometimes the
3397 substitution attempt will fail. This can happen for a variety of
3398 reasons: the substitute server might be offline, the substitute may
3399 recently have been deleted, the connection might have been interrupted,
3402 When substitutes are enabled and a substitute for a derivation is
3403 available, but the substitution attempt fails, Guix will attempt to
3404 build the derivation locally depending on whether or not
3405 @code{--fallback} was given (@pxref{fallback-option,, common build
3406 option @code{--fallback}}). Specifically, if @code{--fallback} was
3407 omitted, then no local build will be performed, and the derivation is
3408 considered to have failed. However, if @code{--fallback} was given,
3409 then Guix will attempt to build the derivation locally, and the success
3410 or failure of the derivation depends on the success or failure of the
3411 local build. Note that when substitutes are disabled or no substitute
3412 is available for the derivation in question, a local build will
3413 @emph{always} be performed, regardless of whether or not
3414 @code{--fallback} was given.
3416 To get an idea of how many substitutes are available right now, you can
3417 try running the @command{guix weather} command (@pxref{Invoking guix
3418 weather}). This command provides statistics on the substitutes provided
3421 @node On Trusting Binaries
3422 @subsection On Trusting Binaries
3424 @cindex trust, of pre-built binaries
3425 Today, each individual's control over their own computing is at the
3426 mercy of institutions, corporations, and groups with enough power and
3427 determination to subvert the computing infrastructure and exploit its
3428 weaknesses. While using @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} substitutes can be
3429 convenient, we encourage users to also build on their own, or even run
3430 their own build farm, such that @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} is less of an
3431 interesting target. One way to help is by publishing the software you
3432 build using @command{guix publish} so that others have one more choice
3433 of server to download substitutes from (@pxref{Invoking guix publish}).
3435 Guix has the foundations to maximize build reproducibility
3436 (@pxref{Features}). In most cases, independent builds of a given
3437 package or derivation should yield bit-identical results. Thus, through
3438 a diverse set of independent package builds, we can strengthen the
3439 integrity of our systems. The @command{guix challenge} command aims to
3440 help users assess substitute servers, and to assist developers in
3441 finding out about non-deterministic package builds (@pxref{Invoking guix
3442 challenge}). Similarly, the @option{--check} option of @command{guix
3443 build} allows users to check whether previously-installed substitutes
3444 are genuine by rebuilding them locally (@pxref{build-check,
3445 @command{guix build --check}}).
3447 In the future, we want Guix to have support to publish and retrieve
3448 binaries to/from other users, in a peer-to-peer fashion. If you would
3449 like to discuss this project, join us on @email{guix-devel@@gnu.org}.
3451 @node Packages with Multiple Outputs
3452 @section Packages with Multiple Outputs
3454 @cindex multiple-output packages
3455 @cindex package outputs
3458 Often, packages defined in Guix have a single @dfn{output}---i.e., the
3459 source package leads to exactly one directory in the store. When running
3460 @command{guix install glibc}, one installs the default output of the
3461 GNU libc package; the default output is called @code{out}, but its name
3462 can be omitted as shown in this command. In this particular case, the
3463 default output of @code{glibc} contains all the C header files, shared
3464 libraries, static libraries, Info documentation, and other supporting
3467 Sometimes it is more appropriate to separate the various types of files
3468 produced from a single source package into separate outputs. For
3469 instance, the GLib C library (used by GTK+ and related packages)
3470 installs more than 20 MiB of reference documentation as HTML pages.
3471 To save space for users who do not need it, the documentation goes to a
3472 separate output, called @code{doc}. To install the main GLib output,
3473 which contains everything but the documentation, one would run:
3479 @cindex documentation
3480 The command to install its documentation is:
3483 guix install glib:doc
3486 Some packages install programs with different ``dependency footprints''.
3487 For instance, the WordNet package installs both command-line tools and
3488 graphical user interfaces (GUIs). The former depend solely on the C
3489 library, whereas the latter depend on Tcl/Tk and the underlying X
3490 libraries. In this case, we leave the command-line tools in the default
3491 output, whereas the GUIs are in a separate output. This allows users
3492 who do not need the GUIs to save space. The @command{guix size} command
3493 can help find out about such situations (@pxref{Invoking guix size}).
3494 @command{guix graph} can also be helpful (@pxref{Invoking guix graph}).
3496 There are several such multiple-output packages in the GNU distribution.
3497 Other conventional output names include @code{lib} for libraries and
3498 possibly header files, @code{bin} for stand-alone programs, and
3499 @code{debug} for debugging information (@pxref{Installing Debugging
3500 Files}). The outputs of a packages are listed in the third column of
3501 the output of @command{guix package --list-available} (@pxref{Invoking
3505 @node Invoking guix gc
3506 @section Invoking @command{guix gc}
3508 @cindex garbage collector
3510 Packages that are installed, but not used, may be @dfn{garbage-collected}.
3511 The @command{guix gc} command allows users to explicitly run the garbage
3512 collector to reclaim space from the @file{/gnu/store} directory. It is
3513 the @emph{only} way to remove files from @file{/gnu/store}---removing
3514 files or directories manually may break it beyond repair!
3517 @cindex garbage collector roots
3518 The garbage collector has a set of known @dfn{roots}: any file under
3519 @file{/gnu/store} reachable from a root is considered @dfn{live} and
3520 cannot be deleted; any other file is considered @dfn{dead} and may be
3521 deleted. The set of garbage collector roots (``GC roots'' for short)
3522 includes default user profiles; by default, the symlinks under
3523 @file{/var/guix/gcroots} represent these GC roots. New GC roots can be
3524 added with @command{guix build --root}, for example (@pxref{Invoking
3525 guix build}). The @command{guix gc --list-roots} command lists them.
3527 Prior to running @code{guix gc --collect-garbage} to make space, it is
3528 often useful to remove old generations from user profiles; that way, old
3529 package builds referenced by those generations can be reclaimed. This
3530 is achieved by running @code{guix package --delete-generations}
3531 (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).
3533 Our recommendation is to run a garbage collection periodically, or when
3534 you are short on disk space. For instance, to guarantee that at least
3535 5@tie{}GB are available on your disk, simply run:
3541 It is perfectly safe to run as a non-interactive periodic job
3542 (@pxref{Scheduled Job Execution}, for how to set up such a job).
3543 Running @command{guix gc} with no arguments will collect as
3544 much garbage as it can, but that is often inconvenient: you may find
3545 yourself having to rebuild or re-download software that is ``dead'' from
3546 the GC viewpoint but that is necessary to build other pieces of
3547 software---e.g., the compiler tool chain.
3549 The @command{guix gc} command has three modes of operation: it can be
3550 used to garbage-collect any dead files (the default), to delete specific
3551 files (the @code{--delete} option), to print garbage-collector
3552 information, or for more advanced queries. The garbage collection
3553 options are as follows:
3556 @item --collect-garbage[=@var{min}]
3557 @itemx -C [@var{min}]
3558 Collect garbage---i.e., unreachable @file{/gnu/store} files and
3559 sub-directories. This is the default operation when no option is
3562 When @var{min} is given, stop once @var{min} bytes have been collected.
3563 @var{min} may be a number of bytes, or it may include a unit as a
3564 suffix, such as @code{MiB} for mebibytes and @code{GB} for gigabytes
3565 (@pxref{Block size, size specifications,, coreutils, GNU Coreutils}).
3567 When @var{min} is omitted, collect all the garbage.
3569 @item --free-space=@var{free}
3570 @itemx -F @var{free}
3571 Collect garbage until @var{free} space is available under
3572 @file{/gnu/store}, if possible; @var{free} denotes storage space, such
3573 as @code{500MiB}, as described above.
3575 When @var{free} or more is already available in @file{/gnu/store}, do
3576 nothing and exit immediately.
3578 @item --delete-generations[=@var{duration}]
3579 @itemx -d [@var{duration}]
3580 Before starting the garbage collection process, delete all the generations
3581 older than @var{duration}, for all the user profiles; when run as root, this
3582 applies to all the profiles @emph{of all the users}.
3584 For example, this command deletes all the generations of all your profiles
3585 that are older than 2 months (except generations that are current), and then
3586 proceeds to free space until at least 10 GiB are available:
3589 guix gc -d 2m -F 10G
3594 Attempt to delete all the store files and directories specified as
3595 arguments. This fails if some of the files are not in the store, or if
3596 they are still live.
3598 @item --list-failures
3599 List store items corresponding to cached build failures.
3601 This prints nothing unless the daemon was started with
3602 @option{--cache-failures} (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon,
3603 @option{--cache-failures}}).
3606 List the GC roots owned by the user; when run as root, list @emph{all} the GC
3610 List store items in use by currently running processes. These store
3611 items are effectively considered GC roots: they cannot be deleted.
3613 @item --clear-failures
3614 Remove the specified store items from the failed-build cache.
3616 Again, this option only makes sense when the daemon is started with
3617 @option{--cache-failures}. Otherwise, it does nothing.
3620 Show the list of dead files and directories still present in the
3621 store---i.e., files and directories no longer reachable from any root.
3624 Show the list of live store files and directories.
3628 In addition, the references among existing store files can be queried:
3634 @cindex package dependencies
3635 List the references (respectively, the referrers) of store files given
3641 List the requisites of the store files passed as arguments. Requisites
3642 include the store files themselves, their references, and the references
3643 of these, recursively. In other words, the returned list is the
3644 @dfn{transitive closure} of the store files.
3646 @xref{Invoking guix size}, for a tool to profile the size of the closure
3647 of an element. @xref{Invoking guix graph}, for a tool to visualize
3648 the graph of references.
3652 Return the derivation(s) leading to the given store items
3653 (@pxref{Derivations}).
3655 For example, this command:
3658 guix gc --derivers `guix package -I ^emacs$ | cut -f4`
3662 returns the @file{.drv} file(s) leading to the @code{emacs} package
3663 installed in your profile.
3665 Note that there may be zero matching @file{.drv} files, for instance
3666 because these files have been garbage-collected. There can also be more
3667 than one matching @file{.drv} due to fixed-output derivations.
3670 Lastly, the following options allow you to check the integrity of the
3671 store and to control disk usage.
3675 @item --verify[=@var{options}]
3676 @cindex integrity, of the store
3677 @cindex integrity checking
3678 Verify the integrity of the store.
3680 By default, make sure that all the store items marked as valid in the
3681 database of the daemon actually exist in @file{/gnu/store}.
3683 When provided, @var{options} must be a comma-separated list containing one
3684 or more of @code{contents} and @code{repair}.
3686 When passing @option{--verify=contents}, the daemon computes the
3687 content hash of each store item and compares it against its hash in the
3688 database. Hash mismatches are reported as data corruptions. Because it
3689 traverses @emph{all the files in the store}, this command can take a
3690 long time, especially on systems with a slow disk drive.
3692 @cindex repairing the store
3693 @cindex corruption, recovering from
3694 Using @option{--verify=repair} or @option{--verify=contents,repair}
3695 causes the daemon to try to repair corrupt store items by fetching
3696 substitutes for them (@pxref{Substitutes}). Because repairing is not
3697 atomic, and thus potentially dangerous, it is available only to the
3698 system administrator. A lightweight alternative, when you know exactly
3699 which items in the store are corrupt, is @command{guix build --repair}
3700 (@pxref{Invoking guix build}).
3703 @cindex deduplication
3704 Optimize the store by hard-linking identical files---this is
3705 @dfn{deduplication}.
3707 The daemon performs deduplication after each successful build or archive
3708 import, unless it was started with @code{--disable-deduplication}
3709 (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon, @code{--disable-deduplication}}). Thus,
3710 this option is primarily useful when the daemon was running with
3711 @code{--disable-deduplication}.
3715 @node Invoking guix pull
3716 @section Invoking @command{guix pull}
3718 @cindex upgrading Guix
3719 @cindex updating Guix
3720 @cindex @command{guix pull}
3722 Packages are installed or upgraded to the latest version available in
3723 the distribution currently available on your local machine. To update
3724 that distribution, along with the Guix tools, you must run @command{guix
3725 pull}: the command downloads the latest Guix source code and package
3726 descriptions, and deploys it. Source code is downloaded from a
3727 @uref{https://git-scm.com, Git} repository, by default the official
3728 GNU@tie{}Guix repository, though this can be customized.
3730 Specifically, @command{guix pull} downloads code from the @dfn{channels}
3731 (@pxref{Channels}) specified by one of the followings, in this order:
3735 the @option{--channels} option;
3737 the user's @file{~/.config/guix/channels.scm} file;
3739 the system-wide @file{/etc/guix/channels.scm} file;
3741 the built-in default channels specified in the @code{%default-channels}
3745 On completion, @command{guix package} will use packages and package
3746 versions from this just-retrieved copy of Guix. Not only that, but all
3747 the Guix commands and Scheme modules will also be taken from that latest
3748 version. New @command{guix} sub-commands added by the update also
3751 Any user can update their Guix copy using @command{guix pull}, and the
3752 effect is limited to the user who ran @command{guix pull}. For
3753 instance, when user @code{root} runs @command{guix pull}, this has no
3754 effect on the version of Guix that user @code{alice} sees, and vice
3757 The result of running @command{guix pull} is a @dfn{profile} available
3758 under @file{~/.config/guix/current} containing the latest Guix. Thus,
3759 make sure to add it to the beginning of your search path so that you use
3760 the latest version, and similarly for the Info manual
3761 (@pxref{Documentation}):
3764 export PATH="$HOME/.config/guix/current/bin:$PATH"
3765 export INFOPATH="$HOME/.config/guix/current/share/info:$INFOPATH"
3768 The @code{--list-generations} or @code{-l} option lists past generations
3769 produced by @command{guix pull}, along with details about their provenance:
3773 Generation 1 Jun 10 2018 00:18:18
3775 repository URL: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git
3776 branch: origin/master
3777 commit: 65956ad3526ba09e1f7a40722c96c6ef7c0936fe
3779 Generation 2 Jun 11 2018 11:02:49
3781 repository URL: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git
3782 branch: origin/master
3783 commit: e0cc7f669bec22c37481dd03a7941c7d11a64f1d
3784 2 new packages: keepalived, libnfnetlink
3785 6 packages upgraded: emacs-nix-mode@@2.0.4,
3786 guile2.0-guix@@0.14.0-12.77a1aac, guix@@0.14.0-12.77a1aac,
3787 heimdal@@7.5.0, milkytracker@@1.02.00, nix@@2.0.4
3789 Generation 3 Jun 13 2018 23:31:07 (current)
3791 repository URL: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git
3792 branch: origin/master
3793 commit: 844cc1c8f394f03b404c5bb3aee086922373490c
3794 28 new packages: emacs-helm-ls-git, emacs-helm-mu, @dots{}
3795 69 packages upgraded: borg@@1.1.6, cheese@@3.28.0, @dots{}
3798 @xref{Invoking guix describe, @command{guix describe}}, for other ways to
3799 describe the current status of Guix.
3801 This @code{~/.config/guix/current} profile works exactly like the profiles
3802 created by @command{guix package} (@pxref{Invoking guix package}). That
3803 is, you can list generations, roll back to the previous
3804 generation---i.e., the previous Guix---and so on:
3807 $ guix pull --roll-back
3808 switched from generation 3 to 2
3809 $ guix pull --delete-generations=1
3810 deleting /var/guix/profiles/per-user/charlie/current-guix-1-link
3813 You can also use @command{guix package} (@pxref{Invoking guix package})
3814 to manage the profile by naming it explicitly:
3816 $ guix package -p ~/.config/guix/current --roll-back
3817 switched from generation 3 to 2
3818 $ guix package -p ~/.config/guix/current --delete-generations=1
3819 deleting /var/guix/profiles/per-user/charlie/current-guix-1-link
3822 The @command{guix pull} command is usually invoked with no arguments,
3823 but it supports the following options:
3826 @item --url=@var{url}
3827 @itemx --commit=@var{commit}
3828 @itemx --branch=@var{branch}
3829 Download code for the @code{guix} channel from the specified @var{url}, at the
3830 given @var{commit} (a valid Git commit ID represented as a hexadecimal
3831 string), or @var{branch}.
3833 @cindex @file{channels.scm}, configuration file
3834 @cindex configuration file for channels
3835 These options are provided for convenience, but you can also specify your
3836 configuration in the @file{~/.config/guix/channels.scm} file or using the
3837 @option{--channels} option (see below).
3839 @item --channels=@var{file}
3840 @itemx -C @var{file}
3841 Read the list of channels from @var{file} instead of
3842 @file{~/.config/guix/channels.scm} or @file{/etc/guix/channels.scm}.
3843 @var{file} must contain Scheme code that
3844 evaluates to a list of channel objects. @xref{Channels}, for more
3847 @cindex channel news
3850 Display the list of packages added or upgraded since the previous
3851 generation, as well as, occasionally, news written by channel authors
3852 for their users (@pxref{Channels, Writing Channel News}).
3854 The package information is the same as displayed upon @command{guix
3855 pull} completion, but without ellipses; it is also similar to the output
3856 of @command{guix pull -l} for the last generation (see below).
3858 @item --list-generations[=@var{pattern}]
3859 @itemx -l [@var{pattern}]
3860 List all the generations of @file{~/.config/guix/current} or, if @var{pattern}
3861 is provided, the subset of generations that match @var{pattern}.
3862 The syntax of @var{pattern} is the same as with @code{guix package
3863 --list-generations} (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).
3866 @cindex rolling back
3867 @cindex undoing transactions
3868 @cindex transactions, undoing
3869 Roll back to the previous @dfn{generation} of @file{~/.config/guix/current}---i.e.,
3870 undo the last transaction.
3872 @item --switch-generation=@var{pattern}
3873 @itemx -S @var{pattern}
3875 Switch to a particular generation defined by @var{pattern}.
3877 @var{pattern} may be either a generation number or a number prefixed
3878 with ``+'' or ``-''. The latter means: move forward/backward by a
3879 specified number of generations. For example, if you want to return to
3880 the latest generation after @code{--roll-back}, use
3881 @code{--switch-generation=+1}.
3883 @item --delete-generations[=@var{pattern}]
3884 @itemx -d [@var{pattern}]
3885 When @var{pattern} is omitted, delete all generations except the current
3888 This command accepts the same patterns as @option{--list-generations}.
3889 When @var{pattern} is specified, delete the matching generations. When
3890 @var{pattern} specifies a duration, generations @emph{older} than the
3891 specified duration match. For instance, @code{--delete-generations=1m}
3892 deletes generations that are more than one month old.
3894 If the current generation matches, it is @emph{not} deleted.
3896 Note that deleting generations prevents rolling back to them.
3897 Consequently, this command must be used with care.
3899 @xref{Invoking guix describe}, for a way to display information about the
3900 current generation only.
3902 @item --profile=@var{profile}
3903 @itemx -p @var{profile}
3904 Use @var{profile} instead of @file{~/.config/guix/current}.
3908 Show which channel commit(s) would be used and what would be built or
3909 substituted but do not actually do it.
3911 @item --system=@var{system}
3912 @itemx -s @var{system}
3913 Attempt to build for @var{system}---e.g., @code{i686-linux}---instead of
3914 the system type of the build host.
3917 Produce verbose output, writing build logs to the standard error output.
3920 Use the bootstrap Guile to build the latest Guix. This option is only
3921 useful to Guix developers.
3924 The @dfn{channel} mechanism allows you to instruct @command{guix pull} which
3925 repository and branch to pull from, as well as @emph{additional} repositories
3926 containing package modules that should be deployed. @xref{Channels}, for more
3929 In addition, @command{guix pull} supports all the common build options
3930 (@pxref{Common Build Options}).
3936 @cindex @file{channels.scm}, configuration file
3937 @cindex configuration file for channels
3938 @cindex @command{guix pull}, configuration file
3939 @cindex configuration of @command{guix pull}
3940 Guix and its package collection are updated by running @command{guix pull}
3941 (@pxref{Invoking guix pull}). By default @command{guix pull} downloads and
3942 deploys Guix itself from the official GNU@tie{}Guix repository. This can be
3943 customized by defining @dfn{channels} in the
3944 @file{~/.config/guix/channels.scm} file. A channel specifies a URL and branch
3945 of a Git repository to be deployed, and @command{guix pull} can be instructed
3946 to pull from one or more channels. In other words, channels can be used to
3947 @emph{customize} and to @emph{extend} Guix, as we will see below.
3949 @subsection Using a Custom Guix Channel
3951 The channel called @code{guix} specifies where Guix itself---its command-line
3952 tools as well as its package collection---should be downloaded. For instance,
3953 suppose you want to update from your own copy of the Guix repository at
3954 @code{example.org}, and specifically the @code{super-hacks} branch, you can
3955 write in @code{~/.config/guix/channels.scm} this specification:
3958 ;; Tell 'guix pull' to use my own repo.
3961 (url "https://example.org/my-guix.git")
3962 (branch "super-hacks")))
3966 From there on, @command{guix pull} will fetch code from the @code{super-hacks}
3967 branch of the repository at @code{example.org}.
3969 @subsection Specifying Additional Channels
3971 @cindex extending the package collection (channels)
3972 @cindex personal packages (channels)
3973 @cindex channels, for personal packages
3974 You can also specify @emph{additional channels} to pull from. Let's say you
3975 have a bunch of custom package variants or personal packages that you think
3976 would make little sense to contribute to the Guix project, but would like to
3977 have these packages transparently available to you at the command line. You
3978 would first write modules containing those package definitions (@pxref{Package
3979 Modules}), maintain them in a Git repository, and then you and anyone else can
3980 use it as an additional channel to get packages from. Neat, no?
3982 @c What follows stems from discussions at
3983 @c <https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=22629#134> as well as
3984 @c earlier discussions on guix-devel@gnu.org.
3986 Before you, dear user, shout---``woow this is @emph{soooo coool}!''---and
3987 publish your personal channel to the world, we would like to share a few words
3992 Before publishing a channel, please consider contributing your package
3993 definitions to Guix proper (@pxref{Contributing}). Guix as a project is open
3994 to free software of all sorts, and packages in Guix proper are readily
3995 available to all Guix users and benefit from the project's quality assurance
3999 When you maintain package definitions outside Guix, we, Guix developers,
4000 consider that @emph{the compatibility burden is on you}. Remember that
4001 package modules and package definitions are just Scheme code that uses various
4002 programming interfaces (APIs). We want to remain free to change these APIs to
4003 keep improving Guix, possibly in ways that break your channel. We never
4004 change APIs gratuitously, but we will @emph{not} commit to freezing APIs
4008 Corollary: if you're using an external channel and that channel breaks, please
4009 @emph{report the issue to the channel authors}, not to the Guix project.
4012 You've been warned! Having said this, we believe external channels are a
4013 practical way to exert your freedom to augment Guix' package collection and to
4014 share your improvements, which are basic tenets of
4015 @uref{https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html, free software}. Please
4016 email us at @email{guix-devel@@gnu.org} if you'd like to discuss this.
4019 To use a channel, write @code{~/.config/guix/channels.scm} to instruct
4020 @command{guix pull} to pull from it @emph{in addition} to the default Guix
4023 @vindex %default-channels
4025 ;; Add my personal packages to those Guix provides.
4027 (name 'my-personal-packages)
4028 (url "https://example.org/personal-packages.git"))
4033 Note that the snippet above is (as always!)@: Scheme code; we use @code{cons} to
4034 add a channel the list of channels that the variable @code{%default-channels}
4035 is bound to (@pxref{Pairs, @code{cons} and lists,, guile, GNU Guile Reference
4036 Manual}). With this file in place, @command{guix pull} builds not only Guix
4037 but also the package modules from your own repository. The result in
4038 @file{~/.config/guix/current} is the union of Guix with your own package
4042 $ guix pull --list-generations
4044 Generation 19 Aug 27 2018 16:20:48
4046 repository URL: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git
4048 commit: d894ab8e9bfabcefa6c49d9ba2e834dd5a73a300
4049 my-personal-packages dd3df5e
4050 repository URL: https://example.org/personal-packages.git
4052 commit: dd3df5e2c8818760a8fc0bd699e55d3b69fef2bb
4053 11 new packages: my-gimp, my-emacs-with-cool-features, @dots{}
4054 4 packages upgraded: emacs-racket-mode@@0.0.2-2.1b78827, @dots{}
4058 The output of @command{guix pull} above shows that Generation@tie{}19 includes
4059 both Guix and packages from the @code{my-personal-packages} channel. Among
4060 the new and upgraded packages that are listed, some like @code{my-gimp} and
4061 @code{my-emacs-with-cool-features} might come from
4062 @code{my-personal-packages}, while others come from the Guix default channel.
4064 To create a channel, create a Git repository containing your own package
4065 modules and make it available. The repository can contain anything, but a
4066 useful channel will contain Guile modules that export packages. Once you
4067 start using a channel, Guix will behave as if the root directory of that
4068 channel's Git repository has been added to the Guile load path (@pxref{Load
4069 Paths,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}). For example, if your channel
4070 contains a file at @file{my-packages/my-tools.scm} that defines a Guile
4071 module, then the module will be available under the name @code{(my-packages
4072 my-tools)}, and you will be able to use it like any other module
4073 (@pxref{Modules,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}).
4075 @cindex dependencies, channels
4076 @cindex meta-data, channels
4077 @subsection Declaring Channel Dependencies
4079 Channel authors may decide to augment a package collection provided by other
4080 channels. They can declare their channel to be dependent on other channels in
4081 a meta-data file @file{.guix-channel}, which is to be placed in the root of
4082 the channel repository.
4084 The meta-data file should contain a simple S-expression like this:
4091 (name some-collection)
4092 (url "https://example.org/first-collection.git"))
4094 (name some-other-collection)
4095 (url "https://example.org/second-collection.git")
4096 (branch "testing"))))
4099 In the above example this channel is declared to depend on two other channels,
4100 which will both be fetched automatically. The modules provided by the channel
4101 will be compiled in an environment where the modules of all these declared
4102 channels are available.
4104 For the sake of reliability and maintainability, you should avoid dependencies
4105 on channels that you don't control, and you should aim to keep the number of
4106 dependencies to a minimum.
4108 @cindex subdirectory, channels
4109 @subsection Package Modules in a Sub-directory
4111 As a channel author, you may want to keep your channel modules in a
4112 sub-directory. If your modules are in the sub-directory @file{guix}, you must
4113 add a meta-data file @file{.guix-channel} that contains:
4121 @cindex news, for channels
4122 @subsection Writing Channel News
4124 Channel authors may occasionally want to communicate to their users
4125 information about important changes in the channel. You'd send them all
4126 an email, but that's not convenient.
4128 Instead, channels can provide a @dfn{news file}; when the channel users
4129 run @command{guix pull}, that news file is automatically read and
4130 @command{guix pull --news} can display the announcements that correspond
4131 to the new commits that have been pulled, if any.
4133 To do that, channel authors must first declare the name of the news file
4134 in their @file{.guix-channel} file:
4139 (news-file "etc/news.txt"))
4142 The news file itself, @file{etc/news.txt} in this example, must look
4143 something like this:
4148 (entry (tag "the-bug-fix")
4149 (title (en "Fixed terrible bug")
4151 (body (en "@@emph@{Good news@}! It's fixed!")
4152 (eo "Certe ĝi pli bone funkcias nun!")))
4153 (entry (commit "bdcabe815cd28144a2d2b4bc3c5057b051fa9906")
4154 (title (en "Added a great package")
4155 (ca "Què vol dir guix?"))
4156 (body (en "Don't miss the @@code@{hello@} package!"))))
4159 The file consists of a list of @dfn{news entries}. Each entry is
4160 associated with a commit or tag: it describes changes made in this
4161 commit, possibly in preceding commits as well. Users see entries only
4162 the first time they obtain the commit the entry refers to.
4164 The @code{title} field should be a one-line summary while @code{body}
4165 can be arbitrarily long, and both can contain Texinfo markup
4166 (@pxref{Overview,,, texinfo, GNU Texinfo}). Both the title and body are
4167 a list of language tag/message tuples, which allows @command{guix pull}
4168 to display news in the language that corresponds to the user's locale.
4170 If you want to translate news using a gettext-based workflow, you can
4171 extract translatable strings with @command{xgettext} (@pxref{xgettext
4172 Invocation,,, gettext, GNU Gettext Utilities}). For example, assuming
4173 you write news entries in English first, the command below creates a PO
4174 file containing the strings to translate:
4177 xgettext -o news.po -l scheme -ken etc/news.scm
4180 To sum up, yes, you could use your channel as a blog. But beware, this
4181 is @emph{not quite} what your users might expect.
4183 @subsection Replicating Guix
4185 @cindex pinning, channels
4186 @cindex replicating Guix
4187 @cindex reproducibility, of Guix
4188 The @command{guix pull --list-generations} output above shows precisely which
4189 commits were used to build this instance of Guix. We can thus replicate it,
4190 say, on another machine, by providing a channel specification in
4191 @file{~/.config/guix/channels.scm} that is ``pinned'' to these commits:
4194 ;; Deploy specific commits of my channels of interest.
4197 (url "https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git")
4198 (commit "d894ab8e9bfabcefa6c49d9ba2e834dd5a73a300"))
4200 (name 'my-personal-packages)
4201 (url "https://example.org/personal-packages.git")
4202 (commit "dd3df5e2c8818760a8fc0bd699e55d3b69fef2bb")))
4205 The @command{guix describe --format=channels} command can even generate this
4206 list of channels directly (@pxref{Invoking guix describe}). The resulting
4207 file can be used with the -C options of @command{guix pull}
4208 (@pxref{Invoking guix pull}) or @command{guix time-machine}
4209 (@pxref{Invoking guix time-machine}).
4211 At this point the two machines run the @emph{exact same Guix}, with access to
4212 the @emph{exact same packages}. The output of @command{guix build gimp} on
4213 one machine will be exactly the same, bit for bit, as the output of the same
4214 command on the other machine. It also means both machines have access to all
4215 the source code of Guix and, transitively, to all the source code of every
4218 This gives you super powers, allowing you to track the provenance of binary
4219 artifacts with very fine grain, and to reproduce software environments at
4220 will---some sort of ``meta reproducibility'' capabilities, if you will.
4221 @xref{Inferiors}, for another way to take advantage of these super powers.
4223 @node Invoking guix time-machine
4224 @section Invoking @command{guix time-machine}
4226 @cindex @command{guix time-machine}
4227 @cindex pinning, channels
4228 @cindex replicating Guix
4229 @cindex reproducibility, of Guix
4231 The @command{guix time-machine} command provides access to other
4232 revisions of Guix, for example to install older versions of packages,
4233 or to reproduce a computation in an identical environment. The revision
4234 of Guix to be used is defined by a commit or by a channel
4235 description file created by @command{guix describe}
4236 (@pxref{Invoking guix describe}).
4238 The general syntax is:
4241 guix time-machine @var{options}@dots{} -- @var{command} @var {arg}@dots{}
4244 where @var{command} and @var{arg}@dots{} are passed unmodified to the
4245 @command{guix} command of the specified revision. The @var{options} that define
4246 this revision are the same as for @command{guix pull} (@pxref{Invoking guix pull}):
4249 @item --url=@var{url}
4250 @itemx --commit=@var{commit}
4251 @itemx --branch=@var{branch}
4252 Use the @code{guix} channel from the specified @var{url}, at the
4253 given @var{commit} (a valid Git commit ID represented as a hexadecimal
4254 string), or @var{branch}.
4256 @item --channels=@var{file}
4257 @itemx -C @var{file}
4258 Read the list of channels from @var{file}. @var{file} must contain
4259 Scheme code that evaluates to a list of channel objects.
4260 @xref{Channels} for more information.
4263 As for @command{guix pull}, the absence of any options means that the
4264 the latest commit on the master branch will be used. The command
4267 guix time-machine -- build hello
4270 will thus build the package @code{hello} as defined in the master branch,
4271 which is in general a newer revision of Guix than you have installed.
4272 Time travel works in both directions!
4274 Note that @command{guix time-machine} can trigger builds of channels and
4275 their dependencies, and these are controlled by the standard build
4276 options (@pxref{Common Build Options}).
4281 @c TODO: Remove this once we're more confident about API stability.
4283 The functionality described here is a ``technology preview'' as of version
4284 @value{VERSION}. As such, the interface is subject to change.
4288 @cindex composition of Guix revisions
4289 Sometimes you might need to mix packages from the revision of Guix you're
4290 currently running with packages available in a different revision of Guix.
4291 Guix @dfn{inferiors} allow you to achieve that by composing different Guix
4292 revisions in arbitrary ways.
4294 @cindex inferior packages
4295 Technically, an ``inferior'' is essentially a separate Guix process connected
4296 to your main Guix process through a REPL (@pxref{Invoking guix repl}). The
4297 @code{(guix inferior)} module allows you to create inferiors and to
4298 communicate with them. It also provides a high-level interface to browse and
4299 manipulate the packages that an inferior provides---@dfn{inferior packages}.
4301 When combined with channels (@pxref{Channels}), inferiors provide a simple way
4302 to interact with a separate revision of Guix. For example, let's assume you
4303 want to install in your profile the current @code{guile} package, along with
4304 the @code{guile-json} as it existed in an older revision of Guix---perhaps
4305 because the newer @code{guile-json} has an incompatible API and you want to
4306 run your code against the old API@. To do that, you could write a manifest for
4307 use by @code{guix package --manifest} (@pxref{Invoking guix package}); in that
4308 manifest, you would create an inferior for that old Guix revision you care
4309 about, and you would look up the @code{guile-json} package in the inferior:
4312 (use-modules (guix inferior) (guix channels)
4313 (srfi srfi-1)) ;for 'first'
4316 ;; This is the old revision from which we want to
4317 ;; extract guile-json.
4320 (url "https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git")
4322 "65956ad3526ba09e1f7a40722c96c6ef7c0936fe"))))
4325 ;; An inferior representing the above revision.
4326 (inferior-for-channels channels))
4328 ;; Now create a manifest with the current "guile" package
4329 ;; and the old "guile-json" package.
4331 (list (first (lookup-inferior-packages inferior "guile-json"))
4332 (specification->package "guile")))
4335 On its first run, @command{guix package --manifest} might have to build the
4336 channel you specified before it can create the inferior; subsequent runs will
4337 be much faster because the Guix revision will be cached.
4339 The @code{(guix inferior)} module provides the following procedures to open an
4342 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} inferior-for-channels @var{channels} @
4343 [#:cache-directory] [#:ttl]
4344 Return an inferior for @var{channels}, a list of channels. Use the cache at
4345 @var{cache-directory}, where entries can be reclaimed after @var{ttl} seconds.
4346 This procedure opens a new connection to the build daemon.
4348 As a side effect, this procedure may build or substitute binaries for
4349 @var{channels}, which can take time.
4352 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} open-inferior @var{directory} @
4353 [#:command "bin/guix"]
4354 Open the inferior Guix in @var{directory}, running
4355 @code{@var{directory}/@var{command} repl} or equivalent. Return @code{#f} if
4356 the inferior could not be launched.
4359 @cindex inferior packages
4360 The procedures listed below allow you to obtain and manipulate inferior
4363 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} inferior-packages @var{inferior}
4364 Return the list of packages known to @var{inferior}.
4367 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} lookup-inferior-packages @var{inferior} @var{name} @
4369 Return the sorted list of inferior packages matching @var{name} in
4370 @var{inferior}, with highest version numbers first. If @var{version} is true,
4371 return only packages with a version number prefixed by @var{version}.
4374 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package? @var{obj}
4375 Return true if @var{obj} is an inferior package.
4378 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-name @var{package}
4379 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-version @var{package}
4380 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-synopsis @var{package}
4381 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-description @var{package}
4382 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-home-page @var{package}
4383 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-location @var{package}
4384 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-inputs @var{package}
4385 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-native-inputs @var{package}
4386 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-propagated-inputs @var{package}
4387 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-transitive-propagated-inputs @var{package}
4388 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-native-search-paths @var{package}
4389 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-transitive-native-search-paths @var{package}
4390 @deffnx {Scheme Procedure} inferior-package-search-paths @var{package}
4391 These procedures are the counterpart of package record accessors
4392 (@pxref{package Reference}). Most of them work by querying the inferior
4393 @var{package} comes from, so the inferior must still be live when you call
4397 Inferior packages can be used transparently like any other package or
4398 file-like object in G-expressions (@pxref{G-Expressions}). They are also
4399 transparently handled by the @code{packages->manifest} procedure, which is
4400 commonly use in manifests (@pxref{Invoking guix package, the
4401 @option{--manifest} option of @command{guix package}}). Thus you can insert
4402 an inferior package pretty much anywhere you would insert a regular package:
4403 in manifests, in the @code{packages} field of your @code{operating-system}
4404 declaration, and so on.
4406 @node Invoking guix describe
4407 @section Invoking @command{guix describe}
4409 @cindex reproducibility
4410 @cindex replicating Guix
4411 Often you may want to answer questions like: ``Which revision of Guix am I
4412 using?'' or ``Which channels am I using?'' This is useful information in many
4413 situations: if you want to @emph{replicate} an environment on a different
4414 machine or user account, if you want to report a bug or to determine what
4415 change in the channels you are using caused it, or if you want to record your
4416 system state for reproducibility purposes. The @command{guix describe}
4417 command answers these questions.
4419 When run from a @command{guix pull}ed @command{guix}, @command{guix describe}
4420 displays the channel(s) that it was built from, including their repository URL
4421 and commit IDs (@pxref{Channels}):
4425 Generation 10 Sep 03 2018 17:32:44 (current)
4427 repository URL: https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git
4429 commit: e0fa68c7718fffd33d81af415279d6ddb518f727
4432 If you're familiar with the Git version control system, this is similar in
4433 spirit to @command{git describe}; the output is also similar to that of
4434 @command{guix pull --list-generations}, but limited to the current generation
4435 (@pxref{Invoking guix pull, the @option{--list-generations} option}). Because
4436 the Git commit ID shown above unambiguously refers to a snapshot of Guix, this
4437 information is all it takes to describe the revision of Guix you're using, and
4438 also to replicate it.
4440 To make it easier to replicate Guix, @command{guix describe} can also be asked
4441 to return a list of channels instead of the human-readable description above:
4444 $ guix describe -f channels
4447 (url "https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/guix.git")
4449 "e0fa68c7718fffd33d81af415279d6ddb518f727")))
4453 You can save this to a file and feed it to @command{guix pull -C} on some
4454 other machine or at a later point in time, which will instantiate @emph{this
4455 exact Guix revision} (@pxref{Invoking guix pull, the @option{-C} option}).
4456 From there on, since you're able to deploy the same revision of Guix, you can
4457 just as well @emph{replicate a complete software environment}. We humbly
4458 think that this is @emph{awesome}, and we hope you'll like it too!
4460 The details of the options supported by @command{guix describe} are as
4464 @item --format=@var{format}
4465 @itemx -f @var{format}
4466 Produce output in the specified @var{format}, one of:
4470 produce human-readable output;
4472 produce a list of channel specifications that can be passed to @command{guix
4473 pull -C} or installed as @file{~/.config/guix/channels.scm} (@pxref{Invoking
4477 produce a list of channel specifications in JSON format;
4479 produce a list of channel specifications in Recutils format.
4482 @item --profile=@var{profile}
4483 @itemx -p @var{profile}
4484 Display information about @var{profile}.
4487 @node Invoking guix archive
4488 @section Invoking @command{guix archive}
4490 @cindex @command{guix archive}
4492 The @command{guix archive} command allows users to @dfn{export} files
4493 from the store into a single archive, and to later @dfn{import} them on
4494 a machine that runs Guix.
4495 In particular, it allows store files to be transferred from one machine
4496 to the store on another machine.
4499 If you're looking for a way to produce archives in a format suitable for
4500 tools other than Guix, @pxref{Invoking guix pack}.
4503 @cindex exporting store items
4504 To export store files as an archive to standard output, run:
4507 guix archive --export @var{options} @var{specifications}...
4510 @var{specifications} may be either store file names or package
4511 specifications, as for @command{guix package} (@pxref{Invoking guix
4512 package}). For instance, the following command creates an archive
4513 containing the @code{gui} output of the @code{git} package and the main
4514 output of @code{emacs}:
4517 guix archive --export git:gui /gnu/store/...-emacs-24.3 > great.nar
4520 If the specified packages are not built yet, @command{guix archive}
4521 automatically builds them. The build process may be controlled with the
4522 common build options (@pxref{Common Build Options}).
4524 To transfer the @code{emacs} package to a machine connected over SSH,
4528 guix archive --export -r emacs | ssh the-machine guix archive --import
4532 Similarly, a complete user profile may be transferred from one machine
4533 to another like this:
4536 guix archive --export -r $(readlink -f ~/.guix-profile) | \
4537 ssh the-machine guix archive --import
4541 However, note that, in both examples, all of @code{emacs} and the
4542 profile as well as all of their dependencies are transferred (due to
4543 @code{-r}), regardless of what is already available in the store on the
4544 target machine. The @code{--missing} option can help figure out which
4545 items are missing from the target store. The @command{guix copy}
4546 command simplifies and optimizes this whole process, so this is probably
4547 what you should use in this case (@pxref{Invoking guix copy}).
4549 @cindex nar, archive format
4550 @cindex normalized archive (nar)
4551 Archives are stored in the ``normalized archive'' or ``nar'' format, which is
4552 comparable in spirit to `tar', but with differences
4553 that make it more appropriate for our purposes. First, rather than
4554 recording all Unix metadata for each file, the nar format only mentions
4555 the file type (regular, directory, or symbolic link); Unix permissions
4556 and owner/group are dismissed. Second, the order in which directory
4557 entries are stored always follows the order of file names according to
4558 the C locale collation order. This makes archive production fully
4561 When exporting, the daemon digitally signs the contents of the archive,
4562 and that digital signature is appended. When importing, the daemon
4563 verifies the signature and rejects the import in case of an invalid
4564 signature or if the signing key is not authorized.
4565 @c FIXME: Add xref to daemon doc about signatures.
4567 The main options are:
4571 Export the specified store files or packages (see below.) Write the
4572 resulting archive to the standard output.
4574 Dependencies are @emph{not} included in the output, unless
4575 @code{--recursive} is passed.
4579 When combined with @code{--export}, this instructs @command{guix
4580 archive} to include dependencies of the given items in the archive.
4581 Thus, the resulting archive is self-contained: it contains the closure
4582 of the exported store items.
4585 Read an archive from the standard input, and import the files listed
4586 therein into the store. Abort if the archive has an invalid digital
4587 signature, or if it is signed by a public key not among the authorized
4588 keys (see @code{--authorize} below.)
4591 Read a list of store file names from the standard input, one per line,
4592 and write on the standard output the subset of these files missing from
4595 @item --generate-key[=@var{parameters}]
4596 @cindex signing, archives
4597 Generate a new key pair for the daemon. This is a prerequisite before
4598 archives can be exported with @code{--export}. Note that this operation
4599 usually takes time, because it needs to gather enough entropy to
4600 generate the key pair.
4602 The generated key pair is typically stored under @file{/etc/guix}, in
4603 @file{signing-key.pub} (public key) and @file{signing-key.sec} (private
4604 key, which must be kept secret.) When @var{parameters} is omitted,
4605 an ECDSA key using the Ed25519 curve is generated, or, for Libgcrypt
4606 versions before 1.6.0, it is a 4096-bit RSA key.
4607 Alternatively, @var{parameters} can specify
4608 @code{genkey} parameters suitable for Libgcrypt (@pxref{General
4609 public-key related Functions, @code{gcry_pk_genkey},, gcrypt, The
4610 Libgcrypt Reference Manual}).
4613 @cindex authorizing, archives
4614 Authorize imports signed by the public key passed on standard input.
4615 The public key must be in ``s-expression advanced format''---i.e., the
4616 same format as the @file{signing-key.pub} file.
4618 The list of authorized keys is kept in the human-editable file
4619 @file{/etc/guix/acl}. The file contains
4620 @url{https://people.csail.mit.edu/rivest/Sexp.txt, ``advanced-format
4621 s-expressions''} and is structured as an access-control list in the
4622 @url{https://theworld.com/~cme/spki.txt, Simple Public-Key Infrastructure
4625 @item --extract=@var{directory}
4626 @itemx -x @var{directory}
4627 Read a single-item archive as served by substitute servers
4628 (@pxref{Substitutes}) and extract it to @var{directory}. This is a
4629 low-level operation needed in only very narrow use cases; see below.
4631 For example, the following command extracts the substitute for Emacs
4632 served by @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} to @file{/tmp/emacs}:
4636 https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}/nar/gzip/@dots{}-emacs-24.5 \
4637 | gunzip | guix archive -x /tmp/emacs
4640 Single-item archives are different from multiple-item archives produced
4641 by @command{guix archive --export}; they contain a single store item,
4642 and they do @emph{not} embed a signature. Thus this operation does
4643 @emph{no} signature verification and its output should be considered
4646 The primary purpose of this operation is to facilitate inspection of
4647 archive contents coming from possibly untrusted substitute servers
4648 (@pxref{Invoking guix challenge}).
4652 Read a single-item archive as served by substitute servers
4653 (@pxref{Substitutes}) and print the list of files it contains, as in
4658 https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}/nar/lzip/@dots{}-emacs-26.3 \
4659 | lzip -d | guix archive -t
4665 @c *********************************************************************
4667 @chapter Development
4669 @cindex software development
4670 If you are a software developer, Guix provides tools that you should find
4671 helpful---independently of the language you're developing in. This is what
4672 this chapter is about.
4674 The @command{guix environment} command provides a convenient way to set up
4675 @dfn{development environments} containing all the dependencies and tools
4676 necessary to work on the software package of your choice. The @command{guix
4677 pack} command allows you to create @dfn{application bundles} that can be
4678 easily distributed to users who do not run Guix.
4681 * Invoking guix environment:: Setting up development environments.
4682 * Invoking guix pack:: Creating software bundles.
4685 @node Invoking guix environment
4686 @section Invoking @command{guix environment}
4688 @cindex reproducible build environments
4689 @cindex development environments
4690 @cindex @command{guix environment}
4691 @cindex environment, package build environment
4692 The purpose of @command{guix environment} is to assist hackers in
4693 creating reproducible development environments without polluting their
4694 package profile. The @command{guix environment} tool takes one or more
4695 packages, builds all of their inputs, and creates a shell
4696 environment to use them.
4698 The general syntax is:
4701 guix environment @var{options} @var{package}@dots{}
4704 The following example spawns a new shell set up for the development of
4708 guix environment guile
4711 If the needed dependencies are not built yet, @command{guix environment}
4712 automatically builds them. The environment of the new shell is an augmented
4713 version of the environment that @command{guix environment} was run in.
4714 It contains the necessary search paths for building the given package
4715 added to the existing environment variables. To create a ``pure''
4716 environment, in which the original environment variables have been unset,
4717 use the @code{--pure} option@footnote{Users sometimes wrongfully augment
4718 environment variables such as @code{PATH} in their @file{~/.bashrc}
4719 file. As a consequence, when @code{guix environment} launches it, Bash
4720 may read @file{~/.bashrc}, thereby introducing ``impurities'' in these
4721 environment variables. It is an error to define such environment
4722 variables in @file{.bashrc}; instead, they should be defined in
4723 @file{.bash_profile}, which is sourced only by log-in shells.
4724 @xref{Bash Startup Files,,, bash, The GNU Bash Reference Manual}, for
4725 details on Bash start-up files.}.
4727 @vindex GUIX_ENVIRONMENT
4728 @command{guix environment} defines the @code{GUIX_ENVIRONMENT}
4729 variable in the shell it spawns; its value is the file name of the
4730 profile of this environment. This allows users to, say, define a
4731 specific prompt for development environments in their @file{.bashrc}
4732 (@pxref{Bash Startup Files,,, bash, The GNU Bash Reference Manual}):
4735 if [ -n "$GUIX_ENVIRONMENT" ]
4737 export PS1="\u@@\h \w [dev]\$ "
4742 ...@: or to browse the profile:
4745 $ ls "$GUIX_ENVIRONMENT/bin"
4748 Additionally, more than one package may be specified, in which case the
4749 union of the inputs for the given packages are used. For example, the
4750 command below spawns a shell where all of the dependencies of both Guile
4751 and Emacs are available:
4754 guix environment guile emacs
4757 Sometimes an interactive shell session is not desired. An arbitrary
4758 command may be invoked by placing the @code{--} token to separate the
4759 command from the rest of the arguments:
4762 guix environment guile -- make -j4
4765 In other situations, it is more convenient to specify the list of
4766 packages needed in the environment. For example, the following command
4767 runs @command{python} from an environment containing Python@tie{}2.7 and
4771 guix environment --ad-hoc python2-numpy python-2.7 -- python
4774 Furthermore, one might want the dependencies of a package and also some
4775 additional packages that are not build-time or runtime dependencies, but
4776 are useful when developing nonetheless. Because of this, the
4777 @code{--ad-hoc} flag is positional. Packages appearing before
4778 @code{--ad-hoc} are interpreted as packages whose dependencies will be
4779 added to the environment. Packages appearing after are interpreted as
4780 packages that will be added to the environment directly. For example,
4781 the following command creates a Guix development environment that
4782 additionally includes Git and strace:
4785 guix environment --pure guix --ad-hoc git strace
4788 Sometimes it is desirable to isolate the environment as much as
4789 possible, for maximal purity and reproducibility. In particular, when
4790 using Guix on a host distro that is not Guix System, it is desirable to
4791 prevent access to @file{/usr/bin} and other system-wide resources from
4792 the development environment. For example, the following command spawns
4793 a Guile REPL in a ``container'' where only the store and the current
4794 working directory are mounted:
4797 guix environment --ad-hoc --container guile -- guile
4801 The @code{--container} option requires Linux-libre 3.19 or newer.
4804 The available options are summarized below.
4807 @item --root=@var{file}
4808 @itemx -r @var{file}
4809 @cindex persistent environment
4810 @cindex garbage collector root, for environments
4811 Make @var{file} a symlink to the profile for this environment, and
4812 register it as a garbage collector root.
4814 This is useful if you want to protect your environment from garbage
4815 collection, to make it ``persistent''.
4817 When this option is omitted, the environment is protected from garbage
4818 collection only for the duration of the @command{guix environment}
4819 session. This means that next time you recreate the same environment,
4820 you could have to rebuild or re-download packages. @xref{Invoking guix
4821 gc}, for more on GC roots.
4823 @item --expression=@var{expr}
4824 @itemx -e @var{expr}
4825 Create an environment for the package or list of packages that
4826 @var{expr} evaluates to.
4828 For example, running:
4831 guix environment -e '(@@ (gnu packages maths) petsc-openmpi)'
4834 starts a shell with the environment for this specific variant of the
4840 guix environment --ad-hoc -e '(@@ (gnu) %base-packages)'
4843 starts a shell with all the base system packages available.
4845 The above commands only use the default output of the given packages.
4846 To select other outputs, two element tuples can be specified:
4849 guix environment --ad-hoc -e '(list (@@ (gnu packages bash) bash) "include")'
4852 @item --load=@var{file}
4853 @itemx -l @var{file}
4854 Create an environment for the package or list of packages that the code
4855 within @var{file} evaluates to.
4857 As an example, @var{file} might contain a definition like this
4858 (@pxref{Defining Packages}):
4861 @verbatiminclude environment-gdb.scm
4864 @item --manifest=@var{file}
4865 @itemx -m @var{file}
4866 Create an environment for the packages contained in the manifest object
4867 returned by the Scheme code in @var{file}. This option can be repeated
4868 several times, in which case the manifests are concatenated.
4870 This is similar to the same-named option in @command{guix package}
4871 (@pxref{profile-manifest, @option{--manifest}}) and uses the same
4875 Include all specified packages in the resulting environment, as if an
4876 @i{ad hoc} package were defined with them as inputs. This option is
4877 useful for quickly creating an environment without having to write a
4878 package expression to contain the desired inputs.
4880 For instance, the command:
4883 guix environment --ad-hoc guile guile-sdl -- guile
4886 runs @command{guile} in an environment where Guile and Guile-SDL are
4889 Note that this example implicitly asks for the default output of
4890 @code{guile} and @code{guile-sdl}, but it is possible to ask for a
4891 specific output---e.g., @code{glib:bin} asks for the @code{bin} output
4892 of @code{glib} (@pxref{Packages with Multiple Outputs}).
4894 This option may be composed with the default behavior of @command{guix
4895 environment}. Packages appearing before @code{--ad-hoc} are interpreted
4896 as packages whose dependencies will be added to the environment, the
4897 default behavior. Packages appearing after are interpreted as packages
4898 that will be added to the environment directly.
4901 Unset existing environment variables when building the new environment, except
4902 those specified with @option{--preserve} (see below.) This has the effect of
4903 creating an environment in which search paths only contain package inputs.
4905 @item --preserve=@var{regexp}
4906 @itemx -E @var{regexp}
4907 When used alongside @option{--pure}, preserve the environment variables
4908 matching @var{regexp}---in other words, put them on a ``white list'' of
4909 environment variables that must be preserved. This option can be repeated
4913 guix environment --pure --preserve=^SLURM --ad-hoc openmpi @dots{} \
4917 This example runs @command{mpirun} in a context where the only environment
4918 variables defined are @code{PATH}, environment variables whose name starts
4919 with @code{SLURM}, as well as the usual ``precious'' variables (@code{HOME},
4922 @item --search-paths
4923 Display the environment variable definitions that make up the
4926 @item --system=@var{system}
4927 @itemx -s @var{system}
4928 Attempt to build for @var{system}---e.g., @code{i686-linux}.
4933 Run @var{command} within an isolated container. The current working
4934 directory outside the container is mapped inside the container.
4935 Additionally, unless overridden with @code{--user}, a dummy home
4936 directory is created that matches the current user's home directory, and
4937 @file{/etc/passwd} is configured accordingly.
4939 The spawned process runs as the current user outside the container. Inside
4940 the container, it has the same UID and GID as the current user, unless
4941 @option{--user} is passed (see below.)
4945 For containers, share the network namespace with the host system.
4946 Containers created without this flag only have access to the loopback
4949 @item --link-profile
4951 For containers, link the environment profile to
4952 @file{~/.guix-profile} within the container. This is equivalent to
4953 running the command @command{ln -s $GUIX_ENVIRONMENT ~/.guix-profile}
4954 within the container. Linking will fail and abort the environment if
4955 the directory already exists, which will certainly be the case if
4956 @command{guix environment} was invoked in the user's home directory.
4958 Certain packages are configured to look in
4959 @code{~/.guix-profile} for configuration files and data;@footnote{For
4960 example, the @code{fontconfig} package inspects
4961 @file{~/.guix-profile/share/fonts} for additional fonts.}
4962 @code{--link-profile} allows these programs to behave as expected within
4965 @item --user=@var{user}
4966 @itemx -u @var{user}
4967 For containers, use the username @var{user} in place of the current
4968 user. The generated @file{/etc/passwd} entry within the container will
4969 contain the name @var{user}, the home directory will be
4970 @file{/home/@var{user}}, and no user GECOS data will be copied. Furthermore,
4971 the UID and GID inside the container are 1000. @var{user}
4972 need not exist on the system.
4974 Additionally, any shared or exposed path (see @code{--share} and
4975 @code{--expose} respectively) whose target is within the current user's
4976 home directory will be remapped relative to @file{/home/USER}; this
4977 includes the automatic mapping of the current working directory.
4980 # will expose paths as /home/foo/wd, /home/foo/test, and /home/foo/target
4982 guix environment --container --user=foo \
4983 --expose=$HOME/test \
4984 --expose=/tmp/target=$HOME/target
4987 While this will limit the leaking of user identity through home paths
4988 and each of the user fields, this is only one useful component of a
4989 broader privacy/anonymity solution---not one in and of itself.
4992 For containers, the default behavior is to share the current working
4993 directory with the isolated container and immediately change to that
4994 directory within the container. If this is undesirable, @code{--no-cwd}
4995 will cause the current working directory to @emph{not} be automatically
4996 shared and will change to the user's home directory within the container
4997 instead. See also @code{--user}.
4999 @item --expose=@var{source}[=@var{target}]
5000 @itemx --share=@var{source}[=@var{target}]
5001 For containers, @code{--expose} (resp. @code{--share}) exposes the file
5002 system @var{source} from the host system as the read-only
5003 (resp. writable) file system @var{target} within the container. If
5004 @var{target} is not specified, @var{source} is used as the target mount
5005 point in the container.
5007 The example below spawns a Guile REPL in a container in which the user's
5008 home directory is accessible read-only via the @file{/exchange}
5012 guix environment --container --expose=$HOME=/exchange --ad-hoc guile -- guile
5017 @command{guix environment}
5018 also supports all of the common build options that @command{guix
5019 build} supports (@pxref{Common Build Options}) as well as package
5020 transformation options (@pxref{Package Transformation Options}).
5022 @node Invoking guix pack
5023 @section Invoking @command{guix pack}
5025 Occasionally you want to pass software to people who are not (yet!)
5026 lucky enough to be using Guix. You'd tell them to run @command{guix
5027 package -i @var{something}}, but that's not possible in this case. This
5028 is where @command{guix pack} comes in.
5031 If you are looking for ways to exchange binaries among machines that
5032 already run Guix, @pxref{Invoking guix copy}, @ref{Invoking guix
5033 publish}, and @ref{Invoking guix archive}.
5038 @cindex application bundle
5039 @cindex software bundle
5040 The @command{guix pack} command creates a shrink-wrapped @dfn{pack} or
5041 @dfn{software bundle}: it creates a tarball or some other archive
5042 containing the binaries of the software you're interested in, and all
5043 its dependencies. The resulting archive can be used on any machine that
5044 does not have Guix, and people can run the exact same binaries as those
5045 you have with Guix. The pack itself is created in a bit-reproducible
5046 fashion, so anyone can verify that it really contains the build results
5047 that you pretend to be shipping.
5049 For example, to create a bundle containing Guile, Emacs, Geiser, and all
5050 their dependencies, you can run:
5053 $ guix pack guile emacs geiser
5055 /gnu/store/@dots{}-pack.tar.gz
5058 The result here is a tarball containing a @file{/gnu/store} directory
5059 with all the relevant packages. The resulting tarball contains a
5060 @dfn{profile} with the three packages of interest; the profile is the
5061 same as would be created by @command{guix package -i}. It is this
5062 mechanism that is used to create Guix's own standalone binary tarball
5063 (@pxref{Binary Installation}).
5065 Users of this pack would have to run
5066 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-profile/bin/guile} to run Guile, which you may
5067 find inconvenient. To work around it, you can create, say, a
5068 @file{/opt/gnu/bin} symlink to the profile:
5071 guix pack -S /opt/gnu/bin=bin guile emacs geiser
5075 That way, users can happily type @file{/opt/gnu/bin/guile} and enjoy.
5077 @cindex relocatable binaries, with @command{guix pack}
5078 What if the recipient of your pack does not have root privileges on
5079 their machine, and thus cannot unpack it in the root file system? In
5080 that case, you will want to use the @code{--relocatable} option (see
5081 below). This option produces @dfn{relocatable binaries}, meaning they
5082 they can be placed anywhere in the file system hierarchy: in the example
5083 above, users can unpack your tarball in their home directory and
5084 directly run @file{./opt/gnu/bin/guile}.
5086 @cindex Docker, build an image with guix pack
5087 Alternatively, you can produce a pack in the Docker image format using
5088 the following command:
5091 guix pack -f docker -S /bin=bin guile guile-readline
5095 The result is a tarball that can be passed to the @command{docker load}
5096 command, followed by @code{docker run}:
5099 docker load < @var{file}
5100 docker run -ti guile-guile-readline /bin/guile
5104 where @var{file} is the image returned by @var{guix pack}, and
5105 @code{guile-guile-readline} is its ``image tag''. See the
5106 @uref{https://docs.docker.com/engine/reference/commandline/load/, Docker
5107 documentation} for more information.
5109 @cindex Singularity, build an image with guix pack
5110 @cindex SquashFS, build an image with guix pack
5111 Yet another option is to produce a SquashFS image with the following
5115 guix pack -f squashfs bash guile emacs geiser
5119 The result is a SquashFS file system image that can either be mounted or
5120 directly be used as a file system container image with the
5121 @uref{https://singularity.lbl.gov, Singularity container execution
5122 environment}, using commands like @command{singularity shell} or
5123 @command{singularity exec}.
5125 Several command-line options allow you to customize your pack:
5128 @item --format=@var{format}
5129 @itemx -f @var{format}
5130 Produce a pack in the given @var{format}.
5132 The available formats are:
5136 This is the default format. It produces a tarball containing all the
5137 specified binaries and symlinks.
5140 This produces a tarball that follows the
5141 @uref{https://github.com/docker/docker/blob/master/image/spec/v1.2.md,
5142 Docker Image Specification}. The ``repository name'' as it appears in
5143 the output of the @command{docker images} command is computed from
5144 package names passed on the command line or in the manifest file.
5147 This produces a SquashFS image containing all the specified binaries and
5148 symlinks, as well as empty mount points for virtual file systems like
5152 Singularity @emph{requires} you to provide @file{/bin/sh} in the image.
5153 For that reason, @command{guix pack -f squashfs} always implies @code{-S
5154 /bin=bin}. Thus, your @command{guix pack} invocation must always start
5155 with something like:
5158 guix pack -f squashfs bash @dots{}
5161 If you forget the @code{bash} (or similar) package, @command{singularity
5162 run} and @command{singularity exec} will fail with an unhelpful ``no
5163 such file or directory'' message.
5167 @cindex relocatable binaries
5170 Produce @dfn{relocatable binaries}---i.e., binaries that can be placed
5171 anywhere in the file system hierarchy and run from there.
5173 When this option is passed once, the resulting binaries require support for
5174 @dfn{user namespaces} in the kernel Linux; when passed
5175 @emph{twice}@footnote{Here's a trick to memorize it: @code{-RR}, which adds
5176 PRoot support, can be thought of as the abbreviation of ``Really
5177 Relocatable''. Neat, isn't it?}, relocatable binaries fall to back to PRoot
5178 if user namespaces are unavailable, and essentially work anywhere---see below
5179 for the implications.
5181 For example, if you create a pack containing Bash with:
5184 guix pack -RR -S /mybin=bin bash
5188 ...@: you can copy that pack to a machine that lacks Guix, and from your
5189 home directory as a normal user, run:
5197 In that shell, if you type @code{ls /gnu/store}, you'll notice that
5198 @file{/gnu/store} shows up and contains all the dependencies of
5199 @code{bash}, even though the machine actually lacks @file{/gnu/store}
5200 altogether! That is probably the simplest way to deploy Guix-built
5201 software on a non-Guix machine.
5204 By default, relocatable binaries rely on the @dfn{user namespace} feature of
5205 the kernel Linux, which allows unprivileged users to mount or change root.
5206 Old versions of Linux did not support it, and some GNU/Linux distributions
5209 To produce relocatable binaries that work even in the absence of user
5210 namespaces, pass @option{--relocatable} or @option{-R} @emph{twice}. In that
5211 case, binaries will try user namespace support and fall back to PRoot if user
5212 namespaces are not supported.
5214 The @uref{https://proot-me.github.io/, PRoot} program provides the necessary
5215 support for file system virtualization. It achieves that by using the
5216 @code{ptrace} system call on the running program. This approach has the
5217 advantage to work without requiring special kernel support, but it incurs
5218 run-time overhead every time a system call is made.
5221 @cindex entry point, for Docker images
5222 @item --entry-point=@var{command}
5223 Use @var{command} as the @dfn{entry point} of the resulting pack, if the pack
5224 format supports it---currently @code{docker} and @code{squashfs} (Singularity)
5225 support it. @var{command} must be relative to the profile contained in the
5228 The entry point specifies the command that tools like @code{docker run} or
5229 @code{singularity run} automatically start by default. For example, you can
5233 guix pack -f docker --entry-point=bin/guile guile
5236 The resulting pack can easily be loaded and @code{docker run} with no extra
5237 arguments will spawn @code{bin/guile}:
5240 docker load -i pack.tar.gz
5241 docker run @var{image-id}
5244 @item --expression=@var{expr}
5245 @itemx -e @var{expr}
5246 Consider the package @var{expr} evaluates to.
5248 This has the same purpose as the same-named option in @command{guix
5249 build} (@pxref{Additional Build Options, @code{--expression} in
5250 @command{guix build}}).
5252 @item --manifest=@var{file}
5253 @itemx -m @var{file}
5254 Use the packages contained in the manifest object returned by the Scheme
5255 code in @var{file}. This option can be repeated several times, in which
5256 case the manifests are concatenated.
5258 This has a similar purpose as the same-named option in @command{guix
5259 package} (@pxref{profile-manifest, @option{--manifest}}) and uses the
5260 same manifest files. It allows you to define a collection of packages
5261 once and use it both for creating profiles and for creating archives
5262 for use on machines that do not have Guix installed. Note that you can
5263 specify @emph{either} a manifest file @emph{or} a list of packages,
5266 @item --system=@var{system}
5267 @itemx -s @var{system}
5268 Attempt to build for @var{system}---e.g., @code{i686-linux}---instead of
5269 the system type of the build host.
5271 @item --target=@var{triplet}
5272 @cindex cross-compilation
5273 Cross-build for @var{triplet}, which must be a valid GNU triplet, such
5274 as @code{"mips64el-linux-gnu"} (@pxref{Specifying target triplets, GNU
5275 configuration triplets,, autoconf, Autoconf}).
5277 @item --compression=@var{tool}
5278 @itemx -C @var{tool}
5279 Compress the resulting tarball using @var{tool}---one of @code{gzip},
5280 @code{bzip2}, @code{xz}, @code{lzip}, or @code{none} for no compression.
5282 @item --symlink=@var{spec}
5283 @itemx -S @var{spec}
5284 Add the symlinks specified by @var{spec} to the pack. This option can
5285 appear several times.
5287 @var{spec} has the form @code{@var{source}=@var{target}}, where
5288 @var{source} is the symlink that will be created and @var{target} is the
5291 For instance, @code{-S /opt/gnu/bin=bin} creates a @file{/opt/gnu/bin}
5292 symlink pointing to the @file{bin} sub-directory of the profile.
5294 @item --save-provenance
5295 Save provenance information for the packages passed on the command line.
5296 Provenance information includes the URL and commit of the channels in use
5299 Provenance information is saved in the
5300 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-profile/manifest} file in the pack, along with the
5301 usual package metadata---the name and version of each package, their
5302 propagated inputs, and so on. It is useful information to the recipient of
5303 the pack, who then knows how the pack was (supposedly) obtained.
5305 This option is not enabled by default because, like timestamps, provenance
5306 information contributes nothing to the build process. In other words, there
5307 is an infinity of channel URLs and commit IDs that can lead to the same pack.
5308 Recording such ``silent'' metadata in the output thus potentially breaks the
5309 source-to-binary bitwise reproducibility property.
5311 @item --root=@var{file}
5312 @itemx -r @var{file}
5313 @cindex garbage collector root, for packs
5314 Make @var{file} a symlink to the resulting pack, and register it as a garbage
5317 @item --localstatedir
5318 @itemx --profile-name=@var{name}
5319 Include the ``local state directory'', @file{/var/guix}, in the resulting
5320 pack, and notably the @file{/var/guix/profiles/per-user/root/@var{name}}
5321 profile---by default @var{name} is @code{guix-profile}, which corresponds to
5322 @file{~root/.guix-profile}.
5324 @file{/var/guix} contains the store database (@pxref{The Store}) as well
5325 as garbage-collector roots (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}). Providing it in
5326 the pack means that the store is ``complete'' and manageable by Guix;
5327 not providing it pack means that the store is ``dead'': items cannot be
5328 added to it or removed from it after extraction of the pack.
5330 One use case for this is the Guix self-contained binary tarball
5331 (@pxref{Binary Installation}).
5335 Print the name of the derivation that builds the pack.
5338 Use the bootstrap binaries to build the pack. This option is only
5339 useful to Guix developers.
5342 In addition, @command{guix pack} supports all the common build options
5343 (@pxref{Common Build Options}) and all the package transformation
5344 options (@pxref{Package Transformation Options}).
5347 @c *********************************************************************
5348 @node Programming Interface
5349 @chapter Programming Interface
5351 GNU Guix provides several Scheme programming interfaces (APIs) to
5352 define, build, and query packages. The first interface allows users to
5353 write high-level package definitions. These definitions refer to
5354 familiar packaging concepts, such as the name and version of a package,
5355 its build system, and its dependencies. These definitions can then be
5356 turned into concrete build actions.
5358 Build actions are performed by the Guix daemon, on behalf of users. In a
5359 standard setup, the daemon has write access to the store---the
5360 @file{/gnu/store} directory---whereas users do not. The recommended
5361 setup also has the daemon perform builds in chroots, under a specific
5362 build users, to minimize interference with the rest of the system.
5365 Lower-level APIs are available to interact with the daemon and the
5366 store. To instruct the daemon to perform a build action, users actually
5367 provide it with a @dfn{derivation}. A derivation is a low-level
5368 representation of the build actions to be taken, and the environment in
5369 which they should occur---derivations are to package definitions what
5370 assembly is to C programs. The term ``derivation'' comes from the fact
5371 that build results @emph{derive} from them.
5373 This chapter describes all these APIs in turn, starting from high-level
5374 package definitions.
5377 * Package Modules:: Packages from the programmer's viewpoint.
5378 * Defining Packages:: Defining new packages.
5379 * Build Systems:: Specifying how packages are built.
5380 * The Store:: Manipulating the package store.
5381 * Derivations:: Low-level interface to package derivations.
5382 * The Store Monad:: Purely functional interface to the store.
5383 * G-Expressions:: Manipulating build expressions.
5384 * Invoking guix repl:: Fiddling with Guix interactively.
5387 @node Package Modules
5388 @section Package Modules
5390 From a programming viewpoint, the package definitions of the
5391 GNU distribution are provided by Guile modules in the @code{(gnu packages
5392 @dots{})} name space@footnote{Note that packages under the @code{(gnu
5393 packages @dots{})} module name space are not necessarily ``GNU
5394 packages''. This module naming scheme follows the usual Guile module
5395 naming convention: @code{gnu} means that these modules are distributed
5396 as part of the GNU system, and @code{packages} identifies modules that
5397 define packages.} (@pxref{Modules, Guile modules,, guile, GNU Guile
5398 Reference Manual}). For instance, the @code{(gnu packages emacs)}
5399 module exports a variable named @code{emacs}, which is bound to a
5400 @code{<package>} object (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
5402 The @code{(gnu packages @dots{})} module name space is
5403 automatically scanned for packages by the command-line tools. For
5404 instance, when running @code{guix install emacs}, all the @code{(gnu
5405 packages @dots{})} modules are scanned until one that exports a package
5406 object whose name is @code{emacs} is found. This package search
5407 facility is implemented in the @code{(gnu packages)} module.
5409 @cindex customization, of packages
5410 @cindex package module search path
5411 Users can store package definitions in modules with different
5412 names---e.g., @code{(my-packages emacs)}@footnote{Note that the file
5413 name and module name must match. For instance, the @code{(my-packages
5414 emacs)} module must be stored in a @file{my-packages/emacs.scm} file
5415 relative to the load path specified with @option{--load-path} or
5416 @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH}. @xref{Modules and the File System,,,
5417 guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}, for details.}. There are two ways to make
5418 these package definitions visible to the user interfaces:
5422 By adding the directory containing your package modules to the search path
5423 with the @code{-L} flag of @command{guix package} and other commands
5424 (@pxref{Common Build Options}), or by setting the @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH}
5425 environment variable described below.
5428 By defining a @dfn{channel} and configuring @command{guix pull} so that it
5429 pulls from it. A channel is essentially a Git repository containing package
5430 modules. @xref{Channels}, for more information on how to define and use
5434 @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH} works similarly to other search path variables:
5436 @defvr {Environment Variable} GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH
5437 This is a colon-separated list of directories to search for additional
5438 package modules. Directories listed in this variable take precedence
5439 over the own modules of the distribution.
5442 The distribution is fully @dfn{bootstrapped} and @dfn{self-contained}:
5443 each package is built based solely on other packages in the
5444 distribution. The root of this dependency graph is a small set of
5445 @dfn{bootstrap binaries}, provided by the @code{(gnu packages
5446 bootstrap)} module. For more information on bootstrapping,
5447 @pxref{Bootstrapping}.
5449 @node Defining Packages
5450 @section Defining Packages
5452 The high-level interface to package definitions is implemented in the
5453 @code{(guix packages)} and @code{(guix build-system)} modules. As an
5454 example, the package definition, or @dfn{recipe}, for the GNU Hello
5455 package looks like this:
5458 (define-module (gnu packages hello)
5459 #:use-module (guix packages)
5460 #:use-module (guix download)
5461 #:use-module (guix build-system gnu)
5462 #:use-module (guix licenses)
5463 #:use-module (gnu packages gawk))
5465 (define-public hello
5471 (uri (string-append "mirror://gnu/hello/hello-" version
5475 "0ssi1wpaf7plaswqqjwigppsg5fyh99vdlb9kzl7c9lng89ndq1i"))))
5476 (build-system gnu-build-system)
5477 (arguments '(#:configure-flags '("--enable-silent-rules")))
5478 (inputs `(("gawk" ,gawk)))
5479 (synopsis "Hello, GNU world: An example GNU package")
5480 (description "Guess what GNU Hello prints!")
5481 (home-page "https://www.gnu.org/software/hello/")
5486 Without being a Scheme expert, the reader may have guessed the meaning
5487 of the various fields here. This expression binds the variable
5488 @code{hello} to a @code{<package>} object, which is essentially a record
5489 (@pxref{SRFI-9, Scheme records,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}).
5490 This package object can be inspected using procedures found in the
5491 @code{(guix packages)} module; for instance, @code{(package-name hello)}
5492 returns---surprise!---@code{"hello"}.
5494 With luck, you may be able to import part or all of the definition of
5495 the package you are interested in from another repository, using the
5496 @code{guix import} command (@pxref{Invoking guix import}).
5498 In the example above, @var{hello} is defined in a module of its own,
5499 @code{(gnu packages hello)}. Technically, this is not strictly
5500 necessary, but it is convenient to do so: all the packages defined in
5501 modules under @code{(gnu packages @dots{})} are automatically known to
5502 the command-line tools (@pxref{Package Modules}).
5504 There are a few points worth noting in the above package definition:
5508 The @code{source} field of the package is an @code{<origin>} object
5509 (@pxref{origin Reference}, for the complete reference).
5510 Here, the @code{url-fetch} method from @code{(guix download)} is used,
5511 meaning that the source is a file to be downloaded over FTP or HTTP.
5513 The @code{mirror://gnu} prefix instructs @code{url-fetch} to use one of
5514 the GNU mirrors defined in @code{(guix download)}.
5516 The @code{sha256} field specifies the expected SHA256 hash of the file
5517 being downloaded. It is mandatory, and allows Guix to check the
5518 integrity of the file. The @code{(base32 @dots{})} form introduces the
5519 base32 representation of the hash. You can obtain this information with
5520 @code{guix download} (@pxref{Invoking guix download}) and @code{guix
5521 hash} (@pxref{Invoking guix hash}).
5524 When needed, the @code{origin} form can also have a @code{patches} field
5525 listing patches to be applied, and a @code{snippet} field giving a
5526 Scheme expression to modify the source code.
5529 @cindex GNU Build System
5530 The @code{build-system} field specifies the procedure to build the
5531 package (@pxref{Build Systems}). Here, @var{gnu-build-system}
5532 represents the familiar GNU Build System, where packages may be
5533 configured, built, and installed with the usual @code{./configure &&
5534 make && make check && make install} command sequence.
5537 The @code{arguments} field specifies options for the build system
5538 (@pxref{Build Systems}). Here it is interpreted by
5539 @var{gnu-build-system} as a request run @file{configure} with the
5540 @code{--enable-silent-rules} flag.
5546 What about these quote (@code{'}) characters? They are Scheme syntax to
5547 introduce a literal list; @code{'} is synonymous with @code{quote}.
5548 @xref{Expression Syntax, quoting,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual},
5549 for details. Here the value of the @code{arguments} field is a list of
5550 arguments passed to the build system down the road, as with @code{apply}
5551 (@pxref{Fly Evaluation, @code{apply},, guile, GNU Guile Reference
5554 The hash-colon (@code{#:}) sequence defines a Scheme @dfn{keyword}
5555 (@pxref{Keywords,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}), and
5556 @code{#:configure-flags} is a keyword used to pass a keyword argument
5557 to the build system (@pxref{Coding With Keywords,,, guile, GNU Guile
5561 The @code{inputs} field specifies inputs to the build process---i.e.,
5562 build-time or run-time dependencies of the package. Here, we define an
5563 input called @code{"gawk"} whose value is that of the @var{gawk}
5564 variable; @var{gawk} is itself bound to a @code{<package>} object.
5566 @cindex backquote (quasiquote)
5569 @cindex comma (unquote)
5573 @findex unquote-splicing
5574 Again, @code{`} (a backquote, synonymous with @code{quasiquote}) allows
5575 us to introduce a literal list in the @code{inputs} field, while
5576 @code{,} (a comma, synonymous with @code{unquote}) allows us to insert a
5577 value in that list (@pxref{Expression Syntax, unquote,, guile, GNU Guile
5580 Note that GCC, Coreutils, Bash, and other essential tools do not need to
5581 be specified as inputs here. Instead, @var{gnu-build-system} takes care
5582 of ensuring that they are present (@pxref{Build Systems}).
5584 However, any other dependencies need to be specified in the
5585 @code{inputs} field. Any dependency not specified here will simply be
5586 unavailable to the build process, possibly leading to a build failure.
5589 @xref{package Reference}, for a full description of possible fields.
5591 Once a package definition is in place, the
5592 package may actually be built using the @code{guix build} command-line
5593 tool (@pxref{Invoking guix build}), troubleshooting any build failures
5594 you encounter (@pxref{Debugging Build Failures}). You can easily jump back to the
5595 package definition using the @command{guix edit} command
5596 (@pxref{Invoking guix edit}).
5597 @xref{Packaging Guidelines}, for
5598 more information on how to test package definitions, and
5599 @ref{Invoking guix lint}, for information on how to check a definition
5600 for style conformance.
5601 @vindex GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH
5602 Lastly, @pxref{Channels}, for information
5603 on how to extend the distribution by adding your own package definitions
5606 Finally, updating the package definition to a new upstream version
5607 can be partly automated by the @command{guix refresh} command
5608 (@pxref{Invoking guix refresh}).
5610 Behind the scenes, a derivation corresponding to the @code{<package>}
5611 object is first computed by the @code{package-derivation} procedure.
5612 That derivation is stored in a @code{.drv} file under @file{/gnu/store}.
5613 The build actions it prescribes may then be realized by using the
5614 @code{build-derivations} procedure (@pxref{The Store}).
5616 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} package-derivation @var{store} @var{package} [@var{system}]
5617 Return the @code{<derivation>} object of @var{package} for @var{system}
5618 (@pxref{Derivations}).
5620 @var{package} must be a valid @code{<package>} object, and @var{system}
5621 must be a string denoting the target system type---e.g.,
5622 @code{"x86_64-linux"} for an x86_64 Linux-based GNU system. @var{store}
5623 must be a connection to the daemon, which operates on the store
5624 (@pxref{The Store}).
5628 @cindex cross-compilation
5629 Similarly, it is possible to compute a derivation that cross-builds a
5630 package for some other system:
5632 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} package-cross-derivation @var{store} @
5633 @var{package} @var{target} [@var{system}]
5634 Return the @code{<derivation>} object of @var{package} cross-built from
5635 @var{system} to @var{target}.
5637 @var{target} must be a valid GNU triplet denoting the target hardware
5638 and operating system, such as @code{"mips64el-linux-gnu"}
5639 (@pxref{Specifying Target Triplets,,, autoconf, Autoconf}).
5642 @cindex package transformations
5643 @cindex input rewriting
5644 @cindex dependency tree rewriting
5645 Packages can be manipulated in arbitrary ways. An example of a useful
5646 transformation is @dfn{input rewriting}, whereby the dependency tree of
5647 a package is rewritten by replacing specific inputs by others:
5649 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} package-input-rewriting @var{replacements} @
5650 [@var{rewrite-name}]
5651 Return a procedure that, when passed a package, replaces its direct and
5652 indirect dependencies (but not its implicit inputs) according to
5653 @var{replacements}. @var{replacements} is a list of package pairs; the
5654 first element of each pair is the package to replace, and the second one
5657 Optionally, @var{rewrite-name} is a one-argument procedure that takes
5658 the name of a package and returns its new name after rewrite.
5662 Consider this example:
5665 (define libressl-instead-of-openssl
5666 ;; This is a procedure to replace OPENSSL by LIBRESSL,
5668 (package-input-rewriting `((,openssl . ,libressl))))
5670 (define git-with-libressl
5671 (libressl-instead-of-openssl git))
5675 Here we first define a rewriting procedure that replaces @var{openssl}
5676 with @var{libressl}. Then we use it to define a @dfn{variant} of the
5677 @var{git} package that uses @var{libressl} instead of @var{openssl}.
5678 This is exactly what the @option{--with-input} command-line option does
5679 (@pxref{Package Transformation Options, @option{--with-input}}).
5681 The following variant of @code{package-input-rewriting} can match packages to
5682 be replaced by name rather than by identity.
5684 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} package-input-rewriting/spec @var{replacements}
5685 Return a procedure that, given a package, applies the given @var{replacements} to
5686 all the package graph (excluding implicit inputs). @var{replacements} is a list of
5687 spec/procedures pair; each spec is a package specification such as @code{"gcc"} or
5688 @code{"guile@@2"}, and each procedure takes a matching package and returns a
5689 replacement for that package.
5692 The example above could be rewritten this way:
5695 (define libressl-instead-of-openssl
5696 ;; Replace all the packages called "openssl" with LibreSSL.
5697 (package-input-rewriting/spec `(("openssl" . ,(const libressl)))))
5700 The key difference here is that, this time, packages are matched by spec and
5701 not by identity. In other words, any package in the graph that is called
5702 @code{openssl} will be replaced.
5704 A more generic procedure to rewrite a package dependency graph is
5705 @code{package-mapping}: it supports arbitrary changes to nodes in the
5708 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} package-mapping @var{proc} [@var{cut?}]
5709 Return a procedure that, given a package, applies @var{proc} to all the packages
5710 depended on and returns the resulting package. The procedure stops recursion
5711 when @var{cut?} returns true for a given package.
5715 * package Reference:: The package data type.
5716 * origin Reference:: The origin data type.
5720 @node package Reference
5721 @subsection @code{package} Reference
5723 This section summarizes all the options available in @code{package}
5724 declarations (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
5726 @deftp {Data Type} package
5727 This is the data type representing a package recipe.
5731 The name of the package, as a string.
5733 @item @code{version}
5734 The version of the package, as a string.
5737 An object telling how the source code for the package should be
5738 acquired. Most of the time, this is an @code{origin} object, which
5739 denotes a file fetched from the Internet (@pxref{origin Reference}). It
5740 can also be any other ``file-like'' object such as a @code{local-file},
5741 which denotes a file from the local file system (@pxref{G-Expressions,
5742 @code{local-file}}).
5744 @item @code{build-system}
5745 The build system that should be used to build the package (@pxref{Build
5748 @item @code{arguments} (default: @code{'()})
5749 The arguments that should be passed to the build system. This is a
5750 list, typically containing sequential keyword-value pairs.
5752 @item @code{inputs} (default: @code{'()})
5753 @itemx @code{native-inputs} (default: @code{'()})
5754 @itemx @code{propagated-inputs} (default: @code{'()})
5755 @cindex inputs, of packages
5756 These fields list dependencies of the package. Each one is a list of
5757 tuples, where each tuple has a label for the input (a string) as its
5758 first element, a package, origin, or derivation as its second element,
5759 and optionally the name of the output thereof that should be used, which
5760 defaults to @code{"out"} (@pxref{Packages with Multiple Outputs}, for
5761 more on package outputs). For example, the list below specifies three
5765 `(("libffi" ,libffi)
5766 ("libunistring" ,libunistring)
5767 ("glib:bin" ,glib "bin")) ;the "bin" output of Glib
5770 @cindex cross compilation, package dependencies
5771 The distinction between @code{native-inputs} and @code{inputs} is
5772 necessary when considering cross-compilation. When cross-compiling,
5773 dependencies listed in @code{inputs} are built for the @emph{target}
5774 architecture; conversely, dependencies listed in @code{native-inputs}
5775 are built for the architecture of the @emph{build} machine.
5777 @code{native-inputs} is typically used to list tools needed at
5778 build time, but not at run time, such as Autoconf, Automake, pkg-config,
5779 Gettext, or Bison. @command{guix lint} can report likely mistakes in
5780 this area (@pxref{Invoking guix lint}).
5782 @anchor{package-propagated-inputs}
5783 Lastly, @code{propagated-inputs} is similar to @code{inputs}, but the
5784 specified packages will be automatically installed alongside the package
5785 they belong to (@pxref{package-cmd-propagated-inputs, @command{guix
5786 package}}, for information on how @command{guix package} deals with
5789 For example this is necessary when a C/C++ library needs headers of
5790 another library to compile, or when a pkg-config file refers to another
5791 one @i{via} its @code{Requires} field.
5793 Another example where @code{propagated-inputs} is useful is for languages
5794 that lack a facility to record the run-time search path akin to the
5795 @code{RUNPATH} of ELF files; this includes Guile, Python, Perl, and
5796 more. To ensure that libraries written in those languages can find
5797 library code they depend on at run time, run-time dependencies must be
5798 listed in @code{propagated-inputs} rather than @code{inputs}.
5800 @item @code{outputs} (default: @code{'("out")})
5801 The list of output names of the package. @xref{Packages with Multiple
5802 Outputs}, for typical uses of additional outputs.
5804 @item @code{native-search-paths} (default: @code{'()})
5805 @itemx @code{search-paths} (default: @code{'()})
5806 A list of @code{search-path-specification} objects describing
5807 search-path environment variables honored by the package.
5809 @item @code{replacement} (default: @code{#f})
5810 This must be either @code{#f} or a package object that will be used as a
5811 @dfn{replacement} for this package. @xref{Security Updates, grafts},
5814 @item @code{synopsis}
5815 A one-line description of the package.
5817 @item @code{description}
5818 A more elaborate description of the package.
5820 @item @code{license}
5821 @cindex license, of packages
5822 The license of the package; a value from @code{(guix licenses)},
5823 or a list of such values.
5825 @item @code{home-page}
5826 The URL to the home-page of the package, as a string.
5828 @item @code{supported-systems} (default: @code{%supported-systems})
5829 The list of systems supported by the package, as strings of the form
5830 @code{architecture-kernel}, for example @code{"x86_64-linux"}.
5832 @item @code{location} (default: source location of the @code{package} form)
5833 The source location of the package. It is useful to override this when
5834 inheriting from another package, in which case this field is not
5835 automatically corrected.
5839 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} this-package
5840 When used in the @emph{lexical scope} of a package field definition, this
5841 identifier resolves to the package being defined.
5843 The example below shows how to add a package as a native input of itself when
5851 ;; When cross-compiled, Guile, for example, depends on
5852 ;; a native version of itself. Add it here.
5853 (native-inputs (if (%current-target-system)
5854 `(("self" ,this-package))
5858 It is an error to refer to @code{this-package} outside a package definition.
5861 @node origin Reference
5862 @subsection @code{origin} Reference
5864 This section summarizes all the options available in @code{origin}
5865 declarations (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
5867 @deftp {Data Type} origin
5868 This is the data type representing a source code origin.
5872 An object containing the URI of the source. The object type depends on
5873 the @code{method} (see below). For example, when using the
5874 @var{url-fetch} method of @code{(guix download)}, the valid @code{uri}
5875 values are: a URL represented as a string, or a list thereof.
5878 A procedure that handles the URI.
5883 @item @var{url-fetch} from @code{(guix download)}
5884 download a file from the HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP URL specified in the
5888 @item @var{git-fetch} from @code{(guix git-download)}
5889 clone the Git version control repository, and check out the revision
5890 specified in the @code{uri} field as a @code{git-reference} object; a
5891 @code{git-reference} looks like this:
5895 (url "https://git.savannah.gnu.org/git/hello.git")
5901 A bytevector containing the SHA-256 hash of the source. Typically the
5902 @code{base32} form is used here to generate the bytevector from a
5905 You can obtain this information using @code{guix download}
5906 (@pxref{Invoking guix download}) or @code{guix hash} (@pxref{Invoking
5909 @item @code{file-name} (default: @code{#f})
5910 The file name under which the source code should be saved. When this is
5911 @code{#f}, a sensible default value will be used in most cases. In case
5912 the source is fetched from a URL, the file name from the URL will be
5913 used. For version control checkouts, it is recommended to provide the
5914 file name explicitly because the default is not very descriptive.
5916 @item @code{patches} (default: @code{'()})
5917 A list of file names, origins, or file-like objects (@pxref{G-Expressions,
5918 file-like objects}) pointing to patches to be applied to the source.
5920 This list of patches must be unconditional. In particular, it cannot
5921 depend on the value of @code{%current-system} or
5922 @code{%current-target-system}.
5924 @item @code{snippet} (default: @code{#f})
5925 A G-expression (@pxref{G-Expressions}) or S-expression that will be run
5926 in the source directory. This is a convenient way to modify the source,
5927 sometimes more convenient than a patch.
5929 @item @code{patch-flags} (default: @code{'("-p1")})
5930 A list of command-line flags that should be passed to the @code{patch}
5933 @item @code{patch-inputs} (default: @code{#f})
5934 Input packages or derivations to the patching process. When this is
5935 @code{#f}, the usual set of inputs necessary for patching are provided,
5936 such as GNU@tie{}Patch.
5938 @item @code{modules} (default: @code{'()})
5939 A list of Guile modules that should be loaded during the patching
5940 process and while running the code in the @code{snippet} field.
5942 @item @code{patch-guile} (default: @code{#f})
5943 The Guile package that should be used in the patching process. When
5944 this is @code{#f}, a sensible default is used.
5950 @section Build Systems
5952 @cindex build system
5953 Each package definition specifies a @dfn{build system} and arguments for
5954 that build system (@pxref{Defining Packages}). This @code{build-system}
5955 field represents the build procedure of the package, as well as implicit
5956 dependencies of that build procedure.
5958 Build systems are @code{<build-system>} objects. The interface to
5959 create and manipulate them is provided by the @code{(guix build-system)}
5960 module, and actual build systems are exported by specific modules.
5962 @cindex bag (low-level package representation)
5963 Under the hood, build systems first compile package objects to
5964 @dfn{bags}. A @dfn{bag} is like a package, but with less
5965 ornamentation---in other words, a bag is a lower-level representation of
5966 a package, which includes all the inputs of that package, including some
5967 that were implicitly added by the build system. This intermediate
5968 representation is then compiled to a derivation (@pxref{Derivations}).
5970 Build systems accept an optional list of @dfn{arguments}. In package
5971 definitions, these are passed @i{via} the @code{arguments} field
5972 (@pxref{Defining Packages}). They are typically keyword arguments
5973 (@pxref{Optional Arguments, keyword arguments in Guile,, guile, GNU
5974 Guile Reference Manual}). The value of these arguments is usually
5975 evaluated in the @dfn{build stratum}---i.e., by a Guile process launched
5976 by the daemon (@pxref{Derivations}).
5978 The main build system is @code{gnu-build-system}, which implements the
5979 standard build procedure for GNU and many other packages. It
5980 is provided by the @code{(guix build-system gnu)} module.
5982 @defvr {Scheme Variable} gnu-build-system
5983 @code{gnu-build-system} represents the GNU Build System, and variants
5984 thereof (@pxref{Configuration, configuration and makefile conventions,,
5985 standards, GNU Coding Standards}).
5987 @cindex build phases
5988 In a nutshell, packages using it are configured, built, and installed with
5989 the usual @code{./configure && make && make check && make install}
5990 command sequence. In practice, a few additional steps are often needed.
5991 All these steps are split up in separate @dfn{phases},
5992 notably@footnote{Please see the @code{(guix build gnu-build-system)}
5993 modules for more details about the build phases.}:
5997 Unpack the source tarball, and change the current directory to the
5998 extracted source tree. If the source is actually a directory, copy it
5999 to the build tree, and enter that directory.
6001 @item patch-source-shebangs
6002 Patch shebangs encountered in source files so they refer to the right
6003 store file names. For instance, this changes @code{#!/bin/sh} to
6004 @code{#!/gnu/store/@dots{}-bash-4.3/bin/sh}.
6007 Run the @file{configure} script with a number of default options, such
6008 as @code{--prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}}, as well as the options specified
6009 by the @code{#:configure-flags} argument.
6012 Run @code{make} with the list of flags specified with
6013 @code{#:make-flags}. If the @code{#:parallel-build?} argument is true
6014 (the default), build with @code{make -j}.
6017 Run @code{make check}, or some other target specified with
6018 @code{#:test-target}, unless @code{#:tests? #f} is passed. If the
6019 @code{#:parallel-tests?} argument is true (the default), run @code{make
6023 Run @code{make install} with the flags listed in @code{#:make-flags}.
6025 @item patch-shebangs
6026 Patch shebangs on the installed executable files.
6029 Strip debugging symbols from ELF files (unless @code{#:strip-binaries?}
6030 is false), copying them to the @code{debug} output when available
6031 (@pxref{Installing Debugging Files}).
6034 @vindex %standard-phases
6035 The build-side module @code{(guix build gnu-build-system)} defines
6036 @code{%standard-phases} as the default list of build phases.
6037 @code{%standard-phases} is a list of symbol/procedure pairs, where the
6038 procedure implements the actual phase.
6040 The list of phases used for a particular package can be changed with the
6041 @code{#:phases} parameter. For instance, passing:
6044 #:phases (modify-phases %standard-phases (delete 'configure))
6047 means that all the phases described above will be used, except the
6048 @code{configure} phase.
6050 In addition, this build system ensures that the ``standard'' environment
6051 for GNU packages is available. This includes tools such as GCC, libc,
6052 Coreutils, Bash, Make, Diffutils, grep, and sed (see the @code{(guix
6053 build-system gnu)} module for a complete list). We call these the
6054 @dfn{implicit inputs} of a package, because package definitions do not
6055 have to mention them.
6058 Other @code{<build-system>} objects are defined to support other
6059 conventions and tools used by free software packages. They inherit most
6060 of @code{gnu-build-system}, and differ mainly in the set of inputs
6061 implicitly added to the build process, and in the list of phases
6062 executed. Some of these build systems are listed below.
6064 @defvr {Scheme Variable} ant-build-system
6065 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system ant)}. It
6066 implements the build procedure for Java packages that can be built with
6067 @url{https://ant.apache.org/, Ant build tool}.
6069 It adds both @code{ant} and the @dfn{Java Development Kit} (JDK) as
6070 provided by the @code{icedtea} package to the set of inputs. Different
6071 packages can be specified with the @code{#:ant} and @code{#:jdk}
6072 parameters, respectively.
6074 When the original package does not provide a suitable Ant build file,
6075 the parameter @code{#:jar-name} can be used to generate a minimal Ant
6076 build file @file{build.xml} with tasks to build the specified jar
6077 archive. In this case the parameter @code{#:source-dir} can be used to
6078 specify the source sub-directory, defaulting to ``src''.
6080 The @code{#:main-class} parameter can be used with the minimal ant
6081 buildfile to specify the main class of the resulting jar. This makes the
6082 jar file executable. The @code{#:test-include} parameter can be used to
6083 specify the list of junit tests to run. It defaults to
6084 @code{(list "**/*Test.java")}. The @code{#:test-exclude} can be used to
6085 disable some tests. It defaults to @code{(list "**/Abstract*.java")},
6086 because abstract classes cannot be run as tests.
6088 The parameter @code{#:build-target} can be used to specify the Ant task
6089 that should be run during the @code{build} phase. By default the
6090 ``jar'' task will be run.
6094 @defvr {Scheme Variable} android-ndk-build-system
6095 @cindex Android distribution
6096 @cindex Android NDK build system
6097 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system android-ndk)}. It
6098 implements a build procedure for Android NDK (native development kit)
6099 packages using a Guix-specific build process.
6101 The build system assumes that packages install their public interface
6102 (header) files to the subdirectory "include" of the "out" output and
6103 their libraries to the subdirectory "lib" of the "out" output.
6105 It's also assumed that the union of all the dependencies of a package
6106 has no conflicting files.
6108 For the time being, cross-compilation is not supported - so right now
6109 the libraries and header files are assumed to be host tools.
6113 @defvr {Scheme Variable} asdf-build-system/source
6114 @defvrx {Scheme Variable} asdf-build-system/sbcl
6115 @defvrx {Scheme Variable} asdf-build-system/ecl
6117 These variables, exported by @code{(guix build-system asdf)}, implement
6118 build procedures for Common Lisp packages using
6119 @url{https://common-lisp.net/project/asdf/, ``ASDF''}. ASDF is a system
6120 definition facility for Common Lisp programs and libraries.
6122 The @code{asdf-build-system/source} system installs the packages in
6123 source form, and can be loaded using any common lisp implementation, via
6124 ASDF. The others, such as @code{asdf-build-system/sbcl}, install binary
6125 systems in the format which a particular implementation understands.
6126 These build systems can also be used to produce executable programs, or
6127 lisp images which contain a set of packages pre-loaded.
6129 The build system uses naming conventions. For binary packages, the
6130 package name should be prefixed with the lisp implementation, such as
6131 @code{sbcl-} for @code{asdf-build-system/sbcl}.
6133 Additionally, the corresponding source package should be labeled using
6134 the same convention as python packages (see @ref{Python Modules}), using
6135 the @code{cl-} prefix.
6137 For binary packages, each system should be defined as a Guix package.
6138 If one package @code{origin} contains several systems, package variants
6139 can be created in order to build all the systems. Source packages,
6140 which use @code{asdf-build-system/source}, may contain several systems.
6142 In order to create executable programs and images, the build-side
6143 procedures @code{build-program} and @code{build-image} can be used.
6144 They should be called in a build phase after the @code{create-symlinks}
6145 phase, so that the system which was just built can be used within the
6146 resulting image. @code{build-program} requires a list of Common Lisp
6147 expressions to be passed as the @code{#:entry-program} argument.
6149 If the system is not defined within its own @code{.asd} file of the same
6150 name, then the @code{#:asd-file} parameter should be used to specify
6151 which file the system is defined in. Furthermore, if the package
6152 defines a system for its tests in a separate file, it will be loaded
6153 before the tests are run if it is specified by the
6154 @code{#:test-asd-file} parameter. If it is not set, the files
6155 @code{<system>-tests.asd}, @code{<system>-test.asd}, @code{tests.asd},
6156 and @code{test.asd} will be tried if they exist.
6158 If for some reason the package must be named in a different way than the
6159 naming conventions suggest, the @code{#:asd-system-name} parameter can
6160 be used to specify the name of the system.
6164 @defvr {Scheme Variable} cargo-build-system
6165 @cindex Rust programming language
6166 @cindex Cargo (Rust build system)
6167 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system cargo)}. It
6168 supports builds of packages using Cargo, the build tool of the
6169 @uref{https://www.rust-lang.org, Rust programming language}.
6171 It adds @code{rustc} and @code{cargo} to the set of inputs.
6172 A different Rust package can be specified with the @code{#:rust} parameter.
6174 Regular cargo dependencies should be added to the package definition via the
6175 @code{#:cargo-inputs} parameter as a list of name and spec pairs, where the
6176 spec can be a package or a source definition. Note that the spec must
6177 evaluate to a path to a gzipped tarball which includes a @code{Cargo.toml}
6178 file at its root, or it will be ignored. Similarly, cargo dev-dependencies
6179 should be added to the package definition via the
6180 @code{#:cargo-development-inputs} parameter.
6182 In its @code{configure} phase, this build system will make any source inputs
6183 specified in the @code{#:cargo-inputs} and @code{#:cargo-development-inputs}
6184 parameters available to cargo. It will also remove an included
6185 @code{Cargo.lock} file to be recreated by @code{cargo} during the
6186 @code{build} phase. The @code{install} phase installs any crate the binaries
6187 if they are defined by the crate.
6191 @defvr {Scheme Variable} copy-build-system
6192 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system copy)}. It
6193 supports builds of simple packages that don't require much compiling,
6194 mostly just moving files around.
6196 It adds much of the @code{gnu-build-system} packages to the set of
6197 inputs. Because of this, the @code{copy-build-system} does not require
6198 all the boilerplate code often needed for the
6199 @code{trivial-build-system}.
6201 To further simplify the file installation process, an
6202 @code{#:install-plan} argument is exposed to let the packager specify
6203 which files go where. The install plan is a list of @code{(@var{source}
6204 @var{target} [@var{filters}])}. @var{filters} are optional.
6207 @item When @var{source} matches a file or directory without trailing slash, install it to @var{target}.
6209 @item If @var{target} has a trailing slash, install @var{source} basename beneath @var{target}.
6210 @item Otherwise install @var{source} as @var{target}.
6213 @item When @var{source} is a directory with a trailing slash, or when @var{filters} are used,
6214 the trailing slash of @var{target} is implied with the same meaning
6217 @item Without @var{filters}, install the full @var{source} @emph{content} to @var{target}.
6218 @item With @var{filters} among @code{#:include}, @code{#:include-regexp}, @code{#:exclude},
6219 @code{#:exclude-regexp}, only select files are installed depending on
6220 the filters. Each filters is specified by a list of strings.
6222 @item With @code{#:include}, install all the files which the path suffix matches
6223 at least one of the elements in the given list.
6224 @item With @code{#:include-regexp}, install all the files which the
6225 subpaths match at least one of the regular expressions in the given
6227 @item The @code{#:exclude} and @code{#:exclude-regexp} filters
6228 are the complement of their inclusion counterpart. Without @code{#:include} flags,
6229 install all files but those matching the exclusion filters.
6230 If both inclusions and exclusions are specified, the exclusions are done
6231 on top of the inclusions.
6234 In all cases, the paths relative to @var{source} are preserved within
6241 @item @code{("foo/bar" "share/my-app/")}: Install @file{bar} to @file{share/my-app/bar}.
6242 @item @code{("foo/bar" "share/my-app/baz")}: Install @file{bar} to @file{share/my-app/baz}.
6243 @item @code{("foo/" "share/my-app")}: Install the content of @file{foo} inside @file{share/my-app},
6244 e.g., install @file{foo/sub/file} to @file{share/my-app/sub/file}.
6245 @item @code{("foo/" "share/my-app" #:include ("sub/file"))}: Install only @file{foo/sub/file} to
6246 @file{share/my-app/sub/file}.
6247 @item @code{("foo/sub" "share/my-app" #:include ("file"))}: Install @file{foo/sub/file} to
6248 @file{share/my-app/file}.
6253 @cindex Clojure (programming language)
6254 @cindex simple Clojure build system
6255 @defvr {Scheme Variable} clojure-build-system
6256 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system clojure)}. It implements
6257 a simple build procedure for @uref{https://clojure.org/, Clojure} packages
6258 using plain old @code{compile} in Clojure. Cross-compilation is not supported
6261 It adds @code{clojure}, @code{icedtea} and @code{zip} to the set of inputs.
6262 Different packages can be specified with the @code{#:clojure}, @code{#:jdk} and
6263 @code{#:zip} parameters, respectively.
6265 A list of source directories, test directories and jar names can be specified
6266 with the @code{#:source-dirs}, @code{#:test-dirs} and @code{#:jar-names}
6267 parameters, respectively. Compile directory and main class can be specified
6268 with the @code{#:compile-dir} and @code{#:main-class} parameters, respectively.
6269 Other parameters are documented below.
6271 This build system is an extension of @code{ant-build-system}, but with the
6272 following phases changed:
6277 This phase calls @code{compile} in Clojure to compile source files and runs
6278 @command{jar} to create jars from both source files and compiled files
6279 according to the include list and exclude list specified in
6280 @code{#:aot-include} and @code{#:aot-exclude}, respectively. The exclude list
6281 has priority over the include list. These lists consist of symbols
6282 representing Clojure libraries or the special keyword @code{#:all} representing
6283 all Clojure libraries found under the source directories. The parameter
6284 @code{#:omit-source?} decides if source should be included into the jars.
6287 This phase runs tests according to the include list and exclude list specified
6288 in @code{#:test-include} and @code{#:test-exclude}, respectively. Their
6289 meanings are analogous to that of @code{#:aot-include} and
6290 @code{#:aot-exclude}, except that the special keyword @code{#:all} now
6291 stands for all Clojure libraries found under the test directories. The
6292 parameter @code{#:tests?} decides if tests should be run.
6295 This phase installs all jars built previously.
6298 Apart from the above, this build system also contains an additional phase:
6303 This phase installs all top-level files with base name matching
6304 @code{%doc-regex}. A different regex can be specified with the
6305 @code{#:doc-regex} parameter. All files (recursively) inside the documentation
6306 directories specified in @code{#:doc-dirs} are installed as well.
6310 @defvr {Scheme Variable} cmake-build-system
6311 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system cmake)}. It
6312 implements the build procedure for packages using the
6313 @url{https://www.cmake.org, CMake build tool}.
6315 It automatically adds the @code{cmake} package to the set of inputs.
6316 Which package is used can be specified with the @code{#:cmake}
6319 The @code{#:configure-flags} parameter is taken as a list of flags
6320 passed to the @command{cmake} command. The @code{#:build-type}
6321 parameter specifies in abstract terms the flags passed to the compiler;
6322 it defaults to @code{"RelWithDebInfo"} (short for ``release mode with
6323 debugging information''), which roughly means that code is compiled with
6324 @code{-O2 -g}, as is the case for Autoconf-based packages by default.
6327 @defvr {Scheme Variable} dune-build-system
6328 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system dune)}. It
6329 supports builds of packages using @uref{https://dune.build/, Dune}, a build
6330 tool for the OCaml programming language. It is implemented as an extension
6331 of the @code{ocaml-build-system} which is described below. As such, the
6332 @code{#:ocaml} and @code{#:findlib} parameters can be passed to this build
6335 It automatically adds the @code{dune} package to the set of inputs.
6336 Which package is used can be specified with the @code{#:dune}
6339 There is no @code{configure} phase because dune packages typically don't
6340 need to be configured. The @code{#:build-flags} parameter is taken as a
6341 list of flags passed to the @code{dune} command during the build.
6343 The @code{#:jbuild?} parameter can be passed to use the @code{jbuild}
6344 command instead of the more recent @code{dune} command while building
6345 a package. Its default value is @code{#f}.
6347 The @code{#:package} parameter can be passed to specify a package name, which
6348 is useful when a package contains multiple packages and you want to build
6349 only one of them. This is equivalent to passing the @code{-p} argument to
6353 @defvr {Scheme Variable} go-build-system
6354 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system go)}. It
6355 implements a build procedure for Go packages using the standard
6356 @url{https://golang.org/cmd/go/#hdr-Compile_packages_and_dependencies,
6357 Go build mechanisms}.
6359 The user is expected to provide a value for the key @code{#:import-path}
6360 and, in some cases, @code{#:unpack-path}. The
6361 @url{https://golang.org/doc/code.html#ImportPaths, import path}
6362 corresponds to the file system path expected by the package's build
6363 scripts and any referring packages, and provides a unique way to
6364 refer to a Go package. It is typically based on a combination of the
6365 package source code's remote URI and file system hierarchy structure. In
6366 some cases, you will need to unpack the package's source code to a
6367 different directory structure than the one indicated by the import path,
6368 and @code{#:unpack-path} should be used in such cases.
6370 Packages that provide Go libraries should install their source code into
6371 the built output. The key @code{#:install-source?}, which defaults to
6372 @code{#t}, controls whether or not the source code is installed. It can
6373 be set to @code{#f} for packages that only provide executable files.
6376 @defvr {Scheme Variable} glib-or-gtk-build-system
6377 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system glib-or-gtk)}. It
6378 is intended for use with packages making use of GLib or GTK+.
6380 This build system adds the following two phases to the ones defined by
6381 @code{gnu-build-system}:
6384 @item glib-or-gtk-wrap
6385 The phase @code{glib-or-gtk-wrap} ensures that programs in
6386 @file{bin/} are able to find GLib ``schemas'' and
6387 @uref{https://developer.gnome.org/gtk3/stable/gtk-running.html, GTK+
6388 modules}. This is achieved by wrapping the programs in launch scripts
6389 that appropriately set the @code{XDG_DATA_DIRS} and @code{GTK_PATH}
6390 environment variables.
6392 It is possible to exclude specific package outputs from that wrapping
6393 process by listing their names in the
6394 @code{#:glib-or-gtk-wrap-excluded-outputs} parameter. This is useful
6395 when an output is known not to contain any GLib or GTK+ binaries, and
6396 where wrapping would gratuitously add a dependency of that output on
6399 @item glib-or-gtk-compile-schemas
6400 The phase @code{glib-or-gtk-compile-schemas} makes sure that all
6401 @uref{https://developer.gnome.org/gio/stable/glib-compile-schemas.html,
6402 GSettings schemas} of GLib are compiled. Compilation is performed by the
6403 @command{glib-compile-schemas} program. It is provided by the package
6404 @code{glib:bin} which is automatically imported by the build system.
6405 The @code{glib} package providing @command{glib-compile-schemas} can be
6406 specified with the @code{#:glib} parameter.
6409 Both phases are executed after the @code{install} phase.
6412 @defvr {Scheme Variable} guile-build-system
6413 This build system is for Guile packages that consist exclusively of Scheme
6414 code and that are so lean that they don't even have a makefile, let alone a
6415 @file{configure} script. It compiles Scheme code using @command{guild
6416 compile} (@pxref{Compilation,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}) and
6417 installs the @file{.scm} and @file{.go} files in the right place. It also
6418 installs documentation.
6420 This build system supports cross-compilation by using the @code{--target}
6421 option of @command{guild compile}.
6423 Packages built with @code{guile-build-system} must provide a Guile package in
6424 their @code{native-inputs} field.
6427 @defvr {Scheme Variable} julia-build-system
6428 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system julia)}. It implements
6429 the build procedure used by @uref{https://julialang.org/, julia} packages,
6430 which essentially is similar to running @command{julia -e 'using Pkg;
6431 Pkg.add(package)'} in an environment where @code{JULIA_LOAD_PATH} contains the
6432 paths to all Julia package inputs. Tests are run not run.
6434 Julia packages require the source @code{file-name} to be the real name of the
6435 package, correctly capitalized.
6437 For packages requiring shared library dependencies, you may need to write the
6438 @file{/deps/deps.jl} file manually. It's usually a line of @code{const
6439 variable = /gnu/store/library.so} for each dependency, plus a void function
6440 @code{check_deps() = nothing}.
6442 Some older packages that aren't using @file{Package.toml} yet, will require
6443 this file to be created, too. The function @code{julia-create-package-toml}
6444 helps creating the file. You need to pass the outputs and the source of the
6445 package, it's name (the same as the @code{file-name} parameter), the package
6446 uuid, the package version, and a list of dependencies specified by their name
6450 @defvr {Scheme Variable} minify-build-system
6451 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system minify)}. It
6452 implements a minification procedure for simple JavaScript packages.
6454 It adds @code{uglify-js} to the set of inputs and uses it to compress
6455 all JavaScript files in the @file{src} directory. A different minifier
6456 package can be specified with the @code{#:uglify-js} parameter, but it
6457 is expected that the package writes the minified code to the standard
6460 When the input JavaScript files are not all located in the @file{src}
6461 directory, the parameter @code{#:javascript-files} can be used to
6462 specify a list of file names to feed to the minifier.
6465 @defvr {Scheme Variable} ocaml-build-system
6466 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system ocaml)}. It implements
6467 a build procedure for @uref{https://ocaml.org, OCaml} packages, which consists
6468 of choosing the correct set of commands to run for each package. OCaml
6469 packages can expect many different commands to be run. This build system will
6472 When the package has a @file{setup.ml} file present at the top-level, it will
6473 run @code{ocaml setup.ml -configure}, @code{ocaml setup.ml -build} and
6474 @code{ocaml setup.ml -install}. The build system will assume that this file
6475 was generated by @uref{http://oasis.forge.ocamlcore.org/, OASIS} and will take
6476 care of setting the prefix and enabling tests if they are not disabled. You
6477 can pass configure and build flags with the @code{#:configure-flags} and
6478 @code{#:build-flags}. The @code{#:test-flags} key can be passed to change the
6479 set of flags used to enable tests. The @code{#:use-make?} key can be used to
6480 bypass this system in the build and install phases.
6482 When the package has a @file{configure} file, it is assumed that it is a
6483 hand-made configure script that requires a different argument format than
6484 in the @code{gnu-build-system}. You can add more flags with the
6485 @code{#:configure-flags} key.
6487 When the package has a @file{Makefile} file (or @code{#:use-make?} is
6488 @code{#t}), it will be used and more flags can be passed to the build and
6489 install phases with the @code{#:make-flags} key.
6491 Finally, some packages do not have these files and use a somewhat standard
6492 location for its build system. In that case, the build system will run
6493 @code{ocaml pkg/pkg.ml} or @code{ocaml pkg/build.ml} and take care of
6494 providing the path to the required findlib module. Additional flags can
6495 be passed via the @code{#:build-flags} key. Install is taken care of by
6496 @command{opam-installer}. In this case, the @code{opam} package must
6497 be added to the @code{native-inputs} field of the package definition.
6499 Note that most OCaml packages assume they will be installed in the same
6500 directory as OCaml, which is not what we want in guix. In particular, they
6501 will install @file{.so} files in their module's directory, which is usually
6502 fine because it is in the OCaml compiler directory. In guix though, these
6503 libraries cannot be found and we use @code{CAML_LD_LIBRARY_PATH}. This
6504 variable points to @file{lib/ocaml/site-lib/stubslibs} and this is where
6505 @file{.so} libraries should be installed.
6508 @defvr {Scheme Variable} python-build-system
6509 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system python)}. It
6510 implements the more or less standard build procedure used by Python
6511 packages, which consists in running @code{python setup.py build} and
6512 then @code{python setup.py install --prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}}.
6514 For packages that install stand-alone Python programs under @code{bin/},
6515 it takes care of wrapping these programs so that their @code{PYTHONPATH}
6516 environment variable points to all the Python libraries they depend on.
6518 Which Python package is used to perform the build can be specified with
6519 the @code{#:python} parameter. This is a useful way to force a package
6520 to be built for a specific version of the Python interpreter, which
6521 might be necessary if the package is only compatible with a single
6522 interpreter version.
6524 By default guix calls @code{setup.py} under control of
6525 @code{setuptools}, much like @command{pip} does. Some packages are not
6526 compatible with setuptools (and pip), thus you can disable this by
6527 setting the @code{#:use-setuptools?} parameter to @code{#f}.
6530 @defvr {Scheme Variable} perl-build-system
6531 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system perl)}. It
6532 implements the standard build procedure for Perl packages, which either
6533 consists in running @code{perl Build.PL --prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}},
6534 followed by @code{Build} and @code{Build install}; or in running
6535 @code{perl Makefile.PL PREFIX=/gnu/store/@dots{}}, followed by
6536 @code{make} and @code{make install}, depending on which of
6537 @code{Build.PL} or @code{Makefile.PL} is present in the package
6538 distribution. Preference is given to the former if both @code{Build.PL}
6539 and @code{Makefile.PL} exist in the package distribution. This
6540 preference can be reversed by specifying @code{#t} for the
6541 @code{#:make-maker?} parameter.
6543 The initial @code{perl Makefile.PL} or @code{perl Build.PL} invocation
6544 passes flags specified by the @code{#:make-maker-flags} or
6545 @code{#:module-build-flags} parameter, respectively.
6547 Which Perl package is used can be specified with @code{#:perl}.
6550 @defvr {Scheme Variable} qt-build-system
6551 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system qt)}. It
6552 is intended for use with applications using Qt or KDE.
6554 This build system adds the following two phases to the ones defined by
6555 @code{cmake-build-system}:
6559 The phase @code{check-setup} prepares the environment for running
6560 the checks as commonly used by Qt test programs.
6561 For now this only sets some environment variables:
6562 @code{QT_QPA_PLATFORM=offscreen},
6563 @code{DBUS_FATAL_WARNINGS=0} and
6564 @code{CTEST_OUTPUT_ON_FAILURE=1}.
6566 This phase is added before the @code{check} phase.
6567 It's a separate phase to ease adjusting if necessary.
6570 The phase @code{qt-wrap}
6571 searches for Qt5 plugin paths, QML paths and some XDG in the inputs
6572 and output. In case some path is found, all programs in the output's
6573 @file{bin/}, @file{sbin/}, @file{libexec/} and @file{lib/libexec/} directories
6574 are wrapped in scripts defining the necessary environment variables.
6576 It is possible to exclude specific package outputs from that wrapping process
6577 by listing their names in the @code{#:qt-wrap-excluded-outputs} parameter.
6578 This is useful when an output is known not to contain any Qt binaries, and
6579 where wrapping would gratuitously add a dependency of that output on Qt, KDE,
6582 This phase is added after the @code{install} phase.
6586 @defvr {Scheme Variable} r-build-system
6587 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system r)}. It
6588 implements the build procedure used by @uref{https://r-project.org, R}
6589 packages, which essentially is little more than running @code{R CMD
6590 INSTALL --library=/gnu/store/@dots{}} in an environment where
6591 @code{R_LIBS_SITE} contains the paths to all R package inputs. Tests
6592 are run after installation using the R function
6593 @code{tools::testInstalledPackage}.
6596 @defvr {Scheme Variable} rakudo-build-system
6597 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system rakudo)}. It
6598 implements the build procedure used by @uref{https://rakudo.org/,
6599 Rakudo} for @uref{https://perl6.org/, Perl6} packages. It installs the
6600 package to @code{/gnu/store/@dots{}/NAME-VERSION/share/perl6} and
6601 installs the binaries, library files and the resources, as well as wrap
6602 the files under the @code{bin/} directory. Tests can be skipped by
6603 passing @code{#f} to the @code{tests?} parameter.
6605 Which rakudo package is used can be specified with @code{rakudo}.
6606 Which perl6-tap-harness package used for the tests can be specified with
6607 @code{#:prove6} or removed by passing @code{#f} to the
6608 @code{with-prove6?} parameter.
6609 Which perl6-zef package used for tests and installing can be specified
6610 with @code{#:zef} or removed by passing @code{#f} to the
6611 @code{with-zef?} parameter.
6614 @defvr {Scheme Variable} texlive-build-system
6615 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system texlive)}. It is
6616 used to build TeX packages in batch mode with a specified engine. The
6617 build system sets the @code{TEXINPUTS} variable to find all TeX source
6618 files in the inputs.
6620 By default it runs @code{luatex} on all files ending on @code{ins}. A
6621 different engine and format can be specified with the
6622 @code{#:tex-format} argument. Different build targets can be specified
6623 with the @code{#:build-targets} argument, which expects a list of file
6624 names. The build system adds only @code{texlive-bin} and
6625 @code{texlive-latex-base} (both from @code{(gnu packages tex}) to the
6626 inputs. Both can be overridden with the arguments @code{#:texlive-bin}
6627 and @code{#:texlive-latex-base}, respectively.
6629 The @code{#:tex-directory} parameter tells the build system where to
6630 install the built files under the texmf tree.
6633 @defvr {Scheme Variable} ruby-build-system
6634 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system ruby)}. It
6635 implements the RubyGems build procedure used by Ruby packages, which
6636 involves running @code{gem build} followed by @code{gem install}.
6638 The @code{source} field of a package that uses this build system
6639 typically references a gem archive, since this is the format that Ruby
6640 developers use when releasing their software. The build system unpacks
6641 the gem archive, potentially patches the source, runs the test suite,
6642 repackages the gem, and installs it. Additionally, directories and
6643 tarballs may be referenced to allow building unreleased gems from Git or
6644 a traditional source release tarball.
6646 Which Ruby package is used can be specified with the @code{#:ruby}
6647 parameter. A list of additional flags to be passed to the @command{gem}
6648 command can be specified with the @code{#:gem-flags} parameter.
6651 @defvr {Scheme Variable} waf-build-system
6652 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system waf)}. It
6653 implements a build procedure around the @code{waf} script. The common
6654 phases---@code{configure}, @code{build}, and @code{install}---are
6655 implemented by passing their names as arguments to the @code{waf}
6658 The @code{waf} script is executed by the Python interpreter. Which
6659 Python package is used to run the script can be specified with the
6660 @code{#:python} parameter.
6663 @defvr {Scheme Variable} scons-build-system
6664 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system scons)}. It
6665 implements the build procedure used by the SCons software construction
6666 tool. This build system runs @code{scons} to build the package,
6667 @code{scons test} to run tests, and then @code{scons install} to install
6670 Additional flags to be passed to @code{scons} can be specified with the
6671 @code{#:scons-flags} parameter. The default build and install targets
6672 can be overridden with @code{#:build-targets} and
6673 @code{#:install-targets} respectively. The version of Python used to
6674 run SCons can be specified by selecting the appropriate SCons package
6675 with the @code{#:scons} parameter.
6678 @defvr {Scheme Variable} haskell-build-system
6679 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system haskell)}. It
6680 implements the Cabal build procedure used by Haskell packages, which
6681 involves running @code{runhaskell Setup.hs configure
6682 --prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}} and @code{runhaskell Setup.hs build}.
6683 Instead of installing the package by running @code{runhaskell Setup.hs
6684 install}, to avoid trying to register libraries in the read-only
6685 compiler store directory, the build system uses @code{runhaskell
6686 Setup.hs copy}, followed by @code{runhaskell Setup.hs register}. In
6687 addition, the build system generates the package documentation by
6688 running @code{runhaskell Setup.hs haddock}, unless @code{#:haddock? #f}
6689 is passed. Optional Haddock parameters can be passed with the help of
6690 the @code{#:haddock-flags} parameter. If the file @code{Setup.hs} is
6691 not found, the build system looks for @code{Setup.lhs} instead.
6693 Which Haskell compiler is used can be specified with the @code{#:haskell}
6694 parameter which defaults to @code{ghc}.
6697 @defvr {Scheme Variable} dub-build-system
6698 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system dub)}. It
6699 implements the Dub build procedure used by D packages, which
6700 involves running @code{dub build} and @code{dub run}.
6701 Installation is done by copying the files manually.
6703 Which D compiler is used can be specified with the @code{#:ldc}
6704 parameter which defaults to @code{ldc}.
6707 @defvr {Scheme Variable} emacs-build-system
6708 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system emacs)}. It
6709 implements an installation procedure similar to the packaging system
6710 of Emacs itself (@pxref{Packages,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
6712 It first creates the @code{@code{package}-autoloads.el} file, then it
6713 byte compiles all Emacs Lisp files. Differently from the Emacs
6714 packaging system, the Info documentation files are moved to the standard
6715 documentation directory and the @file{dir} file is deleted. The Elisp
6716 package files are installed directly under @file{share/emacs/site-lisp}.
6719 @defvr {Scheme Variable} font-build-system
6720 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system font)}. It
6721 implements an installation procedure for font packages where upstream
6722 provides pre-compiled TrueType, OpenType, etc.@: font files that merely
6723 need to be copied into place. It copies font files to standard
6724 locations in the output directory.
6727 @defvr {Scheme Variable} meson-build-system
6728 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system meson)}. It
6729 implements the build procedure for packages that use
6730 @url{https://mesonbuild.com, Meson} as their build system.
6732 It adds both Meson and @uref{https://ninja-build.org/, Ninja} to the set
6733 of inputs, and they can be changed with the parameters @code{#:meson}
6734 and @code{#:ninja} if needed. The default Meson is
6735 @code{meson-for-build}, which is special because it doesn't clear the
6736 @code{RUNPATH} of binaries and libraries when they are installed.
6738 This build system is an extension of @code{gnu-build-system}, but with the
6739 following phases changed to some specific for Meson:
6744 The phase runs @code{meson} with the flags specified in
6745 @code{#:configure-flags}. The flag @code{--build-type} is always set to
6746 @code{plain} unless something else is specified in @code{#:build-type}.
6749 The phase runs @code{ninja} to build the package in parallel by default, but
6750 this can be changed with @code{#:parallel-build?}.
6753 The phase runs @code{ninja} with the target specified in @code{#:test-target},
6754 which is @code{"test"} by default.
6757 The phase runs @code{ninja install} and can not be changed.
6760 Apart from that, the build system also adds the following phases:
6765 This phase ensures that all binaries can find the libraries they need.
6766 It searches for required libraries in subdirectories of the package being
6767 built, and adds those to @code{RUNPATH} where needed. It also removes
6768 references to libraries left over from the build phase by
6769 @code{meson-for-build}, such as test dependencies, that aren't actually
6770 required for the program to run.
6772 @item glib-or-gtk-wrap
6773 This phase is the phase provided by @code{glib-or-gtk-build-system}, and it
6774 is not enabled by default. It can be enabled with @code{#:glib-or-gtk?}.
6776 @item glib-or-gtk-compile-schemas
6777 This phase is the phase provided by @code{glib-or-gtk-build-system}, and it
6778 is not enabled by default. It can be enabled with @code{#:glib-or-gtk?}.
6782 @defvr {Scheme Variable} linux-module-build-system
6783 @code{linux-module-build-system} allows building Linux kernel modules.
6785 @cindex build phases
6786 This build system is an extension of @code{gnu-build-system}, but with the
6787 following phases changed:
6792 This phase configures the environment so that the Linux kernel's Makefile
6793 can be used to build the external kernel module.
6796 This phase uses the Linux kernel's Makefile in order to build the external
6800 This phase uses the Linux kernel's Makefile in order to install the external
6804 It is possible and useful to specify the Linux kernel to use for building
6805 the module (in the "arguments" form of a package using the
6806 linux-module-build-system, use the key #:linux to specify it).
6809 @defvr {Scheme Variable} node-build-system
6810 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system node)}. It
6811 implements the build procedure used by @uref{https://nodejs.org,
6812 Node.js}, which implements an approximation of the @code{npm install}
6813 command, followed by an @code{npm test} command.
6815 Which Node.js package is used to interpret the @code{npm} commands can
6816 be specified with the @code{#:node} parameter which defaults to
6820 Lastly, for packages that do not need anything as sophisticated, a
6821 ``trivial'' build system is provided. It is trivial in the sense that
6822 it provides basically no support: it does not pull any implicit inputs,
6823 and does not have a notion of build phases.
6825 @defvr {Scheme Variable} trivial-build-system
6826 This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system trivial)}.
6828 This build system requires a @code{#:builder} argument. This argument
6829 must be a Scheme expression that builds the package output(s)---as
6830 with @code{build-expression->derivation} (@pxref{Derivations,
6831 @code{build-expression->derivation}}).
6841 Conceptually, the @dfn{store} is the place where derivations that have
6842 been built successfully are stored---by default, @file{/gnu/store}.
6843 Sub-directories in the store are referred to as @dfn{store items} or
6844 sometimes @dfn{store paths}. The store has an associated database that
6845 contains information such as the store paths referred to by each store
6846 path, and the list of @emph{valid} store items---results of successful
6847 builds. This database resides in @file{@var{localstatedir}/guix/db},
6848 where @var{localstatedir} is the state directory specified @i{via}
6849 @option{--localstatedir} at configure time, usually @file{/var}.
6851 The store is @emph{always} accessed by the daemon on behalf of its clients
6852 (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon}). To manipulate the store, clients
6853 connect to the daemon over a Unix-domain socket, send requests to it,
6854 and read the result---these are remote procedure calls, or RPCs.
6857 Users must @emph{never} modify files under @file{/gnu/store} directly.
6858 This would lead to inconsistencies and break the immutability
6859 assumptions of Guix's functional model (@pxref{Introduction}).
6861 @xref{Invoking guix gc, @command{guix gc --verify}}, for information on
6862 how to check the integrity of the store and attempt recovery from
6863 accidental modifications.
6866 The @code{(guix store)} module provides procedures to connect to the
6867 daemon, and to perform RPCs. These are described below. By default,
6868 @code{open-connection}, and thus all the @command{guix} commands,
6869 connect to the local daemon or to the URI specified by the
6870 @code{GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET} environment variable.
6872 @defvr {Environment Variable} GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET
6873 When set, the value of this variable should be a file name or a URI
6874 designating the daemon endpoint. When it is a file name, it denotes a
6875 Unix-domain socket to connect to. In addition to file names, the
6876 supported URI schemes are:
6881 These are for Unix-domain sockets.
6882 @code{file:///var/guix/daemon-socket/socket} is equivalent to
6883 @file{/var/guix/daemon-socket/socket}.
6886 @cindex daemon, remote access
6887 @cindex remote access to the daemon
6888 @cindex daemon, cluster setup
6889 @cindex clusters, daemon setup
6890 These URIs denote connections over TCP/IP, without encryption nor
6891 authentication of the remote host. The URI must specify the host name
6892 and optionally a port number (by default port 44146 is used):
6895 guix://master.guix.example.org:1234
6898 This setup is suitable on local networks, such as clusters, where only
6899 trusted nodes may connect to the build daemon at
6900 @code{master.guix.example.org}.
6902 The @code{--listen} option of @command{guix-daemon} can be used to
6903 instruct it to listen for TCP connections (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon,
6907 @cindex SSH access to build daemons
6908 These URIs allow you to connect to a remote daemon over SSH. This
6909 feature requires Guile-SSH (@pxref{Requirements}) and a working
6910 @code{guile} binary in @code{PATH} on the destination machine. It
6911 supports public key and GSSAPI authentication. A typical URL might look
6915 ssh://charlie@@guix.example.org:22
6918 As for @command{guix copy}, the usual OpenSSH client configuration files
6919 are honored (@pxref{Invoking guix copy}).
6922 Additional URI schemes may be supported in the future.
6924 @c XXX: Remove this note when the protocol incurs fewer round trips
6925 @c and when (guix derivations) no longer relies on file system access.
6927 The ability to connect to remote build daemons is considered
6928 experimental as of @value{VERSION}. Please get in touch with us to
6929 share any problems or suggestions you may have (@pxref{Contributing}).
6933 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} open-connection [@var{uri}] [#:reserve-space? #t]
6934 Connect to the daemon over the Unix-domain socket at @var{uri} (a string). When
6935 @var{reserve-space?} is true, instruct it to reserve a little bit of
6936 extra space on the file system so that the garbage collector can still
6937 operate should the disk become full. Return a server object.
6939 @var{file} defaults to @code{%default-socket-path}, which is the normal
6940 location given the options that were passed to @command{configure}.
6943 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} close-connection @var{server}
6944 Close the connection to @var{server}.
6947 @defvr {Scheme Variable} current-build-output-port
6948 This variable is bound to a SRFI-39 parameter, which refers to the port
6949 where build and error logs sent by the daemon should be written.
6952 Procedures that make RPCs all take a server object as their first
6955 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} valid-path? @var{server} @var{path}
6956 @cindex invalid store items
6957 Return @code{#t} when @var{path} designates a valid store item and
6958 @code{#f} otherwise (an invalid item may exist on disk but still be
6959 invalid, for instance because it is the result of an aborted or failed
6962 A @code{&store-protocol-error} condition is raised if @var{path} is not
6963 prefixed by the store directory (@file{/gnu/store}).
6966 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} add-text-to-store @var{server} @var{name} @var{text} [@var{references}]
6967 Add @var{text} under file @var{name} in the store, and return its store
6968 path. @var{references} is the list of store paths referred to by the
6969 resulting store path.
6972 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} build-derivations @var{store} @var{derivations} @
6974 Build @var{derivations}, a list of @code{<derivation>} objects, @file{.drv}
6975 file names, or derivation/output pairs, using the specified
6976 @var{mode}---@code{(build-mode normal)} by default.
6979 Note that the @code{(guix monads)} module provides a monad as well as
6980 monadic versions of the above procedures, with the goal of making it
6981 more convenient to work with code that accesses the store (@pxref{The
6985 @i{This section is currently incomplete.}
6988 @section Derivations
6991 Low-level build actions and the environment in which they are performed
6992 are represented by @dfn{derivations}. A derivation contains the
6993 following pieces of information:
6997 The outputs of the derivation---derivations produce at least one file or
6998 directory in the store, but may produce more.
7001 @cindex build-time dependencies
7002 @cindex dependencies, build-time
7003 The inputs of the derivations---i.e., its build-time dependencies---which may
7004 be other derivations or plain files in the store (patches, build scripts,
7008 The system type targeted by the derivation---e.g., @code{x86_64-linux}.
7011 The file name of a build script in the store, along with the arguments
7015 A list of environment variables to be defined.
7019 @cindex derivation path
7020 Derivations allow clients of the daemon to communicate build actions to
7021 the store. They exist in two forms: as an in-memory representation,
7022 both on the client- and daemon-side, and as files in the store whose
7023 name end in @code{.drv}---these files are referred to as @dfn{derivation
7024 paths}. Derivations paths can be passed to the @code{build-derivations}
7025 procedure to perform the build actions they prescribe (@pxref{The
7028 @cindex fixed-output derivations
7029 Operations such as file downloads and version-control checkouts for
7030 which the expected content hash is known in advance are modeled as
7031 @dfn{fixed-output derivations}. Unlike regular derivations, the outputs
7032 of a fixed-output derivation are independent of its inputs---e.g., a
7033 source code download produces the same result regardless of the download
7034 method and tools being used.
7037 @cindex run-time dependencies
7038 @cindex dependencies, run-time
7039 The outputs of derivations---i.e., the build results---have a set of
7040 @dfn{references}, as reported by the @code{references} RPC or the
7041 @command{guix gc --references} command (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}). References
7042 are the set of run-time dependencies of the build results. References are a
7043 subset of the inputs of the derivation; this subset is automatically computed
7044 by the build daemon by scanning all the files in the outputs.
7046 The @code{(guix derivations)} module provides a representation of
7047 derivations as Scheme objects, along with procedures to create and
7048 otherwise manipulate derivations. The lowest-level primitive to create
7049 a derivation is the @code{derivation} procedure:
7051 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} derivation @var{store} @var{name} @var{builder} @
7052 @var{args} [#:outputs '("out")] [#:hash #f] [#:hash-algo #f] @
7053 [#:recursive? #f] [#:inputs '()] [#:env-vars '()] @
7054 [#:system (%current-system)] [#:references-graphs #f] @
7055 [#:allowed-references #f] [#:disallowed-references #f] @
7056 [#:leaked-env-vars #f] [#:local-build? #f] @
7057 [#:substitutable? #t] [#:properties '()]
7058 Build a derivation with the given arguments, and return the resulting
7059 @code{<derivation>} object.
7061 When @var{hash} and @var{hash-algo} are given, a
7062 @dfn{fixed-output derivation} is created---i.e., one whose result is
7063 known in advance, such as a file download. If, in addition,
7064 @var{recursive?} is true, then that fixed output may be an executable
7065 file or a directory and @var{hash} must be the hash of an archive
7066 containing this output.
7068 When @var{references-graphs} is true, it must be a list of file
7069 name/store path pairs. In that case, the reference graph of each store
7070 path is exported in the build environment in the corresponding file, in
7071 a simple text format.
7073 When @var{allowed-references} is true, it must be a list of store items
7074 or outputs that the derivation's output may refer to. Likewise,
7075 @var{disallowed-references}, if true, must be a list of things the
7076 outputs may @emph{not} refer to.
7078 When @var{leaked-env-vars} is true, it must be a list of strings
7079 denoting environment variables that are allowed to ``leak'' from the
7080 daemon's environment to the build environment. This is only applicable
7081 to fixed-output derivations---i.e., when @var{hash} is true. The main
7082 use is to allow variables such as @code{http_proxy} to be passed to
7083 derivations that download files.
7085 When @var{local-build?} is true, declare that the derivation is not a
7086 good candidate for offloading and should rather be built locally
7087 (@pxref{Daemon Offload Setup}). This is the case for small derivations
7088 where the costs of data transfers would outweigh the benefits.
7090 When @var{substitutable?} is false, declare that substitutes of the
7091 derivation's output should not be used (@pxref{Substitutes}). This is
7092 useful, for instance, when building packages that capture details of the
7093 host CPU instruction set.
7095 @var{properties} must be an association list describing ``properties'' of the
7096 derivation. It is kept as-is, uninterpreted, in the derivation.
7100 Here's an example with a shell script as its builder, assuming
7101 @var{store} is an open connection to the daemon, and @var{bash} points
7102 to a Bash executable in the store:
7105 (use-modules (guix utils)
7109 (let ((builder ; add the Bash script to the store
7110 (add-text-to-store store "my-builder.sh"
7111 "echo hello world > $out\n" '())))
7112 (derivation store "foo"
7113 bash `("-e" ,builder)
7114 #:inputs `((,bash) (,builder))
7115 #:env-vars '(("HOME" . "/homeless"))))
7116 @result{} #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-foo.drv => /gnu/store/@dots{}-foo>
7119 As can be guessed, this primitive is cumbersome to use directly. A
7120 better approach is to write build scripts in Scheme, of course! The
7121 best course of action for that is to write the build code as a
7122 ``G-expression'', and to pass it to @code{gexp->derivation}. For more
7123 information, @pxref{G-Expressions}.
7125 Once upon a time, @code{gexp->derivation} did not exist and constructing
7126 derivations with build code written in Scheme was achieved with
7127 @code{build-expression->derivation}, documented below. This procedure
7128 is now deprecated in favor of the much nicer @code{gexp->derivation}.
7130 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} build-expression->derivation @var{store} @
7131 @var{name} @var{exp} @
7132 [#:system (%current-system)] [#:inputs '()] @
7133 [#:outputs '("out")] [#:hash #f] [#:hash-algo #f] @
7134 [#:recursive? #f] [#:env-vars '()] [#:modules '()] @
7135 [#:references-graphs #f] [#:allowed-references #f] @
7136 [#:disallowed-references #f] @
7137 [#:local-build? #f] [#:substitutable? #t] [#:guile-for-build #f]
7138 Return a derivation that executes Scheme expression @var{exp} as a
7139 builder for derivation @var{name}. @var{inputs} must be a list of
7140 @code{(name drv-path sub-drv)} tuples; when @var{sub-drv} is omitted,
7141 @code{"out"} is assumed. @var{modules} is a list of names of Guile
7142 modules from the current search path to be copied in the store,
7143 compiled, and made available in the load path during the execution of
7144 @var{exp}---e.g., @code{((guix build utils) (guix build
7145 gnu-build-system))}.
7147 @var{exp} is evaluated in an environment where @code{%outputs} is bound
7148 to a list of output/path pairs, and where @code{%build-inputs} is bound
7149 to a list of string/output-path pairs made from @var{inputs}.
7150 Optionally, @var{env-vars} is a list of string pairs specifying the name
7151 and value of environment variables visible to the builder. The builder
7152 terminates by passing the result of @var{exp} to @code{exit}; thus, when
7153 @var{exp} returns @code{#f}, the build is considered to have failed.
7155 @var{exp} is built using @var{guile-for-build} (a derivation). When
7156 @var{guile-for-build} is omitted or is @code{#f}, the value of the
7157 @code{%guile-for-build} fluid is used instead.
7159 See the @code{derivation} procedure for the meaning of
7160 @var{references-graphs}, @var{allowed-references},
7161 @var{disallowed-references}, @var{local-build?}, and
7162 @var{substitutable?}.
7166 Here's an example of a single-output derivation that creates a directory
7167 containing one file:
7170 (let ((builder '(let ((out (assoc-ref %outputs "out")))
7171 (mkdir out) ; create /gnu/store/@dots{}-goo
7172 (call-with-output-file (string-append out "/test")
7174 (display '(hello guix) p))))))
7175 (build-expression->derivation store "goo" builder))
7177 @result{} #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-goo.drv => @dots{}>
7181 @node The Store Monad
7182 @section The Store Monad
7186 The procedures that operate on the store described in the previous
7187 sections all take an open connection to the build daemon as their first
7188 argument. Although the underlying model is functional, they either have
7189 side effects or depend on the current state of the store.
7191 The former is inconvenient: the connection to the build daemon has to be
7192 carried around in all those functions, making it impossible to compose
7193 functions that do not take that parameter with functions that do. The
7194 latter can be problematic: since store operations have side effects
7195 and/or depend on external state, they have to be properly sequenced.
7197 @cindex monadic values
7198 @cindex monadic functions
7199 This is where the @code{(guix monads)} module comes in. This module
7200 provides a framework for working with @dfn{monads}, and a particularly
7201 useful monad for our uses, the @dfn{store monad}. Monads are a
7202 construct that allows two things: associating ``context'' with values
7203 (in our case, the context is the store), and building sequences of
7204 computations (here computations include accesses to the store). Values
7205 in a monad---values that carry this additional context---are called
7206 @dfn{monadic values}; procedures that return such values are called
7207 @dfn{monadic procedures}.
7209 Consider this ``normal'' procedure:
7212 (define (sh-symlink store)
7213 ;; Return a derivation that symlinks the 'bash' executable.
7214 (let* ((drv (package-derivation store bash))
7215 (out (derivation->output-path drv))
7216 (sh (string-append out "/bin/bash")))
7217 (build-expression->derivation store "sh"
7218 `(symlink ,sh %output))))
7221 Using @code{(guix monads)} and @code{(guix gexp)}, it may be rewritten
7222 as a monadic function:
7225 (define (sh-symlink)
7226 ;; Same, but return a monadic value.
7227 (mlet %store-monad ((drv (package->derivation bash)))
7228 (gexp->derivation "sh"
7229 #~(symlink (string-append #$drv "/bin/bash")
7233 There are several things to note in the second version: the @code{store}
7234 parameter is now implicit and is ``threaded'' in the calls to the
7235 @code{package->derivation} and @code{gexp->derivation} monadic
7236 procedures, and the monadic value returned by @code{package->derivation}
7237 is @dfn{bound} using @code{mlet} instead of plain @code{let}.
7239 As it turns out, the call to @code{package->derivation} can even be
7240 omitted since it will take place implicitly, as we will see later
7241 (@pxref{G-Expressions}):
7244 (define (sh-symlink)
7245 (gexp->derivation "sh"
7246 #~(symlink (string-append #$bash "/bin/bash")
7251 @c <https://syntaxexclamation.wordpress.com/2014/06/26/escaping-continuations/>
7252 @c for the funny quote.
7253 Calling the monadic @code{sh-symlink} has no effect. As someone once
7254 said, ``you exit a monad like you exit a building on fire: by running''.
7255 So, to exit the monad and get the desired effect, one must use
7256 @code{run-with-store}:
7259 (run-with-store (open-connection) (sh-symlink))
7260 @result{} /gnu/store/...-sh-symlink
7263 Note that the @code{(guix monad-repl)} module extends the Guile REPL with
7264 new ``meta-commands'' to make it easier to deal with monadic procedures:
7265 @code{run-in-store}, and @code{enter-store-monad}. The former is used
7266 to ``run'' a single monadic value through the store:
7269 scheme@@(guile-user)> ,run-in-store (package->derivation hello)
7270 $1 = #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-hello-2.9.drv => @dots{}>
7273 The latter enters a recursive REPL, where all the return values are
7274 automatically run through the store:
7277 scheme@@(guile-user)> ,enter-store-monad
7278 store-monad@@(guile-user) [1]> (package->derivation hello)
7279 $2 = #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-hello-2.9.drv => @dots{}>
7280 store-monad@@(guile-user) [1]> (text-file "foo" "Hello!")
7281 $3 = "/gnu/store/@dots{}-foo"
7282 store-monad@@(guile-user) [1]> ,q
7283 scheme@@(guile-user)>
7287 Note that non-monadic values cannot be returned in the
7288 @code{store-monad} REPL.
7290 The main syntactic forms to deal with monads in general are provided by
7291 the @code{(guix monads)} module and are described below.
7293 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} with-monad @var{monad} @var{body} ...
7294 Evaluate any @code{>>=} or @code{return} forms in @var{body} as being
7298 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} return @var{val}
7299 Return a monadic value that encapsulates @var{val}.
7302 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} >>= @var{mval} @var{mproc} ...
7303 @dfn{Bind} monadic value @var{mval}, passing its ``contents'' to monadic
7304 procedures @var{mproc}@dots{}@footnote{This operation is commonly
7305 referred to as ``bind'', but that name denotes an unrelated procedure in
7306 Guile. Thus we use this somewhat cryptic symbol inherited from the
7307 Haskell language.}. There can be one @var{mproc} or several of them, as
7312 (with-monad %state-monad
7314 (lambda (x) (return (+ 1 x)))
7315 (lambda (x) (return (* 2 x)))))
7319 @result{} some-state
7323 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} mlet @var{monad} ((@var{var} @var{mval}) ...) @
7325 @deffnx {Scheme Syntax} mlet* @var{monad} ((@var{var} @var{mval}) ...) @
7327 Bind the variables @var{var} to the monadic values @var{mval} in
7328 @var{body}, which is a sequence of expressions. As with the bind
7329 operator, this can be thought of as ``unpacking'' the raw, non-monadic
7330 value ``contained'' in @var{mval} and making @var{var} refer to that
7331 raw, non-monadic value within the scope of the @var{body}. The form
7332 (@var{var} -> @var{val}) binds @var{var} to the ``normal'' value
7333 @var{val}, as per @code{let}. The binding operations occur in sequence
7334 from left to right. The last expression of @var{body} must be a monadic
7335 expression, and its result will become the result of the @code{mlet} or
7336 @code{mlet*} when run in the @var{monad}.
7338 @code{mlet*} is to @code{mlet} what @code{let*} is to @code{let}
7339 (@pxref{Local Bindings,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}).
7342 @deffn {Scheme System} mbegin @var{monad} @var{mexp} ...
7343 Bind @var{mexp} and the following monadic expressions in sequence,
7344 returning the result of the last expression. Every expression in the
7345 sequence must be a monadic expression.
7347 This is akin to @code{mlet}, except that the return values of the
7348 monadic expressions are ignored. In that sense, it is analogous to
7349 @code{begin}, but applied to monadic expressions.
7352 @deffn {Scheme System} mwhen @var{condition} @var{mexp0} @var{mexp*} ...
7353 When @var{condition} is true, evaluate the sequence of monadic
7354 expressions @var{mexp0}..@var{mexp*} as in an @code{mbegin}. When
7355 @var{condition} is false, return @code{*unspecified*} in the current
7356 monad. Every expression in the sequence must be a monadic expression.
7359 @deffn {Scheme System} munless @var{condition} @var{mexp0} @var{mexp*} ...
7360 When @var{condition} is false, evaluate the sequence of monadic
7361 expressions @var{mexp0}..@var{mexp*} as in an @code{mbegin}. When
7362 @var{condition} is true, return @code{*unspecified*} in the current
7363 monad. Every expression in the sequence must be a monadic expression.
7367 The @code{(guix monads)} module provides the @dfn{state monad}, which
7368 allows an additional value---the state---to be @emph{threaded} through
7369 monadic procedure calls.
7371 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %state-monad
7372 The state monad. Procedures in the state monad can access and change
7373 the state that is threaded.
7375 Consider the example below. The @code{square} procedure returns a value
7376 in the state monad. It returns the square of its argument, but also
7377 increments the current state value:
7381 (mlet %state-monad ((count (current-state)))
7382 (mbegin %state-monad
7383 (set-current-state (+ 1 count))
7386 (run-with-state (sequence %state-monad (map square (iota 3))) 0)
7391 When ``run'' through @code{%state-monad}, we obtain that additional state
7392 value, which is the number of @code{square} calls.
7395 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} current-state
7396 Return the current state as a monadic value.
7399 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} set-current-state @var{value}
7400 Set the current state to @var{value} and return the previous state as a
7404 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} state-push @var{value}
7405 Push @var{value} to the current state, which is assumed to be a list,
7406 and return the previous state as a monadic value.
7409 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} state-pop
7410 Pop a value from the current state and return it as a monadic value.
7411 The state is assumed to be a list.
7414 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} run-with-state @var{mval} [@var{state}]
7415 Run monadic value @var{mval} starting with @var{state} as the initial
7416 state. Return two values: the resulting value, and the resulting state.
7419 The main interface to the store monad, provided by the @code{(guix
7420 store)} module, is as follows.
7422 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %store-monad
7423 The store monad---an alias for @code{%state-monad}.
7425 Values in the store monad encapsulate accesses to the store. When its
7426 effect is needed, a value of the store monad must be ``evaluated'' by
7427 passing it to the @code{run-with-store} procedure (see below.)
7430 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} run-with-store @var{store} @var{mval} [#:guile-for-build] [#:system (%current-system)]
7431 Run @var{mval}, a monadic value in the store monad, in @var{store}, an
7432 open store connection.
7435 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} text-file @var{name} @var{text} [@var{references}]
7436 Return as a monadic value the absolute file name in the store of the file
7437 containing @var{text}, a string. @var{references} is a list of store items that the
7438 resulting text file refers to; it defaults to the empty list.
7441 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} binary-file @var{name} @var{data} [@var{references}]
7442 Return as a monadic value the absolute file name in the store of the file
7443 containing @var{data}, a bytevector. @var{references} is a list of store
7444 items that the resulting binary file refers to; it defaults to the empty list.
7447 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} interned-file @var{file} [@var{name}] @
7448 [#:recursive? #t] [#:select? (const #t)]
7449 Return the name of @var{file} once interned in the store. Use
7450 @var{name} as its store name, or the basename of @var{file} if
7451 @var{name} is omitted.
7453 When @var{recursive?} is true, the contents of @var{file} are added
7454 recursively; if @var{file} designates a flat file and @var{recursive?}
7455 is true, its contents are added, and its permission bits are kept.
7457 When @var{recursive?} is true, call @code{(@var{select?} @var{file}
7458 @var{stat})} for each directory entry, where @var{file} is the entry's
7459 absolute file name and @var{stat} is the result of @code{lstat}; exclude
7460 entries for which @var{select?} does not return true.
7462 The example below adds a file to the store, under two different names:
7465 (run-with-store (open-connection)
7466 (mlet %store-monad ((a (interned-file "README"))
7467 (b (interned-file "README" "LEGU-MIN")))
7468 (return (list a b))))
7470 @result{} ("/gnu/store/rwm@dots{}-README" "/gnu/store/44i@dots{}-LEGU-MIN")
7475 The @code{(guix packages)} module exports the following package-related
7478 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} package-file @var{package} [@var{file}] @
7479 [#:system (%current-system)] [#:target #f] @
7482 value in the absolute file name of @var{file} within the @var{output}
7483 directory of @var{package}. When @var{file} is omitted, return the name
7484 of the @var{output} directory of @var{package}. When @var{target} is
7485 true, use it as a cross-compilation target triplet.
7487 Note that this procedure does @emph{not} build @var{package}. Thus, the
7488 result might or might not designate an existing file. We recommend not
7489 using this procedure unless you know what you are doing.
7492 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} package->derivation @var{package} [@var{system}]
7493 @deffnx {Monadic Procedure} package->cross-derivation @var{package} @
7494 @var{target} [@var{system}]
7495 Monadic version of @code{package-derivation} and
7496 @code{package-cross-derivation} (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
7501 @section G-Expressions
7503 @cindex G-expression
7504 @cindex build code quoting
7505 So we have ``derivations'', which represent a sequence of build actions
7506 to be performed to produce an item in the store (@pxref{Derivations}).
7507 These build actions are performed when asking the daemon to actually
7508 build the derivations; they are run by the daemon in a container
7509 (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon}).
7511 @cindex strata of code
7512 It should come as no surprise that we like to write these build actions
7513 in Scheme. When we do that, we end up with two @dfn{strata} of Scheme
7514 code@footnote{The term @dfn{stratum} in this context was coined by
7515 Manuel Serrano et al.@: in the context of their work on Hop. Oleg
7516 Kiselyov, who has written insightful
7517 @url{http://okmij.org/ftp/meta-programming/#meta-scheme, essays and code
7518 on this topic}, refers to this kind of code generation as
7519 @dfn{staging}.}: the ``host code''---code that defines packages, talks
7520 to the daemon, etc.---and the ``build code''---code that actually
7521 performs build actions, such as making directories, invoking
7522 @command{make}, etc.
7524 To describe a derivation and its build actions, one typically needs to
7525 embed build code inside host code. It boils down to manipulating build
7526 code as data, and the homoiconicity of Scheme---code has a direct
7527 representation as data---comes in handy for that. But we need more than
7528 the normal @code{quasiquote} mechanism in Scheme to construct build
7531 The @code{(guix gexp)} module implements @dfn{G-expressions}, a form of
7532 S-expressions adapted to build expressions. G-expressions, or
7533 @dfn{gexps}, consist essentially of three syntactic forms: @code{gexp},
7534 @code{ungexp}, and @code{ungexp-splicing} (or simply: @code{#~},
7535 @code{#$}, and @code{#$@@}), which are comparable to
7536 @code{quasiquote}, @code{unquote}, and @code{unquote-splicing},
7537 respectively (@pxref{Expression Syntax, @code{quasiquote},, guile,
7538 GNU Guile Reference Manual}). However, there are major differences:
7542 Gexps are meant to be written to a file and run or manipulated by other
7546 When a high-level object such as a package or derivation is unquoted
7547 inside a gexp, the result is as if its output file name had been
7551 Gexps carry information about the packages or derivations they refer to,
7552 and these dependencies are automatically added as inputs to the build
7553 processes that use them.
7556 @cindex lowering, of high-level objects in gexps
7557 This mechanism is not limited to package and derivation
7558 objects: @dfn{compilers} able to ``lower'' other high-level objects to
7559 derivations or files in the store can be defined,
7560 such that these objects can also be inserted
7561 into gexps. For example, a useful type of high-level objects that can be
7562 inserted in a gexp is ``file-like objects'', which make it easy to
7563 add files to the store and to refer to them in
7564 derivations and such (see @code{local-file} and @code{plain-file}
7567 To illustrate the idea, here is an example of a gexp:
7574 (symlink (string-append #$coreutils "/bin/ls")
7578 This gexp can be passed to @code{gexp->derivation}; we obtain a
7579 derivation that builds a directory containing exactly one symlink to
7580 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.22/bin/ls}:
7583 (gexp->derivation "the-thing" build-exp)
7586 As one would expect, the @code{"/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.22"} string is
7587 substituted to the reference to the @var{coreutils} package in the
7588 actual build code, and @var{coreutils} is automatically made an input to
7589 the derivation. Likewise, @code{#$output} (equivalent to @code{(ungexp
7590 output)}) is replaced by a string containing the directory name of the
7591 output of the derivation.
7593 @cindex cross compilation
7594 In a cross-compilation context, it is useful to distinguish between
7595 references to the @emph{native} build of a package---that can run on the
7596 host---versus references to cross builds of a package. To that end, the
7597 @code{#+} plays the same role as @code{#$}, but is a reference to a
7598 native package build:
7601 (gexp->derivation "vi"
7604 (mkdir (string-append #$output "/bin"))
7605 (system* (string-append #+coreutils "/bin/ln")
7607 (string-append #$emacs "/bin/emacs")
7608 (string-append #$output "/bin/vi")))
7609 #:target "mips64el-linux-gnu")
7613 In the example above, the native build of @var{coreutils} is used, so
7614 that @command{ln} can actually run on the host; but then the
7615 cross-compiled build of @var{emacs} is referenced.
7617 @cindex imported modules, for gexps
7618 @findex with-imported-modules
7619 Another gexp feature is @dfn{imported modules}: sometimes you want to be
7620 able to use certain Guile modules from the ``host environment'' in the
7621 gexp, so those modules should be imported in the ``build environment''.
7622 The @code{with-imported-modules} form allows you to express that:
7625 (let ((build (with-imported-modules '((guix build utils))
7627 (use-modules (guix build utils))
7628 (mkdir-p (string-append #$output "/bin"))))))
7629 (gexp->derivation "empty-dir"
7632 (display "success!\n")
7637 In this example, the @code{(guix build utils)} module is automatically
7638 pulled into the isolated build environment of our gexp, such that
7639 @code{(use-modules (guix build utils))} works as expected.
7641 @cindex module closure
7642 @findex source-module-closure
7643 Usually you want the @emph{closure} of the module to be imported---i.e.,
7644 the module itself and all the modules it depends on---rather than just
7645 the module; failing to do that, attempts to use the module will fail
7646 because of missing dependent modules. The @code{source-module-closure}
7647 procedure computes the closure of a module by looking at its source file
7648 headers, which comes in handy in this case:
7651 (use-modules (guix modules)) ;for 'source-module-closure'
7653 (with-imported-modules (source-module-closure
7654 '((guix build utils)
7656 (gexp->derivation "something-with-vms"
7658 (use-modules (guix build utils)
7663 @cindex extensions, for gexps
7664 @findex with-extensions
7665 In the same vein, sometimes you want to import not just pure-Scheme
7666 modules, but also ``extensions'' such as Guile bindings to C libraries
7667 or other ``full-blown'' packages. Say you need the @code{guile-json}
7668 package available on the build side, here's how you would do it:
7671 (use-modules (gnu packages guile)) ;for 'guile-json'
7673 (with-extensions (list guile-json)
7674 (gexp->derivation "something-with-json"
7676 (use-modules (json))
7680 The syntactic form to construct gexps is summarized below.
7682 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} #~@var{exp}
7683 @deffnx {Scheme Syntax} (gexp @var{exp})
7684 Return a G-expression containing @var{exp}. @var{exp} may contain one
7685 or more of the following forms:
7689 @itemx (ungexp @var{obj})
7690 Introduce a reference to @var{obj}. @var{obj} may have one of the
7691 supported types, for example a package or a
7692 derivation, in which case the @code{ungexp} form is replaced by its
7693 output file name---e.g., @code{"/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.22}.
7695 If @var{obj} is a list, it is traversed and references to supported
7696 objects are substituted similarly.
7698 If @var{obj} is another gexp, its contents are inserted and its
7699 dependencies are added to those of the containing gexp.
7701 If @var{obj} is another kind of object, it is inserted as is.
7703 @item #$@var{obj}:@var{output}
7704 @itemx (ungexp @var{obj} @var{output})
7705 This is like the form above, but referring explicitly to the
7706 @var{output} of @var{obj}---this is useful when @var{obj} produces
7707 multiple outputs (@pxref{Packages with Multiple Outputs}).
7710 @itemx #+@var{obj}:output
7711 @itemx (ungexp-native @var{obj})
7712 @itemx (ungexp-native @var{obj} @var{output})
7713 Same as @code{ungexp}, but produces a reference to the @emph{native}
7714 build of @var{obj} when used in a cross compilation context.
7716 @item #$output[:@var{output}]
7717 @itemx (ungexp output [@var{output}])
7718 Insert a reference to derivation output @var{output}, or to the main
7719 output when @var{output} is omitted.
7721 This only makes sense for gexps passed to @code{gexp->derivation}.
7724 @itemx (ungexp-splicing @var{lst})
7725 Like the above, but splices the contents of @var{lst} inside the
7729 @itemx (ungexp-native-splicing @var{lst})
7730 Like the above, but refers to native builds of the objects listed in
7735 G-expressions created by @code{gexp} or @code{#~} are run-time objects
7736 of the @code{gexp?} type (see below.)
7739 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} with-imported-modules @var{modules} @var{body}@dots{}
7740 Mark the gexps defined in @var{body}@dots{} as requiring @var{modules}
7741 in their execution environment.
7743 Each item in @var{modules} can be the name of a module, such as
7744 @code{(guix build utils)}, or it can be a module name, followed by an
7745 arrow, followed by a file-like object:
7748 `((guix build utils)
7750 ((guix config) => ,(scheme-file "config.scm"
7751 #~(define-module @dots{}))))
7755 In the example above, the first two modules are taken from the search
7756 path, and the last one is created from the given file-like object.
7758 This form has @emph{lexical} scope: it has an effect on the gexps
7759 directly defined in @var{body}@dots{}, but not on those defined, say, in
7760 procedures called from @var{body}@dots{}.
7763 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} with-extensions @var{extensions} @var{body}@dots{}
7764 Mark the gexps defined in @var{body}@dots{} as requiring
7765 @var{extensions} in their build and execution environment.
7766 @var{extensions} is typically a list of package objects such as those
7767 defined in the @code{(gnu packages guile)} module.
7769 Concretely, the packages listed in @var{extensions} are added to the
7770 load path while compiling imported modules in @var{body}@dots{}; they
7771 are also added to the load path of the gexp returned by
7775 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} gexp? @var{obj}
7776 Return @code{#t} if @var{obj} is a G-expression.
7779 G-expressions are meant to be written to disk, either as code building
7780 some derivation, or as plain files in the store. The monadic procedures
7781 below allow you to do that (@pxref{The Store Monad}, for more
7782 information about monads.)
7784 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} gexp->derivation @var{name} @var{exp} @
7785 [#:system (%current-system)] [#:target #f] [#:graft? #t] @
7786 [#:hash #f] [#:hash-algo #f] @
7787 [#:recursive? #f] [#:env-vars '()] [#:modules '()] @
7788 [#:module-path @code{%load-path}] @
7789 [#:effective-version "2.2"] @
7790 [#:references-graphs #f] [#:allowed-references #f] @
7791 [#:disallowed-references #f] @
7792 [#:leaked-env-vars #f] @
7793 [#:script-name (string-append @var{name} "-builder")] @
7794 [#:deprecation-warnings #f] @
7795 [#:local-build? #f] [#:substitutable? #t] @
7796 [#:properties '()] [#:guile-for-build #f]
7797 Return a derivation @var{name} that runs @var{exp} (a gexp) with
7798 @var{guile-for-build} (a derivation) on @var{system}; @var{exp} is
7799 stored in a file called @var{script-name}. When @var{target} is true,
7800 it is used as the cross-compilation target triplet for packages referred
7803 @var{modules} is deprecated in favor of @code{with-imported-modules}.
7805 make @var{modules} available in the evaluation context of @var{exp};
7806 @var{modules} is a list of names of Guile modules searched in
7807 @var{module-path} to be copied in the store, compiled, and made available in
7808 the load path during the execution of @var{exp}---e.g., @code{((guix
7809 build utils) (guix build gnu-build-system))}.
7811 @var{effective-version} determines the string to use when adding extensions of
7812 @var{exp} (see @code{with-extensions}) to the search path---e.g., @code{"2.2"}.
7814 @var{graft?} determines whether packages referred to by @var{exp} should be grafted when
7817 When @var{references-graphs} is true, it must be a list of tuples of one of the
7821 (@var{file-name} @var{package})
7822 (@var{file-name} @var{package} @var{output})
7823 (@var{file-name} @var{derivation})
7824 (@var{file-name} @var{derivation} @var{output})
7825 (@var{file-name} @var{store-item})
7828 The right-hand-side of each element of @var{references-graphs} is automatically made
7829 an input of the build process of @var{exp}. In the build environment, each
7830 @var{file-name} contains the reference graph of the corresponding item, in a simple
7833 @var{allowed-references} must be either @code{#f} or a list of output names and packages.
7834 In the latter case, the list denotes store items that the result is allowed to
7835 refer to. Any reference to another store item will lead to a build error.
7836 Similarly for @var{disallowed-references}, which can list items that must not be
7837 referenced by the outputs.
7839 @var{deprecation-warnings} determines whether to show deprecation warnings while
7840 compiling modules. It can be @code{#f}, @code{#t}, or @code{'detailed}.
7842 The other arguments are as for @code{derivation} (@pxref{Derivations}).
7845 @cindex file-like objects
7846 The @code{local-file}, @code{plain-file}, @code{computed-file},
7847 @code{program-file}, and @code{scheme-file} procedures below return
7848 @dfn{file-like objects}. That is, when unquoted in a G-expression,
7849 these objects lead to a file in the store. Consider this G-expression:
7852 #~(system* #$(file-append glibc "/sbin/nscd") "-f"
7853 #$(local-file "/tmp/my-nscd.conf"))
7856 The effect here is to ``intern'' @file{/tmp/my-nscd.conf} by copying it
7857 to the store. Once expanded, for instance @i{via}
7858 @code{gexp->derivation}, the G-expression refers to that copy under
7859 @file{/gnu/store}; thus, modifying or removing the file in @file{/tmp}
7860 does not have any effect on what the G-expression does.
7861 @code{plain-file} can be used similarly; it differs in that the file
7862 content is directly passed as a string.
7864 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} local-file @var{file} [@var{name}] @
7865 [#:recursive? #f] [#:select? (const #t)]
7866 Return an object representing local file @var{file} to add to the store;
7867 this object can be used in a gexp. If @var{file} is a literal string
7868 denoting a relative file name, it is looked up relative to the source
7869 file where it appears; if @var{file} is not a literal string, it is
7870 looked up relative to the current working directory at run time.
7871 @var{file} will be added to the store under @var{name}--by default the
7872 base name of @var{file}.
7874 When @var{recursive?} is true, the contents of @var{file} are added recursively; if @var{file}
7875 designates a flat file and @var{recursive?} is true, its contents are added, and its
7876 permission bits are kept.
7878 When @var{recursive?} is true, call @code{(@var{select?} @var{file}
7879 @var{stat})} for each directory entry, where @var{file} is the entry's
7880 absolute file name and @var{stat} is the result of @code{lstat}; exclude
7881 entries for which @var{select?} does not return true.
7883 This is the declarative counterpart of the @code{interned-file} monadic
7884 procedure (@pxref{The Store Monad, @code{interned-file}}).
7887 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} plain-file @var{name} @var{content}
7888 Return an object representing a text file called @var{name} with the given
7889 @var{content} (a string or a bytevector) to be added to the store.
7891 This is the declarative counterpart of @code{text-file}.
7894 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} computed-file @var{name} @var{gexp} @
7895 [#:options '(#:local-build? #t)]
7896 Return an object representing the store item @var{name}, a file or
7897 directory computed by @var{gexp}. @var{options}
7898 is a list of additional arguments to pass to @code{gexp->derivation}.
7900 This is the declarative counterpart of @code{gexp->derivation}.
7903 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} gexp->script @var{name} @var{exp} @
7904 [#:guile (default-guile)] [#:module-path %load-path] @
7905 [#:system (%current-system)] [#:target #f]
7906 Return an executable script @var{name} that runs @var{exp} using
7907 @var{guile}, with @var{exp}'s imported modules in its search path.
7908 Look up @var{exp}'s modules in @var{module-path}.
7910 The example below builds a script that simply invokes the @command{ls}
7914 (use-modules (guix gexp) (gnu packages base))
7916 (gexp->script "list-files"
7917 #~(execl #$(file-append coreutils "/bin/ls")
7921 When ``running'' it through the store (@pxref{The Store Monad,
7922 @code{run-with-store}}), we obtain a derivation that produces an
7923 executable file @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-list-files} along these lines:
7926 #!/gnu/store/@dots{}-guile-2.0.11/bin/guile -ds
7928 (execl "/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.22"/bin/ls" "ls")
7932 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} program-file @var{name} @var{exp} @
7933 [#:guile #f] [#:module-path %load-path]
7934 Return an object representing the executable store item @var{name} that
7935 runs @var{gexp}. @var{guile} is the Guile package used to execute that
7936 script. Imported modules of @var{gexp} are looked up in @var{module-path}.
7938 This is the declarative counterpart of @code{gexp->script}.
7941 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} gexp->file @var{name} @var{exp} @
7942 [#:set-load-path? #t] [#:module-path %load-path] @
7944 [#:guile (default-guile)]
7945 Return a derivation that builds a file @var{name} containing @var{exp}.
7946 When @var{splice?} is true, @var{exp} is considered to be a list of
7947 expressions that will be spliced in the resulting file.
7949 When @var{set-load-path?} is true, emit code in the resulting file to
7950 set @code{%load-path} and @code{%load-compiled-path} to honor
7951 @var{exp}'s imported modules. Look up @var{exp}'s modules in
7954 The resulting file holds references to all the dependencies of @var{exp}
7955 or a subset thereof.
7958 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} scheme-file @var{name} @var{exp} @
7959 [#:splice? #f] [#:set-load-path? #t]
7960 Return an object representing the Scheme file @var{name} that contains
7963 This is the declarative counterpart of @code{gexp->file}.
7966 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} text-file* @var{name} @var{text} @dots{}
7967 Return as a monadic value a derivation that builds a text file
7968 containing all of @var{text}. @var{text} may list, in addition to
7969 strings, objects of any type that can be used in a gexp: packages,
7970 derivations, local file objects, etc. The resulting store file holds
7971 references to all these.
7973 This variant should be preferred over @code{text-file} anytime the file
7974 to create will reference items from the store. This is typically the
7975 case when building a configuration file that embeds store file names,
7979 (define (profile.sh)
7980 ;; Return the name of a shell script in the store that
7981 ;; initializes the 'PATH' environment variable.
7982 (text-file* "profile.sh"
7983 "export PATH=" coreutils "/bin:"
7984 grep "/bin:" sed "/bin\n"))
7987 In this example, the resulting @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-profile.sh} file
7988 will reference @var{coreutils}, @var{grep}, and @var{sed}, thereby
7989 preventing them from being garbage-collected during its lifetime.
7992 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} mixed-text-file @var{name} @var{text} @dots{}
7993 Return an object representing store file @var{name} containing
7994 @var{text}. @var{text} is a sequence of strings and file-like objects,
7998 (mixed-text-file "profile"
7999 "export PATH=" coreutils "/bin:" grep "/bin")
8002 This is the declarative counterpart of @code{text-file*}.
8005 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} file-union @var{name} @var{files}
8006 Return a @code{<computed-file>} that builds a directory containing all of @var{files}.
8007 Each item in @var{files} must be a two-element list where the first element is the
8008 file name to use in the new directory, and the second element is a gexp
8009 denoting the target file. Here's an example:
8013 `(("hosts" ,(plain-file "hosts"
8014 "127.0.0.1 localhost"))
8015 ("bashrc" ,(plain-file "bashrc"
8016 "alias ls='ls --color=auto'"))))
8019 This yields an @code{etc} directory containing these two files.
8022 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} directory-union @var{name} @var{things}
8023 Return a directory that is the union of @var{things}, where @var{things} is a list of
8024 file-like objects denoting directories. For example:
8027 (directory-union "guile+emacs" (list guile emacs))
8030 yields a directory that is the union of the @code{guile} and @code{emacs} packages.
8033 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} file-append @var{obj} @var{suffix} @dots{}
8034 Return a file-like object that expands to the concatenation of @var{obj}
8035 and @var{suffix}, where @var{obj} is a lowerable object and each
8036 @var{suffix} is a string.
8038 As an example, consider this gexp:
8041 (gexp->script "run-uname"
8042 #~(system* #$(file-append coreutils
8046 The same effect could be achieved with:
8049 (gexp->script "run-uname"
8050 #~(system* (string-append #$coreutils
8054 There is one difference though: in the @code{file-append} case, the
8055 resulting script contains the absolute file name as a string, whereas in
8056 the second case, the resulting script contains a @code{(string-append
8057 @dots{})} expression to construct the file name @emph{at run time}.
8060 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} with-parameters ((@var{parameter} @var{value}) @dots{}) @var{exp}
8061 This macro is similar to the @code{parameterize} form for
8062 dynamically-bound @dfn{parameters} (@pxref{Parameters,,, guile, GNU
8063 Guile Reference Manual}). The key difference is that it takes effect
8064 when the file-like object returned by @var{exp} is lowered to a
8065 derivation or store item.
8067 A typical use of @code{with-parameters} is to force the system in effect
8071 (with-parameters ((%current-system "i686-linux"))
8075 The example above returns an object that corresponds to the i686 build
8076 of Coreutils, regardless of the current value of @code{%current-system}.
8080 Of course, in addition to gexps embedded in ``host'' code, there are
8081 also modules containing build tools. To make it clear that they are
8082 meant to be used in the build stratum, these modules are kept in the
8083 @code{(guix build @dots{})} name space.
8085 @cindex lowering, of high-level objects in gexps
8086 Internally, high-level objects are @dfn{lowered}, using their compiler,
8087 to either derivations or store items. For instance, lowering a package
8088 yields a derivation, and lowering a @code{plain-file} yields a store
8089 item. This is achieved using the @code{lower-object} monadic procedure.
8091 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} lower-object @var{obj} [@var{system}] @
8093 Return as a value in @code{%store-monad} the derivation or store item
8094 corresponding to @var{obj} for @var{system}, cross-compiling for
8095 @var{target} if @var{target} is true. @var{obj} must be an object that
8096 has an associated gexp compiler, such as a @code{<package>}.
8099 @node Invoking guix repl
8100 @section Invoking @command{guix repl}
8102 @cindex REPL, read-eval-print loop
8103 The @command{guix repl} command spawns a Guile @dfn{read-eval-print loop}
8104 (REPL) for interactive programming (@pxref{Using Guile Interactively,,, guile,
8105 GNU Guile Reference Manual}). Compared to just launching the @command{guile}
8106 command, @command{guix repl} guarantees that all the Guix modules and all its
8107 dependencies are available in the search path. You can use it this way:
8111 scheme@@(guile-user)> ,use (gnu packages base)
8112 scheme@@(guile-user)> coreutils
8113 $1 = #<package coreutils@@8.29 gnu/packages/base.scm:327 3e28300>
8117 In addition, @command{guix repl} implements a simple machine-readable REPL
8118 protocol for use by @code{(guix inferior)}, a facility to interact with
8119 @dfn{inferiors}, separate processes running a potentially different revision
8122 The available options are as follows:
8125 @item --type=@var{type}
8126 @itemx -t @var{type}
8127 Start a REPL of the given @var{TYPE}, which can be one of the following:
8131 This is default, and it spawns a standard full-featured Guile REPL.
8133 Spawn a REPL that uses the machine-readable protocol. This is the protocol
8134 that the @code{(guix inferior)} module speaks.
8137 @item --listen=@var{endpoint}
8138 By default, @command{guix repl} reads from standard input and writes to
8139 standard output. When this option is passed, it will instead listen for
8140 connections on @var{endpoint}. Here are examples of valid options:
8143 @item --listen=tcp:37146
8144 Accept connections on localhost on port 37146.
8146 @item --listen=unix:/tmp/socket
8147 Accept connections on the Unix-domain socket @file{/tmp/socket}.
8150 @item --load-path=@var{directory}
8151 @itemx -L @var{directory}
8152 Add @var{directory} to the front of the package module search path
8153 (@pxref{Package Modules}).
8155 This allows users to define their own packages and make them visible to
8156 the command-line tool.
8159 Inhibit loading of the @file{~/.guile} file. By default, that
8160 configuration file is loaded when spawning a @code{guile} REPL.
8163 @c *********************************************************************
8167 This section describes Guix command-line utilities. Some of them are
8168 primarily targeted at developers and users who write new package
8169 definitions, while others are more generally useful. They complement
8170 the Scheme programming interface of Guix in a convenient way.
8173 * Invoking guix build:: Building packages from the command line.
8174 * Invoking guix edit:: Editing package definitions.
8175 * Invoking guix download:: Downloading a file and printing its hash.
8176 * Invoking guix hash:: Computing the cryptographic hash of a file.
8177 * Invoking guix import:: Importing package definitions.
8178 * Invoking guix refresh:: Updating package definitions.
8179 * Invoking guix lint:: Finding errors in package definitions.
8180 * Invoking guix size:: Profiling disk usage.
8181 * Invoking guix graph:: Visualizing the graph of packages.
8182 * Invoking guix publish:: Sharing substitutes.
8183 * Invoking guix challenge:: Challenging substitute servers.
8184 * Invoking guix copy:: Copying to and from a remote store.
8185 * Invoking guix container:: Process isolation.
8186 * Invoking guix weather:: Assessing substitute availability.
8187 * Invoking guix processes:: Listing client processes.
8190 @node Invoking guix build
8191 @section Invoking @command{guix build}
8193 @cindex package building
8194 @cindex @command{guix build}
8195 The @command{guix build} command builds packages or derivations and
8196 their dependencies, and prints the resulting store paths. Note that it
8197 does not modify the user's profile---this is the job of the
8198 @command{guix package} command (@pxref{Invoking guix package}). Thus,
8199 it is mainly useful for distribution developers.
8201 The general syntax is:
8204 guix build @var{options} @var{package-or-derivation}@dots{}
8207 As an example, the following command builds the latest versions of Emacs
8208 and of Guile, displays their build logs, and finally displays the
8209 resulting directories:
8212 guix build emacs guile
8215 Similarly, the following command builds all the available packages:
8218 guix build --quiet --keep-going \
8219 `guix package -A | cut -f1,2 --output-delimiter=@@`
8222 @var{package-or-derivation} may be either the name of a package found in
8223 the software distribution such as @code{coreutils} or
8224 @code{coreutils@@8.20}, or a derivation such as
8225 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.19.drv}. In the former case, a
8226 package with the corresponding name (and optionally version) is searched
8227 for among the GNU distribution modules (@pxref{Package Modules}).
8229 Alternatively, the @code{--expression} option may be used to specify a
8230 Scheme expression that evaluates to a package; this is useful when
8231 disambiguating among several same-named packages or package variants is
8234 There may be zero or more @var{options}. The available options are
8235 described in the subsections below.
8238 * Common Build Options:: Build options for most commands.
8239 * Package Transformation Options:: Creating variants of packages.
8240 * Additional Build Options:: Options specific to 'guix build'.
8241 * Debugging Build Failures:: Real life packaging experience.
8244 @node Common Build Options
8245 @subsection Common Build Options
8247 A number of options that control the build process are common to
8248 @command{guix build} and other commands that can spawn builds, such as
8249 @command{guix package} or @command{guix archive}. These are the
8254 @item --load-path=@var{directory}
8255 @itemx -L @var{directory}
8256 Add @var{directory} to the front of the package module search path
8257 (@pxref{Package Modules}).
8259 This allows users to define their own packages and make them visible to
8260 the command-line tools.
8264 Keep the build tree of failed builds. Thus, if a build fails, its build
8265 tree is kept under @file{/tmp}, in a directory whose name is shown at
8266 the end of the build log. This is useful when debugging build issues.
8267 @xref{Debugging Build Failures}, for tips and tricks on how to debug
8270 This option implies @option{--no-offload}, and it has no effect when
8271 connecting to a remote daemon with a @code{guix://} URI (@pxref{The
8272 Store, the @code{GUIX_DAEMON_SOCKET} variable}).
8276 Keep going when some of the derivations fail to build; return only once
8277 all the builds have either completed or failed.
8279 The default behavior is to stop as soon as one of the specified
8280 derivations has failed.
8284 Do not build the derivations.
8286 @anchor{fallback-option}
8288 When substituting a pre-built binary fails, fall back to building
8289 packages locally (@pxref{Substitution Failure}).
8291 @item --substitute-urls=@var{urls}
8292 @anchor{client-substitute-urls}
8293 Consider @var{urls} the whitespace-separated list of substitute source
8294 URLs, overriding the default list of URLs of @command{guix-daemon}
8295 (@pxref{daemon-substitute-urls,, @command{guix-daemon} URLs}).
8297 This means that substitutes may be downloaded from @var{urls}, provided
8298 they are signed by a key authorized by the system administrator
8299 (@pxref{Substitutes}).
8301 When @var{urls} is the empty string, substitutes are effectively
8304 @item --no-substitutes
8305 Do not use substitutes for build products. That is, always build things
8306 locally instead of allowing downloads of pre-built binaries
8307 (@pxref{Substitutes}).
8310 Do not ``graft'' packages. In practice, this means that package updates
8311 available as grafts are not applied. @xref{Security Updates}, for more
8312 information on grafts.
8314 @item --rounds=@var{n}
8315 Build each derivation @var{n} times in a row, and raise an error if
8316 consecutive build results are not bit-for-bit identical.
8318 This is a useful way to detect non-deterministic builds processes.
8319 Non-deterministic build processes are a problem because they make it
8320 practically impossible for users to @emph{verify} whether third-party
8321 binaries are genuine. @xref{Invoking guix challenge}, for more.
8323 Note that, currently, the differing build results are not kept around,
8324 so you will have to manually investigate in case of an error---e.g., by
8325 stashing one of the build results with @code{guix archive --export}
8326 (@pxref{Invoking guix archive}), then rebuilding, and finally comparing
8330 Do not use offload builds to other machines (@pxref{Daemon Offload
8331 Setup}). That is, always build things locally instead of offloading
8332 builds to remote machines.
8334 @item --max-silent-time=@var{seconds}
8335 When the build or substitution process remains silent for more than
8336 @var{seconds}, terminate it and report a build failure.
8338 By default, the daemon's setting is honored (@pxref{Invoking
8339 guix-daemon, @code{--max-silent-time}}).
8341 @item --timeout=@var{seconds}
8342 Likewise, when the build or substitution process lasts for more than
8343 @var{seconds}, terminate it and report a build failure.
8345 By default, the daemon's setting is honored (@pxref{Invoking
8346 guix-daemon, @code{--timeout}}).
8348 @c Note: This option is actually not part of %standard-build-options but
8349 @c most programs honor it.
8350 @cindex verbosity, of the command-line tools
8351 @cindex build logs, verbosity
8352 @item -v @var{level}
8353 @itemx --verbosity=@var{level}
8354 Use the given verbosity @var{level}, an integer. Choosing 0 means that no
8355 output is produced, 1 is for quiet output, and 2 shows all the build log
8356 output on standard error.
8358 @item --cores=@var{n}
8360 Allow the use of up to @var{n} CPU cores for the build. The special
8361 value @code{0} means to use as many CPU cores as available.
8363 @item --max-jobs=@var{n}
8365 Allow at most @var{n} build jobs in parallel. @xref{Invoking
8366 guix-daemon, @code{--max-jobs}}, for details about this option and the
8367 equivalent @command{guix-daemon} option.
8369 @item --debug=@var{level}
8370 Produce debugging output coming from the build daemon. @var{level} must be an
8371 integer between 0 and 5; higher means more verbose output. Setting a level of
8372 4 or more may be helpful when debugging setup issues with the build daemon.
8376 Behind the scenes, @command{guix build} is essentially an interface to
8377 the @code{package-derivation} procedure of the @code{(guix packages)}
8378 module, and to the @code{build-derivations} procedure of the @code{(guix
8379 derivations)} module.
8381 In addition to options explicitly passed on the command line,
8382 @command{guix build} and other @command{guix} commands that support
8383 building honor the @code{GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS} environment variable.
8385 @defvr {Environment Variable} GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS
8386 Users can define this variable to a list of command line options that
8387 will automatically be used by @command{guix build} and other
8388 @command{guix} commands that can perform builds, as in the example
8392 $ export GUIX_BUILD_OPTIONS="--no-substitutes -c 2 -L /foo/bar"
8395 These options are parsed independently, and the result is appended to
8396 the parsed command-line options.
8400 @node Package Transformation Options
8401 @subsection Package Transformation Options
8403 @cindex package variants
8404 Another set of command-line options supported by @command{guix build}
8405 and also @command{guix package} are @dfn{package transformation
8406 options}. These are options that make it possible to define @dfn{package
8407 variants}---for instance, packages built from different source code.
8408 This is a convenient way to create customized packages on the fly
8409 without having to type in the definitions of package variants
8410 (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
8414 @item --with-source=@var{source}
8415 @itemx --with-source=@var{package}=@var{source}
8416 @itemx --with-source=@var{package}@@@var{version}=@var{source}
8417 Use @var{source} as the source of @var{package}, and @var{version} as
8419 @var{source} must be a file name or a URL, as for @command{guix
8420 download} (@pxref{Invoking guix download}).
8422 When @var{package} is omitted,
8423 it is taken to be the package name specified on the
8424 command line that matches the base of @var{source}---e.g.,
8425 if @var{source} is @code{/src/guile-2.0.10.tar.gz}, the corresponding
8426 package is @code{guile}.
8428 Likewise, when @var{version} is omitted, the version string is inferred from
8429 @var{source}; in the previous example, it is @code{2.0.10}.
8431 This option allows users to try out versions of packages other than the
8432 one provided by the distribution. The example below downloads
8433 @file{ed-1.7.tar.gz} from a GNU mirror and uses that as the source for
8434 the @code{ed} package:
8437 guix build ed --with-source=mirror://gnu/ed/ed-1.7.tar.gz
8440 As a developer, @code{--with-source} makes it easy to test release
8444 guix build guile --with-source=../guile-2.0.9.219-e1bb7.tar.xz
8447 @dots{} or to build from a checkout in a pristine environment:
8450 $ git clone git://git.sv.gnu.org/guix.git
8451 $ guix build guix --with-source=guix@@1.0=./guix
8454 @item --with-input=@var{package}=@var{replacement}
8455 Replace dependency on @var{package} by a dependency on
8456 @var{replacement}. @var{package} must be a package name, and
8457 @var{replacement} must be a package specification such as @code{guile}
8458 or @code{guile@@1.8}.
8460 For instance, the following command builds Guix, but replaces its
8461 dependency on the current stable version of Guile with a dependency on
8462 the legacy version of Guile, @code{guile@@2.0}:
8465 guix build --with-input=guile=guile@@2.0 guix
8468 This is a recursive, deep replacement. So in this example, both
8469 @code{guix} and its dependency @code{guile-json} (which also depends on
8470 @code{guile}) get rebuilt against @code{guile@@2.0}.
8472 This is implemented using the @code{package-input-rewriting} Scheme
8473 procedure (@pxref{Defining Packages, @code{package-input-rewriting}}).
8475 @item --with-graft=@var{package}=@var{replacement}
8476 This is similar to @code{--with-input} but with an important difference:
8477 instead of rebuilding the whole dependency chain, @var{replacement} is
8478 built and then @dfn{grafted} onto the binaries that were initially
8479 referring to @var{package}. @xref{Security Updates}, for more
8480 information on grafts.
8482 For example, the command below grafts version 3.5.4 of GnuTLS onto Wget
8483 and all its dependencies, replacing references to the version of GnuTLS
8484 they currently refer to:
8487 guix build --with-graft=gnutls=gnutls@@3.5.4 wget
8490 This has the advantage of being much faster than rebuilding everything.
8491 But there is a caveat: it works if and only if @var{package} and
8492 @var{replacement} are strictly compatible---for example, if they provide
8493 a library, the application binary interface (ABI) of those libraries
8494 must be compatible. If @var{replacement} is somehow incompatible with
8495 @var{package}, then the resulting package may be unusable. Use with
8498 @item --with-git-url=@var{package}=@var{url}
8499 @cindex Git, using the latest commit
8500 @cindex latest commit, building
8501 Build @var{package} from the latest commit of the @code{master} branch of the
8502 Git repository at @var{url}. Git sub-modules of the repository are fetched,
8505 For example, the following command builds the NumPy Python library against the
8506 latest commit of the master branch of Python itself:
8509 guix build python-numpy \
8510 --with-git-url=python=https://github.com/python/cpython
8513 This option can also be combined with @code{--with-branch} or
8514 @code{--with-commit} (see below).
8516 @cindex continuous integration
8517 Obviously, since it uses the latest commit of the given branch, the result of
8518 such a command varies over time. Nevertheless it is a convenient way to
8519 rebuild entire software stacks against the latest commit of one or more
8520 packages. This is particularly useful in the context of continuous
8523 Checkouts are kept in a cache under @file{~/.cache/guix/checkouts} to speed up
8524 consecutive accesses to the same repository. You may want to clean it up once
8525 in a while to save disk space.
8527 @item --with-branch=@var{package}=@var{branch}
8528 Build @var{package} from the latest commit of @var{branch}. If the
8529 @code{source} field of @var{package} is an origin with the @code{git-fetch}
8530 method (@pxref{origin Reference}) or a @code{git-checkout} object, the
8531 repository URL is taken from that @code{source}. Otherwise you have to use
8532 @code{--with-git-url} to specify the URL of the Git repository.
8534 For instance, the following command builds @code{guile-sqlite3} from the
8535 latest commit of its @code{master} branch, and then builds @code{guix} (which
8536 depends on it) and @code{cuirass} (which depends on @code{guix}) against this
8537 specific @code{guile-sqlite3} build:
8540 guix build --with-branch=guile-sqlite3=master cuirass
8543 @item --with-commit=@var{package}=@var{commit}
8544 This is similar to @code{--with-branch}, except that it builds from
8545 @var{commit} rather than the tip of a branch. @var{commit} must be a valid
8546 Git commit SHA1 identifier or a tag.
8549 @node Additional Build Options
8550 @subsection Additional Build Options
8552 The command-line options presented below are specific to @command{guix
8559 Build quietly, without displaying the build log; this is equivalent to
8560 @code{--verbosity=0}. Upon completion, the build log is kept in @file{/var}
8561 (or similar) and can always be retrieved using the @option{--log-file} option.
8563 @item --file=@var{file}
8564 @itemx -f @var{file}
8565 Build the package, derivation, or other file-like object that the code within
8566 @var{file} evaluates to (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like objects}).
8568 As an example, @var{file} might contain a package definition like this
8569 (@pxref{Defining Packages}):
8572 @include package-hello.scm
8575 The @var{file} may also contain a JSON representation of one or more
8576 package definitions. Running @code{guix build -f} on @file{hello.json}
8577 with the following contents would result in building the packages
8578 @code{myhello} and @code{greeter}:
8581 @verbatiminclude package-hello.json
8584 @item --manifest=@var{manifest}
8585 @itemx -m @var{manifest}
8586 Build all packages listed in the given @var{manifest}
8587 (@pxref{profile-manifest, @option{--manifest}}).
8589 @item --expression=@var{expr}
8590 @itemx -e @var{expr}
8591 Build the package or derivation @var{expr} evaluates to.
8593 For example, @var{expr} may be @code{(@@ (gnu packages guile)
8594 guile-1.8)}, which unambiguously designates this specific variant of
8595 version 1.8 of Guile.
8597 Alternatively, @var{expr} may be a G-expression, in which case it is used
8598 as a build program passed to @code{gexp->derivation}
8599 (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
8601 Lastly, @var{expr} may refer to a zero-argument monadic procedure
8602 (@pxref{The Store Monad}). The procedure must return a derivation as a
8603 monadic value, which is then passed through @code{run-with-store}.
8607 Build the source derivations of the packages, rather than the packages
8610 For instance, @code{guix build -S gcc} returns something like
8611 @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-gcc-4.7.2.tar.bz2}, which is the GCC
8614 The returned source tarball is the result of applying any patches and
8615 code snippets specified in the package @code{origin} (@pxref{Defining
8618 Note that @command{guix build -S} compiles the sources only of the
8619 specified packages. They do not include the sources of statically
8620 linked dependencies and by themselves are insufficient for reproducing
8624 Fetch and return the source of @var{package-or-derivation} and all their
8625 dependencies, recursively. This is a handy way to obtain a local copy
8626 of all the source code needed to build @var{packages}, allowing you to
8627 eventually build them even without network access. It is an extension
8628 of the @code{--source} option and can accept one of the following
8629 optional argument values:
8633 This value causes the @code{--sources} option to behave in the same way
8634 as the @code{--source} option.
8637 Build the source derivations of all packages, including any source that
8638 might be listed as @code{inputs}. This is the default value.
8641 $ guix build --sources tzdata
8642 The following derivations will be built:
8643 /gnu/store/@dots{}-tzdata2015b.tar.gz.drv
8644 /gnu/store/@dots{}-tzcode2015b.tar.gz.drv
8648 Build the source derivations of all packages, as well of all transitive
8649 inputs to the packages. This can be used e.g.@: to
8650 prefetch package source for later offline building.
8653 $ guix build --sources=transitive tzdata
8654 The following derivations will be built:
8655 /gnu/store/@dots{}-tzcode2015b.tar.gz.drv
8656 /gnu/store/@dots{}-findutils-4.4.2.tar.xz.drv
8657 /gnu/store/@dots{}-grep-2.21.tar.xz.drv
8658 /gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.23.tar.xz.drv
8659 /gnu/store/@dots{}-make-4.1.tar.xz.drv
8660 /gnu/store/@dots{}-bash-4.3.tar.xz.drv
8666 @item --system=@var{system}
8667 @itemx -s @var{system}
8668 Attempt to build for @var{system}---e.g., @code{i686-linux}---instead of
8669 the system type of the build host. The @command{guix build} command allows
8670 you to repeat this option several times, in which case it builds for all the
8671 specified systems; other commands ignore extraneous @option{-s} options.
8674 The @code{--system} flag is for @emph{native} compilation and must not
8675 be confused with cross-compilation. See @code{--target} below for
8676 information on cross-compilation.
8679 An example use of this is on Linux-based systems, which can emulate
8680 different personalities. For instance, passing
8681 @code{--system=i686-linux} on an @code{x86_64-linux} system or
8682 @code{--system=armhf-linux} on an @code{aarch64-linux} system allows you
8683 to build packages in a complete 32-bit environment.
8686 Building for an @code{armhf-linux} system is unconditionally enabled on
8687 @code{aarch64-linux} machines, although certain aarch64 chipsets do not
8688 allow for this functionality, notably the ThunderX.
8691 Similarly, when transparent emulation with QEMU and @code{binfmt_misc}
8692 is enabled (@pxref{Virtualization Services,
8693 @code{qemu-binfmt-service-type}}), you can build for any system for
8694 which a QEMU @code{binfmt_misc} handler is installed.
8696 Builds for a system other than that of the machine you are using can
8697 also be offloaded to a remote machine of the right architecture.
8698 @xref{Daemon Offload Setup}, for more information on offloading.
8700 @item --target=@var{triplet}
8701 @cindex cross-compilation
8702 Cross-build for @var{triplet}, which must be a valid GNU triplet, such
8703 as @code{"mips64el-linux-gnu"} (@pxref{Specifying Target Triplets, GNU
8704 configuration triplets,, autoconf, Autoconf}).
8706 @anchor{build-check}
8708 @cindex determinism, checking
8709 @cindex reproducibility, checking
8710 Rebuild @var{package-or-derivation}, which are already available in the
8711 store, and raise an error if the build results are not bit-for-bit
8714 This mechanism allows you to check whether previously installed
8715 substitutes are genuine (@pxref{Substitutes}), or whether the build result
8716 of a package is deterministic. @xref{Invoking guix challenge}, for more
8717 background information and tools.
8719 When used in conjunction with @option{--keep-failed}, the differing
8720 output is kept in the store, under @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-check}.
8721 This makes it easy to look for differences between the two results.
8724 @cindex repairing store items
8725 @cindex corruption, recovering from
8726 Attempt to repair the specified store items, if they are corrupt, by
8727 re-downloading or rebuilding them.
8729 This operation is not atomic and thus restricted to @code{root}.
8733 Return the derivation paths, not the output paths, of the given
8736 @item --root=@var{file}
8737 @itemx -r @var{file}
8738 @cindex GC roots, adding
8739 @cindex garbage collector roots, adding
8740 Make @var{file} a symlink to the result, and register it as a garbage
8743 Consequently, the results of this @command{guix build} invocation are
8744 protected from garbage collection until @var{file} is removed. When
8745 that option is omitted, build results are eligible for garbage
8746 collection as soon as the build completes. @xref{Invoking guix gc}, for
8750 @cindex build logs, access
8751 Return the build log file names or URLs for the given
8752 @var{package-or-derivation}, or raise an error if build logs are
8755 This works regardless of how packages or derivations are specified. For
8756 instance, the following invocations are equivalent:
8759 guix build --log-file `guix build -d guile`
8760 guix build --log-file `guix build guile`
8761 guix build --log-file guile
8762 guix build --log-file -e '(@@ (gnu packages guile) guile-2.0)'
8765 If a log is unavailable locally, and unless @code{--no-substitutes} is
8766 passed, the command looks for a corresponding log on one of the
8767 substitute servers (as specified with @code{--substitute-urls}.)
8769 So for instance, imagine you want to see the build log of GDB on MIPS,
8770 but you are actually on an @code{x86_64} machine:
8773 $ guix build --log-file gdb -s mips64el-linux
8774 https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}/log/@dots{}-gdb-7.10
8777 You can freely access a huge library of build logs!
8780 @node Debugging Build Failures
8781 @subsection Debugging Build Failures
8783 @cindex build failures, debugging
8784 When defining a new package (@pxref{Defining Packages}), you will
8785 probably find yourself spending some time debugging and tweaking the
8786 build until it succeeds. To do that, you need to operate the build
8787 commands yourself in an environment as close as possible to the one the
8790 To that end, the first thing to do is to use the @option{--keep-failed}
8791 or @option{-K} option of @command{guix build}, which will keep the
8792 failed build tree in @file{/tmp} or whatever directory you specified as
8793 @code{TMPDIR} (@pxref{Invoking guix build, @code{--keep-failed}}).
8795 From there on, you can @command{cd} to the failed build tree and source
8796 the @file{environment-variables} file, which contains all the
8797 environment variable definitions that were in place when the build
8798 failed. So let's say you're debugging a build failure in package
8799 @code{foo}; a typical session would look like this:
8803 @dots{} @i{build fails}
8804 $ cd /tmp/guix-build-foo.drv-0
8805 $ source ./environment-variables
8809 Now, you can invoke commands as if you were the daemon (almost) and
8810 troubleshoot your build process.
8812 Sometimes it happens that, for example, a package's tests pass when you
8813 run them manually but they fail when the daemon runs them. This can
8814 happen because the daemon runs builds in containers where, unlike in our
8815 environment above, network access is missing, @file{/bin/sh} does not
8816 exist, etc. (@pxref{Build Environment Setup}).
8818 In such cases, you may need to run inspect the build process from within
8819 a container similar to the one the build daemon creates:
8824 $ cd /tmp/guix-build-foo.drv-0
8825 $ guix environment --no-grafts -C foo --ad-hoc strace gdb
8826 [env]# source ./environment-variables
8830 Here, @command{guix environment -C} creates a container and spawns a new
8831 shell in it (@pxref{Invoking guix environment}). The @command{--ad-hoc
8832 strace gdb} part adds the @command{strace} and @command{gdb} commands to
8833 the container, which would may find handy while debugging. The
8834 @option{--no-grafts} option makes sure we get the exact same
8835 environment, with ungrafted packages (@pxref{Security Updates}, for more
8838 To get closer to a container like that used by the build daemon, we can
8839 remove @file{/bin/sh}:
8845 (Don't worry, this is harmless: this is all happening in the throw-away
8846 container created by @command{guix environment}.)
8848 The @command{strace} command is probably not in the search path, but we
8852 [env]# $GUIX_ENVIRONMENT/bin/strace -f -o log make check
8855 In this way, not only you will have reproduced the environment variables
8856 the daemon uses, you will also be running the build process in a container
8857 similar to the one the daemon uses.
8860 @node Invoking guix edit
8861 @section Invoking @command{guix edit}
8863 @cindex @command{guix edit}
8864 @cindex package definition, editing
8865 So many packages, so many source files! The @command{guix edit} command
8866 facilitates the life of users and packagers by pointing their editor at
8867 the source file containing the definition of the specified packages.
8871 guix edit gcc@@4.9 vim
8875 launches the program specified in the @code{VISUAL} or in the
8876 @code{EDITOR} environment variable to view the recipe of GCC@tie{}4.9.3
8879 If you are using a Guix Git checkout (@pxref{Building from Git}), or
8880 have created your own packages on @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH}
8881 (@pxref{Package Modules}), you will be able to edit the package
8882 recipes. In other cases, you will be able to examine the read-only recipes
8883 for packages currently in the store.
8885 Instead of @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH}, the command-line option
8886 @code{--load-path=@var{directory}} (or in short @code{-L
8887 @var{directory}}) allows you to add @var{directory} to the front of the
8888 package module search path and so make your own packages visible.
8890 @node Invoking guix download
8891 @section Invoking @command{guix download}
8893 @cindex @command{guix download}
8894 @cindex downloading package sources
8895 When writing a package definition, developers typically need to download
8896 a source tarball, compute its SHA256 hash, and write that
8897 hash in the package definition (@pxref{Defining Packages}). The
8898 @command{guix download} tool helps with this task: it downloads a file
8899 from the given URI, adds it to the store, and prints both its file name
8900 in the store and its SHA256 hash.
8902 The fact that the downloaded file is added to the store saves bandwidth:
8903 when the developer eventually tries to build the newly defined package
8904 with @command{guix build}, the source tarball will not have to be
8905 downloaded again because it is already in the store. It is also a
8906 convenient way to temporarily stash files, which may be deleted
8907 eventually (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}).
8909 The @command{guix download} command supports the same URIs as used in
8910 package definitions. In particular, it supports @code{mirror://} URIs.
8911 @code{https} URIs (HTTP over TLS) are supported @emph{provided} the
8912 Guile bindings for GnuTLS are available in the user's environment; when
8913 they are not available, an error is raised. @xref{Guile Preparations,
8914 how to install the GnuTLS bindings for Guile,, gnutls-guile,
8915 GnuTLS-Guile}, for more information.
8917 @command{guix download} verifies HTTPS server certificates by loading
8918 the certificates of X.509 authorities from the directory pointed to by
8919 the @code{SSL_CERT_DIR} environment variable (@pxref{X.509
8920 Certificates}), unless @option{--no-check-certificate} is used.
8922 The following options are available:
8925 @item --format=@var{fmt}
8927 Write the hash in the format specified by @var{fmt}. For more
8928 information on the valid values for @var{fmt}, @pxref{Invoking guix hash}.
8930 @item --no-check-certificate
8931 Do not validate the X.509 certificates of HTTPS servers.
8933 When using this option, you have @emph{absolutely no guarantee} that you
8934 are communicating with the authentic server responsible for the given
8935 URL, which makes you vulnerable to ``man-in-the-middle'' attacks.
8937 @item --output=@var{file}
8938 @itemx -o @var{file}
8939 Save the downloaded file to @var{file} instead of adding it to the
8943 @node Invoking guix hash
8944 @section Invoking @command{guix hash}
8946 @cindex @command{guix hash}
8947 The @command{guix hash} command computes the SHA256 hash of a file.
8948 It is primarily a convenience tool for anyone contributing to the
8949 distribution: it computes the cryptographic hash of a file, which can be
8950 used in the definition of a package (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
8952 The general syntax is:
8955 guix hash @var{option} @var{file}
8958 When @var{file} is @code{-} (a hyphen), @command{guix hash} computes the
8959 hash of data read from standard input. @command{guix hash} has the
8964 @item --format=@var{fmt}
8966 Write the hash in the format specified by @var{fmt}.
8968 Supported formats: @code{nix-base32}, @code{base32}, @code{base16}
8969 (@code{hex} and @code{hexadecimal} can be used as well).
8971 If the @option{--format} option is not specified, @command{guix hash}
8972 will output the hash in @code{nix-base32}. This representation is used
8973 in the definitions of packages.
8977 Compute the hash on @var{file} recursively.
8979 In this case, the hash is computed on an archive containing @var{file},
8980 including its children if it is a directory. Some of the metadata of
8981 @var{file} is part of the archive; for instance, when @var{file} is a
8982 regular file, the hash is different depending on whether @var{file} is
8983 executable or not. Metadata such as time stamps has no impact on the
8984 hash (@pxref{Invoking guix archive}).
8985 @c FIXME: Replace xref above with xref to an ``Archive'' section when
8990 When combined with @option{--recursive}, exclude version control system
8991 directories (@file{.bzr}, @file{.git}, @file{.hg}, etc.)
8994 As an example, here is how you would compute the hash of a Git checkout,
8995 which is useful when using the @code{git-fetch} method (@pxref{origin
8999 $ git clone http://example.org/foo.git
9005 @node Invoking guix import
9006 @section Invoking @command{guix import}
9008 @cindex importing packages
9009 @cindex package import
9010 @cindex package conversion
9011 @cindex Invoking @command{guix import}
9012 The @command{guix import} command is useful for people who would like to
9013 add a package to the distribution with as little work as
9014 possible---a legitimate demand. The command knows of a few
9015 repositories from which it can ``import'' package metadata. The result
9016 is a package definition, or a template thereof, in the format we know
9017 (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
9019 The general syntax is:
9022 guix import @var{importer} @var{options}@dots{}
9025 @var{importer} specifies the source from which to import package
9026 metadata, and @var{options} specifies a package identifier and other
9027 options specific to @var{importer}.
9029 Some of the importers rely on the ability to run the @command{gpgv} command.
9030 For these, GnuPG must be installed and in @code{$PATH}; run @code{guix install
9033 Currently, the available ``importers'' are:
9037 Import metadata for the given GNU package. This provides a template
9038 for the latest version of that GNU package, including the hash of its
9039 source tarball, and its canonical synopsis and description.
9041 Additional information such as the package dependencies and its
9042 license needs to be figured out manually.
9044 For example, the following command returns a package definition for
9048 guix import gnu hello
9051 Specific command-line options are:
9054 @item --key-download=@var{policy}
9055 As for @code{guix refresh}, specify the policy to handle missing OpenPGP
9056 keys when verifying the package signature. @xref{Invoking guix
9057 refresh, @code{--key-download}}.
9062 Import metadata from the @uref{https://pypi.python.org/, Python Package
9063 Index}. Information is taken from the JSON-formatted description
9064 available at @code{pypi.python.org} and usually includes all the relevant
9065 information, including package dependencies. For maximum efficiency, it
9066 is recommended to install the @command{unzip} utility, so that the
9067 importer can unzip Python wheels and gather data from them.
9069 The command below imports metadata for the @code{itsdangerous} Python
9073 guix import pypi itsdangerous
9079 Traverse the dependency graph of the given upstream package recursively
9080 and generate package expressions for all those packages that are not yet
9086 Import metadata from @uref{https://rubygems.org/, RubyGems}. Information
9087 is taken from the JSON-formatted description available at
9088 @code{rubygems.org} and includes most relevant information, including
9089 runtime dependencies. There are some caveats, however. The metadata
9090 doesn't distinguish between synopses and descriptions, so the same string
9091 is used for both fields. Additionally, the details of non-Ruby
9092 dependencies required to build native extensions is unavailable and left
9093 as an exercise to the packager.
9095 The command below imports metadata for the @code{rails} Ruby package:
9098 guix import gem rails
9104 Traverse the dependency graph of the given upstream package recursively
9105 and generate package expressions for all those packages that are not yet
9111 Import metadata from @uref{https://www.metacpan.org/, MetaCPAN}.
9112 Information is taken from the JSON-formatted metadata provided through
9113 @uref{https://fastapi.metacpan.org/, MetaCPAN's API} and includes most
9114 relevant information, such as module dependencies. License information
9115 should be checked closely. If Perl is available in the store, then the
9116 @code{corelist} utility will be used to filter core modules out of the
9117 list of dependencies.
9119 The command command below imports metadata for the @code{Acme::Boolean}
9123 guix import cpan Acme::Boolean
9128 @cindex Bioconductor
9129 Import metadata from @uref{https://cran.r-project.org/, CRAN}, the
9130 central repository for the @uref{https://r-project.org, GNU@tie{}R
9131 statistical and graphical environment}.
9133 Information is extracted from the @code{DESCRIPTION} file of the package.
9135 The command command below imports metadata for the @code{Cairo}
9139 guix import cran Cairo
9142 When @code{--recursive} is added, the importer will traverse the
9143 dependency graph of the given upstream package recursively and generate
9144 package expressions for all those packages that are not yet in Guix.
9146 When @code{--archive=bioconductor} is added, metadata is imported from
9147 @uref{https://www.bioconductor.org/, Bioconductor}, a repository of R
9148 packages for for the analysis and comprehension of high-throughput
9149 genomic data in bioinformatics.
9151 Information is extracted from the @code{DESCRIPTION} file contained in the
9154 The command below imports metadata for the @code{GenomicRanges}
9158 guix import cran --archive=bioconductor GenomicRanges
9161 Finally, you can also import R packages that have not yet been published on
9162 CRAN or Bioconductor as long as they are in a git repository. Use
9163 @code{--archive=git} followed by the URL of the git repository:
9166 guix import cran --archive=git https://github.com/immunogenomics/harmony
9172 Import metadata from @uref{https://www.ctan.org/, CTAN}, the
9173 comprehensive TeX archive network for TeX packages that are part of the
9174 @uref{https://www.tug.org/texlive/, TeX Live distribution}.
9176 Information about the package is obtained through the XML API provided
9177 by CTAN, while the source code is downloaded from the SVN repository of
9178 the Tex Live project. This is done because the CTAN does not keep
9181 The command command below imports metadata for the @code{fontspec}
9185 guix import texlive fontspec
9188 When @code{--archive=DIRECTORY} is added, the source code is downloaded
9189 not from the @file{latex} sub-directory of the @file{texmf-dist/source}
9190 tree in the TeX Live SVN repository, but from the specified sibling
9191 directory under the same root.
9193 The command below imports metadata for the @code{ifxetex} package from
9194 CTAN while fetching the sources from the directory
9195 @file{texmf/source/generic}:
9198 guix import texlive --archive=generic ifxetex
9202 @cindex JSON, import
9203 Import package metadata from a local JSON file. Consider the following
9204 example package definition in JSON format:
9210 "source": "mirror://gnu/hello/hello-2.10.tar.gz",
9211 "build-system": "gnu",
9212 "home-page": "https://www.gnu.org/software/hello/",
9213 "synopsis": "Hello, GNU world: An example GNU package",
9214 "description": "GNU Hello prints a greeting.",
9215 "license": "GPL-3.0+",
9216 "native-inputs": ["gettext"]
9220 The field names are the same as for the @code{<package>} record
9221 (@xref{Defining Packages}). References to other packages are provided
9222 as JSON lists of quoted package specification strings such as
9223 @code{guile} or @code{guile@@2.0}.
9225 The importer also supports a more explicit source definition using the
9226 common fields for @code{<origin>} records:
9232 "method": "url-fetch",
9233 "uri": "mirror://gnu/hello/hello-2.10.tar.gz",
9235 "base32": "0ssi1wpaf7plaswqqjwigppsg5fyh99vdlb9kzl7c9lng89ndq1i"
9242 The command below reads metadata from the JSON file @code{hello.json}
9243 and outputs a package expression:
9246 guix import json hello.json
9250 Import metadata from a local copy of the source of the
9251 @uref{https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/, Nixpkgs distribution}@footnote{This
9252 relies on the @command{nix-instantiate} command of
9253 @uref{https://nixos.org/nix/, Nix}.}. Package definitions in Nixpkgs are
9254 typically written in a mixture of Nix-language and Bash code. This
9255 command only imports the high-level package structure that is written in
9256 the Nix language. It normally includes all the basic fields of a
9259 When importing a GNU package, the synopsis and descriptions are replaced
9260 by their canonical upstream variant.
9262 Usually, you will first need to do:
9265 export NIX_REMOTE=daemon
9269 so that @command{nix-instantiate} does not try to open the Nix database.
9271 As an example, the command below imports the package definition of
9272 LibreOffice (more precisely, it imports the definition of the package
9273 bound to the @code{libreoffice} top-level attribute):
9276 guix import nix ~/path/to/nixpkgs libreoffice
9281 Import metadata from the Haskell community's central package archive
9282 @uref{https://hackage.haskell.org/, Hackage}. Information is taken from
9283 Cabal files and includes all the relevant information, including package
9286 Specific command-line options are:
9291 Read a Cabal file from standard input.
9292 @item --no-test-dependencies
9294 Do not include dependencies required only by the test suites.
9295 @item --cabal-environment=@var{alist}
9296 @itemx -e @var{alist}
9297 @var{alist} is a Scheme alist defining the environment in which the
9298 Cabal conditionals are evaluated. The accepted keys are: @code{os},
9299 @code{arch}, @code{impl} and a string representing the name of a flag.
9300 The value associated with a flag has to be either the symbol
9301 @code{true} or @code{false}. The value associated with other keys
9302 has to conform to the Cabal file format definition. The default value
9303 associated with the keys @code{os}, @code{arch} and @code{impl} is
9304 @samp{linux}, @samp{x86_64} and @samp{ghc}, respectively.
9307 Traverse the dependency graph of the given upstream package recursively
9308 and generate package expressions for all those packages that are not yet
9312 The command below imports metadata for the latest version of the
9313 @code{HTTP} Haskell package without including test dependencies and
9314 specifying the value of the flag @samp{network-uri} as @code{false}:
9317 guix import hackage -t -e "'((\"network-uri\" . false))" HTTP
9320 A specific package version may optionally be specified by following the
9321 package name by an at-sign and a version number as in the following example:
9324 guix import hackage mtl@@2.1.3.1
9329 The @code{stackage} importer is a wrapper around the @code{hackage} one.
9330 It takes a package name, looks up the package version included in a
9331 long-term support (LTS) @uref{https://www.stackage.org, Stackage}
9332 release and uses the @code{hackage} importer to retrieve its metadata.
9333 Note that it is up to you to select an LTS release compatible with the
9334 GHC compiler used by Guix.
9336 Specific command-line options are:
9339 @item --no-test-dependencies
9341 Do not include dependencies required only by the test suites.
9342 @item --lts-version=@var{version}
9343 @itemx -l @var{version}
9344 @var{version} is the desired LTS release version. If omitted the latest
9348 Traverse the dependency graph of the given upstream package recursively
9349 and generate package expressions for all those packages that are not yet
9353 The command below imports metadata for the @code{HTTP} Haskell package
9354 included in the LTS Stackage release version 7.18:
9357 guix import stackage --lts-version=7.18 HTTP
9362 Import metadata from an Emacs Lisp Package Archive (ELPA) package
9363 repository (@pxref{Packages,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
9365 Specific command-line options are:
9368 @item --archive=@var{repo}
9369 @itemx -a @var{repo}
9370 @var{repo} identifies the archive repository from which to retrieve the
9371 information. Currently the supported repositories and their identifiers
9375 @uref{https://elpa.gnu.org/packages, GNU}, selected by the @code{gnu}
9376 identifier. This is the default.
9378 Packages from @code{elpa.gnu.org} are signed with one of the keys
9379 contained in the GnuPG keyring at
9380 @file{share/emacs/25.1/etc/package-keyring.gpg} (or similar) in the
9381 @code{emacs} package (@pxref{Package Installation, ELPA package
9382 signatures,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}).
9385 @uref{https://stable.melpa.org/packages, MELPA-Stable}, selected by the
9386 @code{melpa-stable} identifier.
9389 @uref{https://melpa.org/packages, MELPA}, selected by the @code{melpa}
9395 Traverse the dependency graph of the given upstream package recursively
9396 and generate package expressions for all those packages that are not yet
9402 Import metadata from the crates.io Rust package repository
9403 @uref{https://crates.io, crates.io}, as in this example:
9406 guix import crate blake2-rfc
9409 The crate importer also allows you to specify a version string:
9412 guix import crate constant-time-eq@@0.1.0
9415 Additional options include:
9420 Traverse the dependency graph of the given upstream package recursively
9421 and generate package expressions for all those packages that are not yet
9428 Import metadata from the @uref{https://opam.ocaml.org/, OPAM} package
9429 repository used by the OCaml community.
9432 The structure of the @command{guix import} code is modular. It would be
9433 useful to have more importers for other package formats, and your help
9434 is welcome here (@pxref{Contributing}).
9436 @node Invoking guix refresh
9437 @section Invoking @command{guix refresh}
9439 @cindex @command {guix refresh}
9440 The primary audience of the @command{guix refresh} command is developers
9441 of the GNU software distribution. By default, it reports any packages
9442 provided by the distribution that are outdated compared to the latest
9443 upstream version, like this:
9447 gnu/packages/gettext.scm:29:13: gettext would be upgraded from 0.18.1.1 to 0.18.2.1
9448 gnu/packages/glib.scm:77:12: glib would be upgraded from 2.34.3 to 2.37.0
9451 Alternately, one can specify packages to consider, in which case a
9452 warning is emitted for packages that lack an updater:
9455 $ guix refresh coreutils guile guile-ssh
9456 gnu/packages/ssh.scm:205:2: warning: no updater for guile-ssh
9457 gnu/packages/guile.scm:136:12: guile would be upgraded from 2.0.12 to 2.0.13
9460 @command{guix refresh} browses the upstream repository of each package and determines
9461 the highest version number of the releases therein. The command
9462 knows how to update specific types of packages: GNU packages, ELPA
9463 packages, etc.---see the documentation for @option{--type} below. There
9464 are many packages, though, for which it lacks a method to determine
9465 whether a new upstream release is available. However, the mechanism is
9466 extensible, so feel free to get in touch with us to add a new method!
9471 Consider the packages specified, and all the packages upon which they depend.
9474 $ guix refresh --recursive coreutils
9475 gnu/packages/acl.scm:35:2: warning: no updater for acl
9476 gnu/packages/m4.scm:30:12: info: 1.4.18 is already the latest version of m4
9477 gnu/packages/xml.scm:68:2: warning: no updater for expat
9478 gnu/packages/multiprecision.scm:40:12: info: 6.1.2 is already the latest version of gmp
9484 Sometimes the upstream name differs from the package name used in Guix,
9485 and @command{guix refresh} needs a little help. Most updaters honor the
9486 @code{upstream-name} property in package definitions, which can be used
9490 (define-public network-manager
9492 (name "network-manager")
9494 (properties '((upstream-name . "NetworkManager")))))
9497 When passed @code{--update}, it modifies distribution source files to
9498 update the version numbers and source tarball hashes of those package
9499 recipes (@pxref{Defining Packages}). This is achieved by downloading
9500 each package's latest source tarball and its associated OpenPGP
9501 signature, authenticating the downloaded tarball against its signature
9502 using @command{gpgv}, and finally computing its hash---note that GnuPG must be
9503 installed and in @code{$PATH}; run @code{guix install gnupg} if needed.
9506 key used to sign the tarball is missing from the user's keyring, an
9507 attempt is made to automatically retrieve it from a public key server;
9508 when this is successful, the key is added to the user's keyring; otherwise,
9509 @command{guix refresh} reports an error.
9511 The following options are supported:
9515 @item --expression=@var{expr}
9516 @itemx -e @var{expr}
9517 Consider the package @var{expr} evaluates to.
9519 This is useful to precisely refer to a package, as in this example:
9522 guix refresh -l -e '(@@@@ (gnu packages commencement) glibc-final)'
9525 This command lists the dependents of the ``final'' libc (essentially all
9530 Update distribution source files (package recipes) in place. This is
9531 usually run from a checkout of the Guix source tree (@pxref{Running
9532 Guix Before It Is Installed}):
9535 $ ./pre-inst-env guix refresh -s non-core -u
9538 @xref{Defining Packages}, for more information on package definitions.
9540 @item --select=[@var{subset}]
9541 @itemx -s @var{subset}
9542 Select all the packages in @var{subset}, one of @code{core} or
9545 The @code{core} subset refers to all the packages at the core of the
9546 distribution---i.e., packages that are used to build ``everything
9547 else''. This includes GCC, libc, Binutils, Bash, etc. Usually,
9548 changing one of these packages in the distribution entails a rebuild of
9549 all the others. Thus, such updates are an inconvenience to users in
9550 terms of build time or bandwidth used to achieve the upgrade.
9552 The @code{non-core} subset refers to the remaining packages. It is
9553 typically useful in cases where an update of the core packages would be
9556 @item --manifest=@var{file}
9557 @itemx -m @var{file}
9558 Select all the packages from the manifest in @var{file}. This is useful to
9559 check if any packages of the user manifest can be updated.
9561 @item --type=@var{updater}
9562 @itemx -t @var{updater}
9563 Select only packages handled by @var{updater} (may be a comma-separated
9564 list of updaters). Currently, @var{updater} may be one of:
9568 the updater for GNU packages;
9570 the updater for GNOME packages;
9572 the updater for KDE packages;
9574 the updater for X.org packages;
9576 the updater for packages hosted on kernel.org;
9578 the updater for @uref{https://elpa.gnu.org/, ELPA} packages;
9580 the updater for @uref{https://cran.r-project.org/, CRAN} packages;
9582 the updater for @uref{https://www.bioconductor.org/, Bioconductor} R packages;
9584 the updater for @uref{https://www.cpan.org/, CPAN} packages;
9586 the updater for @uref{https://pypi.python.org, PyPI} packages.
9588 the updater for @uref{https://rubygems.org, RubyGems} packages.
9590 the updater for @uref{https://github.com, GitHub} packages.
9592 the updater for @uref{https://hackage.haskell.org, Hackage} packages.
9594 the updater for @uref{https://www.stackage.org, Stackage} packages.
9596 the updater for @uref{https://crates.io, Crates} packages.
9598 the updater for @uref{https://launchpad.net, Launchpad} packages.
9601 For instance, the following command only checks for updates of Emacs
9602 packages hosted at @code{elpa.gnu.org} and for updates of CRAN packages:
9605 $ guix refresh --type=elpa,cran
9606 gnu/packages/statistics.scm:819:13: r-testthat would be upgraded from 0.10.0 to 0.11.0
9607 gnu/packages/emacs.scm:856:13: emacs-auctex would be upgraded from 11.88.6 to 11.88.9
9612 In addition, @command{guix refresh} can be passed one or more package
9613 names, as in this example:
9616 $ ./pre-inst-env guix refresh -u emacs idutils gcc@@4.8
9620 The command above specifically updates the @code{emacs} and
9621 @code{idutils} packages. The @code{--select} option would have no
9622 effect in this case.
9624 When considering whether to upgrade a package, it is sometimes
9625 convenient to know which packages would be affected by the upgrade and
9626 should be checked for compatibility. For this the following option may
9627 be used when passing @command{guix refresh} one or more package names:
9631 @item --list-updaters
9633 List available updaters and exit (see @option{--type} above.)
9635 For each updater, display the fraction of packages it covers; at the
9636 end, display the fraction of packages covered by all these updaters.
9638 @item --list-dependent
9640 List top-level dependent packages that would need to be rebuilt as a
9641 result of upgrading one or more packages.
9643 @xref{Invoking guix graph, the @code{reverse-package} type of
9644 @command{guix graph}}, for information on how to visualize the list of
9645 dependents of a package.
9649 Be aware that the @code{--list-dependent} option only
9650 @emph{approximates} the rebuilds that would be required as a result of
9651 an upgrade. More rebuilds might be required under some circumstances.
9654 $ guix refresh --list-dependent flex
9655 Building the following 120 packages would ensure 213 dependent packages are rebuilt:
9656 hop@@2.4.0 geiser@@0.4 notmuch@@0.18 mu@@0.9.9.5 cflow@@1.4 idutils@@4.6 @dots{}
9659 The command above lists a set of packages that could be built to check
9660 for compatibility with an upgraded @code{flex} package.
9664 @item --list-transitive
9665 List all the packages which one or more packages depend upon.
9668 $ guix refresh --list-transitive flex
9669 flex@@2.6.4 depends on the following 25 packages: perl@@5.28.0 help2man@@1.47.6
9670 bison@@3.0.5 indent@@2.2.10 tar@@1.30 gzip@@1.9 bzip2@@1.0.6 xz@@5.2.4 file@@5.33 @dots{}
9675 The command above lists a set of packages which, when changed, would cause
9676 @code{flex} to be rebuilt.
9678 The following options can be used to customize GnuPG operation:
9682 @item --gpg=@var{command}
9683 Use @var{command} as the GnuPG 2.x command. @var{command} is searched
9684 for in @code{$PATH}.
9686 @item --keyring=@var{file}
9687 Use @var{file} as the keyring for upstream keys. @var{file} must be in the
9688 @dfn{keybox format}. Keybox files usually have a name ending in @file{.kbx}
9689 and the GNU@tie{}Privacy Guard (GPG) can manipulate these files
9690 (@pxref{kbxutil, @command{kbxutil},, gnupg, Using the GNU Privacy Guard}, for
9691 information on a tool to manipulate keybox files).
9693 When this option is omitted, @command{guix refresh} uses
9694 @file{~/.config/guix/upstream/trustedkeys.kbx} as the keyring for upstream
9695 signing keys. OpenPGP signatures are checked against keys from this keyring;
9696 missing keys are downloaded to this keyring as well (see
9697 @option{--key-download} below.)
9699 You can export keys from your default GPG keyring into a keybox file using
9700 commands like this one:
9703 gpg --export rms@@gnu.org | kbxutil --import-openpgp >> mykeyring.kbx
9706 Likewise, you can fetch keys to a specific keybox file like this:
9709 gpg --no-default-keyring --keyring mykeyring.kbx \
9710 --recv-keys @value{OPENPGP-SIGNING-KEY-ID}
9713 @ref{GPG Configuration Options, @option{--keyring},, gnupg, Using the GNU
9714 Privacy Guard}, for more information on GPG's @option{--keyring} option.
9716 @item --key-download=@var{policy}
9717 Handle missing OpenPGP keys according to @var{policy}, which may be one
9722 Always download missing OpenPGP keys from the key server, and add them
9723 to the user's GnuPG keyring.
9726 Never try to download missing OpenPGP keys. Instead just bail out.
9729 When a package signed with an unknown OpenPGP key is encountered, ask
9730 the user whether to download it or not. This is the default behavior.
9733 @item --key-server=@var{host}
9734 Use @var{host} as the OpenPGP key server when importing a public key.
9736 @item --load-path=@var{directory}
9737 Add @var{directory} to the front of the package module search path
9738 (@pxref{Package Modules}).
9740 This allows users to define their own packages and make them visible to
9741 the command-line tools.
9745 The @code{github} updater uses the
9746 @uref{https://developer.github.com/v3/, GitHub API} to query for new
9747 releases. When used repeatedly e.g.@: when refreshing all packages,
9748 GitHub will eventually refuse to answer any further API requests. By
9749 default 60 API requests per hour are allowed, and a full refresh on all
9750 GitHub packages in Guix requires more than this. Authentication with
9751 GitHub through the use of an API token alleviates these limits. To use
9752 an API token, set the environment variable @code{GUIX_GITHUB_TOKEN} to a
9753 token procured from @uref{https://github.com/settings/tokens} or
9757 @node Invoking guix lint
9758 @section Invoking @command{guix lint}
9760 @cindex @command{guix lint}
9761 @cindex package, checking for errors
9762 The @command{guix lint} command is meant to help package developers avoid
9763 common errors and use a consistent style. It runs a number of checks on
9764 a given set of packages in order to find common mistakes in their
9765 definitions. Available @dfn{checkers} include (see
9766 @code{--list-checkers} for a complete list):
9771 Validate certain typographical and stylistic rules about package
9772 descriptions and synopses.
9774 @item inputs-should-be-native
9775 Identify inputs that should most likely be native inputs.
9781 @itemx source-file-name
9782 Probe @code{home-page} and @code{source} URLs and report those that are
9783 invalid. Suggest a @code{mirror://} URL when applicable. If the
9784 @code{source} URL redirects to a GitHub URL, recommend usage of the GitHub
9785 URL. Check that the source file name is meaningful, e.g.@: is not just a
9786 version number or ``git-checkout'', without a declared @code{file-name}
9787 (@pxref{origin Reference}).
9789 @item source-unstable-tarball
9790 Parse the @code{source} URL to determine if a tarball from GitHub is
9791 autogenerated or if it is a release tarball. Unfortunately GitHub's
9792 autogenerated tarballs are sometimes regenerated.
9795 @cindex Software Heritage, source code archive
9796 @cindex archival of source code, Software Heritage
9797 Checks whether the package's source code is archived at
9798 @uref{https://www.softwareheritage.org, Software Heritage}.
9800 When the source code that is not archived comes from a version-control system
9801 (VCS)---e.g., it's obtained with @code{git-fetch}, send Software Heritage a
9802 ``save'' request so that it eventually archives it. This ensures that the
9803 source will remain available in the long term, and that Guix can fall back to
9804 Software Heritage should the source code disappear from its original host.
9805 The status of recent ``save'' requests can be
9806 @uref{https://archive.softwareheritage.org/save/#requests, viewed on-line}.
9808 When source code is a tarball obtained with @code{url-fetch}, simply print a
9809 message when it is not archived. As of this writing, Software Heritage does
9810 not allow requests to save arbitrary tarballs; we are working on ways to
9811 ensure that non-VCS source code is also archived.
9814 @uref{https://archive.softwareheritage.org/api/#rate-limiting, limits the
9815 request rate per IP address}. When the limit is reached, @command{guix lint}
9816 prints a message and the @code{archival} checker stops doing anything until
9817 that limit has been reset.
9820 @cindex security vulnerabilities
9821 @cindex CVE, Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures
9822 Report known vulnerabilities found in the Common Vulnerabilities and
9823 Exposures (CVE) databases of the current and past year
9824 @uref{https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/data-feeds, published by the US
9827 To view information about a particular vulnerability, visit pages such as:
9831 @indicateurl{https://web.nvd.nist.gov/view/vuln/detail?vulnId=CVE-YYYY-ABCD}
9833 @indicateurl{https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-YYYY-ABCD}
9837 where @code{CVE-YYYY-ABCD} is the CVE identifier---e.g.,
9838 @code{CVE-2015-7554}.
9840 Package developers can specify in package recipes the
9841 @uref{https://nvd.nist.gov/products/cpe,Common Platform Enumeration (CPE)}
9842 name and version of the package when they differ from the name or version
9843 that Guix uses, as in this example:
9849 ;; CPE calls this package "grub2".
9850 (properties '((cpe-name . "grub2")
9851 (cpe-version . "2.3"))))
9854 @c See <https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2017/03/15/3>.
9855 Some entries in the CVE database do not specify which version of a
9856 package they apply to, and would thus ``stick around'' forever. Package
9857 developers who found CVE alerts and verified they can be ignored can
9858 declare them as in this example:
9864 ;; These CVEs no longer apply and can be safely ignored.
9865 (properties `((lint-hidden-cve . ("CVE-2011-0433"
9868 "CVE-2011-5244")))))
9872 Warn about obvious source code formatting issues: trailing white space,
9873 use of tabulations, etc.
9876 The general syntax is:
9879 guix lint @var{options} @var{package}@dots{}
9882 If no package is given on the command line, then all packages are checked.
9883 The @var{options} may be zero or more of the following:
9886 @item --list-checkers
9888 List and describe all the available checkers that will be run on packages
9893 Only enable the checkers specified in a comma-separated list using the
9894 names returned by @code{--list-checkers}.
9896 @item --load-path=@var{directory}
9897 @itemx -L @var{directory}
9898 Add @var{directory} to the front of the package module search path
9899 (@pxref{Package Modules}).
9901 This allows users to define their own packages and make them visible to
9902 the command-line tools.
9906 @node Invoking guix size
9907 @section Invoking @command{guix size}
9910 @cindex package size
9912 @cindex @command{guix size}
9913 The @command{guix size} command helps package developers profile the
9914 disk usage of packages. It is easy to overlook the impact of an
9915 additional dependency added to a package, or the impact of using a
9916 single output for a package that could easily be split (@pxref{Packages
9917 with Multiple Outputs}). Such are the typical issues that
9918 @command{guix size} can highlight.
9920 The command can be passed one or more package specifications
9921 such as @code{gcc@@4.8}
9922 or @code{guile:debug}, or a file name in the store. Consider this
9926 $ guix size coreutils
9927 store item total self
9928 /gnu/store/@dots{}-gcc-5.5.0-lib 60.4 30.1 38.1%
9929 /gnu/store/@dots{}-glibc-2.27 30.3 28.8 36.6%
9930 /gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.28 78.9 15.0 19.0%
9931 /gnu/store/@dots{}-gmp-6.1.2 63.1 2.7 3.4%
9932 /gnu/store/@dots{}-bash-static-4.4.12 1.5 1.5 1.9%
9933 /gnu/store/@dots{}-acl-2.2.52 61.1 0.4 0.5%
9934 /gnu/store/@dots{}-attr-2.4.47 60.6 0.2 0.3%
9935 /gnu/store/@dots{}-libcap-2.25 60.5 0.2 0.2%
9940 The store items listed here constitute the @dfn{transitive closure} of
9941 Coreutils---i.e., Coreutils and all its dependencies, recursively---as
9942 would be returned by:
9945 $ guix gc -R /gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.23
9948 Here the output shows three columns next to store items. The first column,
9949 labeled ``total'', shows the size in mebibytes (MiB) of the closure of
9950 the store item---that is, its own size plus the size of all its
9951 dependencies. The next column, labeled ``self'', shows the size of the
9952 item itself. The last column shows the ratio of the size of the item
9953 itself to the space occupied by all the items listed here.
9955 In this example, we see that the closure of Coreutils weighs in at
9956 79@tie{}MiB, most of which is taken by libc and GCC's run-time support
9957 libraries. (That libc and GCC's libraries represent a large fraction of
9958 the closure is not a problem @i{per se} because they are always available
9959 on the system anyway.)
9961 When the package(s) passed to @command{guix size} are available in the
9962 store@footnote{More precisely, @command{guix size} looks for the
9963 @emph{ungrafted} variant of the given package(s), as returned by
9964 @code{guix build @var{package} --no-grafts}. @xref{Security Updates},
9965 for information on grafts.}, @command{guix size} queries the daemon to determine its
9966 dependencies, and measures its size in the store, similar to @command{du
9967 -ms --apparent-size} (@pxref{du invocation,,, coreutils, GNU
9970 When the given packages are @emph{not} in the store, @command{guix size}
9971 reports information based on the available substitutes
9972 (@pxref{Substitutes}). This makes it possible it to profile disk usage of
9973 store items that are not even on disk, only available remotely.
9975 You can also specify several package names:
9978 $ guix size coreutils grep sed bash
9979 store item total self
9980 /gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.24 77.8 13.8 13.4%
9981 /gnu/store/@dots{}-grep-2.22 73.1 0.8 0.8%
9982 /gnu/store/@dots{}-bash-4.3.42 72.3 4.7 4.6%
9983 /gnu/store/@dots{}-readline-6.3 67.6 1.2 1.2%
9989 In this example we see that the combination of the four packages takes
9990 102.3@tie{}MiB in total, which is much less than the sum of each closure
9991 since they have a lot of dependencies in common.
9993 The available options are:
9997 @item --substitute-urls=@var{urls}
9998 Use substitute information from @var{urls}.
9999 @xref{client-substitute-urls, the same option for @code{guix build}}.
10001 @item --sort=@var{key}
10002 Sort lines according to @var{key}, one of the following options:
10006 the size of each item (the default);
10008 the total size of the item's closure.
10011 @item --map-file=@var{file}
10012 Write a graphical map of disk usage in PNG format to @var{file}.
10014 For the example above, the map looks like this:
10016 @image{images/coreutils-size-map,5in,, map of Coreutils disk usage
10017 produced by @command{guix size}}
10019 This option requires that
10020 @uref{https://wingolog.org/software/guile-charting/, Guile-Charting} be
10021 installed and visible in Guile's module search path. When that is not
10022 the case, @command{guix size} fails as it tries to load it.
10024 @item --system=@var{system}
10025 @itemx -s @var{system}
10026 Consider packages for @var{system}---e.g., @code{x86_64-linux}.
10028 @item --load-path=@var{directory}
10029 @itemx -L @var{directory}
10030 Add @var{directory} to the front of the package module search path
10031 (@pxref{Package Modules}).
10033 This allows users to define their own packages and make them visible to
10034 the command-line tools.
10037 @node Invoking guix graph
10038 @section Invoking @command{guix graph}
10041 @cindex @command{guix graph}
10042 @cindex package dependencies
10043 Packages and their dependencies form a @dfn{graph}, specifically a
10044 directed acyclic graph (DAG). It can quickly become difficult to have a
10045 mental model of the package DAG, so the @command{guix graph} command
10046 provides a visual representation of the DAG. By default,
10047 @command{guix graph} emits a DAG representation in the input format of
10048 @uref{https://www.graphviz.org/, Graphviz}, so its output can be passed
10049 directly to the @command{dot} command of Graphviz. It can also emit an
10050 HTML page with embedded JavaScript code to display a ``chord diagram''
10051 in a Web browser, using the @uref{https://d3js.org/, d3.js} library, or
10052 emit Cypher queries to construct a graph in a graph database supporting
10053 the @uref{https://www.opencypher.org/, openCypher} query language.
10054 The general syntax is:
10057 guix graph @var{options} @var{package}@dots{}
10060 For example, the following command generates a PDF file representing the
10061 package DAG for the GNU@tie{}Core Utilities, showing its build-time
10065 guix graph coreutils | dot -Tpdf > dag.pdf
10068 The output looks like this:
10070 @image{images/coreutils-graph,2in,,Dependency graph of the GNU Coreutils}
10072 Nice little graph, no?
10074 But there is more than one graph! The one above is concise: it is the
10075 graph of package objects, omitting implicit inputs such as GCC, libc,
10076 grep, etc. It is often useful to have such a concise graph, but
10077 sometimes one may want to see more details. @command{guix graph} supports
10078 several types of graphs, allowing you to choose the level of detail:
10082 This is the default type used in the example above. It shows the DAG of
10083 package objects, excluding implicit dependencies. It is concise, but
10084 filters out many details.
10086 @item reverse-package
10087 This shows the @emph{reverse} DAG of packages. For example:
10090 guix graph --type=reverse-package ocaml
10093 ...@: yields the graph of packages that @emph{explicitly} depend on OCaml (if
10094 you are also interested in cases where OCaml is an implicit dependency, see
10095 @code{reverse-bag} below.)
10097 Note that for core packages this can yield huge graphs. If all you want
10098 is to know the number of packages that depend on a given package, use
10099 @command{guix refresh --list-dependent} (@pxref{Invoking guix refresh,
10100 @option{--list-dependent}}).
10103 This is the package DAG, @emph{including} implicit inputs.
10105 For instance, the following command:
10108 guix graph --type=bag-emerged coreutils | dot -Tpdf > dag.pdf
10111 ...@: yields this bigger graph:
10113 @image{images/coreutils-bag-graph,,5in,Detailed dependency graph of the GNU Coreutils}
10115 At the bottom of the graph, we see all the implicit inputs of
10116 @var{gnu-build-system} (@pxref{Build Systems, @code{gnu-build-system}}).
10118 Now, note that the dependencies of these implicit inputs---that is, the
10119 @dfn{bootstrap dependencies} (@pxref{Bootstrapping})---are not shown
10120 here, for conciseness.
10123 Similar to @code{bag-emerged}, but this time including all the bootstrap
10126 @item bag-with-origins
10127 Similar to @code{bag}, but also showing origins and their dependencies.
10130 This shows the @emph{reverse} DAG of packages. Unlike @code{reverse-package},
10131 it also takes implicit dependencies into account. For example:
10134 guix graph -t reverse-bag dune
10138 ...@: yields the graph of all packages that depend on Dune, directly or
10139 indirectly. Since Dune is an @emph{implicit} dependency of many packages
10140 @i{via} @code{dune-build-system}, this shows a large number of packages,
10141 whereas @code{reverse-package} would show very few if any.
10144 This is the most detailed representation: It shows the DAG of
10145 derivations (@pxref{Derivations}) and plain store items. Compared to
10146 the above representation, many additional nodes are visible, including
10147 build scripts, patches, Guile modules, etc.
10149 For this type of graph, it is also possible to pass a @file{.drv} file
10150 name instead of a package name, as in:
10153 guix graph -t derivation `guix system build -d my-config.scm`
10157 This is the graph of @dfn{package modules} (@pxref{Package Modules}).
10158 For example, the following command shows the graph for the package
10159 module that defines the @code{guile} package:
10162 guix graph -t module guile | dot -Tpdf > module-graph.pdf
10166 All the types above correspond to @emph{build-time dependencies}. The
10167 following graph type represents the @emph{run-time dependencies}:
10171 This is the graph of @dfn{references} of a package output, as returned
10172 by @command{guix gc --references} (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}).
10174 If the given package output is not available in the store, @command{guix
10175 graph} attempts to obtain dependency information from substitutes.
10177 Here you can also pass a store file name instead of a package name. For
10178 example, the command below produces the reference graph of your profile
10179 (which can be big!):
10182 guix graph -t references `readlink -f ~/.guix-profile`
10186 This is the graph of the @dfn{referrers} of a store item, as returned by
10187 @command{guix gc --referrers} (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}).
10189 This relies exclusively on local information from your store. For
10190 instance, let us suppose that the current Inkscape is available in 10
10191 profiles on your machine; @command{guix graph -t referrers inkscape}
10192 will show a graph rooted at Inkscape and with those 10 profiles linked
10195 It can help determine what is preventing a store item from being garbage
10200 The available options are the following:
10203 @item --type=@var{type}
10204 @itemx -t @var{type}
10205 Produce a graph output of @var{type}, where @var{type} must be one of
10206 the values listed above.
10209 List the supported graph types.
10211 @item --backend=@var{backend}
10212 @itemx -b @var{backend}
10213 Produce a graph using the selected @var{backend}.
10215 @item --list-backends
10216 List the supported graph backends.
10218 Currently, the available backends are Graphviz and d3.js.
10220 @item --expression=@var{expr}
10221 @itemx -e @var{expr}
10222 Consider the package @var{expr} evaluates to.
10224 This is useful to precisely refer to a package, as in this example:
10227 guix graph -e '(@@@@ (gnu packages commencement) gnu-make-final)'
10230 @item --system=@var{system}
10231 @itemx -s @var{system}
10232 Display the graph for @var{system}---e.g., @code{i686-linux}.
10234 The package dependency graph is largely architecture-independent, but there
10235 are some architecture-dependent bits that this option allows you to visualize.
10237 @item --load-path=@var{directory}
10238 @itemx -L @var{directory}
10239 Add @var{directory} to the front of the package module search path
10240 (@pxref{Package Modules}).
10242 This allows users to define their own packages and make them visible to
10243 the command-line tools.
10246 On top of that, @command{guix graph} supports all the usual package
10247 transformation options (@pxref{Package Transformation Options}). This
10248 makes it easy to view the effect of a graph-rewriting transformation
10249 such as @option{--with-input}. For example, the command below outputs
10250 the graph of @code{git} once @code{openssl} has been replaced by
10251 @code{libressl} everywhere in the graph:
10254 guix graph git --with-input=openssl=libressl
10257 So many possibilities, so much fun!
10259 @node Invoking guix publish
10260 @section Invoking @command{guix publish}
10262 @cindex @command{guix publish}
10263 The purpose of @command{guix publish} is to enable users to easily share
10264 their store with others, who can then use it as a substitute server
10265 (@pxref{Substitutes}).
10267 When @command{guix publish} runs, it spawns an HTTP server which allows
10268 anyone with network access to obtain substitutes from it. This means
10269 that any machine running Guix can also act as if it were a build farm,
10270 since the HTTP interface is compatible with Cuirass, the software behind
10271 the @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} build farm.
10273 For security, each substitute is signed, allowing recipients to check
10274 their authenticity and integrity (@pxref{Substitutes}). Because
10275 @command{guix publish} uses the signing key of the system, which is only
10276 readable by the system administrator, it must be started as root; the
10277 @code{--user} option makes it drop root privileges early on.
10279 The signing key pair must be generated before @command{guix publish} is
10280 launched, using @command{guix archive --generate-key} (@pxref{Invoking
10283 The general syntax is:
10286 guix publish @var{options}@dots{}
10289 Running @command{guix publish} without any additional arguments will
10290 spawn an HTTP server on port 8080:
10296 Once a publishing server has been authorized (@pxref{Invoking guix
10297 archive}), the daemon may download substitutes from it:
10300 guix-daemon --substitute-urls=http://example.org:8080
10303 By default, @command{guix publish} compresses archives on the fly as it
10304 serves them. This ``on-the-fly'' mode is convenient in that it requires
10305 no setup and is immediately available. However, when serving lots of
10306 clients, we recommend using the @option{--cache} option, which enables
10307 caching of the archives before they are sent to clients---see below for
10308 details. The @command{guix weather} command provides a handy way to
10309 check what a server provides (@pxref{Invoking guix weather}).
10311 As a bonus, @command{guix publish} also serves as a content-addressed
10312 mirror for source files referenced in @code{origin} records
10313 (@pxref{origin Reference}). For instance, assuming @command{guix
10314 publish} is running on @code{example.org}, the following URL returns the
10315 raw @file{hello-2.10.tar.gz} file with the given SHA256 hash
10316 (represented in @code{nix-base32} format, @pxref{Invoking guix hash}):
10319 http://example.org/file/hello-2.10.tar.gz/sha256/0ssi1@dots{}ndq1i
10322 Obviously, these URLs only work for files that are in the store; in
10323 other cases, they return 404 (``Not Found'').
10325 @cindex build logs, publication
10326 Build logs are available from @code{/log} URLs like:
10329 http://example.org/log/gwspk@dots{}-guile-2.2.3
10333 When @command{guix-daemon} is configured to save compressed build logs,
10334 as is the case by default (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon}), @code{/log}
10335 URLs return the compressed log as-is, with an appropriate
10336 @code{Content-Type} and/or @code{Content-Encoding} header. We recommend
10337 running @command{guix-daemon} with @code{--log-compression=gzip} since
10338 Web browsers can automatically decompress it, which is not the case with
10341 The following options are available:
10344 @item --port=@var{port}
10345 @itemx -p @var{port}
10346 Listen for HTTP requests on @var{port}.
10348 @item --listen=@var{host}
10349 Listen on the network interface for @var{host}. The default is to
10350 accept connections from any interface.
10352 @item --user=@var{user}
10353 @itemx -u @var{user}
10354 Change privileges to @var{user} as soon as possible---i.e., once the
10355 server socket is open and the signing key has been read.
10357 @item --compression[=@var{method}[:@var{level}]]
10358 @itemx -C [@var{method}[:@var{level}]]
10359 Compress data using the given @var{method} and @var{level}. @var{method} is
10360 one of @code{lzip} and @code{gzip}; when @var{method} is omitted, @code{gzip}
10363 When @var{level} is zero, disable compression. The range 1 to 9 corresponds
10364 to different compression levels: 1 is the fastest, and 9 is the best
10365 (CPU-intensive). The default is 3.
10367 Usually, @code{lzip} compresses noticeably better than @code{gzip} for a small
10368 increase in CPU usage; see
10369 @uref{https://nongnu.org/lzip/lzip_benchmark.html,benchmarks on the lzip Web
10372 Unless @option{--cache} is used, compression occurs on the fly and
10373 the compressed streams are not
10374 cached. Thus, to reduce load on the machine that runs @command{guix
10375 publish}, it may be a good idea to choose a low compression level, to
10376 run @command{guix publish} behind a caching proxy, or to use
10377 @option{--cache}. Using @option{--cache} has the advantage that it
10378 allows @command{guix publish} to add @code{Content-Length} HTTP header
10381 This option can be repeated, in which case every substitute gets compressed
10382 using all the selected methods, and all of them are advertised. This is
10383 useful when users may not support all the compression methods: they can select
10384 the one they support.
10386 @item --cache=@var{directory}
10387 @itemx -c @var{directory}
10388 Cache archives and meta-data (@code{.narinfo} URLs) to @var{directory}
10389 and only serve archives that are in cache.
10391 When this option is omitted, archives and meta-data are created
10392 on-the-fly. This can reduce the available bandwidth, especially when
10393 compression is enabled, since this may become CPU-bound. Another
10394 drawback of the default mode is that the length of archives is not known
10395 in advance, so @command{guix publish} does not add a
10396 @code{Content-Length} HTTP header to its responses, which in turn
10397 prevents clients from knowing the amount of data being downloaded.
10399 Conversely, when @option{--cache} is used, the first request for a store
10400 item (@i{via} a @code{.narinfo} URL) returns 404 and triggers a
10401 background process to @dfn{bake} the archive---computing its
10402 @code{.narinfo} and compressing the archive, if needed. Once the
10403 archive is cached in @var{directory}, subsequent requests succeed and
10404 are served directly from the cache, which guarantees that clients get
10405 the best possible bandwidth.
10407 The ``baking'' process is performed by worker threads. By default, one
10408 thread per CPU core is created, but this can be customized. See
10409 @option{--workers} below.
10411 When @option{--ttl} is used, cached entries are automatically deleted
10412 when they have expired.
10414 @item --workers=@var{N}
10415 When @option{--cache} is used, request the allocation of @var{N} worker
10416 threads to ``bake'' archives.
10418 @item --ttl=@var{ttl}
10419 Produce @code{Cache-Control} HTTP headers that advertise a time-to-live
10420 (TTL) of @var{ttl}. @var{ttl} must denote a duration: @code{5d} means 5
10421 days, @code{1m} means 1 month, and so on.
10423 This allows the user's Guix to keep substitute information in cache for
10424 @var{ttl}. However, note that @code{guix publish} does not itself
10425 guarantee that the store items it provides will indeed remain available
10426 for as long as @var{ttl}.
10428 Additionally, when @option{--cache} is used, cached entries that have
10429 not been accessed for @var{ttl} and that no longer have a corresponding
10430 item in the store, may be deleted.
10432 @item --nar-path=@var{path}
10433 Use @var{path} as the prefix for the URLs of ``nar'' files
10434 (@pxref{Invoking guix archive, normalized archives}).
10436 By default, nars are served at a URL such as
10437 @code{/nar/gzip/@dots{}-coreutils-8.25}. This option allows you to
10438 change the @code{/nar} part to @var{path}.
10440 @item --public-key=@var{file}
10441 @itemx --private-key=@var{file}
10442 Use the specific @var{file}s as the public/private key pair used to sign
10443 the store items being published.
10445 The files must correspond to the same key pair (the private key is used
10446 for signing and the public key is merely advertised in the signature
10447 metadata). They must contain keys in the canonical s-expression format
10448 as produced by @command{guix archive --generate-key} (@pxref{Invoking
10449 guix archive}). By default, @file{/etc/guix/signing-key.pub} and
10450 @file{/etc/guix/signing-key.sec} are used.
10452 @item --repl[=@var{port}]
10453 @itemx -r [@var{port}]
10454 Spawn a Guile REPL server (@pxref{REPL Servers,,, guile, GNU Guile
10455 Reference Manual}) on @var{port} (37146 by default). This is used
10456 primarily for debugging a running @command{guix publish} server.
10459 Enabling @command{guix publish} on Guix System is a one-liner: just
10460 instantiate a @code{guix-publish-service-type} service in the @code{services} field
10461 of the @code{operating-system} declaration (@pxref{guix-publish-service-type,
10462 @code{guix-publish-service-type}}).
10464 If you are instead running Guix on a ``foreign distro'', follow these
10469 If your host distro uses the systemd init system:
10472 # ln -s ~root/.guix-profile/lib/systemd/system/guix-publish.service \
10473 /etc/systemd/system/
10474 # systemctl start guix-publish && systemctl enable guix-publish
10478 If your host distro uses the Upstart init system:
10481 # ln -s ~root/.guix-profile/lib/upstart/system/guix-publish.conf /etc/init/
10482 # start guix-publish
10486 Otherwise, proceed similarly with your distro's init system.
10489 @node Invoking guix challenge
10490 @section Invoking @command{guix challenge}
10492 @cindex reproducible builds
10493 @cindex verifiable builds
10494 @cindex @command{guix challenge}
10496 Do the binaries provided by this server really correspond to the source
10497 code it claims to build? Is a package build process deterministic?
10498 These are the questions the @command{guix challenge} command attempts to
10501 The former is obviously an important question: Before using a substitute
10502 server (@pxref{Substitutes}), one had better @emph{verify} that it
10503 provides the right binaries, and thus @emph{challenge} it. The latter
10504 is what enables the former: If package builds are deterministic, then
10505 independent builds of the package should yield the exact same result,
10506 bit for bit; if a server provides a binary different from the one
10507 obtained locally, it may be either corrupt or malicious.
10509 We know that the hash that shows up in @file{/gnu/store} file names is
10510 the hash of all the inputs of the process that built the file or
10511 directory---compilers, libraries, build scripts,
10512 etc. (@pxref{Introduction}). Assuming deterministic build processes,
10513 one store file name should map to exactly one build output.
10514 @command{guix challenge} checks whether there is, indeed, a single
10515 mapping by comparing the build outputs of several independent builds of
10516 any given store item.
10518 The command output looks like this:
10521 $ guix challenge --substitute-urls="https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER} https://guix.example.org"
10522 updating list of substitutes from 'https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}'... 100.0%
10523 updating list of substitutes from 'https://guix.example.org'... 100.0%
10524 /gnu/store/@dots{}-openssl-1.0.2d contents differ:
10525 local hash: 0725l22r5jnzazaacncwsvp9kgf42266ayyp814v7djxs7nk963q
10526 https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}/nar/@dots{}-openssl-1.0.2d: 0725l22r5jnzazaacncwsvp9kgf42266ayyp814v7djxs7nk963q
10527 https://guix.example.org/nar/@dots{}-openssl-1.0.2d: 1zy4fmaaqcnjrzzajkdn3f5gmjk754b43qkq47llbyak9z0qjyim
10529 /lib/libcrypto.so.1.1
10532 /gnu/store/@dots{}-git-2.5.0 contents differ:
10533 local hash: 00p3bmryhjxrhpn2gxs2fy0a15lnip05l97205pgbk5ra395hyha
10534 https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}/nar/@dots{}-git-2.5.0: 069nb85bv4d4a6slrwjdy8v1cn4cwspm3kdbmyb81d6zckj3nq9f
10535 https://guix.example.org/nar/@dots{}-git-2.5.0: 0mdqa9w1p6cmli6976v4wi0sw9r4p5prkj7lzfd1877wk11c9c73
10537 /libexec/git-core/git-fsck
10539 /gnu/store/@dots{}-pius-2.1.1 contents differ:
10540 local hash: 0k4v3m9z1zp8xzzizb7d8kjj72f9172xv078sq4wl73vnq9ig3ax
10541 https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}/nar/@dots{}-pius-2.1.1: 0k4v3m9z1zp8xzzizb7d8kjj72f9172xv078sq4wl73vnq9ig3ax
10542 https://guix.example.org/nar/@dots{}-pius-2.1.1: 1cy25x1a4fzq5rk0pmvc8xhwyffnqz95h2bpvqsz2mpvlbccy0gs
10544 /share/man/man1/pius.1.gz
10548 6,406 store items were analyzed:
10549 - 4,749 (74.1%) were identical
10550 - 525 (8.2%) differed
10551 - 1,132 (17.7%) were inconclusive
10555 In this example, @command{guix challenge} first scans the store to
10556 determine the set of locally-built derivations---as opposed to store
10557 items that were downloaded from a substitute server---and then queries
10558 all the substitute servers. It then reports those store items for which
10559 the servers obtained a result different from the local build.
10561 @cindex non-determinism, in package builds
10562 As an example, @code{guix.example.org} always gets a different answer.
10563 Conversely, @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} agrees with local builds, except in the
10564 case of Git. This might indicate that the build process of Git is
10565 non-deterministic, meaning that its output varies as a function of
10566 various things that Guix does not fully control, in spite of building
10567 packages in isolated environments (@pxref{Features}). Most common
10568 sources of non-determinism include the addition of timestamps in build
10569 results, the inclusion of random numbers, and directory listings sorted
10570 by inode number. See @uref{https://reproducible-builds.org/docs/}, for
10573 To find out what is wrong with this Git binary, the easiest approach is
10577 guix challenge git \
10578 --diff=diffoscope \
10579 --substitute-urls="https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER} https://guix.example.org"
10582 This automatically invokes @command{diffoscope}, which displays detailed
10583 information about files that differ.
10585 Alternately, we can do something along these lines (@pxref{Invoking guix
10589 $ wget -q -O - https://@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}/nar/lzip/@dots{}-git-2.5.0 \
10590 | lzip -d | guix archive -x /tmp/git
10591 $ diff -ur --no-dereference /gnu/store/@dots{}-git.2.5.0 /tmp/git
10594 This command shows the difference between the files resulting from the
10595 local build, and the files resulting from the build on
10596 @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} (@pxref{Overview, Comparing and Merging Files,,
10597 diffutils, Comparing and Merging Files}). The @command{diff} command
10598 works great for text files. When binary files differ, a better option
10599 is @uref{https://diffoscope.org/, Diffoscope}, a tool that helps
10600 visualize differences for all kinds of files.
10602 Once you have done that work, you can tell whether the differences are due
10603 to a non-deterministic build process or to a malicious server. We try
10604 hard to remove sources of non-determinism in packages to make it easier
10605 to verify substitutes, but of course, this is a process that
10606 involves not just Guix, but a large part of the free software community.
10607 In the meantime, @command{guix challenge} is one tool to help address
10610 If you are writing packages for Guix, you are encouraged to check
10611 whether @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} and other substitute servers obtain the
10612 same build result as you did with:
10615 $ guix challenge @var{package}
10619 where @var{package} is a package specification such as
10620 @code{guile@@2.0} or @code{glibc:debug}.
10622 The general syntax is:
10625 guix challenge @var{options} [@var{packages}@dots{}]
10628 When a difference is found between the hash of a locally-built item and
10629 that of a server-provided substitute, or among substitutes provided by
10630 different servers, the command displays it as in the example above and
10631 its exit code is 2 (other non-zero exit codes denote other kinds of
10634 The one option that matters is:
10638 @item --substitute-urls=@var{urls}
10639 Consider @var{urls} the whitespace-separated list of substitute source
10640 URLs to compare to.
10642 @item --diff=@var{mode}
10643 Upon mismatches, show differences according to @var{mode}, one of:
10646 @item @code{simple} (the default)
10647 Show the list of files that differ.
10649 @item @code{diffoscope}
10650 @itemx @var{command}
10651 Invoke @uref{https://diffoscope.org/, Diffoscope}, passing it
10652 two directories whose contents do not match.
10654 When @var{command} is an absolute file name, run @var{command} instead
10658 Do not show further details about the differences.
10661 Thus, unless @code{--diff=none} is passed, @command{guix challenge}
10662 downloads the store items from the given substitute servers so that it
10667 Show details about matches (identical contents) in addition to
10668 information about mismatches.
10672 @node Invoking guix copy
10673 @section Invoking @command{guix copy}
10675 @cindex copy, of store items, over SSH
10676 @cindex SSH, copy of store items
10677 @cindex sharing store items across machines
10678 @cindex transferring store items across machines
10679 The @command{guix copy} command copies items from the store of one
10680 machine to that of another machine over a secure shell (SSH)
10681 connection@footnote{This command is available only when Guile-SSH was
10682 found. @xref{Requirements}, for details.}. For example, the following
10683 command copies the @code{coreutils} package, the user's profile, and all
10684 their dependencies over to @var{host}, logged in as @var{user}:
10687 guix copy --to=@var{user}@@@var{host} \
10688 coreutils `readlink -f ~/.guix-profile`
10691 If some of the items to be copied are already present on @var{host},
10692 they are not actually sent.
10694 The command below retrieves @code{libreoffice} and @code{gimp} from
10695 @var{host}, assuming they are available there:
10698 guix copy --from=@var{host} libreoffice gimp
10701 The SSH connection is established using the Guile-SSH client, which is
10702 compatible with OpenSSH: it honors @file{~/.ssh/known_hosts} and
10703 @file{~/.ssh/config}, and uses the SSH agent for authentication.
10705 The key used to sign items that are sent must be accepted by the remote
10706 machine. Likewise, the key used by the remote machine to sign items you
10707 are retrieving must be in @file{/etc/guix/acl} so it is accepted by your
10708 own daemon. @xref{Invoking guix archive}, for more information about
10709 store item authentication.
10711 The general syntax is:
10714 guix copy [--to=@var{spec}|--from=@var{spec}] @var{items}@dots{}
10717 You must always specify one of the following options:
10720 @item --to=@var{spec}
10721 @itemx --from=@var{spec}
10722 Specify the host to send to or receive from. @var{spec} must be an SSH
10723 spec such as @code{example.org}, @code{charlie@@example.org}, or
10724 @code{charlie@@example.org:2222}.
10727 The @var{items} can be either package names, such as @code{gimp}, or
10728 store items, such as @file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-idutils-4.6}.
10730 When specifying the name of a package to send, it is first built if
10731 needed, unless @option{--dry-run} was specified. Common build options
10732 are supported (@pxref{Common Build Options}).
10735 @node Invoking guix container
10736 @section Invoking @command{guix container}
10738 @cindex @command{guix container}
10740 As of version @value{VERSION}, this tool is experimental. The interface
10741 is subject to radical change in the future.
10744 The purpose of @command{guix container} is to manipulate processes
10745 running within an isolated environment, commonly known as a
10746 ``container'', typically created by the @command{guix environment}
10747 (@pxref{Invoking guix environment}) and @command{guix system container}
10748 (@pxref{Invoking guix system}) commands.
10750 The general syntax is:
10753 guix container @var{action} @var{options}@dots{}
10756 @var{action} specifies the operation to perform with a container, and
10757 @var{options} specifies the context-specific arguments for the action.
10759 The following actions are available:
10763 Execute a command within the context of a running container.
10768 guix container exec @var{pid} @var{program} @var{arguments}@dots{}
10771 @var{pid} specifies the process ID of the running container.
10772 @var{program} specifies an executable file name within the root file
10773 system of the container. @var{arguments} are the additional options that
10774 will be passed to @var{program}.
10776 The following command launches an interactive login shell inside a
10777 Guix system container, started by @command{guix system container}, and whose
10778 process ID is 9001:
10781 guix container exec 9001 /run/current-system/profile/bin/bash --login
10784 Note that the @var{pid} cannot be the parent process of a container. It
10785 must be PID 1 of the container or one of its child processes.
10789 @node Invoking guix weather
10790 @section Invoking @command{guix weather}
10792 Occasionally you're grumpy because substitutes are lacking and you end
10793 up building packages by yourself (@pxref{Substitutes}). The
10794 @command{guix weather} command reports on substitute availability on the
10795 specified servers so you can have an idea of whether you'll be grumpy
10796 today. It can sometimes be useful info as a user, but it is primarily
10797 useful to people running @command{guix publish} (@pxref{Invoking guix
10800 @cindex statistics, for substitutes
10801 @cindex availability of substitutes
10802 @cindex substitute availability
10803 @cindex weather, substitute availability
10804 Here's a sample run:
10807 $ guix weather --substitute-urls=https://guix.example.org
10808 computing 5,872 package derivations for x86_64-linux...
10809 looking for 6,128 store items on https://guix.example.org..
10810 updating list of substitutes from 'https://guix.example.org'... 100.0%
10811 https://guix.example.org
10812 43.4% substitutes available (2,658 out of 6,128)
10813 7,032.5 MiB of nars (compressed)
10814 19,824.2 MiB on disk (uncompressed)
10815 0.030 seconds per request (182.9 seconds in total)
10816 33.5 requests per second
10818 9.8% (342 out of 3,470) of the missing items are queued
10820 x86_64-linux: 518 (59.7%)
10821 i686-linux: 221 (25.5%)
10822 aarch64-linux: 128 (14.8%)
10823 build rate: 23.41 builds per hour
10824 x86_64-linux: 11.16 builds per hour
10825 i686-linux: 6.03 builds per hour
10826 aarch64-linux: 6.41 builds per hour
10829 @cindex continuous integration, statistics
10830 As you can see, it reports the fraction of all the packages for which
10831 substitutes are available on the server---regardless of whether
10832 substitutes are enabled, and regardless of whether this server's signing
10833 key is authorized. It also reports the size of the compressed archives
10834 (``nars'') provided by the server, the size the corresponding store
10835 items occupy in the store (assuming deduplication is turned off), and
10836 the server's throughput. The second part gives continuous integration
10837 (CI) statistics, if the server supports it. In addition, using the
10838 @option{--coverage} option, @command{guix weather} can list ``important''
10839 package substitutes missing on the server (see below).
10841 To achieve that, @command{guix weather} queries over HTTP(S) meta-data
10842 (@dfn{narinfos}) for all the relevant store items. Like @command{guix
10843 challenge}, it ignores signatures on those substitutes, which is
10844 innocuous since the command only gathers statistics and cannot install
10847 The general syntax is:
10850 guix weather @var{options}@dots{} [@var{packages}@dots{}]
10853 When @var{packages} is omitted, @command{guix weather} checks the availability
10854 of substitutes for @emph{all} the packages, or for those specified with
10855 @option{--manifest}; otherwise it only considers the specified packages. It
10856 is also possible to query specific system types with @option{--system}.
10857 @command{guix weather} exits with a non-zero code when the fraction of
10858 available substitutes is below 100%.
10860 The available options are listed below.
10863 @item --substitute-urls=@var{urls}
10864 @var{urls} is the space-separated list of substitute server URLs to
10865 query. When this option is omitted, the default set of substitute
10866 servers is queried.
10868 @item --system=@var{system}
10869 @itemx -s @var{system}
10870 Query substitutes for @var{system}---e.g., @code{aarch64-linux}. This
10871 option can be repeated, in which case @command{guix weather} will query
10872 substitutes for several system types.
10874 @item --manifest=@var{file}
10875 Instead of querying substitutes for all the packages, only ask for those
10876 specified in @var{file}. @var{file} must contain a @dfn{manifest}, as
10877 with the @code{-m} option of @command{guix package} (@pxref{Invoking
10880 This option can be repeated several times, in which case the manifests
10883 @item --coverage[=@var{count}]
10884 @itemx -c [@var{count}]
10885 Report on substitute coverage for packages: list packages with at least
10886 @var{count} dependents (zero by default) for which substitutes are
10887 unavailable. Dependent packages themselves are not listed: if @var{b} depends
10888 on @var{a} and @var{a} has no substitutes, only @var{a} is listed, even though
10889 @var{b} usually lacks substitutes as well. The result looks like this:
10892 $ guix weather --substitute-urls=@value{SUBSTITUTE-URL} -c 10
10893 computing 8,983 package derivations for x86_64-linux...
10894 looking for 9,343 store items on @value{SUBSTITUTE-URL}...
10895 updating substitutes from '@value{SUBSTITUTE-URL}'... 100.0%
10896 @value{SUBSTITUTE-URL}
10897 64.7% substitutes available (6,047 out of 9,343)
10899 2502 packages are missing from '@value{SUBSTITUTE-URL}' for 'x86_64-linux', among which:
10900 58 kcoreaddons@@5.49.0 /gnu/store/@dots{}-kcoreaddons-5.49.0
10901 46 qgpgme@@1.11.1 /gnu/store/@dots{}-qgpgme-1.11.1
10902 37 perl-http-cookiejar@@0.008 /gnu/store/@dots{}-perl-http-cookiejar-0.008
10906 What this example shows is that @code{kcoreaddons} and presumably the 58
10907 packages that depend on it have no substitutes at @code{ci.guix.info};
10908 likewise for @code{qgpgme} and the 46 packages that depend on it.
10910 If you are a Guix developer, or if you are taking care of this build farm,
10911 you'll probably want to have a closer look at these packages: they may simply
10914 @item --display-missing
10915 Display the list of store items for which substitutes are missing.
10918 @node Invoking guix processes
10919 @section Invoking @command{guix processes}
10921 The @command{guix processes} command can be useful to developers and system
10922 administrators, especially on multi-user machines and on build farms: it lists
10923 the current sessions (connections to the daemon), as well as information about
10924 the processes involved@footnote{Remote sessions, when @command{guix-daemon} is
10925 started with @option{--listen} specifying a TCP endpoint, are @emph{not}
10926 listed.}. Here's an example of the information it returns:
10929 $ sudo guix processes
10932 ClientCommand: guix environment --ad-hoc python
10936 ClientCommand: guix publish -u guix-publish -p 3000 -C 9 @dots{}
10940 ClientCommand: cuirass --cache-directory /var/cache/cuirass @dots{}
10941 LockHeld: /gnu/store/@dots{}-perl-ipc-cmd-0.96.lock
10942 LockHeld: /gnu/store/@dots{}-python-six-bootstrap-1.11.0.lock
10943 LockHeld: /gnu/store/@dots{}-libjpeg-turbo-2.0.0.lock
10944 ChildProcess: 20495: guix offload x86_64-linux 7200 1 28800
10945 ChildProcess: 27733: guix offload x86_64-linux 7200 1 28800
10946 ChildProcess: 27793: guix offload x86_64-linux 7200 1 28800
10949 In this example we see that @command{guix-daemon} has three clients:
10950 @command{guix environment}, @command{guix publish}, and the Cuirass continuous
10951 integration tool; their process identifier (PID) is given by the
10952 @code{ClientPID} field. The @code{SessionPID} field gives the PID of the
10953 @command{guix-daemon} sub-process of this particular session.
10955 The @code{LockHeld} fields show which store items are currently locked by this
10956 session, which corresponds to store items being built or substituted (the
10957 @code{LockHeld} field is not displayed when @command{guix processes} is not
10958 running as root.) Last, by looking at the @code{ChildProcess} field, we
10959 understand that these three builds are being offloaded (@pxref{Daemon Offload
10962 The output is in Recutils format so we can use the handy @command{recsel}
10963 command to select sessions of interest (@pxref{Selection Expressions,,,
10964 recutils, GNU recutils manual}). As an example, the command shows the command
10965 line and PID of the client that triggered the build of a Perl package:
10968 $ sudo guix processes | \
10969 recsel -p ClientPID,ClientCommand -e 'LockHeld ~ "perl"'
10971 ClientCommand: cuirass --cache-directory /var/cache/cuirass @dots{}
10974 @node System Configuration
10975 @chapter System Configuration
10977 @cindex system configuration
10978 Guix System supports a consistent whole-system configuration
10979 mechanism. By that we mean that all aspects of the global system
10980 configuration---such as the available system services, timezone and
10981 locale settings, user accounts---are declared in a single place. Such
10982 a @dfn{system configuration} can be @dfn{instantiated}---i.e., effected.
10984 One of the advantages of putting all the system configuration under the
10985 control of Guix is that it supports transactional system upgrades, and
10986 makes it possible to roll back to a previous system instantiation,
10987 should something go wrong with the new one (@pxref{Features}). Another
10988 advantage is that it makes it easy to replicate the exact same configuration
10989 across different machines, or at different points in time, without
10990 having to resort to additional administration tools layered on top of
10991 the own tools of the system.
10992 @c Yes, we're talking of Puppet, Chef, & co. here. ↑
10994 This section describes this mechanism. First we focus on the system
10995 administrator's viewpoint---explaining how the system is configured and
10996 instantiated. Then we show how this mechanism can be extended, for
10997 instance to support new system services.
11000 * Using the Configuration System:: Customizing your GNU system.
11001 * operating-system Reference:: Detail of operating-system declarations.
11002 * File Systems:: Configuring file system mounts.
11003 * Mapped Devices:: Block device extra processing.
11004 * User Accounts:: Specifying user accounts.
11005 * Keyboard Layout:: How the system interprets key strokes.
11006 * Locales:: Language and cultural convention settings.
11007 * Services:: Specifying system services.
11008 * Setuid Programs:: Programs running with root privileges.
11009 * X.509 Certificates:: Authenticating HTTPS servers.
11010 * Name Service Switch:: Configuring libc's name service switch.
11011 * Initial RAM Disk:: Linux-Libre bootstrapping.
11012 * Bootloader Configuration:: Configuring the boot loader.
11013 * Invoking guix system:: Instantiating a system configuration.
11014 * Invoking guix deploy:: Deploying a system configuration to a remote host.
11015 * Running Guix in a VM:: How to run Guix System in a virtual machine.
11016 * Defining Services:: Adding new service definitions.
11019 @node Using the Configuration System
11020 @section Using the Configuration System
11022 The operating system is configured by providing an
11023 @code{operating-system} declaration in a file that can then be passed to
11024 the @command{guix system} command (@pxref{Invoking guix system}). A
11025 simple setup, with the default system services, the default Linux-Libre
11026 kernel, initial RAM disk, and boot loader looks like this:
11028 @findex operating-system
11030 @include os-config-bare-bones.texi
11033 This example should be self-describing. Some of the fields defined
11034 above, such as @code{host-name} and @code{bootloader}, are mandatory.
11035 Others, such as @code{packages} and @code{services}, can be omitted, in
11036 which case they get a default value.
11038 Below we discuss the effect of some of the most important fields
11039 (@pxref{operating-system Reference}, for details about all the available
11040 fields), and how to @dfn{instantiate} the operating system using
11041 @command{guix system}.
11043 @unnumberedsubsec Bootloader
11045 @cindex legacy boot, on Intel machines
11046 @cindex BIOS boot, on Intel machines
11049 The @code{bootloader} field describes the method that will be used to boot
11050 your system. Machines based on Intel processors can boot in ``legacy'' BIOS
11051 mode, as in the example above. However, more recent machines rely instead on
11052 the @dfn{Unified Extensible Firmware Interface} (UEFI) to boot. In that case,
11053 the @code{bootloader} field should contain something along these lines:
11056 (bootloader-configuration
11057 (bootloader grub-efi-bootloader)
11058 (target "/boot/efi"))
11061 @xref{Bootloader Configuration}, for more information on the available
11062 configuration options.
11064 @unnumberedsubsec Globally-Visible Packages
11066 @vindex %base-packages
11067 The @code{packages} field lists packages that will be globally visible
11068 on the system, for all user accounts---i.e., in every user's @code{PATH}
11069 environment variable---in addition to the per-user profiles
11070 (@pxref{Invoking guix package}). The @code{%base-packages} variable
11071 provides all the tools one would expect for basic user and administrator
11072 tasks---including the GNU Core Utilities, the GNU Networking Utilities,
11073 the GNU Zile lightweight text editor, @command{find}, @command{grep},
11074 etc. The example above adds GNU@tie{}Screen to those,
11075 taken from the @code{(gnu packages screen)}
11076 module (@pxref{Package Modules}). The
11077 @code{(list package output)} syntax can be used to add a specific output
11081 (use-modules (gnu packages))
11082 (use-modules (gnu packages dns))
11086 (packages (cons (list bind "utils")
11090 @findex specification->package
11091 Referring to packages by variable name, like @code{bind} above, has
11092 the advantage of being unambiguous; it also allows typos and such to be
11093 diagnosed right away as ``unbound variables''. The downside is that one
11094 needs to know which module defines which package, and to augment the
11095 @code{use-package-modules} line accordingly. To avoid that, one can use
11096 the @code{specification->package} procedure of the @code{(gnu packages)}
11097 module, which returns the best package for a given name or name and
11101 (use-modules (gnu packages))
11105 (packages (append (map specification->package
11106 '("tcpdump" "htop" "gnupg@@2.0"))
11110 @unnumberedsubsec System Services
11113 @vindex %base-services
11114 The @code{services} field lists @dfn{system services} to be made
11115 available when the system starts (@pxref{Services}).
11116 The @code{operating-system} declaration above specifies that, in
11117 addition to the basic services, we want the OpenSSH secure shell
11118 daemon listening on port 2222 (@pxref{Networking Services,
11119 @code{openssh-service-type}}). Under the hood,
11120 @code{openssh-service-type} arranges so that @command{sshd} is started with the
11121 right command-line options, possibly with supporting configuration files
11122 generated as needed (@pxref{Defining Services}).
11124 @cindex customization, of services
11125 @findex modify-services
11126 Occasionally, instead of using the base services as is, you will want to
11127 customize them. To do this, use @code{modify-services} (@pxref{Service
11128 Reference, @code{modify-services}}) to modify the list.
11130 For example, suppose you want to modify @code{guix-daemon} and Mingetty
11131 (the console log-in) in the @code{%base-services} list (@pxref{Base
11132 Services, @code{%base-services}}). To do that, you can write the
11133 following in your operating system declaration:
11136 (define %my-services
11137 ;; My very own list of services.
11138 (modify-services %base-services
11139 (guix-service-type config =>
11140 (guix-configuration
11142 (use-substitutes? #f)
11143 (extra-options '("--gc-keep-derivations"))))
11144 (mingetty-service-type config =>
11145 (mingetty-configuration
11146 (inherit config)))))
11150 (services %my-services))
11153 This changes the configuration---i.e., the service parameters---of the
11154 @code{guix-service-type} instance, and that of all the
11155 @code{mingetty-service-type} instances in the @code{%base-services} list.
11156 Observe how this is accomplished: first, we arrange for the original
11157 configuration to be bound to the identifier @code{config} in the
11158 @var{body}, and then we write the @var{body} so that it evaluates to the
11159 desired configuration. In particular, notice how we use @code{inherit}
11160 to create a new configuration which has the same values as the old
11161 configuration, but with a few modifications.
11163 @cindex encrypted disk
11164 The configuration for a typical ``desktop'' usage, with an encrypted
11165 root partition, the X11 display
11166 server, GNOME and Xfce (users can choose which of these desktop
11167 environments to use at the log-in screen by pressing @kbd{F1}), network
11168 management, power management, and more, would look like this:
11171 @include os-config-desktop.texi
11174 A graphical system with a choice of lightweight window managers
11175 instead of full-blown desktop environments would look like this:
11178 @include os-config-lightweight-desktop.texi
11181 This example refers to the @file{/boot/efi} file system by its UUID,
11182 @code{1234-ABCD}. Replace this UUID with the right UUID on your system,
11183 as returned by the @command{blkid} command.
11185 @xref{Desktop Services}, for the exact list of services provided by
11186 @code{%desktop-services}. @xref{X.509 Certificates}, for background
11187 information about the @code{nss-certs} package that is used here.
11189 Again, @code{%desktop-services} is just a list of service objects. If
11190 you want to remove services from there, you can do so using the
11191 procedures for list filtering (@pxref{SRFI-1 Filtering and
11192 Partitioning,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}). For instance, the
11193 following expression returns a list that contains all the services in
11194 @code{%desktop-services} minus the Avahi service:
11197 (remove (lambda (service)
11198 (eq? (service-kind service) avahi-service-type))
11202 @unnumberedsubsec Instantiating the System
11204 Assuming the @code{operating-system} declaration
11205 is stored in the @file{my-system-config.scm}
11206 file, the @command{guix system reconfigure my-system-config.scm} command
11207 instantiates that configuration, and makes it the default GRUB boot
11208 entry (@pxref{Invoking guix system}).
11210 The normal way to change the system configuration is by updating this
11211 file and re-running @command{guix system reconfigure}. One should never
11212 have to touch files in @file{/etc} or to run commands that modify the
11213 system state such as @command{useradd} or @command{grub-install}. In
11214 fact, you must avoid that since that would not only void your warranty
11215 but also prevent you from rolling back to previous versions of your
11216 system, should you ever need to.
11218 @cindex roll-back, of the operating system
11219 Speaking of roll-back, each time you run @command{guix system
11220 reconfigure}, a new @dfn{generation} of the system is created---without
11221 modifying or deleting previous generations. Old system generations get
11222 an entry in the bootloader boot menu, allowing you to boot them in case
11223 something went wrong with the latest generation. Reassuring, no? The
11224 @command{guix system list-generations} command lists the system
11225 generations available on disk. It is also possible to roll back the
11226 system via the commands @command{guix system roll-back} and
11227 @command{guix system switch-generation}.
11229 Although the @command{guix system reconfigure} command will not modify
11230 previous generations, you must take care when the current generation is not
11231 the latest (e.g., after invoking @command{guix system roll-back}), since
11232 the operation might overwrite a later generation (@pxref{Invoking guix
11235 @unnumberedsubsec The Programming Interface
11237 At the Scheme level, the bulk of an @code{operating-system} declaration
11238 is instantiated with the following monadic procedure (@pxref{The Store
11241 @deffn {Monadic Procedure} operating-system-derivation os
11242 Return a derivation that builds @var{os}, an @code{operating-system}
11243 object (@pxref{Derivations}).
11245 The output of the derivation is a single directory that refers to all
11246 the packages, configuration files, and other supporting files needed to
11247 instantiate @var{os}.
11250 This procedure is provided by the @code{(gnu system)} module. Along
11251 with @code{(gnu services)} (@pxref{Services}), this module contains the
11252 guts of Guix System. Make sure to visit it!
11255 @node operating-system Reference
11256 @section @code{operating-system} Reference
11258 This section summarizes all the options available in
11259 @code{operating-system} declarations (@pxref{Using the Configuration
11262 @deftp {Data Type} operating-system
11263 This is the data type representing an operating system configuration.
11264 By that, we mean all the global system configuration, not per-user
11265 configuration (@pxref{Using the Configuration System}).
11268 @item @code{kernel} (default: @code{linux-libre})
11269 The package object of the operating system kernel to use@footnote{Currently
11270 only the Linux-libre kernel is supported. In the future, it will be
11271 possible to use the GNU@tie{}Hurd.}.
11273 @item @code{kernel-loadable-modules} (default: '())
11274 A list of objects (usually packages) to collect loadable kernel modules
11275 from--e.g. @code{(list ddcci-driver-linux)}.
11277 @item @code{kernel-arguments} (default: @code{'("quiet")})
11278 List of strings or gexps representing additional arguments to pass on
11279 the command-line of the kernel---e.g., @code{("console=ttyS0")}.
11281 @item @code{bootloader}
11282 The system bootloader configuration object. @xref{Bootloader Configuration}.
11285 This is the label (a string) as it appears in the bootloader's menu entry.
11286 The default label includes the kernel name and version.
11288 @item @code{keyboard-layout} (default: @code{#f})
11289 This field specifies the keyboard layout to use in the console. It can be
11290 either @code{#f}, in which case the default keyboard layout is used (usually
11291 US English), or a @code{<keyboard-layout>} record.
11293 This keyboard layout is in effect as soon as the kernel has booted. For
11294 instance, it is the keyboard layout in effect when you type a passphrase if
11295 your root file system is on a @code{luks-device-mapping} mapped device
11296 (@pxref{Mapped Devices}).
11299 This does @emph{not} specify the keyboard layout used by the bootloader, nor
11300 that used by the graphical display server. @xref{Bootloader Configuration},
11301 for information on how to specify the bootloader's keyboard layout. @xref{X
11302 Window}, for information on how to specify the keyboard layout used by the X
11306 @item @code{initrd-modules} (default: @code{%base-initrd-modules})
11308 @cindex initial RAM disk
11309 The list of Linux kernel modules that need to be available in the
11310 initial RAM disk. @xref{Initial RAM Disk}.
11312 @item @code{initrd} (default: @code{base-initrd})
11313 A procedure that returns an initial RAM disk for the Linux
11314 kernel. This field is provided to support low-level customization and
11315 should rarely be needed for casual use. @xref{Initial RAM Disk}.
11317 @item @code{firmware} (default: @code{%base-firmware})
11319 List of firmware packages loadable by the operating system kernel.
11321 The default includes firmware needed for Atheros- and Broadcom-based
11322 WiFi devices (Linux-libre modules @code{ath9k} and @code{b43-open},
11323 respectively). @xref{Hardware Considerations}, for more info on
11324 supported hardware.
11326 @item @code{host-name}
11329 @item @code{hosts-file}
11331 A file-like object (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like objects}) for use as
11332 @file{/etc/hosts} (@pxref{Host Names,,, libc, The GNU C Library
11333 Reference Manual}). The default is a file with entries for
11334 @code{localhost} and @var{host-name}.
11336 @item @code{mapped-devices} (default: @code{'()})
11337 A list of mapped devices. @xref{Mapped Devices}.
11339 @item @code{file-systems}
11340 A list of file systems. @xref{File Systems}.
11342 @item @code{swap-devices} (default: @code{'()})
11343 @cindex swap devices
11344 A list of strings identifying devices or files to be used for ``swap
11345 space'' (@pxref{Memory Concepts,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference
11346 Manual}). For example, @code{'("/dev/sda3")} or @code{'("/swapfile")}.
11347 It is possible to specify a swap file in a file system on a mapped
11348 device, provided that the necessary device mapping and file system are
11349 also specified. @xref{Mapped Devices} and @ref{File Systems}.
11351 @item @code{users} (default: @code{%base-user-accounts})
11352 @itemx @code{groups} (default: @code{%base-groups})
11353 List of user accounts and groups. @xref{User Accounts}.
11355 If the @code{users} list lacks a user account with UID@tie{}0, a
11356 ``root'' account with UID@tie{}0 is automatically added.
11358 @item @code{skeletons} (default: @code{(default-skeletons)})
11359 A list target file name/file-like object tuples (@pxref{G-Expressions,
11360 file-like objects}). These are the skeleton files that will be added to
11361 the home directory of newly-created user accounts.
11363 For instance, a valid value may look like this:
11366 `((".bashrc" ,(plain-file "bashrc" "echo Hello\n"))
11367 (".guile" ,(plain-file "guile"
11368 "(use-modules (ice-9 readline))
11369 (activate-readline)")))
11372 @item @code{issue} (default: @code{%default-issue})
11373 A string denoting the contents of the @file{/etc/issue} file, which is
11374 displayed when users log in on a text console.
11376 @item @code{packages} (default: @code{%base-packages})
11377 The set of packages installed in the global profile, which is accessible
11378 at @file{/run/current-system/profile}.
11380 The default set includes core utilities and it is good practice to
11381 install non-core utilities in user profiles (@pxref{Invoking guix
11384 @item @code{timezone}
11385 A timezone identifying string---e.g., @code{"Europe/Paris"}.
11387 You can run the @command{tzselect} command to find out which timezone
11388 string corresponds to your region. Choosing an invalid timezone name
11389 causes @command{guix system} to fail.
11391 @item @code{locale} (default: @code{"en_US.utf8"})
11392 The name of the default locale (@pxref{Locale Names,,, libc, The GNU C
11393 Library Reference Manual}). @xref{Locales}, for more information.
11395 @item @code{locale-definitions} (default: @code{%default-locale-definitions})
11396 The list of locale definitions to be compiled and that may be used at
11397 run time. @xref{Locales}.
11399 @item @code{locale-libcs} (default: @code{(list @var{glibc})})
11400 The list of GNU@tie{}libc packages whose locale data and tools are used
11401 to build the locale definitions. @xref{Locales}, for compatibility
11402 considerations that justify this option.
11404 @item @code{name-service-switch} (default: @code{%default-nss})
11405 Configuration of the libc name service switch (NSS)---a
11406 @code{<name-service-switch>} object. @xref{Name Service Switch}, for
11409 @item @code{services} (default: @code{%base-services})
11410 A list of service objects denoting system services. @xref{Services}.
11412 @cindex essential services
11413 @item @code{essential-services} (default: ...)
11414 The list of ``essential services''---i.e., things like instances of
11415 @code{system-service-type} and @code{host-name-service-type} (@pxref{Service
11416 Reference}), which are derived from the operating system definition itself.
11417 As a user you should @emph{never} need to touch this field.
11419 @item @code{pam-services} (default: @code{(base-pam-services)})
11421 @cindex pluggable authentication modules
11422 Linux @dfn{pluggable authentication module} (PAM) services.
11423 @c FIXME: Add xref to PAM services section.
11425 @item @code{setuid-programs} (default: @code{%setuid-programs})
11426 List of string-valued G-expressions denoting setuid programs.
11427 @xref{Setuid Programs}.
11429 @item @code{sudoers-file} (default: @code{%sudoers-specification})
11430 @cindex sudoers file
11431 The contents of the @file{/etc/sudoers} file as a file-like object
11432 (@pxref{G-Expressions, @code{local-file} and @code{plain-file}}).
11434 This file specifies which users can use the @command{sudo} command, what
11435 they are allowed to do, and what privileges they may gain. The default
11436 is that only @code{root} and members of the @code{wheel} group may use
11441 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} this-operating-system
11442 When used in the @emph{lexical scope} of an operating system field definition,
11443 this identifier resolves to the operating system being defined.
11445 The example below shows how to refer to the operating system being defined in
11446 the definition of the @code{label} field:
11449 (use-modules (gnu) (guix))
11453 (label (package-full-name
11454 (operating-system-kernel this-operating-system))))
11457 It is an error to refer to @code{this-operating-system} outside an operating
11464 @section File Systems
11466 The list of file systems to be mounted is specified in the
11467 @code{file-systems} field of the operating system declaration
11468 (@pxref{Using the Configuration System}). Each file system is declared
11469 using the @code{file-system} form, like this:
11473 (mount-point "/home")
11474 (device "/dev/sda3")
11478 As usual, some of the fields are mandatory---those shown in the example
11479 above---while others can be omitted. These are described below.
11481 @deftp {Data Type} file-system
11482 Objects of this type represent file systems to be mounted. They
11483 contain the following members:
11487 This is a string specifying the type of the file system---e.g.,
11490 @item @code{mount-point}
11491 This designates the place where the file system is to be mounted.
11493 @item @code{device}
11494 This names the ``source'' of the file system. It can be one of three
11495 things: a file system label, a file system UUID, or the name of a
11496 @file{/dev} node. Labels and UUIDs offer a way to refer to file
11497 systems without having to hard-code their actual device
11498 name@footnote{Note that, while it is tempting to use
11499 @file{/dev/disk/by-uuid} and similar device names to achieve the same
11500 result, this is not recommended: These special device nodes are created
11501 by the udev daemon and may be unavailable at the time the device is
11504 @findex file-system-label
11505 File system labels are created using the @code{file-system-label}
11506 procedure, UUIDs are created using @code{uuid}, and @file{/dev} node are
11507 plain strings. Here's an example of a file system referred to by its
11508 label, as shown by the @command{e2label} command:
11512 (mount-point "/home")
11514 (device (file-system-label "my-home")))
11518 UUIDs are converted from their string representation (as shown by the
11519 @command{tune2fs -l} command) using the @code{uuid} form@footnote{The
11520 @code{uuid} form expects 16-byte UUIDs as defined in
11521 @uref{https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4122, RFC@tie{}4122}. This is the
11522 form of UUID used by the ext2 family of file systems and others, but it
11523 is different from ``UUIDs'' found in FAT file systems, for instance.},
11528 (mount-point "/home")
11530 (device (uuid "4dab5feb-d176-45de-b287-9b0a6e4c01cb")))
11533 When the source of a file system is a mapped device (@pxref{Mapped
11534 Devices}), its @code{device} field @emph{must} refer to the mapped
11535 device name---e.g., @file{"/dev/mapper/root-partition"}.
11536 This is required so that
11537 the system knows that mounting the file system depends on having the
11538 corresponding device mapping established.
11540 @item @code{flags} (default: @code{'()})
11541 This is a list of symbols denoting mount flags. Recognized flags
11542 include @code{read-only}, @code{bind-mount}, @code{no-dev} (disallow
11543 access to special files), @code{no-suid} (ignore setuid and setgid
11544 bits), @code{no-atime} (do not update file access times),
11545 @code{strict-atime} (update file access time), @code{lazy-time} (only
11546 update time on the in-memory version of the file inode), and
11547 @code{no-exec} (disallow program execution).
11548 @xref{Mount-Unmount-Remount,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference
11549 Manual}, for more information on these flags.
11551 @item @code{options} (default: @code{#f})
11552 This is either @code{#f}, or a string denoting mount options passed to the
11553 file system driver. @xref{Mount-Unmount-Remount,,, libc, The GNU C Library
11554 Reference Manual}, for details and run @command{man 8 mount} for options for
11555 various file systems.
11557 @item @code{mount?} (default: @code{#t})
11558 This value indicates whether to automatically mount the file system when
11559 the system is brought up. When set to @code{#f}, the file system gets
11560 an entry in @file{/etc/fstab} (read by the @command{mount} command) but
11561 is not automatically mounted.
11563 @item @code{needed-for-boot?} (default: @code{#f})
11564 This Boolean value indicates whether the file system is needed when
11565 booting. If that is true, then the file system is mounted when the
11566 initial RAM disk (initrd) is loaded. This is always the case, for
11567 instance, for the root file system.
11569 @item @code{check?} (default: @code{#t})
11570 This Boolean indicates whether the file system needs to be checked for
11571 errors before being mounted.
11573 @item @code{create-mount-point?} (default: @code{#f})
11574 When true, the mount point is created if it does not exist yet.
11576 @item @code{dependencies} (default: @code{'()})
11577 This is a list of @code{<file-system>} or @code{<mapped-device>} objects
11578 representing file systems that must be mounted or mapped devices that
11579 must be opened before (and unmounted or closed after) this one.
11581 As an example, consider a hierarchy of mounts: @file{/sys/fs/cgroup} is
11582 a dependency of @file{/sys/fs/cgroup/cpu} and
11583 @file{/sys/fs/cgroup/memory}.
11585 Another example is a file system that depends on a mapped device, for
11586 example for an encrypted partition (@pxref{Mapped Devices}).
11590 The @code{(gnu system file-systems)} exports the following useful
11593 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-file-systems
11594 These are essential file systems that are required on normal systems,
11595 such as @code{%pseudo-terminal-file-system} and @code{%immutable-store} (see
11596 below.) Operating system declarations should always contain at least
11600 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %pseudo-terminal-file-system
11601 This is the file system to be mounted as @file{/dev/pts}. It supports
11602 @dfn{pseudo-terminals} created @i{via} @code{openpty} and similar
11603 functions (@pxref{Pseudo-Terminals,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference
11604 Manual}). Pseudo-terminals are used by terminal emulators such as
11608 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %shared-memory-file-system
11609 This file system is mounted as @file{/dev/shm} and is used to support
11610 memory sharing across processes (@pxref{Memory-mapped I/O,
11611 @code{shm_open},, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
11614 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %immutable-store
11615 This file system performs a read-only ``bind mount'' of
11616 @file{/gnu/store}, making it read-only for all the users including
11617 @code{root}. This prevents against accidental modification by software
11618 running as @code{root} or by system administrators.
11620 The daemon itself is still able to write to the store: it remounts it
11621 read-write in its own ``name space.''
11624 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %binary-format-file-system
11625 The @code{binfmt_misc} file system, which allows handling of arbitrary
11626 executable file types to be delegated to user space. This requires the
11627 @code{binfmt.ko} kernel module to be loaded.
11630 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %fuse-control-file-system
11631 The @code{fusectl} file system, which allows unprivileged users to mount
11632 and unmount user-space FUSE file systems. This requires the
11633 @code{fuse.ko} kernel module to be loaded.
11636 @node Mapped Devices
11637 @section Mapped Devices
11639 @cindex device mapping
11640 @cindex mapped devices
11641 The Linux kernel has a notion of @dfn{device mapping}: a block device,
11642 such as a hard disk partition, can be @dfn{mapped} into another device,
11643 usually in @code{/dev/mapper/},
11644 with additional processing over the data that flows through
11645 it@footnote{Note that the GNU@tie{}Hurd makes no difference between the
11646 concept of a ``mapped device'' and that of a file system: both boil down
11647 to @emph{translating} input/output operations made on a file to
11648 operations on its backing store. Thus, the Hurd implements mapped
11649 devices, like file systems, using the generic @dfn{translator} mechanism
11650 (@pxref{Translators,,, hurd, The GNU Hurd Reference Manual}).}. A
11651 typical example is encryption device mapping: all writes to the mapped
11652 device are encrypted, and all reads are deciphered, transparently.
11653 Guix extends this notion by considering any device or set of devices that
11654 are @dfn{transformed} in some way to create a new device; for instance,
11655 RAID devices are obtained by @dfn{assembling} several other devices, such
11656 as hard disks or partitions, into a new one that behaves as one partition.
11657 Other examples, not yet implemented, are LVM logical volumes.
11659 Mapped devices are declared using the @code{mapped-device} form,
11660 defined as follows; for examples, see below.
11662 @deftp {Data Type} mapped-device
11663 Objects of this type represent device mappings that will be made when
11664 the system boots up.
11668 This is either a string specifying the name of the block device to be mapped,
11669 such as @code{"/dev/sda3"}, or a list of such strings when several devices
11670 need to be assembled for creating a new one.
11673 This string specifies the name of the resulting mapped device. For
11674 kernel mappers such as encrypted devices of type @code{luks-device-mapping},
11675 specifying @code{"my-partition"} leads to the creation of
11676 the @code{"/dev/mapper/my-partition"} device.
11677 For RAID devices of type @code{raid-device-mapping}, the full device name
11678 such as @code{"/dev/md0"} needs to be given.
11681 This must be a @code{mapped-device-kind} object, which specifies how
11682 @var{source} is mapped to @var{target}.
11686 @defvr {Scheme Variable} luks-device-mapping
11687 This defines LUKS block device encryption using the @command{cryptsetup}
11688 command from the package with the same name. It relies on the
11689 @code{dm-crypt} Linux kernel module.
11692 @defvr {Scheme Variable} raid-device-mapping
11693 This defines a RAID device, which is assembled using the @code{mdadm}
11694 command from the package with the same name. It requires a Linux kernel
11695 module for the appropriate RAID level to be loaded, such as @code{raid456}
11696 for RAID-4, RAID-5 or RAID-6, or @code{raid10} for RAID-10.
11699 @cindex disk encryption
11701 The following example specifies a mapping from @file{/dev/sda3} to
11702 @file{/dev/mapper/home} using LUKS---the
11703 @url{https://gitlab.com/cryptsetup/cryptsetup,Linux Unified Key Setup}, a
11704 standard mechanism for disk encryption.
11705 The @file{/dev/mapper/home}
11706 device can then be used as the @code{device} of a @code{file-system}
11707 declaration (@pxref{File Systems}).
11711 (source "/dev/sda3")
11713 (type luks-device-mapping))
11716 Alternatively, to become independent of device numbering, one may obtain
11717 the LUKS UUID (@dfn{unique identifier}) of the source device by a
11721 cryptsetup luksUUID /dev/sda3
11724 and use it as follows:
11728 (source (uuid "cb67fc72-0d54-4c88-9d4b-b225f30b0f44"))
11730 (type luks-device-mapping))
11733 @cindex swap encryption
11734 It is also desirable to encrypt swap space, since swap space may contain
11735 sensitive data. One way to accomplish that is to use a swap file in a
11736 file system on a device mapped via LUKS encryption. In this way, the
11737 swap file is encrypted because the entire device is encrypted.
11738 @xref{Preparing for Installation,,Disk Partitioning}, for an example.
11740 A RAID device formed of the partitions @file{/dev/sda1} and @file{/dev/sdb1}
11741 may be declared as follows:
11745 (source (list "/dev/sda1" "/dev/sdb1"))
11746 (target "/dev/md0")
11747 (type raid-device-mapping))
11750 The @file{/dev/md0} device can then be used as the @code{device} of a
11751 @code{file-system} declaration (@pxref{File Systems}).
11752 Note that the RAID level need not be given; it is chosen during the
11753 initial creation and formatting of the RAID device and is determined
11754 automatically later.
11757 @node User Accounts
11758 @section User Accounts
11762 @cindex user accounts
11763 User accounts and groups are entirely managed through the
11764 @code{operating-system} declaration. They are specified with the
11765 @code{user-account} and @code{user-group} forms:
11771 (supplementary-groups '("wheel" ;allow use of sudo, etc.
11772 "audio" ;sound card
11773 "video" ;video devices such as webcams
11774 "cdrom")) ;the good ol' CD-ROM
11775 (comment "Bob's sister")
11776 (home-directory "/home/alice"))
11779 When booting or upon completion of @command{guix system reconfigure},
11780 the system ensures that only the user accounts and groups specified in
11781 the @code{operating-system} declaration exist, and with the specified
11782 properties. Thus, account or group creations or modifications made by
11783 directly invoking commands such as @command{useradd} are lost upon
11784 reconfiguration or reboot. This ensures that the system remains exactly
11787 @deftp {Data Type} user-account
11788 Objects of this type represent user accounts. The following members may
11793 The name of the user account.
11797 This is the name (a string) or identifier (a number) of the user group
11798 this account belongs to.
11800 @item @code{supplementary-groups} (default: @code{'()})
11801 Optionally, this can be defined as a list of group names that this
11802 account belongs to.
11804 @item @code{uid} (default: @code{#f})
11805 This is the user ID for this account (a number), or @code{#f}. In the
11806 latter case, a number is automatically chosen by the system when the
11807 account is created.
11809 @item @code{comment} (default: @code{""})
11810 A comment about the account, such as the account owner's full name.
11812 @item @code{home-directory}
11813 This is the name of the home directory for the account.
11815 @item @code{create-home-directory?} (default: @code{#t})
11816 Indicates whether the home directory of this account should be created
11817 if it does not exist yet.
11819 @item @code{shell} (default: Bash)
11820 This is a G-expression denoting the file name of a program to be used as
11821 the shell (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
11823 @item @code{system?} (default: @code{#f})
11824 This Boolean value indicates whether the account is a ``system''
11825 account. System accounts are sometimes treated specially; for instance,
11826 graphical login managers do not list them.
11828 @anchor{user-account-password}
11829 @cindex password, for user accounts
11830 @item @code{password} (default: @code{#f})
11831 You would normally leave this field to @code{#f}, initialize user
11832 passwords as @code{root} with the @command{passwd} command, and then let
11833 users change it with @command{passwd}. Passwords set with
11834 @command{passwd} are of course preserved across reboot and
11837 If you @emph{do} want to set an initial password for an account, then
11838 this field must contain the encrypted password, as a string. You can use the
11839 @code{crypt} procedure for this purpose:
11846 ;; Specify a SHA-512-hashed initial password.
11847 (password (crypt "InitialPassword!" "$6$abc")))
11851 The hash of this initial password will be available in a file in
11852 @file{/gnu/store}, readable by all the users, so this method must be used with
11856 @xref{Passphrase Storage,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}, for
11857 more information on password encryption, and @ref{Encryption,,, guile, GNU
11858 Guile Reference Manual}, for information on Guile's @code{crypt} procedure.
11864 User group declarations are even simpler:
11867 (user-group (name "students"))
11870 @deftp {Data Type} user-group
11871 This type is for, well, user groups. There are just a few fields:
11875 The name of the group.
11877 @item @code{id} (default: @code{#f})
11878 The group identifier (a number). If @code{#f}, a new number is
11879 automatically allocated when the group is created.
11881 @item @code{system?} (default: @code{#f})
11882 This Boolean value indicates whether the group is a ``system'' group.
11883 System groups have low numerical IDs.
11885 @item @code{password} (default: @code{#f})
11886 What, user groups can have a password? Well, apparently yes. Unless
11887 @code{#f}, this field specifies the password of the group.
11892 For convenience, a variable lists all the basic user groups one may
11895 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-groups
11896 This is the list of basic user groups that users and/or packages expect
11897 to be present on the system. This includes groups such as ``root'',
11898 ``wheel'', and ``users'', as well as groups used to control access to
11899 specific devices such as ``audio'', ``disk'', and ``cdrom''.
11902 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-user-accounts
11903 This is the list of basic system accounts that programs may expect to
11904 find on a GNU/Linux system, such as the ``nobody'' account.
11906 Note that the ``root'' account is not included here. It is a
11907 special-case and is automatically added whether or not it is specified.
11910 @node Keyboard Layout
11911 @section Keyboard Layout
11913 @cindex keyboard layout
11915 To specify what each key of your keyboard does, you need to tell the operating
11916 system what @dfn{keyboard layout} you want to use. The default, when nothing
11917 is specified, is the US English QWERTY layout for 105-key PC keyboards.
11918 However, German speakers will usually prefer the German QWERTZ layout, French
11919 speakers will want the AZERTY layout, and so on; hackers might prefer Dvorak
11920 or bépo, and they might even want to further customize the effect of some of
11921 the keys. This section explains how to get that done.
11923 @cindex keyboard layout, definition
11924 There are three components that will want to know about your keyboard layout:
11928 The @emph{bootloader} may want to know what keyboard layout you want to use
11929 (@pxref{Bootloader Configuration, @code{keyboard-layout}}). This is useful if
11930 you want, for instance, to make sure that you can type the passphrase of your
11931 encrypted root partition using the right layout.
11934 The @emph{operating system kernel}, Linux, will need that so that the console
11935 is properly configured (@pxref{operating-system Reference,
11936 @code{keyboard-layout}}).
11939 The @emph{graphical display server}, usually Xorg, also has its own idea of
11940 the keyboard layout (@pxref{X Window, @code{keyboard-layout}}).
11943 Guix allows you to configure all three separately but, fortunately, it allows
11944 you to share the same keyboard layout for all three components.
11946 @cindex XKB, keyboard layouts
11947 Keyboard layouts are represented by records created by the
11948 @code{keyboard-layout} procedure of @code{(gnu system keyboard)}. Following
11949 the X Keyboard extension (XKB), each layout has four attributes: a name (often
11950 a language code such as ``fi'' for Finnish or ``jp'' for Japanese), an
11951 optional variant name, an optional keyboard model name, and a possibly empty
11952 list of additional options. In most cases the layout name is all you care
11953 about. Here are a few example:
11956 ;; The German QWERTZ layout. Here we assume a standard
11957 ;; "pc105" keyboard model.
11958 (keyboard-layout "de")
11960 ;; The bépo variant of the French layout.
11961 (keyboard-layout "fr" "bepo")
11963 ;; The Catalan layout.
11964 (keyboard-layout "es" "cat")
11966 ;; Arabic layout with "Alt-Shift" to switch to US layout.
11967 (keyboard-layout "ar,us" #:options '("grp:alt_shift_toggle"))
11969 ;; The Latin American Spanish layout. In addition, the
11970 ;; "Caps Lock" key is used as an additional "Ctrl" key,
11971 ;; and the "Menu" key is used as a "Compose" key to enter
11972 ;; accented letters.
11973 (keyboard-layout "latam"
11974 #:options '("ctrl:nocaps" "compose:menu"))
11976 ;; The Russian layout for a ThinkPad keyboard.
11977 (keyboard-layout "ru" #:model "thinkpad")
11979 ;; The "US international" layout, which is the US layout plus
11980 ;; dead keys to enter accented characters. This is for an
11981 ;; Apple MacBook keyboard.
11982 (keyboard-layout "us" "intl" #:model "macbook78")
11985 See the @file{share/X11/xkb} directory of the @code{xkeyboard-config} package
11986 for a complete list of supported layouts, variants, and models.
11988 @cindex keyboard layout, configuration
11989 Let's say you want your system to use the Turkish keyboard layout throughout
11990 your system---bootloader, console, and Xorg. Here's what your system
11991 configuration would look like:
11993 @findex set-xorg-configuration
11995 ;; Using the Turkish layout for the bootloader, the console,
12000 (keyboard-layout (keyboard-layout "tr")) ;for the console
12001 (bootloader (bootloader-configuration
12002 (bootloader grub-efi-bootloader)
12003 (target "/boot/efi")
12004 (keyboard-layout keyboard-layout))) ;for GRUB
12005 (services (cons (set-xorg-configuration
12006 (xorg-configuration ;for Xorg
12007 (keyboard-layout keyboard-layout)))
12008 %desktop-services)))
12011 In the example above, for GRUB and for Xorg, we just refer to the
12012 @code{keyboard-layout} field defined above, but we could just as well refer to
12013 a different layout. The @code{set-xorg-configuration} procedure communicates
12014 the desired Xorg configuration to the graphical log-in manager, by default
12017 We've discussed how to specify the @emph{default} keyboard layout of your
12018 system when it starts, but you can also adjust it at run time:
12022 If you're using GNOME, its settings panel has a ``Region & Language'' entry
12023 where you can select one or more keyboard layouts.
12026 Under Xorg, the @command{setxkbmap} command (from the same-named package)
12027 allows you to change the current layout. For example, this is how you would
12028 change the layout to US Dvorak:
12031 setxkbmap us dvorak
12035 The @code{loadkeys} command changes the keyboard layout in effect in the Linux
12036 console. However, note that @code{loadkeys} does @emph{not} use the XKB
12037 keyboard layout categorization described above. The command below loads the
12038 French bépo layout:
12049 A @dfn{locale} defines cultural conventions for a particular language
12050 and region of the world (@pxref{Locales,,, libc, The GNU C Library
12051 Reference Manual}). Each locale has a name that typically has the form
12052 @code{@var{language}_@var{territory}.@var{codeset}}---e.g.,
12053 @code{fr_LU.utf8} designates the locale for the French language, with
12054 cultural conventions from Luxembourg, and using the UTF-8 encoding.
12056 @cindex locale definition
12057 Usually, you will want to specify the default locale for the machine
12058 using the @code{locale} field of the @code{operating-system} declaration
12059 (@pxref{operating-system Reference, @code{locale}}).
12061 The selected locale is automatically added to the @dfn{locale
12062 definitions} known to the system if needed, with its codeset inferred
12063 from its name---e.g., @code{bo_CN.utf8} will be assumed to use the
12064 @code{UTF-8} codeset. Additional locale definitions can be specified in
12065 the @code{locale-definitions} slot of @code{operating-system}---this is
12066 useful, for instance, if the codeset could not be inferred from the
12067 locale name. The default set of locale definitions includes some widely
12068 used locales, but not all the available locales, in order to save space.
12070 For instance, to add the North Frisian locale for Germany, the value of
12074 (cons (locale-definition
12075 (name "fy_DE.utf8") (source "fy_DE"))
12076 %default-locale-definitions)
12079 Likewise, to save space, one might want @code{locale-definitions} to
12080 list only the locales that are actually used, as in:
12083 (list (locale-definition
12084 (name "ja_JP.eucjp") (source "ja_JP")
12085 (charset "EUC-JP")))
12089 The compiled locale definitions are available at
12090 @file{/run/current-system/locale/X.Y}, where @code{X.Y} is the libc
12091 version, which is the default location where the GNU@tie{}libc provided
12092 by Guix looks for locale data. This can be overridden using the
12093 @code{LOCPATH} environment variable (@pxref{locales-and-locpath,
12094 @code{LOCPATH} and locale packages}).
12096 The @code{locale-definition} form is provided by the @code{(gnu system
12097 locale)} module. Details are given below.
12099 @deftp {Data Type} locale-definition
12100 This is the data type of a locale definition.
12105 The name of the locale. @xref{Locale Names,,, libc, The GNU C Library
12106 Reference Manual}, for more information on locale names.
12108 @item @code{source}
12109 The name of the source for that locale. This is typically the
12110 @code{@var{language}_@var{territory}} part of the locale name.
12112 @item @code{charset} (default: @code{"UTF-8"})
12113 The ``character set'' or ``code set'' for that locale,
12114 @uref{https://www.iana.org/assignments/character-sets, as defined by
12120 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-locale-definitions
12121 A list of commonly used UTF-8 locales, used as the default
12122 value of the @code{locale-definitions} field of @code{operating-system}
12125 @cindex locale name
12126 @cindex normalized codeset in locale names
12127 These locale definitions use the @dfn{normalized codeset} for the part
12128 that follows the dot in the name (@pxref{Using gettextized software,
12129 normalized codeset,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}). So for
12130 instance it has @code{uk_UA.utf8} but @emph{not}, say,
12131 @code{uk_UA.UTF-8}.
12134 @subsection Locale Data Compatibility Considerations
12136 @cindex incompatibility, of locale data
12137 @code{operating-system} declarations provide a @code{locale-libcs} field
12138 to specify the GNU@tie{}libc packages that are used to compile locale
12139 declarations (@pxref{operating-system Reference}). ``Why would I
12140 care?'', you may ask. Well, it turns out that the binary format of
12141 locale data is occasionally incompatible from one libc version to
12144 @c See <https://sourceware.org/ml/libc-alpha/2015-09/msg00575.html>
12145 @c and <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2015-08/msg00737.html>.
12146 For instance, a program linked against libc version 2.21 is unable to
12147 read locale data produced with libc 2.22; worse, that program
12148 @emph{aborts} instead of simply ignoring the incompatible locale
12149 data@footnote{Versions 2.23 and later of GNU@tie{}libc will simply skip
12150 the incompatible locale data, which is already an improvement.}.
12151 Similarly, a program linked against libc 2.22 can read most, but not
12152 all, of the locale data from libc 2.21 (specifically, @code{LC_COLLATE}
12153 data is incompatible); thus calls to @code{setlocale} may fail, but
12154 programs will not abort.
12156 The ``problem'' with Guix is that users have a lot of freedom: They can
12157 choose whether and when to upgrade software in their profiles, and might
12158 be using a libc version different from the one the system administrator
12159 used to build the system-wide locale data.
12161 Fortunately, unprivileged users can also install their own locale data
12162 and define @var{GUIX_LOCPATH} accordingly (@pxref{locales-and-locpath,
12163 @code{GUIX_LOCPATH} and locale packages}).
12165 Still, it is best if the system-wide locale data at
12166 @file{/run/current-system/locale} is built for all the libc versions
12167 actually in use on the system, so that all the programs can access
12168 it---this is especially crucial on a multi-user system. To do that, the
12169 administrator can specify several libc packages in the
12170 @code{locale-libcs} field of @code{operating-system}:
12173 (use-package-modules base)
12177 (locale-libcs (list glibc-2.21 (canonical-package glibc))))
12180 This example would lead to a system containing locale definitions for
12181 both libc 2.21 and the current version of libc in
12182 @file{/run/current-system/locale}.
12188 @cindex system services
12189 An important part of preparing an @code{operating-system} declaration is
12190 listing @dfn{system services} and their configuration (@pxref{Using the
12191 Configuration System}). System services are typically daemons launched
12192 when the system boots, or other actions needed at that time---e.g.,
12193 configuring network access.
12195 Guix has a broad definition of ``service'' (@pxref{Service
12196 Composition}), but many services are managed by the GNU@tie{}Shepherd
12197 (@pxref{Shepherd Services}). On a running system, the @command{herd}
12198 command allows you to list the available services, show their status,
12199 start and stop them, or do other specific operations (@pxref{Jump
12200 Start,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}). For example:
12206 The above command, run as @code{root}, lists the currently defined
12207 services. The @command{herd doc} command shows a synopsis of the given
12208 service and its associated actions:
12212 Run libc's name service cache daemon (nscd).
12214 # herd doc nscd action invalidate
12215 invalidate: Invalidate the given cache--e.g., 'hosts' for host name lookups.
12218 The @command{start}, @command{stop}, and @command{restart} sub-commands
12219 have the effect you would expect. For instance, the commands below stop
12220 the nscd service and restart the Xorg display server:
12224 Service nscd has been stopped.
12225 # herd restart xorg-server
12226 Service xorg-server has been stopped.
12227 Service xorg-server has been started.
12230 The following sections document the available services, starting with
12231 the core services, that may be used in an @code{operating-system}
12235 * Base Services:: Essential system services.
12236 * Scheduled Job Execution:: The mcron service.
12237 * Log Rotation:: The rottlog service.
12238 * Networking Services:: Network setup, SSH daemon, etc.
12239 * X Window:: Graphical display.
12240 * Printing Services:: Local and remote printer support.
12241 * Desktop Services:: D-Bus and desktop services.
12242 * Sound Services:: ALSA and Pulseaudio services.
12243 * Database Services:: SQL databases, key-value stores, etc.
12244 * Mail Services:: IMAP, POP3, SMTP, and all that.
12245 * Messaging Services:: Messaging services.
12246 * Telephony Services:: Telephony services.
12247 * Monitoring Services:: Monitoring services.
12248 * Kerberos Services:: Kerberos services.
12249 * LDAP Services:: LDAP services.
12250 * Web Services:: Web servers.
12251 * Certificate Services:: TLS certificates via Let's Encrypt.
12252 * DNS Services:: DNS daemons.
12253 * VPN Services:: VPN daemons.
12254 * Network File System:: NFS related services.
12255 * Continuous Integration:: The Cuirass service.
12256 * Power Management Services:: Extending battery life.
12257 * Audio Services:: The MPD.
12258 * Virtualization Services:: Virtualization services.
12259 * Version Control Services:: Providing remote access to Git repositories.
12260 * Game Services:: Game servers.
12261 * PAM Mount Service:: Service to mount volumes when logging in.
12262 * Guix Services:: Services relating specifically to Guix.
12263 * Linux Services:: Services tied to the Linux kernel.
12264 * Miscellaneous Services:: Other services.
12267 @node Base Services
12268 @subsection Base Services
12270 The @code{(gnu services base)} module provides definitions for the basic
12271 services that one expects from the system. The services exported by
12272 this module are listed below.
12274 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-services
12275 This variable contains a list of basic services (@pxref{Service Types
12276 and Services}, for more information on service objects) one would
12277 expect from the system: a login service (mingetty) on each tty, syslogd,
12278 the libc name service cache daemon (nscd), the udev device manager, and
12281 This is the default value of the @code{services} field of
12282 @code{operating-system} declarations. Usually, when customizing a
12283 system, you will want to append services to @code{%base-services}, like
12287 (append (list (service avahi-service-type)
12288 (service openssh-service-type))
12293 @defvr {Scheme Variable} special-files-service-type
12294 This is the service that sets up ``special files'' such as
12295 @file{/bin/sh}; an instance of it is part of @code{%base-services}.
12297 The value associated with @code{special-files-service-type} services
12298 must be a list of tuples where the first element is the ``special file''
12299 and the second element is its target. By default it is:
12301 @cindex @file{/bin/sh}
12302 @cindex @file{sh}, in @file{/bin}
12304 `(("/bin/sh" ,(file-append bash "/bin/sh")))
12307 @cindex @file{/usr/bin/env}
12308 @cindex @file{env}, in @file{/usr/bin}
12309 If you want to add, say, @code{/usr/bin/env} to your system, you can
12313 `(("/bin/sh" ,(file-append bash "/bin/sh"))
12314 ("/usr/bin/env" ,(file-append coreutils "/bin/env")))
12317 Since this is part of @code{%base-services}, you can use
12318 @code{modify-services} to customize the set of special files
12319 (@pxref{Service Reference, @code{modify-services}}). But the simple way
12320 to add a special file is @i{via} the @code{extra-special-file} procedure
12324 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} extra-special-file @var{file} @var{target}
12325 Use @var{target} as the ``special file'' @var{file}.
12327 For example, adding the following lines to the @code{services} field of
12328 your operating system declaration leads to a @file{/usr/bin/env}
12332 (extra-special-file "/usr/bin/env"
12333 (file-append coreutils "/bin/env"))
12337 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} host-name-service @var{name}
12338 Return a service that sets the host name to @var{name}.
12341 @defvr {Scheme Variable} console-font-service-type
12342 Install the given fonts on the specified ttys (fonts are per
12343 virtual console on the kernel Linux). The value of this service is a list of
12344 tty/font pairs. The font can be the name of a font provided by the @code{kbd}
12345 package or any valid argument to @command{setfont}, as in this example:
12348 `(("tty1" . "LatGrkCyr-8x16")
12349 ("tty2" . ,(file-append
12351 "/share/kbd/consolefonts/TamzenForPowerline10x20.psf"))
12352 ("tty3" . ,(file-append
12354 "/share/consolefonts/ter-132n"))) ; for HDPI
12358 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} login-service @var{config}
12359 Return a service to run login according to @var{config}, a
12360 @code{<login-configuration>} object, which specifies the message of the day,
12361 among other things.
12364 @deftp {Data Type} login-configuration
12365 This is the data type representing the configuration of login.
12370 @cindex message of the day
12371 A file-like object containing the ``message of the day''.
12373 @item @code{allow-empty-passwords?} (default: @code{#t})
12374 Allow empty passwords by default so that first-time users can log in when
12375 the 'root' account has just been created.
12380 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} mingetty-service @var{config}
12381 Return a service to run mingetty according to @var{config}, a
12382 @code{<mingetty-configuration>} object, which specifies the tty to run, among
12386 @deftp {Data Type} mingetty-configuration
12387 This is the data type representing the configuration of Mingetty, which
12388 provides the default implementation of virtual console log-in.
12393 The name of the console this Mingetty runs on---e.g., @code{"tty1"}.
12395 @item @code{auto-login} (default: @code{#f})
12396 When true, this field must be a string denoting the user name under
12397 which the system automatically logs in. When it is @code{#f}, a
12398 user name and password must be entered to log in.
12400 @item @code{login-program} (default: @code{#f})
12401 This must be either @code{#f}, in which case the default log-in program
12402 is used (@command{login} from the Shadow tool suite), or a gexp denoting
12403 the name of the log-in program.
12405 @item @code{login-pause?} (default: @code{#f})
12406 When set to @code{#t} in conjunction with @var{auto-login}, the user
12407 will have to press a key before the log-in shell is launched.
12409 @item @code{mingetty} (default: @var{mingetty})
12410 The Mingetty package to use.
12415 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} agetty-service @var{config}
12416 Return a service to run agetty according to @var{config}, an
12417 @code{<agetty-configuration>} object, which specifies the tty to run,
12418 among other things.
12421 @deftp {Data Type} agetty-configuration
12422 This is the data type representing the configuration of agetty, which
12423 implements virtual and serial console log-in. See the @code{agetty(8)}
12424 man page for more information.
12429 The name of the console this agetty runs on, as a string---e.g.,
12430 @code{"ttyS0"}. This argument is optional, it will default to
12431 a reasonable default serial port used by the kernel Linux.
12433 For this, if there is a value for an option @code{agetty.tty} in the kernel
12434 command line, agetty will extract the device name of the serial port
12435 from it and use that.
12437 If not and if there is a value for an option @code{console} with a tty in
12438 the Linux command line, agetty will extract the device name of the
12439 serial port from it and use that.
12441 In both cases, agetty will leave the other serial device settings
12442 (baud rate etc.)@: alone---in the hope that Linux pinned them to the
12445 @item @code{baud-rate} (default: @code{#f})
12446 A string containing a comma-separated list of one or more baud rates, in
12449 @item @code{term} (default: @code{#f})
12450 A string containing the value used for the @code{TERM} environment
12453 @item @code{eight-bits?} (default: @code{#f})
12454 When @code{#t}, the tty is assumed to be 8-bit clean, and parity detection is
12457 @item @code{auto-login} (default: @code{#f})
12458 When passed a login name, as a string, the specified user will be logged
12459 in automatically without prompting for their login name or password.
12461 @item @code{no-reset?} (default: @code{#f})
12462 When @code{#t}, don't reset terminal cflags (control modes).
12464 @item @code{host} (default: @code{#f})
12465 This accepts a string containing the "login_host", which will be written
12466 into the @file{/var/run/utmpx} file.
12468 @item @code{remote?} (default: @code{#f})
12469 When set to @code{#t} in conjunction with @var{host}, this will add an
12470 @code{-r} fakehost option to the command line of the login program
12471 specified in @var{login-program}.
12473 @item @code{flow-control?} (default: @code{#f})
12474 When set to @code{#t}, enable hardware (RTS/CTS) flow control.
12476 @item @code{no-issue?} (default: @code{#f})
12477 When set to @code{#t}, the contents of the @file{/etc/issue} file will
12478 not be displayed before presenting the login prompt.
12480 @item @code{init-string} (default: @code{#f})
12481 This accepts a string that will be sent to the tty or modem before
12482 sending anything else. It can be used to initialize a modem.
12484 @item @code{no-clear?} (default: @code{#f})
12485 When set to @code{#t}, agetty will not clear the screen before showing
12488 @item @code{login-program} (default: (file-append shadow "/bin/login"))
12489 This must be either a gexp denoting the name of a log-in program, or
12490 unset, in which case the default value is the @command{login} from the
12493 @item @code{local-line} (default: @code{#f})
12494 Control the CLOCAL line flag. This accepts one of three symbols as
12495 arguments, @code{'auto}, @code{'always}, or @code{'never}. If @code{#f},
12496 the default value chosen by agetty is @code{'auto}.
12498 @item @code{extract-baud?} (default: @code{#f})
12499 When set to @code{#t}, instruct agetty to try to extract the baud rate
12500 from the status messages produced by certain types of modems.
12502 @item @code{skip-login?} (default: @code{#f})
12503 When set to @code{#t}, do not prompt the user for a login name. This
12504 can be used with @var{login-program} field to use non-standard login
12507 @item @code{no-newline?} (default: @code{#f})
12508 When set to @code{#t}, do not print a newline before printing the
12509 @file{/etc/issue} file.
12511 @c Is this dangerous only when used with login-program, or always?
12512 @item @code{login-options} (default: @code{#f})
12513 This option accepts a string containing options that are passed to the
12514 login program. When used with the @var{login-program}, be aware that a
12515 malicious user could try to enter a login name containing embedded
12516 options that could be parsed by the login program.
12518 @item @code{login-pause} (default: @code{#f})
12519 When set to @code{#t}, wait for any key before showing the login prompt.
12520 This can be used in conjunction with @var{auto-login} to save memory by
12521 lazily spawning shells.
12523 @item @code{chroot} (default: @code{#f})
12524 Change root to the specified directory. This option accepts a directory
12527 @item @code{hangup?} (default: @code{#f})
12528 Use the Linux system call @code{vhangup} to do a virtual hangup of the
12529 specified terminal.
12531 @item @code{keep-baud?} (default: @code{#f})
12532 When set to @code{#t}, try to keep the existing baud rate. The baud
12533 rates from @var{baud-rate} are used when agetty receives a @key{BREAK}
12536 @item @code{timeout} (default: @code{#f})
12537 When set to an integer value, terminate if no user name could be read
12538 within @var{timeout} seconds.
12540 @item @code{detect-case?} (default: @code{#f})
12541 When set to @code{#t}, turn on support for detecting an uppercase-only
12542 terminal. This setting will detect a login name containing only
12543 uppercase letters as indicating an uppercase-only terminal and turn on
12544 some upper-to-lower case conversions. Note that this will not support
12545 Unicode characters.
12547 @item @code{wait-cr?} (default: @code{#f})
12548 When set to @code{#t}, wait for the user or modem to send a
12549 carriage-return or linefeed character before displaying
12550 @file{/etc/issue} or login prompt. This is typically used with the
12551 @var{init-string} option.
12553 @item @code{no-hints?} (default: @code{#f})
12554 When set to @code{#t}, do not print hints about Num, Caps, and Scroll
12557 @item @code{no-hostname?} (default: @code{#f})
12558 By default, the hostname is printed. When this option is set to
12559 @code{#t}, no hostname will be shown at all.
12561 @item @code{long-hostname?} (default: @code{#f})
12562 By default, the hostname is only printed until the first dot. When this
12563 option is set to @code{#t}, the fully qualified hostname by
12564 @code{gethostname} or @code{getaddrinfo} is shown.
12566 @item @code{erase-characters} (default: @code{#f})
12567 This option accepts a string of additional characters that should be
12568 interpreted as backspace when the user types their login name.
12570 @item @code{kill-characters} (default: @code{#f})
12571 This option accepts a string that should be interpreted to mean "ignore
12572 all previous characters" (also called a "kill" character) when the user
12573 types their login name.
12575 @item @code{chdir} (default: @code{#f})
12576 This option accepts, as a string, a directory path that will be changed
12579 @item @code{delay} (default: @code{#f})
12580 This options accepts, as an integer, the number of seconds to sleep
12581 before opening the tty and displaying the login prompt.
12583 @item @code{nice} (default: @code{#f})
12584 This option accepts, as an integer, the nice value with which to run the
12585 @command{login} program.
12587 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @code{'()})
12588 This option provides an "escape hatch" for the user to provide arbitrary
12589 command-line arguments to @command{agetty} as a list of strings.
12594 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} kmscon-service-type @var{config}
12595 Return a service to run @uref{https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/kmscon,kmscon}
12596 according to @var{config}, a @code{<kmscon-configuration>} object, which
12597 specifies the tty to run, among other things.
12600 @deftp {Data Type} kmscon-configuration
12601 This is the data type representing the configuration of Kmscon, which
12602 implements virtual console log-in.
12606 @item @code{virtual-terminal}
12607 The name of the console this Kmscon runs on---e.g., @code{"tty1"}.
12609 @item @code{login-program} (default: @code{#~(string-append #$shadow "/bin/login")})
12610 A gexp denoting the name of the log-in program. The default log-in program is
12611 @command{login} from the Shadow tool suite.
12613 @item @code{login-arguments} (default: @code{'("-p")})
12614 A list of arguments to pass to @command{login}.
12616 @item @code{auto-login} (default: @code{#f})
12617 When passed a login name, as a string, the specified user will be logged
12618 in automatically without prompting for their login name or password.
12620 @item @code{hardware-acceleration?} (default: #f)
12621 Whether to use hardware acceleration.
12623 @item @code{kmscon} (default: @var{kmscon})
12624 The Kmscon package to use.
12629 @cindex name service cache daemon
12631 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} nscd-service [@var{config}] [#:glibc glibc] @
12632 [#:name-services '()]
12633 Return a service that runs the libc name service cache daemon (nscd) with the
12634 given @var{config}---an @code{<nscd-configuration>} object. @xref{Name
12635 Service Switch}, for an example.
12637 For convenience, the Shepherd service for nscd provides the following actions:
12641 @cindex cache invalidation, nscd
12642 @cindex nscd, cache invalidation
12643 This invalidate the given cache. For instance, running:
12646 herd invalidate nscd hosts
12650 invalidates the host name lookup cache of nscd.
12653 Running @command{herd statistics nscd} displays information about nscd usage
12659 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %nscd-default-configuration
12660 This is the default @code{<nscd-configuration>} value (see below) used
12661 by @code{nscd-service}. It uses the caches defined by
12662 @code{%nscd-default-caches}; see below.
12665 @deftp {Data Type} nscd-configuration
12666 This is the data type representing the name service cache daemon (nscd)
12671 @item @code{name-services} (default: @code{'()})
12672 List of packages denoting @dfn{name services} that must be visible to
12673 the nscd---e.g., @code{(list @var{nss-mdns})}.
12675 @item @code{glibc} (default: @var{glibc})
12676 Package object denoting the GNU C Library providing the @command{nscd}
12679 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{"/var/log/nscd.log"})
12680 Name of the nscd log file. This is where debugging output goes when
12681 @code{debug-level} is strictly positive.
12683 @item @code{debug-level} (default: @code{0})
12684 Integer denoting the debugging levels. Higher numbers mean that more
12685 debugging output is logged.
12687 @item @code{caches} (default: @code{%nscd-default-caches})
12688 List of @code{<nscd-cache>} objects denoting things to be cached; see
12694 @deftp {Data Type} nscd-cache
12695 Data type representing a cache database of nscd and its parameters.
12699 @item @code{database}
12700 This is a symbol representing the name of the database to be cached.
12701 Valid values are @code{passwd}, @code{group}, @code{hosts}, and
12702 @code{services}, which designate the corresponding NSS database
12703 (@pxref{NSS Basics,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
12705 @item @code{positive-time-to-live}
12706 @itemx @code{negative-time-to-live} (default: @code{20})
12707 A number representing the number of seconds during which a positive or
12708 negative lookup result remains in cache.
12710 @item @code{check-files?} (default: @code{#t})
12711 Whether to check for updates of the files corresponding to
12714 For instance, when @var{database} is @code{hosts}, setting this flag
12715 instructs nscd to check for updates in @file{/etc/hosts} and to take
12718 @item @code{persistent?} (default: @code{#t})
12719 Whether the cache should be stored persistently on disk.
12721 @item @code{shared?} (default: @code{#t})
12722 Whether the cache should be shared among users.
12724 @item @code{max-database-size} (default: 32@tie{}MiB)
12725 Maximum size in bytes of the database cache.
12727 @c XXX: 'suggested-size' and 'auto-propagate?' seem to be expert
12728 @c settings, so leave them out.
12733 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %nscd-default-caches
12734 List of @code{<nscd-cache>} objects used by default by
12735 @code{nscd-configuration} (see above).
12737 It enables persistent and aggressive caching of service and host name
12738 lookups. The latter provides better host name lookup performance,
12739 resilience in the face of unreliable name servers, and also better
12740 privacy---often the result of host name lookups is in local cache, so
12741 external name servers do not even need to be queried.
12744 @anchor{syslog-configuration-type}
12747 @deftp {Data Type} syslog-configuration
12748 This data type represents the configuration of the syslog daemon.
12751 @item @code{syslogd} (default: @code{#~(string-append #$inetutils "/libexec/syslogd")})
12752 The syslog daemon to use.
12754 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{%default-syslog.conf})
12755 The syslog configuration file to use.
12760 @anchor{syslog-service}
12762 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} syslog-service @var{config}
12763 Return a service that runs a syslog daemon according to @var{config}.
12765 @xref{syslogd invocation,,, inetutils, GNU Inetutils}, for more
12766 information on the configuration file syntax.
12769 @defvr {Scheme Variable} guix-service-type
12770 This is the type of the service that runs the build daemon,
12771 @command{guix-daemon} (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon}). Its value must be a
12772 @code{guix-configuration} record as described below.
12775 @anchor{guix-configuration-type}
12776 @deftp {Data Type} guix-configuration
12777 This data type represents the configuration of the Guix build daemon.
12778 @xref{Invoking guix-daemon}, for more information.
12781 @item @code{guix} (default: @var{guix})
12782 The Guix package to use.
12784 @item @code{build-group} (default: @code{"guixbuild"})
12785 Name of the group for build user accounts.
12787 @item @code{build-accounts} (default: @code{10})
12788 Number of build user accounts to create.
12790 @item @code{authorize-key?} (default: @code{#t})
12791 @cindex substitutes, authorization thereof
12792 Whether to authorize the substitute keys listed in
12793 @code{authorized-keys}---by default that of @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}}
12794 (@pxref{Substitutes}).
12796 @vindex %default-authorized-guix-keys
12797 @item @code{authorized-keys} (default: @code{%default-authorized-guix-keys})
12798 The list of authorized key files for archive imports, as a list of
12799 string-valued gexps (@pxref{Invoking guix archive}). By default, it
12800 contains that of @code{@value{SUBSTITUTE-SERVER}} (@pxref{Substitutes}).
12802 @item @code{use-substitutes?} (default: @code{#t})
12803 Whether to use substitutes.
12805 @item @code{substitute-urls} (default: @code{%default-substitute-urls})
12806 The list of URLs where to look for substitutes by default.
12808 @item @code{max-silent-time} (default: @code{0})
12809 @itemx @code{timeout} (default: @code{0})
12810 The number of seconds of silence and the number of seconds of activity,
12811 respectively, after which a build process times out. A value of zero
12812 disables the timeout.
12814 @item @code{log-compression} (default: @code{'bzip2})
12815 The type of compression used for build logs---one of @code{gzip},
12816 @code{bzip2}, or @code{none}.
12818 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @code{'()})
12819 List of extra command-line options for @command{guix-daemon}.
12821 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{"/var/log/guix-daemon.log"})
12822 File where @command{guix-daemon}'s standard output and standard error
12825 @cindex HTTP proxy, for @code{guix-daemon}
12826 @cindex proxy, for @code{guix-daemon} HTTP access
12827 @item @code{http-proxy} (default: @code{#f})
12828 The URL of the HTTP and HTTPS proxy used for downloading fixed-output
12829 derivations and substitutes.
12831 It is also possible to change the daemon's proxy at run time through the
12832 @code{set-http-proxy} action, which restarts it:
12835 herd set-http-proxy guix-daemon http://localhost:8118
12838 To clear the proxy settings, run:
12841 herd set-http-proxy guix-daemon
12844 @item @code{tmpdir} (default: @code{#f})
12845 A directory path where the @command{guix-daemon} will perform builds.
12850 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} udev-service [#:udev @var{eudev} #:rules @code{'()}]
12851 Run @var{udev}, which populates the @file{/dev} directory dynamically.
12852 udev rules can be provided as a list of files through the @var{rules}
12853 variable. The procedures @code{udev-rule}, @code{udev-rules-service}
12854 and @code{file->udev-rule} from @code{(gnu services base)} simplify the
12855 creation of such rule files.
12857 The @command{herd rules udev} command, as root, returns the name of the
12858 directory containing all the active udev rules.
12861 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} udev-rule [@var{file-name} @var{contents}]
12862 Return a udev-rule file named @var{file-name} containing the rules
12863 defined by the @var{contents} literal.
12865 In the following example, a rule for a USB device is defined to be
12866 stored in the file @file{90-usb-thing.rules}. The rule runs a script
12867 upon detecting a USB device with a given product identifier.
12870 (define %example-udev-rule
12872 "90-usb-thing.rules"
12873 (string-append "ACTION==\"add\", SUBSYSTEM==\"usb\", "
12874 "ATTR@{product@}==\"Example\", "
12875 "RUN+=\"/path/to/script\"")))
12879 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} udev-rules-service [@var{name} @var{rules}] @
12880 [#:groups @var{groups}]
12881 Return a service that extends @code{udev-service-type } with @var{rules}
12882 and @code{account-service-type} with @var{groups} as system groups.
12883 This works by creating a singleton service type
12884 @code{@var{name}-udev-rules}, of which the returned service is an
12887 Here we show how it can be used to extend @code{udev-service-type} with the
12888 previously defined rule @code{%example-udev-rule}.
12894 (cons (udev-rules-service 'usb-thing %example-udev-rule)
12895 %desktop-services)))
12899 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} file->udev-rule [@var{file-name} @var{file}]
12900 Return a udev file named @var{file-name} containing the rules defined
12901 within @var{file}, a file-like object.
12903 The following example showcases how we can use an existing rule file.
12906 (use-modules (guix download) ;for url-fetch
12907 (guix packages) ;for origin
12910 (define %android-udev-rules
12912 "51-android-udev.rules"
12913 (let ((version "20170910"))
12916 (uri (string-append "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/M0Rf30/"
12917 "android-udev-rules/" version "/51-android.rules"))
12919 (base32 "0lmmagpyb6xsq6zcr2w1cyx9qmjqmajkvrdbhjx32gqf1d9is003"))))))
12923 Additionally, Guix package definitions can be included in @var{rules} in
12924 order to extend the udev rules with the definitions found under their
12925 @file{lib/udev/rules.d} sub-directory. In lieu of the previous
12926 @var{file->udev-rule} example, we could have used the
12927 @var{android-udev-rules} package which exists in Guix in the @code{(gnu
12928 packages android)} module.
12930 The following example shows how to use the @var{android-udev-rules}
12931 package so that the Android tool @command{adb} can detect devices
12932 without root privileges. It also details how to create the
12933 @code{adbusers} group, which is required for the proper functioning of
12934 the rules defined within the @code{android-udev-rules} package. To
12935 create such a group, we must define it both as part of the
12936 @code{supplementary-groups} of our @code{user-account} declaration, as
12937 well as in the @var{groups} of the @code{udev-rules-service} procedure.
12940 (use-modules (gnu packages android) ;for android-udev-rules
12941 (gnu system shadow) ;for user-group
12946 (users (cons (user-account
12948 (supplementary-groups
12949 '("adbusers" ;for adb
12950 "wheel" "netdev" "audio" "video")))))
12953 (cons (udev-rules-service 'android android-udev-rules
12954 #:groups '("adbusers"))
12955 %desktop-services)))
12958 @defvr {Scheme Variable} urandom-seed-service-type
12959 Save some entropy in @code{%random-seed-file} to seed @file{/dev/urandom}
12960 when rebooting. It also tries to seed @file{/dev/urandom} from
12961 @file{/dev/hwrng} while booting, if @file{/dev/hwrng} exists and is
12965 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %random-seed-file
12966 This is the name of the file where some random bytes are saved by
12967 @var{urandom-seed-service} to seed @file{/dev/urandom} when rebooting.
12968 It defaults to @file{/var/lib/random-seed}.
12973 @defvr {Scheme Variable} gpm-service-type
12974 This is the type of the service that runs GPM, the @dfn{general-purpose
12975 mouse daemon}, which provides mouse support to the Linux console. GPM
12976 allows users to use the mouse in the console, notably to select, copy,
12979 The value for services of this type must be a @code{gpm-configuration}
12980 (see below). This service is not part of @code{%base-services}.
12983 @deftp {Data Type} gpm-configuration
12984 Data type representing the configuration of GPM.
12987 @item @code{options} (default: @code{%default-gpm-options})
12988 Command-line options passed to @command{gpm}. The default set of
12989 options instruct @command{gpm} to listen to mouse events on
12990 @file{/dev/input/mice}. @xref{Command Line,,, gpm, gpm manual}, for
12993 @item @code{gpm} (default: @code{gpm})
12994 The GPM package to use.
12999 @anchor{guix-publish-service-type}
13000 @deffn {Scheme Variable} guix-publish-service-type
13001 This is the service type for @command{guix publish} (@pxref{Invoking
13002 guix publish}). Its value must be a @code{guix-publish-configuration}
13003 object, as described below.
13005 This assumes that @file{/etc/guix} already contains a signing key pair as
13006 created by @command{guix archive --generate-key} (@pxref{Invoking guix
13007 archive}). If that is not the case, the service will fail to start.
13010 @deftp {Data Type} guix-publish-configuration
13011 Data type representing the configuration of the @code{guix publish}
13015 @item @code{guix} (default: @code{guix})
13016 The Guix package to use.
13018 @item @code{port} (default: @code{80})
13019 The TCP port to listen for connections.
13021 @item @code{host} (default: @code{"localhost"})
13022 The host (and thus, network interface) to listen to. Use
13023 @code{"0.0.0.0"} to listen on all the network interfaces.
13025 @item @code{compression} (default: @code{'(("gzip" 3))})
13026 This is a list of compression method/level tuple used when compressing
13027 substitutes. For example, to compress all substitutes with @emph{both} lzip
13028 at level 7 and gzip at level 9, write:
13031 '(("lzip" 7) ("gzip" 9))
13034 Level 9 achieves the best compression ratio at the expense of increased CPU
13035 usage, whereas level 1 achieves fast compression.
13037 An empty list disables compression altogether.
13039 @item @code{nar-path} (default: @code{"nar"})
13040 The URL path at which ``nars'' can be fetched. @xref{Invoking guix
13041 publish, @code{--nar-path}}, for details.
13043 @item @code{cache} (default: @code{#f})
13044 When it is @code{#f}, disable caching and instead generate archives on
13045 demand. Otherwise, this should be the name of a directory---e.g.,
13046 @code{"/var/cache/guix/publish"}---where @command{guix publish} caches
13047 archives and meta-data ready to be sent. @xref{Invoking guix publish,
13048 @option{--cache}}, for more information on the tradeoffs involved.
13050 @item @code{workers} (default: @code{#f})
13051 When it is an integer, this is the number of worker threads used for
13052 caching; when @code{#f}, the number of processors is used.
13053 @xref{Invoking guix publish, @option{--workers}}, for more information.
13055 @item @code{ttl} (default: @code{#f})
13056 When it is an integer, this denotes the @dfn{time-to-live} in seconds
13057 of the published archives. @xref{Invoking guix publish, @option{--ttl}},
13058 for more information.
13062 @anchor{rngd-service}
13063 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} rngd-service [#:rng-tools @var{rng-tools}] @
13064 [#:device "/dev/hwrng"]
13065 Return a service that runs the @command{rngd} program from @var{rng-tools}
13066 to add @var{device} to the kernel's entropy pool. The service will fail if
13067 @var{device} does not exist.
13070 @anchor{pam-limits-service}
13071 @cindex session limits
13076 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} pam-limits-service [#:limits @code{'()}]
13078 Return a service that installs a configuration file for the
13079 @uref{http://linux-pam.org/Linux-PAM-html/sag-pam_limits.html,
13080 @code{pam_limits} module}. The procedure optionally takes a list of
13081 @code{pam-limits-entry} values, which can be used to specify
13082 @code{ulimit} limits and nice priority limits to user sessions.
13084 The following limits definition sets two hard and soft limits for all
13085 login sessions of users in the @code{realtime} group:
13088 (pam-limits-service
13090 (pam-limits-entry "@@realtime" 'both 'rtprio 99)
13091 (pam-limits-entry "@@realtime" 'both 'memlock 'unlimited)))
13094 The first entry increases the maximum realtime priority for
13095 non-privileged processes; the second entry lifts any restriction of the
13096 maximum address space that can be locked in memory. These settings are
13097 commonly used for real-time audio systems.
13100 @node Scheduled Job Execution
13101 @subsection Scheduled Job Execution
13105 @cindex scheduling jobs
13106 The @code{(gnu services mcron)} module provides an interface to
13107 GNU@tie{}mcron, a daemon to run jobs at scheduled times (@pxref{Top,,,
13108 mcron, GNU@tie{}mcron}). GNU@tie{}mcron is similar to the traditional
13109 Unix @command{cron} daemon; the main difference is that it is
13110 implemented in Guile Scheme, which provides a lot of flexibility when
13111 specifying the scheduling of jobs and their actions.
13113 The example below defines an operating system that runs the
13114 @command{updatedb} (@pxref{Invoking updatedb,,, find, Finding Files})
13115 and the @command{guix gc} commands (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}) daily, as
13116 well as the @command{mkid} command on behalf of an unprivileged user
13117 (@pxref{mkid invocation,,, idutils, ID Database Utilities}). It uses
13118 gexps to introduce job definitions that are passed to mcron
13119 (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
13122 (use-modules (guix) (gnu) (gnu services mcron))
13123 (use-package-modules base idutils)
13125 (define updatedb-job
13126 ;; Run 'updatedb' at 3AM every day. Here we write the
13127 ;; job's action as a Scheme procedure.
13128 #~(job '(next-hour '(3))
13130 (execl (string-append #$findutils "/bin/updatedb")
13132 "--prunepaths=/tmp /var/tmp /gnu/store"))))
13134 (define garbage-collector-job
13135 ;; Collect garbage 5 minutes after midnight every day.
13136 ;; The job's action is a shell command.
13137 #~(job "5 0 * * *" ;Vixie cron syntax
13140 (define idutils-job
13141 ;; Update the index database as user "charlie" at 12:15PM
13142 ;; and 19:15PM. This runs from the user's home directory.
13143 #~(job '(next-minute-from (next-hour '(12 19)) '(15))
13144 (string-append #$idutils "/bin/mkid src")
13149 (services (cons (service mcron-service-type
13150 (mcron-configuration
13151 (jobs (list garbage-collector-job
13157 For more complex jobs defined in Scheme where you need control over the top
13158 level, for instance to introduce a @code{use-modules} form, you can move your
13159 code to a separate program using the @code{program-file} procedure of the
13160 @code{(guix gexp)} module (@pxref{G-Expressions}). The example below
13164 (define %battery-alert-job
13165 ;; Beep when the battery percentage falls below %MIN-LEVEL.
13167 '(next-minute (range 0 60 1))
13169 "battery-alert.scm"
13170 (with-imported-modules (source-module-closure
13171 '((guix build utils)))
13173 (define %min-level 20)
13174 (use-modules (guix build utils)
13177 (ice-9 textual-ports)
13179 (setenv "LC_ALL" "C") ;ensure English output
13180 (and-let* ((input-pipe (open-pipe*
13182 #$(file-append acpi "/bin/acpi")))
13183 (output (get-string-all input-pipe))
13184 (m (string-match "Discharging, ([0-9]+)%" output))
13185 (level (string->number (match:substring m 1)))
13186 ((< level %min-level)))
13187 (format #t "warning: Battery level is low (~a%)~%" level)
13188 (invoke #$(file-append beep "/bin/beep") "-r5")))))))
13191 @xref{Guile Syntax, mcron job specifications,, mcron, GNU@tie{}mcron},
13192 for more information on mcron job specifications. Below is the
13193 reference of the mcron service.
13195 On a running system, you can use the @code{schedule} action of the service to
13196 visualize the mcron jobs that will be executed next:
13199 # herd schedule mcron
13203 The example above lists the next five tasks that will be executed, but you can
13204 also specify the number of tasks to display:
13207 # herd schedule mcron 10
13210 @defvr {Scheme Variable} mcron-service-type
13211 This is the type of the @code{mcron} service, whose value is an
13212 @code{mcron-configuration} object.
13214 This service type can be the target of a service extension that provides
13215 it additional job specifications (@pxref{Service Composition}). In
13216 other words, it is possible to define services that provide additional
13220 @deftp {Data Type} mcron-configuration
13221 Data type representing the configuration of mcron.
13224 @item @code{mcron} (default: @var{mcron})
13225 The mcron package to use.
13228 This is a list of gexps (@pxref{G-Expressions}), where each gexp
13229 corresponds to an mcron job specification (@pxref{Syntax, mcron job
13230 specifications,, mcron, GNU@tie{}mcron}).
13236 @subsection Log Rotation
13239 @cindex log rotation
13241 Log files such as those found in @file{/var/log} tend to grow endlessly,
13242 so it's a good idea to @dfn{rotate} them once in a while---i.e., archive
13243 their contents in separate files, possibly compressed. The @code{(gnu
13244 services admin)} module provides an interface to GNU@tie{}Rot[t]log, a
13245 log rotation tool (@pxref{Top,,, rottlog, GNU Rot[t]log Manual}).
13247 This service is part of @code{%base-services}, and thus enabled by
13248 default, with the default settings, for commonly encountered log files.
13249 The example below shows how to extend it with an additional
13250 @dfn{rotation}, should you need to do that (usually, services that
13251 produce log files already take care of that):
13254 (use-modules (guix) (gnu))
13255 (use-service-modules admin)
13257 (define my-log-files
13258 ;; Log files that I want to rotate.
13259 '("/var/log/something.log" "/var/log/another.log"))
13263 (services (cons (simple-service 'rotate-my-stuff
13264 rottlog-service-type
13265 (list (log-rotation
13267 (files my-log-files))))
13271 @defvr {Scheme Variable} rottlog-service-type
13272 This is the type of the Rottlog service, whose value is a
13273 @code{rottlog-configuration} object.
13275 Other services can extend this one with new @code{log-rotation} objects
13276 (see below), thereby augmenting the set of files to be rotated.
13278 This service type can define mcron jobs (@pxref{Scheduled Job
13279 Execution}) to run the rottlog service.
13282 @deftp {Data Type} rottlog-configuration
13283 Data type representing the configuration of rottlog.
13286 @item @code{rottlog} (default: @code{rottlog})
13287 The Rottlog package to use.
13289 @item @code{rc-file} (default: @code{(file-append rottlog "/etc/rc")})
13290 The Rottlog configuration file to use (@pxref{Mandatory RC Variables,,,
13291 rottlog, GNU Rot[t]log Manual}).
13293 @item @code{rotations} (default: @code{%default-rotations})
13294 A list of @code{log-rotation} objects as defined below.
13297 This is a list of gexps where each gexp corresponds to an mcron job
13298 specification (@pxref{Scheduled Job Execution}).
13302 @deftp {Data Type} log-rotation
13303 Data type representing the rotation of a group of log files.
13305 Taking an example from the Rottlog manual (@pxref{Period Related File
13306 Examples,,, rottlog, GNU Rot[t]log Manual}), a log rotation might be
13312 (files '("/var/log/apache/*"))
13313 (options '("storedir apache-archives"
13319 The list of fields is as follows:
13322 @item @code{frequency} (default: @code{'weekly})
13323 The log rotation frequency, a symbol.
13326 The list of files or file glob patterns to rotate.
13328 @item @code{options} (default: @code{'()})
13329 The list of rottlog options for this rotation (@pxref{Configuration
13330 parameters,,, rottlog, GNU Rot[t]lg Manual}).
13332 @item @code{post-rotate} (default: @code{#f})
13333 Either @code{#f} or a gexp to execute once the rotation has completed.
13337 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-rotations
13338 Specifies weekly rotation of @code{%rotated-files} and of
13339 @file{/var/log/guix-daemon.log}.
13342 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %rotated-files
13343 The list of syslog-controlled files to be rotated. By default it is:
13344 @code{'("/var/log/messages" "/var/log/secure" "/var/log/debug" \
13345 "/var/log/maillog")}.
13348 @node Networking Services
13349 @subsection Networking Services
13351 The @code{(gnu services networking)} module provides services to configure
13352 the network interface.
13354 @cindex DHCP, networking service
13355 @defvr {Scheme Variable} dhcp-client-service-type
13356 This is the type of services that run @var{dhcp}, a Dynamic Host Configuration
13357 Protocol (DHCP) client, on all the non-loopback network interfaces. Its value
13358 is the DHCP client package to use, @code{isc-dhcp} by default.
13361 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} dhcpd-service-type
13362 This type defines a service that runs a DHCP daemon. To create a
13363 service of this type, you must supply a @code{<dhcpd-configuration>}.
13367 (service dhcpd-service-type
13368 (dhcpd-configuration
13369 (config-file (local-file "my-dhcpd.conf"))
13370 (interfaces '("enp0s25"))))
13374 @deftp {Data Type} dhcpd-configuration
13376 @item @code{package} (default: @code{isc-dhcp})
13377 The package that provides the DHCP daemon. This package is expected to
13378 provide the daemon at @file{sbin/dhcpd} relative to its output
13379 directory. The default package is the
13380 @uref{https://www.isc.org/products/DHCP, ISC's DHCP server}.
13381 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{#f})
13382 The configuration file to use. This is required. It will be passed to
13383 @code{dhcpd} via its @code{-cf} option. This may be any ``file-like''
13384 object (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like objects}). See @code{man
13385 dhcpd.conf} for details on the configuration file syntax.
13386 @item @code{version} (default: @code{"4"})
13387 The DHCP version to use. The ISC DHCP server supports the values ``4'',
13388 ``6'', and ``4o6''. These correspond to the @code{dhcpd} program
13389 options @code{-4}, @code{-6}, and @code{-4o6}. See @code{man dhcpd} for
13391 @item @code{run-directory} (default: @code{"/run/dhcpd"})
13392 The run directory to use. At service activation time, this directory
13393 will be created if it does not exist.
13394 @item @code{pid-file} (default: @code{"/run/dhcpd/dhcpd.pid"})
13395 The PID file to use. This corresponds to the @code{-pf} option of
13396 @code{dhcpd}. See @code{man dhcpd} for details.
13397 @item @code{interfaces} (default: @code{'()})
13398 The names of the network interfaces on which dhcpd should listen for
13399 broadcasts. If this list is not empty, then its elements (which must be
13400 strings) will be appended to the @code{dhcpd} invocation when starting
13401 the daemon. It may not be necessary to explicitly specify any
13402 interfaces here; see @code{man dhcpd} for details.
13406 @defvr {Scheme Variable} static-networking-service-type
13407 This is the type for statically-configured network interfaces.
13408 @c TODO Document <static-networking> data structures.
13411 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} static-networking-service @var{interface} @var{ip} @
13412 [#:netmask #f] [#:gateway #f] [#:name-servers @code{'()}] @
13413 [#:requirement @code{'(udev)}]
13414 Return a service that starts @var{interface} with address @var{ip}. If
13415 @var{netmask} is true, use it as the network mask. If @var{gateway} is true,
13416 it must be a string specifying the default network gateway. @var{requirement}
13417 can be used to declare a dependency on another service before configuring the
13420 This procedure can be called several times, one for each network
13421 interface of interest. Behind the scenes what it does is extend
13422 @code{static-networking-service-type} with additional network interfaces
13428 (static-networking-service "eno1" "192.168.1.82"
13429 #:gateway "192.168.1.2"
13430 #:name-servers '("192.168.1.2"))
13437 @cindex network management
13438 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} wicd-service [#:wicd @var{wicd}]
13439 Return a service that runs @url{https://launchpad.net/wicd,Wicd}, a network
13440 management daemon that aims to simplify wired and wireless networking.
13442 This service adds the @var{wicd} package to the global profile, providing
13443 several commands to interact with the daemon and configure networking:
13444 @command{wicd-client}, a graphical user interface, and the @command{wicd-cli}
13445 and @command{wicd-curses} user interfaces.
13448 @cindex ModemManager
13450 @defvr {Scheme Variable} modem-manager-service-type
13451 This is the service type for the
13452 @uref{https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/ModemManager, ModemManager}
13453 service. The value for this service type is a
13454 @code{modem-manager-configuration} record.
13456 This service is part of @code{%desktop-services} (@pxref{Desktop
13460 @deftp {Data Type} modem-manager-configuration
13461 Data type representing the configuration of ModemManager.
13464 @item @code{modem-manager} (default: @code{modem-manager})
13465 The ModemManager package to use.
13470 @cindex USB_ModeSwitch
13471 @cindex Modeswitching
13473 @defvr {Scheme Variable} usb-modeswitch-service-type
13474 This is the service type for the
13475 @uref{https://www.draisberghof.de/usb_modeswitch/, USB_ModeSwitch} service. The
13476 value for this service type is a @code{usb-modeswitch-configuration} record.
13478 When plugged in, some USB modems (and other USB devices) initially present
13479 themselves as a read-only storage medium and not as a modem. They need to be
13480 @dfn{modeswitched} before they are usable. The USB_ModeSwitch service type
13481 installs udev rules to automatically modeswitch these devices when they are
13484 This service is part of @code{%desktop-services} (@pxref{Desktop
13488 @deftp {Data Type} usb-modeswitch-configuration
13489 Data type representing the configuration of USB_ModeSwitch.
13492 @item @code{usb-modeswitch} (default: @code{usb-modeswitch})
13493 The USB_ModeSwitch package providing the binaries for modeswitching.
13495 @item @code{usb-modeswitch-data} (default: @code{usb-modeswitch-data})
13496 The package providing the device data and udev rules file used by
13499 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{#~(string-append #$usb-modeswitch:dispatcher "/etc/usb_modeswitch.conf")})
13500 Which config file to use for the USB_ModeSwitch dispatcher. By default the
13501 config file shipped with USB_ModeSwitch is used which disables logging to
13502 @file{/var/log} among other default settings. If set to @code{#f}, no config
13508 @cindex NetworkManager
13510 @defvr {Scheme Variable} network-manager-service-type
13511 This is the service type for the
13512 @uref{https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/NetworkManager, NetworkManager}
13513 service. The value for this service type is a
13514 @code{network-manager-configuration} record.
13516 This service is part of @code{%desktop-services} (@pxref{Desktop
13520 @deftp {Data Type} network-manager-configuration
13521 Data type representing the configuration of NetworkManager.
13524 @item @code{network-manager} (default: @code{network-manager})
13525 The NetworkManager package to use.
13527 @item @code{dns} (default: @code{"default"})
13528 Processing mode for DNS, which affects how NetworkManager uses the
13529 @code{resolv.conf} configuration file.
13533 NetworkManager will update @code{resolv.conf} to reflect the nameservers
13534 provided by currently active connections.
13537 NetworkManager will run @code{dnsmasq} as a local caching nameserver, using a
13538 @dfn{conditional forwarding} configuration if you are connected to a VPN, and
13539 then update @code{resolv.conf} to point to the local nameserver.
13541 With this setting, you can share your network connection. For example when
13542 you want to share your network connection to another laptop @i{via} an
13543 Ethernet cable, you can open @command{nm-connection-editor} and configure the
13544 Wired connection's method for IPv4 and IPv6 to be ``Shared to other computers''
13545 and reestablish the connection (or reboot).
13547 You can also set up a @dfn{host-to-guest connection} to QEMU VMs
13548 (@pxref{Installing Guix in a VM}). With a host-to-guest connection, you can
13549 e.g.@: access a Web server running on the VM (@pxref{Web Services}) from a Web
13550 browser on your host system, or connect to the VM @i{via} SSH
13551 (@pxref{Networking Services, @code{openssh-service-type}}). To set up a
13552 host-to-guest connection, run this command once:
13555 nmcli connection add type tun \
13556 connection.interface-name tap0 \
13557 tun.mode tap tun.owner $(id -u) \
13558 ipv4.method shared \
13559 ipv4.addresses 172.28.112.1/24
13562 Then each time you launch your QEMU VM (@pxref{Running Guix in a VM}), pass
13563 @option{-nic tap,ifname=tap0,script=no,downscript=no} to
13564 @command{qemu-system-...}.
13567 NetworkManager will not modify @code{resolv.conf}.
13570 @item @code{vpn-plugins} (default: @code{'()})
13571 This is the list of available plugins for virtual private networks
13572 (VPNs). An example of this is the @code{network-manager-openvpn}
13573 package, which allows NetworkManager to manage VPNs @i{via} OpenVPN.
13579 @deffn {Scheme Variable} connman-service-type
13580 This is the service type to run @url{https://01.org/connman,Connman},
13581 a network connection manager.
13583 Its value must be an
13584 @code{connman-configuration} record as in this example:
13587 (service connman-service-type
13588 (connman-configuration
13589 (disable-vpn? #t)))
13592 See below for details about @code{connman-configuration}.
13595 @deftp {Data Type} connman-configuration
13596 Data Type representing the configuration of connman.
13599 @item @code{connman} (default: @var{connman})
13600 The connman package to use.
13602 @item @code{disable-vpn?} (default: @code{#f})
13603 When true, disable connman's vpn plugin.
13607 @cindex WPA Supplicant
13608 @defvr {Scheme Variable} wpa-supplicant-service-type
13609 This is the service type to run @url{https://w1.fi/wpa_supplicant/,WPA
13610 supplicant}, an authentication daemon required to authenticate against
13611 encrypted WiFi or ethernet networks.
13614 @deftp {Data Type} wpa-supplicant-configuration
13615 Data type representing the configuration of WPA Supplicant.
13617 It takes the following parameters:
13620 @item @code{wpa-supplicant} (default: @code{wpa-supplicant})
13621 The WPA Supplicant package to use.
13623 @item @code{dbus?} (default: @code{#t})
13624 Whether to listen for requests on D-Bus.
13626 @item @code{pid-file} (default: @code{"/var/run/wpa_supplicant.pid"})
13627 Where to store the PID file.
13629 @item @code{interface} (default: @code{#f})
13630 If this is set, it must specify the name of a network interface that
13631 WPA supplicant will control.
13633 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{#f})
13634 Optional configuration file to use.
13636 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @code{'()})
13637 List of additional command-line arguments to pass to the daemon.
13641 @cindex hostapd service, for Wi-Fi access points
13642 @cindex Wi-Fi access points, hostapd service
13643 @defvr {Scheme Variable} hostapd-service-type
13644 This is the service type to run the @uref{https://w1.fi/hostapd/,
13645 hostapd} daemon to set up WiFi (IEEE 802.11) access points and
13646 authentication servers. Its associated value must be a
13647 @code{hostapd-configuration} as shown below:
13650 ;; Use wlan1 to run the access point for "My Network".
13651 (service hostapd-service-type
13652 (hostapd-configuration
13653 (interface "wlan1")
13654 (ssid "My Network")
13659 @deftp {Data Type} hostapd-configuration
13660 This data type represents the configuration of the hostapd service, with
13661 the following fields:
13664 @item @code{package} (default: @code{hostapd})
13665 The hostapd package to use.
13667 @item @code{interface} (default: @code{"wlan0"})
13668 The network interface to run the WiFi access point.
13671 The SSID (@dfn{service set identifier}), a string that identifies this
13674 @item @code{broadcast-ssid?} (default: @code{#t})
13675 Whether to broadcast this SSID.
13677 @item @code{channel} (default: @code{1})
13678 The WiFi channel to use.
13680 @item @code{driver} (default: @code{"nl80211"})
13681 The driver interface type. @code{"nl80211"} is used with all Linux
13682 mac80211 drivers. Use @code{"none"} if building hostapd as a standalone
13683 RADIUS server that does # not control any wireless/wired driver.
13685 @item @code{extra-settings} (default: @code{""})
13686 Extra settings to append as-is to the hostapd configuration file. See
13687 @uref{https://w1.fi/cgit/hostap/plain/hostapd/hostapd.conf} for the
13688 configuration file reference.
13692 @defvr {Scheme Variable} simulated-wifi-service-type
13693 This is the type of a service to simulate WiFi networking, which can be
13694 useful in virtual machines for testing purposes. The service loads the
13696 @uref{https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/networking/mac80211_hwsim/mac80211_hwsim.html,
13697 @code{mac80211_hwsim} module} and starts hostapd to create a pseudo WiFi
13698 network that can be seen on @code{wlan0}, by default.
13700 The service's value is a @code{hostapd-configuration} record.
13704 @defvr {Scheme Variable} iptables-service-type
13705 This is the service type to set up an iptables configuration. iptables is a
13706 packet filtering framework supported by the Linux kernel. This service
13707 supports configuring iptables for both IPv4 and IPv6. A simple example
13708 configuration rejecting all incoming connections except those to the ssh port
13712 (service iptables-service-type
13713 (iptables-configuration
13714 (ipv4-rules (plain-file "iptables.rules" "*filter
13718 -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT
13719 -A INPUT -j REJECT --reject-with icmp-port-unreachable
13722 (ipv6-rules (plain-file "ip6tables.rules" "*filter
13726 -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT
13727 -A INPUT -j REJECT --reject-with icmp6-port-unreachable
13733 @deftp {Data Type} iptables-configuration
13734 The data type representing the configuration of iptables.
13737 @item @code{iptables} (default: @code{iptables})
13738 The iptables package that provides @code{iptables-restore} and
13739 @code{ip6tables-restore}.
13740 @item @code{ipv4-rules} (default: @code{%iptables-accept-all-rules})
13741 The iptables rules to use. It will be passed to @code{iptables-restore}.
13742 This may be any ``file-like'' object (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like
13744 @item @code{ipv6-rules} (default: @code{%iptables-accept-all-rules})
13745 The ip6tables rules to use. It will be passed to @code{ip6tables-restore}.
13746 This may be any ``file-like'' object (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like
13752 @defvr {Scheme Variable} nftables-service-type
13753 This is the service type to set up a nftables configuration. nftables is a
13754 netfilter project that aims to replace the existing iptables, ip6tables,
13755 arptables and ebtables framework. It provides a new packet filtering
13756 framework, a new user-space utility @command{nft}, and a compatibility layer
13757 for iptables. This service comes with a default ruleset
13758 @code{%default-nftables-ruleset} that rejecting all incomming connections
13759 except those to the ssh port 22. To use it, simply write:
13762 (service nftables-service-type)
13766 @deftp {Data Type} nftables-configuration
13767 The data type representing the configuration of nftables.
13770 @item @code{package} (default: @code{nftables})
13771 The nftables package that provides @command{nft}.
13772 @item @code{ruleset} (default: @code{%default-nftables-ruleset})
13773 The nftables ruleset to use. This may be any ``file-like'' object
13774 (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like objects}).
13778 @cindex NTP (Network Time Protocol), service
13779 @cindex ntpd, service for the Network Time Protocol daemon
13780 @cindex real time clock
13781 @defvr {Scheme Variable} ntp-service-type
13782 This is the type of the service running the @uref{https://www.ntp.org,
13783 Network Time Protocol (NTP)} daemon, @command{ntpd}. The daemon will keep the
13784 system clock synchronized with that of the specified NTP servers.
13786 The value of this service is an @code{ntpd-configuration} object, as described
13790 @deftp {Data Type} ntp-configuration
13791 This is the data type for the NTP service configuration.
13794 @item @code{servers} (default: @code{%ntp-servers})
13795 This is the list of servers (@code{<ntp-server>} records) with which
13796 @command{ntpd} will be synchronized. See the @code{ntp-server} data type
13799 @item @code{allow-large-adjustment?} (default: @code{#t})
13800 This determines whether @command{ntpd} is allowed to make an initial
13801 adjustment of more than 1,000 seconds.
13803 @item @code{ntp} (default: @code{ntp})
13804 The NTP package to use.
13808 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %ntp-servers
13809 List of host names used as the default NTP servers. These are servers of the
13810 @uref{https://www.ntppool.org/en/, NTP Pool Project}.
13813 @deftp {Data Type} ntp-server
13814 The data type representing the configuration of a NTP server.
13817 @item @code{type} (default: @code{'server})
13818 The type of the NTP server, given as a symbol. One of @code{'pool},
13819 @code{'server}, @code{'peer}, @code{'broadcast} or @code{'manycastclient}.
13821 @item @code{address}
13822 The address of the server, as a string.
13824 @item @code{options}
13825 NTPD options to use with that specific server, given as a list of option names
13826 and/or of option names and values tuples. The following example define a server
13827 to use with the options @option{iburst} and @option{prefer}, as well as
13828 @option{version} 3 and a @option{maxpoll} time of 16 seconds.
13833 (address "some.ntp.server.org")
13834 (options `(iburst (version 3) (maxpoll 16) prefer))))
13840 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} openntpd-service-type
13841 Run the @command{ntpd}, the Network Time Protocol (NTP) daemon, as implemented
13842 by @uref{http://www.openntpd.org, OpenNTPD}. The daemon will keep the system
13843 clock synchronized with that of the given servers.
13847 openntpd-service-type
13848 (openntpd-configuration
13849 (listen-on '("127.0.0.1" "::1"))
13850 (sensor '("udcf0 correction 70000"))
13851 (constraint-from '("www.gnu.org"))
13852 (constraints-from '("https://www.google.com/"))
13853 (allow-large-adjustment? #t)))
13858 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %openntpd-servers
13859 This variable is a list of the server addresses defined in
13860 @code{%ntp-servers}.
13863 @deftp {Data Type} openntpd-configuration
13865 @item @code{openntpd} (default: @code{(file-append openntpd "/sbin/ntpd")})
13866 The openntpd executable to use.
13867 @item @code{listen-on} (default: @code{'("127.0.0.1" "::1")})
13868 A list of local IP addresses or hostnames the ntpd daemon should listen on.
13869 @item @code{query-from} (default: @code{'()})
13870 A list of local IP address the ntpd daemon should use for outgoing queries.
13871 @item @code{sensor} (default: @code{'()})
13872 Specify a list of timedelta sensor devices ntpd should use. @code{ntpd}
13873 will listen to each sensor that actually exists and ignore non-existent ones.
13874 See @uref{https://man.openbsd.org/ntpd.conf, upstream documentation} for more
13876 @item @code{server} (default: @code{'()})
13877 Specify a list of IP addresses or hostnames of NTP servers to synchronize to.
13878 @item @code{servers} (default: @code{%openntp-servers})
13879 Specify a list of IP addresses or hostnames of NTP pools to synchronize to.
13880 @item @code{constraint-from} (default: @code{'()})
13881 @code{ntpd} can be configured to query the ‘Date’ from trusted HTTPS servers via TLS.
13882 This time information is not used for precision but acts as an authenticated
13883 constraint, thereby reducing the impact of unauthenticated NTP
13884 man-in-the-middle attacks.
13885 Specify a list of URLs, IP addresses or hostnames of HTTPS servers to provide
13887 @item @code{constraints-from} (default: @code{'()})
13888 As with constraint from, specify a list of URLs, IP addresses or hostnames of
13889 HTTPS servers to provide a constraint. Should the hostname resolve to multiple
13890 IP addresses, @code{ntpd} will calculate a median constraint from all of them.
13891 @item @code{allow-large-adjustment?} (default: @code{#f})
13892 Determines if @code{ntpd} is allowed to make an initial adjustment of more
13898 @deffn {Scheme variable} inetd-service-type
13899 This service runs the @command{inetd} (@pxref{inetd invocation,,,
13900 inetutils, GNU Inetutils}) daemon. @command{inetd} listens for
13901 connections on internet sockets, and lazily starts the specified server
13902 program when a connection is made on one of these sockets.
13904 The value of this service is an @code{inetd-configuration} object. The
13905 following example configures the @command{inetd} daemon to provide the
13906 built-in @command{echo} service, as well as an smtp service which
13907 forwards smtp traffic over ssh to a server @code{smtp-server} behind a
13908 gateway @code{hostname}:
13913 (inetd-configuration
13917 (socket-type 'stream)
13924 (socket-type 'stream)
13928 (program (file-append openssh "/bin/ssh"))
13930 '("ssh" "-qT" "-i" "/path/to/ssh_key"
13931 "-W" "smtp-server:25" "user@@hostname")))))))
13934 See below for more details about @code{inetd-configuration}.
13937 @deftp {Data Type} inetd-configuration
13938 Data type representing the configuration of @command{inetd}.
13941 @item @code{program} (default: @code{(file-append inetutils "/libexec/inetd")})
13942 The @command{inetd} executable to use.
13944 @item @code{entries} (default: @code{'()})
13945 A list of @command{inetd} service entries. Each entry should be created
13946 by the @code{inetd-entry} constructor.
13950 @deftp {Data Type} inetd-entry
13951 Data type representing an entry in the @command{inetd} configuration.
13952 Each entry corresponds to a socket where @command{inetd} will listen for
13956 @item @code{node} (default: @code{#f})
13957 Optional string, a comma-separated list of local addresses
13958 @command{inetd} should use when listening for this service.
13959 @xref{Configuration file,,, inetutils, GNU Inetutils} for a complete
13960 description of all options.
13962 A string, the name must correspond to an entry in @code{/etc/services}.
13963 @item @code{socket-type}
13964 One of @code{'stream}, @code{'dgram}, @code{'raw}, @code{'rdm} or
13966 @item @code{protocol}
13967 A string, must correspond to an entry in @code{/etc/protocols}.
13968 @item @code{wait?} (default: @code{#t})
13969 Whether @command{inetd} should wait for the server to exit before
13970 listening to new service requests.
13972 A string containing the user (and, optionally, group) name of the user
13973 as whom the server should run. The group name can be specified in a
13974 suffix, separated by a colon or period, i.e.@: @code{"user"},
13975 @code{"user:group"} or @code{"user.group"}.
13976 @item @code{program} (default: @code{"internal"})
13977 The server program which will serve the requests, or @code{"internal"}
13978 if @command{inetd} should use a built-in service.
13979 @item @code{arguments} (default: @code{'()})
13980 A list strings or file-like objects, which are the server program's
13981 arguments, starting with the zeroth argument, i.e.@: the name of the
13982 program itself. For @command{inetd}'s internal services, this entry
13983 must be @code{'()} or @code{'("internal")}.
13986 @xref{Configuration file,,, inetutils, GNU Inetutils} for a more
13987 detailed discussion of each configuration field.
13991 @defvr {Scheme Variable} tor-service-type
13992 This is the type for a service that runs the @uref{https://torproject.org,
13993 Tor} anonymous networking daemon. The service is configured using a
13994 @code{<tor-configuration>} record. By default, the Tor daemon runs as the
13995 @code{tor} unprivileged user, which is a member of the @code{tor} group.
13999 @deftp {Data Type} tor-configuration
14001 @item @code{tor} (default: @code{tor})
14002 The package that provides the Tor daemon. This package is expected to provide
14003 the daemon at @file{bin/tor} relative to its output directory. The default
14004 package is the @uref{https://www.torproject.org, Tor Project's}
14007 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{(plain-file "empty" "")})
14008 The configuration file to use. It will be appended to a default configuration
14009 file, and the final configuration file will be passed to @code{tor} via its
14010 @code{-f} option. This may be any ``file-like'' object (@pxref{G-Expressions,
14011 file-like objects}). See @code{man tor} for details on the configuration file
14014 @item @code{hidden-services} (default: @code{'()})
14015 The list of @code{<hidden-service>} records to use. For any hidden service
14016 you include in this list, appropriate configuration to enable the hidden
14017 service will be automatically added to the default configuration file. You
14018 may conveniently create @code{<hidden-service>} records using the
14019 @code{tor-hidden-service} procedure described below.
14021 @item @code{socks-socket-type} (default: @code{'tcp})
14022 The default socket type that Tor should use for its SOCKS socket. This must
14023 be either @code{'tcp} or @code{'unix}. If it is @code{'tcp}, then by default
14024 Tor will listen on TCP port 9050 on the loopback interface (i.e., localhost).
14025 If it is @code{'unix}, then Tor will listen on the UNIX domain socket
14026 @file{/var/run/tor/socks-sock}, which will be made writable by members of the
14029 If you want to customize the SOCKS socket in more detail, leave
14030 @code{socks-socket-type} at its default value of @code{'tcp} and use
14031 @code{config-file} to override the default by providing your own
14032 @code{SocksPort} option.
14036 @cindex hidden service
14037 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} tor-hidden-service @var{name} @var{mapping}
14038 Define a new Tor @dfn{hidden service} called @var{name} and implementing
14039 @var{mapping}. @var{mapping} is a list of port/host tuples, such as:
14042 '((22 "127.0.0.1:22")
14043 (80 "127.0.0.1:8080"))
14046 In this example, port 22 of the hidden service is mapped to local port 22, and
14047 port 80 is mapped to local port 8080.
14049 This creates a @file{/var/lib/tor/hidden-services/@var{name}} directory, where
14050 the @file{hostname} file contains the @code{.onion} host name for the hidden
14053 See @uref{https://www.torproject.org/docs/tor-hidden-service.html.en, the Tor
14054 project's documentation} for more information.
14057 The @code{(gnu services rsync)} module provides the following services:
14059 You might want an rsync daemon if you have files that you want available
14060 so anyone (or just yourself) can download existing files or upload new
14063 @deffn {Scheme Variable} rsync-service-type
14064 This is the service type for the @uref{https://rsync.samba.org, rsync} daemon,
14065 The value for this service type is a
14066 @command{rsync-configuration} record as in this example:
14069 (service rsync-service-type)
14072 See below for details about @code{rsync-configuration}.
14075 @deftp {Data Type} rsync-configuration
14076 Data type representing the configuration for @code{rsync-service}.
14079 @item @code{package} (default: @var{rsync})
14080 @code{rsync} package to use.
14082 @item @code{port-number} (default: @code{873})
14083 TCP port on which @command{rsync} listens for incoming connections. If port
14084 is less than @code{1024} @command{rsync} needs to be started as the
14085 @code{root} user and group.
14087 @item @code{pid-file} (default: @code{"/var/run/rsyncd/rsyncd.pid"})
14088 Name of the file where @command{rsync} writes its PID.
14090 @item @code{lock-file} (default: @code{"/var/run/rsyncd/rsyncd.lock"})
14091 Name of the file where @command{rsync} writes its lock file.
14093 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{"/var/log/rsyncd.log"})
14094 Name of the file where @command{rsync} writes its log file.
14096 @item @code{use-chroot?} (default: @var{#t})
14097 Whether to use chroot for @command{rsync} shared directory.
14099 @item @code{share-path} (default: @file{/srv/rsync})
14100 Location of the @command{rsync} shared directory.
14102 @item @code{share-comment} (default: @code{"Rsync share"})
14103 Comment of the @command{rsync} shared directory.
14105 @item @code{read-only?} (default: @var{#f})
14106 Read-write permissions to shared directory.
14108 @item @code{timeout} (default: @code{300})
14109 I/O timeout in seconds.
14111 @item @code{user} (default: @var{"root"})
14112 Owner of the @code{rsync} process.
14114 @item @code{group} (default: @var{"root"})
14115 Group of the @code{rsync} process.
14117 @item @code{uid} (default: @var{"rsyncd"})
14118 User name or user ID that file transfers to and from that module should take
14119 place as when the daemon was run as @code{root}.
14121 @item @code{gid} (default: @var{"rsyncd"})
14122 Group name or group ID that will be used when accessing the module.
14127 Furthermore, @code{(gnu services ssh)} provides the following services.
14131 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} lsh-service [#:host-key "/etc/lsh/host-key"] @
14132 [#:daemonic? #t] [#:interfaces '()] [#:port-number 22] @
14133 [#:allow-empty-passwords? #f] [#:root-login? #f] @
14134 [#:syslog-output? #t] [#:x11-forwarding? #t] @
14135 [#:tcp/ip-forwarding? #t] [#:password-authentication? #t] @
14136 [#:public-key-authentication? #t] [#:initialize? #t]
14137 Run the @command{lshd} program from @var{lsh} to listen on port @var{port-number}.
14138 @var{host-key} must designate a file containing the host key, and readable
14141 When @var{daemonic?} is true, @command{lshd} will detach from the
14142 controlling terminal and log its output to syslogd, unless one sets
14143 @var{syslog-output?} to false. Obviously, it also makes lsh-service
14144 depend on existence of syslogd service. When @var{pid-file?} is true,
14145 @command{lshd} writes its PID to the file called @var{pid-file}.
14147 When @var{initialize?} is true, automatically create the seed and host key
14148 upon service activation if they do not exist yet. This may take long and
14149 require interaction.
14151 When @var{initialize?} is false, it is up to the user to initialize the
14152 randomness generator (@pxref{lsh-make-seed,,, lsh, LSH Manual}), and to create
14153 a key pair with the private key stored in file @var{host-key} (@pxref{lshd
14154 basics,,, lsh, LSH Manual}).
14156 When @var{interfaces} is empty, lshd listens for connections on all the
14157 network interfaces; otherwise, @var{interfaces} must be a list of host names
14160 @var{allow-empty-passwords?} specifies whether to accept log-ins with empty
14161 passwords, and @var{root-login?} specifies whether to accept log-ins as
14164 The other options should be self-descriptive.
14169 @deffn {Scheme Variable} openssh-service-type
14170 This is the type for the @uref{http://www.openssh.org, OpenSSH} secure
14171 shell daemon, @command{sshd}. Its value must be an
14172 @code{openssh-configuration} record as in this example:
14175 (service openssh-service-type
14176 (openssh-configuration
14177 (x11-forwarding? #t)
14178 (permit-root-login 'without-password)
14180 `(("alice" ,(local-file "alice.pub"))
14181 ("bob" ,(local-file "bob.pub"))))))
14184 See below for details about @code{openssh-configuration}.
14186 This service can be extended with extra authorized keys, as in this
14190 (service-extension openssh-service-type
14191 (const `(("charlie"
14192 ,(local-file "charlie.pub")))))
14196 @deftp {Data Type} openssh-configuration
14197 This is the configuration record for OpenSSH's @command{sshd}.
14200 @item @code{pid-file} (default: @code{"/var/run/sshd.pid"})
14201 Name of the file where @command{sshd} writes its PID.
14203 @item @code{port-number} (default: @code{22})
14204 TCP port on which @command{sshd} listens for incoming connections.
14206 @item @code{permit-root-login} (default: @code{#f})
14207 This field determines whether and when to allow logins as root. If
14208 @code{#f}, root logins are disallowed; if @code{#t}, they are allowed.
14209 If it's the symbol @code{'without-password}, then root logins are
14210 permitted but not with password-based authentication.
14212 @item @code{allow-empty-passwords?} (default: @code{#f})
14213 When true, users with empty passwords may log in. When false, they may
14216 @item @code{password-authentication?} (default: @code{#t})
14217 When true, users may log in with their password. When false, they have
14218 other authentication methods.
14220 @item @code{public-key-authentication?} (default: @code{#t})
14221 When true, users may log in using public key authentication. When
14222 false, users have to use other authentication method.
14224 Authorized public keys are stored in @file{~/.ssh/authorized_keys}.
14225 This is used only by protocol version 2.
14227 @item @code{x11-forwarding?} (default: @code{#f})
14228 When true, forwarding of X11 graphical client connections is
14229 enabled---in other words, @command{ssh} options @option{-X} and
14230 @option{-Y} will work.
14232 @item @code{allow-agent-forwarding?} (default: @code{#t})
14233 Whether to allow agent forwarding.
14235 @item @code{allow-tcp-forwarding?} (default: @code{#t})
14236 Whether to allow TCP forwarding.
14238 @item @code{gateway-ports?} (default: @code{#f})
14239 Whether to allow gateway ports.
14241 @item @code{challenge-response-authentication?} (default: @code{#f})
14242 Specifies whether challenge response authentication is allowed (e.g.@: via
14245 @item @code{use-pam?} (default: @code{#t})
14246 Enables the Pluggable Authentication Module interface. If set to
14247 @code{#t}, this will enable PAM authentication using
14248 @code{challenge-response-authentication?} and
14249 @code{password-authentication?}, in addition to PAM account and session
14250 module processing for all authentication types.
14252 Because PAM challenge response authentication usually serves an
14253 equivalent role to password authentication, you should disable either
14254 @code{challenge-response-authentication?} or
14255 @code{password-authentication?}.
14257 @item @code{print-last-log?} (default: @code{#t})
14258 Specifies whether @command{sshd} should print the date and time of the
14259 last user login when a user logs in interactively.
14261 @item @code{subsystems} (default: @code{'(("sftp" "internal-sftp"))})
14262 Configures external subsystems (e.g.@: file transfer daemon).
14264 This is a list of two-element lists, each of which containing the
14265 subsystem name and a command (with optional arguments) to execute upon
14268 The command @command{internal-sftp} implements an in-process SFTP
14269 server. Alternately, one can specify the @command{sftp-server} command:
14271 (service openssh-service-type
14272 (openssh-configuration
14274 `(("sftp" ,(file-append openssh "/libexec/sftp-server"))))))
14277 @item @code{accepted-environment} (default: @code{'()})
14278 List of strings describing which environment variables may be exported.
14280 Each string gets on its own line. See the @code{AcceptEnv} option in
14281 @code{man sshd_config}.
14283 This example allows ssh-clients to export the @code{COLORTERM} variable.
14284 It is set by terminal emulators, which support colors. You can use it in
14285 your shell's resource file to enable colors for the prompt and commands
14286 if this variable is set.
14289 (service openssh-service-type
14290 (openssh-configuration
14291 (accepted-environment '("COLORTERM"))))
14294 @item @code{authorized-keys} (default: @code{'()})
14295 @cindex authorized keys, SSH
14296 @cindex SSH authorized keys
14297 This is the list of authorized keys. Each element of the list is a user
14298 name followed by one or more file-like objects that represent SSH public
14302 (openssh-configuration
14304 `(("rekado" ,(local-file "rekado.pub"))
14305 ("chris" ,(local-file "chris.pub"))
14306 ("root" ,(local-file "rekado.pub") ,(local-file "chris.pub")))))
14310 registers the specified public keys for user accounts @code{rekado},
14311 @code{chris}, and @code{root}.
14313 Additional authorized keys can be specified @i{via}
14314 @code{service-extension}.
14316 Note that this does @emph{not} interfere with the use of
14317 @file{~/.ssh/authorized_keys}.
14319 @item @code{log-level} (default: @code{'info})
14320 This is a symbol specifying the logging level: @code{quiet}, @code{fatal},
14321 @code{error}, @code{info}, @code{verbose}, @code{debug}, etc. See the man
14322 page for @file{sshd_config} for the full list of level names.
14324 @item @code{extra-content} (default: @code{""})
14325 This field can be used to append arbitrary text to the configuration file. It
14326 is especially useful for elaborate configurations that cannot be expressed
14327 otherwise. This configuration, for example, would generally disable root
14328 logins, but permit them from one specific IP address:
14331 (openssh-configuration
14333 Match Address 192.168.0.1
14334 PermitRootLogin yes"))
14340 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} dropbear-service [@var{config}]
14341 Run the @uref{https://matt.ucc.asn.au/dropbear/dropbear.html,Dropbear SSH
14342 daemon} with the given @var{config}, a @code{<dropbear-configuration>}
14345 For example, to specify a Dropbear service listening on port 1234, add
14346 this call to the operating system's @code{services} field:
14349 (dropbear-service (dropbear-configuration
14350 (port-number 1234)))
14354 @deftp {Data Type} dropbear-configuration
14355 This data type represents the configuration of a Dropbear SSH daemon.
14358 @item @code{dropbear} (default: @var{dropbear})
14359 The Dropbear package to use.
14361 @item @code{port-number} (default: 22)
14362 The TCP port where the daemon waits for incoming connections.
14364 @item @code{syslog-output?} (default: @code{#t})
14365 Whether to enable syslog output.
14367 @item @code{pid-file} (default: @code{"/var/run/dropbear.pid"})
14368 File name of the daemon's PID file.
14370 @item @code{root-login?} (default: @code{#f})
14371 Whether to allow @code{root} logins.
14373 @item @code{allow-empty-passwords?} (default: @code{#f})
14374 Whether to allow empty passwords.
14376 @item @code{password-authentication?} (default: @code{#t})
14377 Whether to enable password-based authentication.
14381 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %facebook-host-aliases
14382 This variable contains a string for use in @file{/etc/hosts}
14383 (@pxref{Host Names,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}). Each
14384 line contains a entry that maps a known server name of the Facebook
14385 on-line service---e.g., @code{www.facebook.com}---to the local
14386 host---@code{127.0.0.1} or its IPv6 equivalent, @code{::1}.
14388 This variable is typically used in the @code{hosts-file} field of an
14389 @code{operating-system} declaration (@pxref{operating-system Reference,
14390 @file{/etc/hosts}}):
14393 (use-modules (gnu) (guix))
14396 (host-name "mymachine")
14399 ;; Create a /etc/hosts file with aliases for "localhost"
14400 ;; and "mymachine", as well as for Facebook servers.
14401 (plain-file "hosts"
14402 (string-append (local-host-aliases host-name)
14403 %facebook-host-aliases))))
14406 This mechanism can prevent programs running locally, such as Web
14407 browsers, from accessing Facebook.
14410 The @code{(gnu services avahi)} provides the following definition.
14412 @defvr {Scheme Variable} avahi-service-type
14413 This is the service that runs @command{avahi-daemon}, a system-wide
14414 mDNS/DNS-SD responder that allows for service discovery and
14415 ``zero-configuration'' host name lookups (see @uref{https://avahi.org/}).
14416 Its value must be a @code{zero-configuration} record---see below.
14418 This service extends the name service cache daemon (nscd) so that it can
14419 resolve @code{.local} host names using
14420 @uref{https://0pointer.de/lennart/projects/nss-mdns/, nss-mdns}. @xref{Name
14421 Service Switch}, for information on host name resolution.
14423 Additionally, add the @var{avahi} package to the system profile so that
14424 commands such as @command{avahi-browse} are directly usable.
14427 @deftp {Data Type} avahi-configuration
14428 Data type representation the configuration for Avahi.
14432 @item @code{host-name} (default: @code{#f})
14433 If different from @code{#f}, use that as the host name to
14434 publish for this machine; otherwise, use the machine's actual host name.
14436 @item @code{publish?} (default: @code{#t})
14437 When true, allow host names and services to be published (broadcast) over the
14440 @item @code{publish-workstation?} (default: @code{#t})
14441 When true, @command{avahi-daemon} publishes the machine's host name and IP
14442 address via mDNS on the local network. To view the host names published on
14443 your local network, you can run:
14446 avahi-browse _workstation._tcp
14449 @item @code{wide-area?} (default: @code{#f})
14450 When true, DNS-SD over unicast DNS is enabled.
14452 @item @code{ipv4?} (default: @code{#t})
14453 @itemx @code{ipv6?} (default: @code{#t})
14454 These fields determine whether to use IPv4/IPv6 sockets.
14456 @item @code{domains-to-browse} (default: @code{'()})
14457 This is a list of domains to browse.
14461 @deffn {Scheme Variable} openvswitch-service-type
14462 This is the type of the @uref{https://www.openvswitch.org, Open vSwitch}
14463 service, whose value should be an @code{openvswitch-configuration}
14467 @deftp {Data Type} openvswitch-configuration
14468 Data type representing the configuration of Open vSwitch, a multilayer
14469 virtual switch which is designed to enable massive network automation
14470 through programmatic extension.
14473 @item @code{package} (default: @var{openvswitch})
14474 Package object of the Open vSwitch.
14479 @defvr {Scheme Variable} pagekite-service-type
14480 This is the service type for the @uref{https://pagekite.net, PageKite} service,
14481 a tunneling solution for making localhost servers publicly visible, even from
14482 behind restrictive firewalls or NAT without forwarded ports. The value for
14483 this service type is a @code{pagekite-configuration} record.
14485 Here's an example exposing the local HTTP and SSH daemons:
14488 (service pagekite-service-type
14489 (pagekite-configuration
14490 (kites '("http:@@kitename:localhost:80:@@kitesecret"
14491 "raw/22:@@kitename:localhost:22:@@kitesecret"))
14492 (extra-file "/etc/pagekite.rc")))
14496 @deftp {Data Type} pagekite-configuration
14497 Data type representing the configuration of PageKite.
14500 @item @code{package} (default: @var{pagekite})
14501 Package object of PageKite.
14503 @item @code{kitename} (default: @code{#f})
14504 PageKite name for authenticating to the frontend server.
14506 @item @code{kitesecret} (default: @code{#f})
14507 Shared secret for authenticating to the frontend server. You should probably
14508 put this inside @code{extra-file} instead.
14510 @item @code{frontend} (default: @code{#f})
14511 Connect to the named PageKite frontend server instead of the
14512 @uref{https://pagekite.net,,pagekite.net} service.
14514 @item @code{kites} (default: @code{'("http:@@kitename:localhost:80:@@kitesecret")})
14515 List of service kites to use. Exposes HTTP on port 80 by default. The format
14516 is @code{proto:kitename:host:port:secret}.
14518 @item @code{extra-file} (default: @code{#f})
14519 Extra configuration file to read, which you are expected to create manually.
14520 Use this to add additional options and manage shared secrets out-of-band.
14526 @subsection X Window
14529 @cindex X Window System
14530 @cindex login manager
14531 Support for the X Window graphical display system---specifically
14532 Xorg---is provided by the @code{(gnu services xorg)} module. Note that
14533 there is no @code{xorg-service} procedure. Instead, the X server is
14534 started by the @dfn{login manager}, by default the GNOME Display Manager (GDM).
14537 @cindex GNOME, login manager
14538 GDM of course allows users to log in into window managers and desktop
14539 environments other than GNOME; for those using GNOME, GDM is required for
14540 features such as automatic screen locking.
14542 @cindex window manager
14543 To use X11, you must install at least one @dfn{window manager}---for
14544 example the @code{windowmaker} or @code{openbox} packages---preferably
14545 by adding it to the @code{packages} field of your operating system
14546 definition (@pxref{operating-system Reference, system-wide packages}).
14548 @defvr {Scheme Variable} gdm-service-type
14549 This is the type for the @uref{https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GDM/, GNOME
14550 Desktop Manager} (GDM), a program that manages graphical display servers and
14551 handles graphical user logins. Its value must be a @code{gdm-configuration}
14554 @cindex session types (X11)
14555 @cindex X11 session types
14556 GDM looks for @dfn{session types} described by the @file{.desktop} files in
14557 @file{/run/current-system/profile/share/xsessions} and allows users to choose
14558 a session from the log-in screen. Packages such as @code{gnome}, @code{xfce},
14559 and @code{i3} provide @file{.desktop} files; adding them to the system-wide
14560 set of packages automatically makes them available at the log-in screen.
14562 In addition, @file{~/.xsession} files are honored. When available,
14563 @file{~/.xsession} must be an executable that starts a window manager
14564 and/or other X clients.
14567 @deftp {Data Type} gdm-configuration
14569 @item @code{auto-login?} (default: @code{#f})
14570 @itemx @code{default-user} (default: @code{#f})
14571 When @code{auto-login?} is false, GDM presents a log-in screen.
14573 When @code{auto-login?} is true, GDM logs in directly as
14574 @code{default-user}.
14576 @item @code{debug?} (default: @code{#f})
14577 When true, GDM writes debug messages to its log.
14579 @item @code{gnome-shell-assets} (default: ...)
14580 List of GNOME Shell assets needed by GDM: icon theme, fonts, etc.
14582 @item @code{xorg-configuration} (default: @code{(xorg-configuration)})
14583 Configuration of the Xorg graphical server.
14585 @item @code{xsession} (default: @code{(xinitrc)})
14586 Script to run before starting a X session.
14588 @item @code{dbus-daemon} (default: @code{dbus-daemon-wrapper})
14589 File name of the @code{dbus-daemon} executable.
14591 @item @code{gdm} (default: @code{gdm})
14592 The GDM package to use.
14596 @defvr {Scheme Variable} slim-service-type
14597 This is the type for the SLiM graphical login manager for X11.
14599 Like GDM, SLiM looks for session types described by @file{.desktop} files and
14600 allows users to choose a session from the log-in screen using @kbd{F1}. It
14601 also honors @file{~/.xsession} files.
14603 Unlike GDM, SLiM does not spawn the user session on a different VT after
14604 logging in, which means that you can only start one graphical session. If you
14605 want to be able to run multiple graphical sessions at the same time you have
14606 to add multiple SLiM services to your system services. The following example
14607 shows how to replace the default GDM service with two SLiM services on tty7
14611 (use-modules (gnu services)
14612 (gnu services desktop)
14613 (gnu services xorg)
14614 (srfi srfi-1)) ;for 'remove'
14618 (services (cons* (service slim-service-type (slim-configuration
14621 (service slim-service-type (slim-configuration
14624 (remove (lambda (service)
14625 (eq? (service-kind service) gdm-service-type))
14626 %desktop-services))))
14631 @deftp {Data Type} slim-configuration
14632 Data type representing the configuration of @code{slim-service-type}.
14635 @item @code{allow-empty-passwords?} (default: @code{#t})
14636 Whether to allow logins with empty passwords.
14638 @item @code{auto-login?} (default: @code{#f})
14639 @itemx @code{default-user} (default: @code{""})
14640 When @code{auto-login?} is false, SLiM presents a log-in screen.
14642 When @code{auto-login?} is true, SLiM logs in directly as
14643 @code{default-user}.
14645 @item @code{theme} (default: @code{%default-slim-theme})
14646 @itemx @code{theme-name} (default: @code{%default-slim-theme-name})
14647 The graphical theme to use and its name.
14649 @item @code{auto-login-session} (default: @code{#f})
14650 If true, this must be the name of the executable to start as the default
14651 session---e.g., @code{(file-append windowmaker "/bin/windowmaker")}.
14653 If false, a session described by one of the available @file{.desktop}
14654 files in @code{/run/current-system/profile} and @code{~/.guix-profile}
14658 You must install at least one window manager in the system profile or in
14659 your user profile. Failing to do that, if @code{auto-login-session} is
14660 false, you will be unable to log in.
14663 @item @code{xorg-configuration} (default @code{(xorg-configuration)})
14664 Configuration of the Xorg graphical server.
14666 @item @code{display} (default @code{":0"})
14667 The display on which to start the Xorg graphical server.
14669 @item @code{vt} (default @code{"vt7"})
14670 The VT on which to start the Xorg graphical server.
14672 @item @code{xauth} (default: @code{xauth})
14673 The XAuth package to use.
14675 @item @code{shepherd} (default: @code{shepherd})
14676 The Shepherd package used when invoking @command{halt} and
14679 @item @code{sessreg} (default: @code{sessreg})
14680 The sessreg package used in order to register the session.
14682 @item @code{slim} (default: @code{slim})
14683 The SLiM package to use.
14687 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-theme
14688 @defvrx {Scheme Variable} %default-theme-name
14689 The default SLiM theme and its name.
14693 @deftp {Data Type} sddm-configuration
14694 This is the data type representing the sddm service configuration.
14697 @item @code{display-server} (default: "x11")
14698 Select display server to use for the greeter. Valid values are "x11"
14701 @item @code{numlock} (default: "on")
14702 Valid values are "on", "off" or "none".
14704 @item @code{halt-command} (default @code{#~(string-apppend #$shepherd "/sbin/halt")})
14705 Command to run when halting.
14707 @item @code{reboot-command} (default @code{#~(string-append #$shepherd "/sbin/reboot")})
14708 Command to run when rebooting.
14710 @item @code{theme} (default "maldives")
14711 Theme to use. Default themes provided by SDDM are "elarun", "maldives" or "maya".
14713 @item @code{themes-directory} (default "/run/current-system/profile/share/sddm/themes")
14714 Directory to look for themes.
14716 @item @code{faces-directory} (default "/run/current-system/profile/share/sddm/faces")
14717 Directory to look for faces.
14719 @item @code{default-path} (default "/run/current-system/profile/bin")
14720 Default PATH to use.
14722 @item @code{minimum-uid} (default: 1000)
14723 Minimum UID displayed in SDDM and allowed for log-in.
14725 @item @code{maximum-uid} (default: 2000)
14726 Maximum UID to display in SDDM.
14728 @item @code{remember-last-user?} (default #t)
14729 Remember last user.
14731 @item @code{remember-last-session?} (default #t)
14732 Remember last session.
14734 @item @code{hide-users} (default "")
14735 Usernames to hide from SDDM greeter.
14737 @item @code{hide-shells} (default @code{#~(string-append #$shadow "/sbin/nologin")})
14738 Users with shells listed will be hidden from the SDDM greeter.
14740 @item @code{session-command} (default @code{#~(string-append #$sddm "/share/sddm/scripts/wayland-session")})
14741 Script to run before starting a wayland session.
14743 @item @code{sessions-directory} (default "/run/current-system/profile/share/wayland-sessions")
14744 Directory to look for desktop files starting wayland sessions.
14746 @item @code{xorg-configuration} (default @code{(xorg-configuration)})
14747 Configuration of the Xorg graphical server.
14749 @item @code{xauth-path} (default @code{#~(string-append #$xauth "/bin/xauth")})
14752 @item @code{xephyr-path} (default @code{#~(string-append #$xorg-server "/bin/Xephyr")})
14755 @item @code{xdisplay-start} (default @code{#~(string-append #$sddm "/share/sddm/scripts/Xsetup")})
14756 Script to run after starting xorg-server.
14758 @item @code{xdisplay-stop} (default @code{#~(string-append #$sddm "/share/sddm/scripts/Xstop")})
14759 Script to run before stopping xorg-server.
14761 @item @code{xsession-command} (default: @code{xinitrc})
14762 Script to run before starting a X session.
14764 @item @code{xsessions-directory} (default: "/run/current-system/profile/share/xsessions")
14765 Directory to look for desktop files starting X sessions.
14767 @item @code{minimum-vt} (default: 7)
14770 @item @code{auto-login-user} (default "")
14771 User to use for auto-login.
14773 @item @code{auto-login-session} (default "")
14774 Desktop file to use for auto-login.
14776 @item @code{relogin?} (default #f)
14777 Relogin after logout.
14782 @cindex login manager
14784 @defvr {Scheme Variable} sddm-service-type
14785 This is the type of the service to run the
14786 @uref{https://github.com/sddm/sddm,SDDM display manager}. Its value
14787 must be a @code{sddm-configuration} record (see below).
14789 Here's an example use:
14792 (service sddm-service-type
14793 (sddm-configuration
14794 (auto-login-user "alice")
14795 (auto-login-session "xfce.desktop")))
14799 @deftp {Data Type} sddm-configuration
14800 This data type represents the configuration of the SDDM login manager.
14801 The available fields are:
14804 @item @code{sddm} (default: @code{sddm})
14805 The SDDM package to use.
14807 @item @code{display-server} (default: @code{"x11"})
14808 This must be either @code{"x11"} or @code{"wayland"}.
14810 @c FIXME: Add more fields.
14812 @item @code{auto-login-user} (default: @code{""})
14813 If non-empty, this is the user account under which to log in
14816 @item @code{auto-login-session} (default: @code{""})
14817 If non-empty, this is the @file{.desktop} file name to use as the
14818 auto-login session.
14822 @cindex Xorg, configuration
14823 @deftp {Data Type} xorg-configuration
14824 This data type represents the configuration of the Xorg graphical display
14825 server. Note that there is not Xorg service; instead, the X server is started
14826 by a ``display manager'' such as GDM, SDDM, and SLiM. Thus, the configuration
14827 of these display managers aggregates an @code{xorg-configuration} record.
14830 @item @code{modules} (default: @code{%default-xorg-modules})
14831 This is a list of @dfn{module packages} loaded by the Xorg
14832 server---e.g., @code{xf86-video-vesa}, @code{xf86-input-keyboard}, and so on.
14834 @item @code{fonts} (default: @code{%default-xorg-fonts})
14835 This is a list of font directories to add to the server's @dfn{font path}.
14837 @item @code{drivers} (default: @code{'()})
14838 This must be either the empty list, in which case Xorg chooses a graphics
14839 driver automatically, or a list of driver names that will be tried in this
14840 order---e.g., @code{("modesetting" "vesa")}.
14842 @item @code{resolutions} (default: @code{'()})
14843 When @code{resolutions} is the empty list, Xorg chooses an appropriate screen
14844 resolution. Otherwise, it must be a list of resolutions---e.g., @code{((1024
14847 @cindex keyboard layout, for Xorg
14848 @cindex keymap, for Xorg
14849 @item @code{keyboard-layout} (default: @code{#f})
14850 If this is @code{#f}, Xorg uses the default keyboard layout---usually US
14851 English (``qwerty'') for a 105-key PC keyboard.
14853 Otherwise this must be a @code{keyboard-layout} object specifying the keyboard
14854 layout in use when Xorg is running. @xref{Keyboard Layout}, for more
14855 information on how to specify the keyboard layout.
14857 @item @code{extra-config} (default: @code{'()})
14858 This is a list of strings or objects appended to the configuration file. It
14859 is used to pass extra text to be added verbatim to the configuration file.
14861 @item @code{server} (default: @code{xorg-server})
14862 This is the package providing the Xorg server.
14864 @item @code{server-arguments} (default: @code{%default-xorg-server-arguments})
14865 This is the list of command-line arguments to pass to the X server. The
14866 default is @code{-nolisten tcp}.
14870 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} set-xorg-configuration @var{config} @
14871 [@var{login-manager-service-type}]
14872 Tell the log-in manager (of type @var{login-manager-service-type}) to use
14873 @var{config}, an @code{<xorg-configuration>} record.
14875 Since the Xorg configuration is embedded in the log-in manager's
14876 configuration---e.g., @code{gdm-configuration}---this procedure provides a
14877 shorthand to set the Xorg configuration.
14880 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} xorg-start-command [@var{config}]
14881 Return a @code{startx} script in which the modules, fonts, etc. specified
14882 in @var{config}, are available. The result should be used in place of
14885 Usually the X server is started by a login manager.
14889 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} screen-locker-service @var{package} [@var{program}]
14890 Add @var{package}, a package for a screen locker or screen saver whose
14891 command is @var{program}, to the set of setuid programs and add a PAM entry
14892 for it. For example:
14895 (screen-locker-service xlockmore "xlock")
14898 makes the good ol' XlockMore usable.
14902 @node Printing Services
14903 @subsection Printing Services
14905 @cindex printer support with CUPS
14906 The @code{(gnu services cups)} module provides a Guix service definition
14907 for the CUPS printing service. To add printer support to a Guix
14908 system, add a @code{cups-service} to the operating system definition:
14910 @deffn {Scheme Variable} cups-service-type
14911 The service type for the CUPS print server. Its value should be a valid
14912 CUPS configuration (see below). To use the default settings, simply
14915 (service cups-service-type)
14919 The CUPS configuration controls the basic things about your CUPS
14920 installation: what interfaces it listens on, what to do if a print job
14921 fails, how much logging to do, and so on. To actually add a printer,
14922 you have to visit the @url{http://localhost:631} URL, or use a tool such
14923 as GNOME's printer configuration services. By default, configuring a
14924 CUPS service will generate a self-signed certificate if needed, for
14925 secure connections to the print server.
14927 Suppose you want to enable the Web interface of CUPS and also add
14928 support for Epson printers @i{via} the @code{escpr} package and for HP
14929 printers @i{via} the @code{hplip-minimal} package. You can do that directly,
14930 like this (you need to use the @code{(gnu packages cups)} module):
14933 (service cups-service-type
14934 (cups-configuration
14935 (web-interface? #t)
14937 (list cups-filters escpr hplip-minimal))))
14940 Note: If you wish to use the Qt5 based GUI which comes with the hplip
14941 package then it is suggested that you install the @code{hplip} package,
14942 either in your OS configuration file or as your user.
14944 The available configuration parameters follow. Each parameter
14945 definition is preceded by its type; for example, @samp{string-list foo}
14946 indicates that the @code{foo} parameter should be specified as a list of
14947 strings. There is also a way to specify the configuration as a string,
14948 if you have an old @code{cupsd.conf} file that you want to port over
14949 from some other system; see the end for more details.
14951 @c The following documentation was initially generated by
14952 @c (generate-documentation) in (gnu services cups). Manually maintained
14953 @c documentation is better, so we shouldn't hesitate to edit below as
14954 @c needed. However if the change you want to make to this documentation
14955 @c can be done in an automated way, it's probably easier to change
14956 @c (generate-documentation) than to make it below and have to deal with
14957 @c the churn as CUPS updates.
14960 Available @code{cups-configuration} fields are:
14962 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} package cups
14966 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} package-list extensions
14967 Drivers and other extensions to the CUPS package.
14970 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} files-configuration files-configuration
14971 Configuration of where to write logs, what directories to use for print
14972 spools, and related privileged configuration parameters.
14974 Available @code{files-configuration} fields are:
14976 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} log-location access-log
14977 Defines the access log filename. Specifying a blank filename disables
14978 access log generation. The value @code{stderr} causes log entries to be
14979 sent to the standard error file when the scheduler is running in the
14980 foreground, or to the system log daemon when run in the background. The
14981 value @code{syslog} causes log entries to be sent to the system log
14982 daemon. The server name may be included in filenames using the string
14983 @code{%s}, as in @code{/var/log/cups/%s-access_log}.
14985 Defaults to @samp{"/var/log/cups/access_log"}.
14988 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} file-name cache-dir
14989 Where CUPS should cache data.
14991 Defaults to @samp{"/var/cache/cups"}.
14994 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string config-file-perm
14995 Specifies the permissions for all configuration files that the scheduler
14998 Note that the permissions for the printers.conf file are currently
14999 masked to only allow access from the scheduler user (typically root).
15000 This is done because printer device URIs sometimes contain sensitive
15001 authentication information that should not be generally known on the
15002 system. There is no way to disable this security feature.
15004 Defaults to @samp{"0640"}.
15007 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} log-location error-log
15008 Defines the error log filename. Specifying a blank filename disables
15009 error log generation. The value @code{stderr} causes log entries to be
15010 sent to the standard error file when the scheduler is running in the
15011 foreground, or to the system log daemon when run in the background. The
15012 value @code{syslog} causes log entries to be sent to the system log
15013 daemon. The server name may be included in filenames using the string
15014 @code{%s}, as in @code{/var/log/cups/%s-error_log}.
15016 Defaults to @samp{"/var/log/cups/error_log"}.
15019 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string fatal-errors
15020 Specifies which errors are fatal, causing the scheduler to exit. The
15025 No errors are fatal.
15028 All of the errors below are fatal.
15031 Browsing initialization errors are fatal, for example failed connections
15032 to the DNS-SD daemon.
15035 Configuration file syntax errors are fatal.
15038 Listen or Port errors are fatal, except for IPv6 failures on the
15039 loopback or @code{any} addresses.
15042 Log file creation or write errors are fatal.
15045 Bad startup file permissions are fatal, for example shared TLS
15046 certificate and key files with world-read permissions.
15049 Defaults to @samp{"all -browse"}.
15052 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} boolean file-device?
15053 Specifies whether the file pseudo-device can be used for new printer
15054 queues. The URI @uref{file:///dev/null} is always allowed.
15056 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15059 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string group
15060 Specifies the group name or ID that will be used when executing external
15063 Defaults to @samp{"lp"}.
15066 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string log-file-perm
15067 Specifies the permissions for all log files that the scheduler writes.
15069 Defaults to @samp{"0644"}.
15072 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} log-location page-log
15073 Defines the page log filename. Specifying a blank filename disables
15074 page log generation. The value @code{stderr} causes log entries to be
15075 sent to the standard error file when the scheduler is running in the
15076 foreground, or to the system log daemon when run in the background. The
15077 value @code{syslog} causes log entries to be sent to the system log
15078 daemon. The server name may be included in filenames using the string
15079 @code{%s}, as in @code{/var/log/cups/%s-page_log}.
15081 Defaults to @samp{"/var/log/cups/page_log"}.
15084 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string remote-root
15085 Specifies the username that is associated with unauthenticated accesses
15086 by clients claiming to be the root user. The default is @code{remroot}.
15088 Defaults to @samp{"remroot"}.
15091 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} file-name request-root
15092 Specifies the directory that contains print jobs and other HTTP request
15095 Defaults to @samp{"/var/spool/cups"}.
15098 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} sandboxing sandboxing
15099 Specifies the level of security sandboxing that is applied to print
15100 filters, backends, and other child processes of the scheduler; either
15101 @code{relaxed} or @code{strict}. This directive is currently only
15102 used/supported on macOS.
15104 Defaults to @samp{strict}.
15107 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} file-name server-keychain
15108 Specifies the location of TLS certificates and private keys. CUPS will
15109 look for public and private keys in this directory: a @code{.crt} files
15110 for PEM-encoded certificates and corresponding @code{.key} files for
15111 PEM-encoded private keys.
15113 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/cups/ssl"}.
15116 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} file-name server-root
15117 Specifies the directory containing the server configuration files.
15119 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/cups"}.
15122 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} boolean sync-on-close?
15123 Specifies whether the scheduler calls fsync(2) after writing
15124 configuration or state files.
15126 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15129 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list system-group
15130 Specifies the group(s) to use for @code{@@SYSTEM} group authentication.
15133 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} file-name temp-dir
15134 Specifies the directory where temporary files are stored.
15136 Defaults to @samp{"/var/spool/cups/tmp"}.
15139 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string user
15140 Specifies the user name or ID that is used when running external
15143 Defaults to @samp{"lp"}.
15146 @deftypevr {@code{files-configuration} parameter} string set-env
15147 Set the specified environment variable to be passed to child processes.
15149 Defaults to @samp{"variable value"}.
15153 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} access-log-level access-log-level
15154 Specifies the logging level for the AccessLog file. The @code{config}
15155 level logs when printers and classes are added, deleted, or modified and
15156 when configuration files are accessed or updated. The @code{actions}
15157 level logs when print jobs are submitted, held, released, modified, or
15158 canceled, and any of the conditions for @code{config}. The @code{all}
15159 level logs all requests.
15161 Defaults to @samp{actions}.
15164 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean auto-purge-jobs?
15165 Specifies whether to purge job history data automatically when it is no
15166 longer required for quotas.
15168 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15171 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} comma-separated-string-list browse-dns-sd-sub-types
15172 Specifies a list of DNS-SD sub-types to advertise for each shared printer.
15173 For example, @samp{"_cups" "_print"} will tell network clients that both
15174 CUPS sharing and IPP Everywhere are supported.
15176 Defaults to @samp{"_cups"}.
15179 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} browse-local-protocols browse-local-protocols
15180 Specifies which protocols to use for local printer sharing.
15182 Defaults to @samp{dnssd}.
15185 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean browse-web-if?
15186 Specifies whether the CUPS web interface is advertised.
15188 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15191 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean browsing?
15192 Specifies whether shared printers are advertised.
15194 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15197 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string classification
15198 Specifies the security classification of the server. Any valid banner
15199 name can be used, including "classified", "confidential", "secret",
15200 "topsecret", and "unclassified", or the banner can be omitted to disable
15201 secure printing functions.
15203 Defaults to @samp{""}.
15206 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean classify-override?
15207 Specifies whether users may override the classification (cover page) of
15208 individual print jobs using the @code{job-sheets} option.
15210 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15213 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} default-auth-type default-auth-type
15214 Specifies the default type of authentication to use.
15216 Defaults to @samp{Basic}.
15219 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} default-encryption default-encryption
15220 Specifies whether encryption will be used for authenticated requests.
15222 Defaults to @samp{Required}.
15225 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string default-language
15226 Specifies the default language to use for text and web content.
15228 Defaults to @samp{"en"}.
15231 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string default-paper-size
15232 Specifies the default paper size for new print queues. @samp{"Auto"}
15233 uses a locale-specific default, while @samp{"None"} specifies there is
15234 no default paper size. Specific size names are typically
15235 @samp{"Letter"} or @samp{"A4"}.
15237 Defaults to @samp{"Auto"}.
15240 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string default-policy
15241 Specifies the default access policy to use.
15243 Defaults to @samp{"default"}.
15246 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean default-shared?
15247 Specifies whether local printers are shared by default.
15249 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
15252 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer dirty-clean-interval
15253 Specifies the delay for updating of configuration and state files, in
15254 seconds. A value of 0 causes the update to happen as soon as possible,
15255 typically within a few milliseconds.
15257 Defaults to @samp{30}.
15260 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} error-policy error-policy
15261 Specifies what to do when an error occurs. Possible values are
15262 @code{abort-job}, which will discard the failed print job;
15263 @code{retry-job}, which will retry the job at a later time;
15264 @code{retry-current-job}, which retries the failed job immediately; and
15265 @code{stop-printer}, which stops the printer.
15267 Defaults to @samp{stop-printer}.
15270 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer filter-limit
15271 Specifies the maximum cost of filters that are run concurrently, which
15272 can be used to minimize disk, memory, and CPU resource problems. A
15273 limit of 0 disables filter limiting. An average print to a
15274 non-PostScript printer needs a filter limit of about 200. A PostScript
15275 printer needs about half that (100). Setting the limit below these
15276 thresholds will effectively limit the scheduler to printing a single job
15279 Defaults to @samp{0}.
15282 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer filter-nice
15283 Specifies the scheduling priority of filters that are run to print a
15284 job. The nice value ranges from 0, the highest priority, to 19, the
15287 Defaults to @samp{0}.
15290 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} host-name-lookups host-name-lookups
15291 Specifies whether to do reverse lookups on connecting clients. The
15292 @code{double} setting causes @code{cupsd} to verify that the hostname
15293 resolved from the address matches one of the addresses returned for that
15294 hostname. Double lookups also prevent clients with unregistered
15295 addresses from connecting to your server. Only set this option to
15296 @code{#t} or @code{double} if absolutely required.
15298 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15301 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer job-kill-delay
15302 Specifies the number of seconds to wait before killing the filters and
15303 backend associated with a canceled or held job.
15305 Defaults to @samp{30}.
15308 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer job-retry-interval
15309 Specifies the interval between retries of jobs in seconds. This is
15310 typically used for fax queues but can also be used with normal print
15311 queues whose error policy is @code{retry-job} or
15312 @code{retry-current-job}.
15314 Defaults to @samp{30}.
15317 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer job-retry-limit
15318 Specifies the number of retries that are done for jobs. This is
15319 typically used for fax queues but can also be used with normal print
15320 queues whose error policy is @code{retry-job} or
15321 @code{retry-current-job}.
15323 Defaults to @samp{5}.
15326 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean keep-alive?
15327 Specifies whether to support HTTP keep-alive connections.
15329 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
15332 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer keep-alive-timeout
15333 Specifies how long an idle client connection remains open, in seconds.
15335 Defaults to @samp{30}.
15338 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer limit-request-body
15339 Specifies the maximum size of print files, IPP requests, and HTML form
15340 data. A limit of 0 disables the limit check.
15342 Defaults to @samp{0}.
15345 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} multiline-string-list listen
15346 Listens on the specified interfaces for connections. Valid values are
15347 of the form @var{address}:@var{port}, where @var{address} is either an
15348 IPv6 address enclosed in brackets, an IPv4 address, or @code{*} to
15349 indicate all addresses. Values can also be file names of local UNIX
15350 domain sockets. The Listen directive is similar to the Port directive
15351 but allows you to restrict access to specific interfaces or networks.
15354 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer listen-back-log
15355 Specifies the number of pending connections that will be allowed. This
15356 normally only affects very busy servers that have reached the MaxClients
15357 limit, but can also be triggered by large numbers of simultaneous
15358 connections. When the limit is reached, the operating system will
15359 refuse additional connections until the scheduler can accept the pending
15362 Defaults to @samp{128}.
15365 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} location-access-control-list location-access-controls
15366 Specifies a set of additional access controls.
15368 Available @code{location-access-controls} fields are:
15370 @deftypevr {@code{location-access-controls} parameter} file-name path
15371 Specifies the URI path to which the access control applies.
15374 @deftypevr {@code{location-access-controls} parameter} access-control-list access-controls
15375 Access controls for all access to this path, in the same format as the
15376 @code{access-controls} of @code{operation-access-control}.
15378 Defaults to @samp{()}.
15381 @deftypevr {@code{location-access-controls} parameter} method-access-control-list method-access-controls
15382 Access controls for method-specific access to this path.
15384 Defaults to @samp{()}.
15386 Available @code{method-access-controls} fields are:
15388 @deftypevr {@code{method-access-controls} parameter} boolean reverse?
15389 If @code{#t}, apply access controls to all methods except the listed
15390 methods. Otherwise apply to only the listed methods.
15392 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15395 @deftypevr {@code{method-access-controls} parameter} method-list methods
15396 Methods to which this access control applies.
15398 Defaults to @samp{()}.
15401 @deftypevr {@code{method-access-controls} parameter} access-control-list access-controls
15402 Access control directives, as a list of strings. Each string should be
15403 one directive, such as "Order allow,deny".
15405 Defaults to @samp{()}.
15410 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer log-debug-history
15411 Specifies the number of debugging messages that are retained for logging
15412 if an error occurs in a print job. Debug messages are logged regardless
15413 of the LogLevel setting.
15415 Defaults to @samp{100}.
15418 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} log-level log-level
15419 Specifies the level of logging for the ErrorLog file. The value
15420 @code{none} stops all logging while @code{debug2} logs everything.
15422 Defaults to @samp{info}.
15425 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} log-time-format log-time-format
15426 Specifies the format of the date and time in the log files. The value
15427 @code{standard} logs whole seconds while @code{usecs} logs microseconds.
15429 Defaults to @samp{standard}.
15432 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-clients
15433 Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous clients that are allowed by
15436 Defaults to @samp{100}.
15439 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-clients-per-host
15440 Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous clients that are allowed
15441 from a single address.
15443 Defaults to @samp{100}.
15446 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-copies
15447 Specifies the maximum number of copies that a user can print of each
15450 Defaults to @samp{9999}.
15453 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-hold-time
15454 Specifies the maximum time a job may remain in the @code{indefinite}
15455 hold state before it is canceled. A value of 0 disables cancellation of
15458 Defaults to @samp{0}.
15461 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-jobs
15462 Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous jobs that are allowed. Set
15463 to 0 to allow an unlimited number of jobs.
15465 Defaults to @samp{500}.
15468 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-jobs-per-printer
15469 Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous jobs that are allowed per
15470 printer. A value of 0 allows up to MaxJobs jobs per printer.
15472 Defaults to @samp{0}.
15475 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-jobs-per-user
15476 Specifies the maximum number of simultaneous jobs that are allowed per
15477 user. A value of 0 allows up to MaxJobs jobs per user.
15479 Defaults to @samp{0}.
15482 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-job-time
15483 Specifies the maximum time a job may take to print before it is
15484 canceled, in seconds. Set to 0 to disable cancellation of "stuck" jobs.
15486 Defaults to @samp{10800}.
15489 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-log-size
15490 Specifies the maximum size of the log files before they are rotated, in
15491 bytes. The value 0 disables log rotation.
15493 Defaults to @samp{1048576}.
15496 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer multiple-operation-timeout
15497 Specifies the maximum amount of time to allow between files in a
15498 multiple file print job, in seconds.
15500 Defaults to @samp{300}.
15503 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string page-log-format
15504 Specifies the format of PageLog lines. Sequences beginning with percent
15505 (@samp{%}) characters are replaced with the corresponding information,
15506 while all other characters are copied literally. The following percent
15507 sequences are recognized:
15511 insert a single percent character
15514 insert the value of the specified IPP attribute
15517 insert the number of copies for the current page
15520 insert the current page number
15523 insert the current date and time in common log format
15529 insert the printer name
15532 insert the username
15535 A value of the empty string disables page logging. The string @code{%p
15536 %u %j %T %P %C %@{job-billing@} %@{job-originating-host-name@}
15537 %@{job-name@} %@{media@} %@{sides@}} creates a page log with the
15540 Defaults to @samp{""}.
15543 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} environment-variables environment-variables
15544 Passes the specified environment variable(s) to child processes; a list
15547 Defaults to @samp{()}.
15550 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} policy-configuration-list policies
15551 Specifies named access control policies.
15553 Available @code{policy-configuration} fields are:
15555 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} string name
15556 Name of the policy.
15559 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} string job-private-access
15560 Specifies an access list for a job's private values. @code{@@ACL} maps
15561 to the printer's requesting-user-name-allowed or
15562 requesting-user-name-denied values. @code{@@OWNER} maps to the job's
15563 owner. @code{@@SYSTEM} maps to the groups listed for the
15564 @code{system-group} field of the @code{files-config} configuration,
15565 which is reified into the @code{cups-files.conf(5)} file. Other
15566 possible elements of the access list include specific user names, and
15567 @code{@@@var{group}} to indicate members of a specific group. The
15568 access list may also be simply @code{all} or @code{default}.
15570 Defaults to @samp{"@@OWNER @@SYSTEM"}.
15573 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} string job-private-values
15574 Specifies the list of job values to make private, or @code{all},
15575 @code{default}, or @code{none}.
15577 Defaults to @samp{"job-name job-originating-host-name
15578 job-originating-user-name phone"}.
15581 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} string subscription-private-access
15582 Specifies an access list for a subscription's private values.
15583 @code{@@ACL} maps to the printer's requesting-user-name-allowed or
15584 requesting-user-name-denied values. @code{@@OWNER} maps to the job's
15585 owner. @code{@@SYSTEM} maps to the groups listed for the
15586 @code{system-group} field of the @code{files-config} configuration,
15587 which is reified into the @code{cups-files.conf(5)} file. Other
15588 possible elements of the access list include specific user names, and
15589 @code{@@@var{group}} to indicate members of a specific group. The
15590 access list may also be simply @code{all} or @code{default}.
15592 Defaults to @samp{"@@OWNER @@SYSTEM"}.
15595 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} string subscription-private-values
15596 Specifies the list of job values to make private, or @code{all},
15597 @code{default}, or @code{none}.
15599 Defaults to @samp{"notify-events notify-pull-method notify-recipient-uri
15600 notify-subscriber-user-name notify-user-data"}.
15603 @deftypevr {@code{policy-configuration} parameter} operation-access-control-list access-controls
15604 Access control by IPP operation.
15606 Defaults to @samp{()}.
15610 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean-or-non-negative-integer preserve-job-files
15611 Specifies whether job files (documents) are preserved after a job is
15612 printed. If a numeric value is specified, job files are preserved for
15613 the indicated number of seconds after printing. Otherwise a boolean
15614 value applies indefinitely.
15616 Defaults to @samp{86400}.
15619 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean-or-non-negative-integer preserve-job-history
15620 Specifies whether the job history is preserved after a job is printed.
15621 If a numeric value is specified, the job history is preserved for the
15622 indicated number of seconds after printing. If @code{#t}, the job
15623 history is preserved until the MaxJobs limit is reached.
15625 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
15628 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer reload-timeout
15629 Specifies the amount of time to wait for job completion before
15630 restarting the scheduler.
15632 Defaults to @samp{30}.
15635 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string rip-cache
15636 Specifies the maximum amount of memory to use when converting documents
15637 into bitmaps for a printer.
15639 Defaults to @samp{"128m"}.
15642 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string server-admin
15643 Specifies the email address of the server administrator.
15645 Defaults to @samp{"root@@localhost.localdomain"}.
15648 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} host-name-list-or-* server-alias
15649 The ServerAlias directive is used for HTTP Host header validation when
15650 clients connect to the scheduler from external interfaces. Using the
15651 special name @code{*} can expose your system to known browser-based DNS
15652 rebinding attacks, even when accessing sites through a firewall. If the
15653 auto-discovery of alternate names does not work, we recommend listing
15654 each alternate name with a ServerAlias directive instead of using
15657 Defaults to @samp{*}.
15660 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} string server-name
15661 Specifies the fully-qualified host name of the server.
15663 Defaults to @samp{"localhost"}.
15666 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} server-tokens server-tokens
15667 Specifies what information is included in the Server header of HTTP
15668 responses. @code{None} disables the Server header. @code{ProductOnly}
15669 reports @code{CUPS}. @code{Major} reports @code{CUPS 2}. @code{Minor}
15670 reports @code{CUPS 2.0}. @code{Minimal} reports @code{CUPS 2.0.0}.
15671 @code{OS} reports @code{CUPS 2.0.0 (@var{uname})} where @var{uname} is
15672 the output of the @code{uname} command. @code{Full} reports @code{CUPS
15673 2.0.0 (@var{uname}) IPP/2.0}.
15675 Defaults to @samp{Minimal}.
15678 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} multiline-string-list ssl-listen
15679 Listens on the specified interfaces for encrypted connections. Valid
15680 values are of the form @var{address}:@var{port}, where @var{address} is
15681 either an IPv6 address enclosed in brackets, an IPv4 address, or
15682 @code{*} to indicate all addresses.
15684 Defaults to @samp{()}.
15687 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} ssl-options ssl-options
15688 Sets encryption options. By default, CUPS only supports encryption
15689 using TLS v1.0 or higher using known secure cipher suites. Security is
15690 reduced when @code{Allow} options are used, and enhanced when @code{Deny}
15691 options are used. The @code{AllowRC4} option enables the 128-bit RC4 cipher
15692 suites, which are required for some older clients. The @code{AllowSSL3} option
15693 enables SSL v3.0, which is required for some older clients that do not support
15694 TLS v1.0. The @code{DenyCBC} option disables all CBC cipher suites. The
15695 @code{DenyTLS1.0} option disables TLS v1.0 support - this sets the minimum
15696 protocol version to TLS v1.1.
15698 Defaults to @samp{()}.
15701 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean strict-conformance?
15702 Specifies whether the scheduler requires clients to strictly adhere to
15703 the IPP specifications.
15705 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15708 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer timeout
15709 Specifies the HTTP request timeout, in seconds.
15711 Defaults to @samp{300}.
15715 @deftypevr {@code{cups-configuration} parameter} boolean web-interface?
15716 Specifies whether the web interface is enabled.
15718 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
15721 At this point you're probably thinking ``oh dear, Guix manual, I like
15722 you but you can stop already with the configuration options''. Indeed.
15723 However, one more point: it could be that you have an existing
15724 @code{cupsd.conf} that you want to use. In that case, you can pass an
15725 @code{opaque-cups-configuration} as the configuration of a
15726 @code{cups-service-type}.
15728 Available @code{opaque-cups-configuration} fields are:
15730 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-cups-configuration} parameter} package cups
15734 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-cups-configuration} parameter} string cupsd.conf
15735 The contents of the @code{cupsd.conf}, as a string.
15738 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-cups-configuration} parameter} string cups-files.conf
15739 The contents of the @code{cups-files.conf} file, as a string.
15742 For example, if your @code{cupsd.conf} and @code{cups-files.conf} are in
15743 strings of the same name, you could instantiate a CUPS service like
15747 (service cups-service-type
15748 (opaque-cups-configuration
15749 (cupsd.conf cupsd.conf)
15750 (cups-files.conf cups-files.conf)))
15754 @node Desktop Services
15755 @subsection Desktop Services
15757 The @code{(gnu services desktop)} module provides services that are
15758 usually useful in the context of a ``desktop'' setup---that is, on a
15759 machine running a graphical display server, possibly with graphical user
15760 interfaces, etc. It also defines services that provide specific desktop
15761 environments like GNOME, Xfce or MATE.
15763 To simplify things, the module defines a variable containing the set of
15764 services that users typically expect on a machine with a graphical
15765 environment and networking:
15767 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %desktop-services
15768 This is a list of services that builds upon @code{%base-services} and
15769 adds or adjusts services for a typical ``desktop'' setup.
15771 In particular, it adds a graphical login manager (@pxref{X Window,
15772 @code{gdm-service-type}}), screen lockers, a network management tool
15773 (@pxref{Networking Services, @code{network-manager-service-type}}) with modem
15774 support (@pxref{Networking Services, @code{modem-manager-service-type}}),
15775 energy and color management services, the @code{elogind} login and seat
15776 manager, the Polkit privilege service, the GeoClue location service, the
15777 AccountsService daemon that allows authorized users change system passwords,
15778 an NTP client (@pxref{Networking Services}), the Avahi daemon, and has the
15779 name service switch service configured to be able to use @code{nss-mdns}
15780 (@pxref{Name Service Switch, mDNS}).
15783 The @code{%desktop-services} variable can be used as the @code{services}
15784 field of an @code{operating-system} declaration (@pxref{operating-system
15785 Reference, @code{services}}).
15787 Additionally, the @code{gnome-desktop-service-type},
15788 @code{xfce-desktop-service}, @code{mate-desktop-service-type} and
15789 @code{enlightenment-desktop-service-type} procedures can add GNOME, Xfce, MATE
15790 and/or Enlightenment to a system. To ``add GNOME'' means that system-level
15791 services like the backlight adjustment helpers and the power management
15792 utilities are added to the system, extending @code{polkit} and @code{dbus}
15793 appropriately, allowing GNOME to operate with elevated privileges on a
15794 limited number of special-purpose system interfaces. Additionally,
15795 adding a service made by @code{gnome-desktop-service-type} adds the GNOME
15796 metapackage to the system profile. Likewise, adding the Xfce service
15797 not only adds the @code{xfce} metapackage to the system profile, but it
15798 also gives the Thunar file manager the ability to open a ``root-mode''
15799 file management window, if the user authenticates using the
15800 administrator's password via the standard polkit graphical interface.
15801 To ``add MATE'' means that @code{polkit} and @code{dbus} are extended
15802 appropriately, allowing MATE to operate with elevated privileges on a
15803 limited number of special-purpose system interfaces. Additionally,
15804 adding a service of type @code{mate-desktop-service-type} adds the MATE
15805 metapackage to the system profile. ``Adding Enlightenment'' means that
15806 @code{dbus} is extended appropriately, and several of Enlightenment's binaries
15807 are set as setuid, allowing Enlightenment's screen locker and other
15808 functionality to work as expected.
15810 The desktop environments in Guix use the Xorg display server by
15811 default. If you'd like to use the newer display server protocol
15812 called Wayland, you need to use the @code{sddm-service} instead of
15813 GDM as the graphical login manager. You should then
15814 select the ``GNOME (Wayland)'' session in SDDM. Alternatively you can
15815 also try starting GNOME on Wayland manually from a TTY with the
15816 command ``XDG_SESSION_TYPE=wayland exec dbus-run-session
15817 gnome-session``. Currently only GNOME has support for Wayland.
15819 @defvr {Scheme Variable} gnome-desktop-service-type
15820 This is the type of the service that adds the @uref{https://www.gnome.org,
15821 GNOME} desktop environment. Its value is a @code{gnome-desktop-configuration}
15822 object (see below.)
15824 This service adds the @code{gnome} package to the system profile, and extends
15825 polkit with the actions from @code{gnome-settings-daemon}.
15828 @deftp {Data Type} gnome-desktop-configuration
15829 Configuration record for the GNOME desktop environment.
15832 @item @code{gnome} (default: @code{gnome})
15833 The GNOME package to use.
15837 @defvr {Scheme Variable} xfce-desktop-service-type
15838 This is the type of a service to run the @uref{Xfce, https://xfce.org/}
15839 desktop environment. Its value is an @code{xfce-desktop-configuration} object
15842 This service adds the @code{xfce} package to the system profile, and
15843 extends polkit with the ability for @code{thunar} to manipulate the file
15844 system as root from within a user session, after the user has authenticated
15845 with the administrator's password.
15848 @deftp {Data Type} xfce-desktop-configuration
15849 Configuration record for the Xfce desktop environment.
15852 @item @code{xfce} (default: @code{xfce})
15853 The Xfce package to use.
15857 @deffn {Scheme Variable} mate-desktop-service-type
15858 This is the type of the service that runs the @uref{https://mate-desktop.org/,
15859 MATE desktop environment}. Its value is a @code{mate-desktop-configuration}
15860 object (see below.)
15862 This service adds the @code{mate} package to the system
15863 profile, and extends polkit with the actions from
15864 @code{mate-settings-daemon}.
15867 @deftp {Data Type} mate-desktop-configuration
15868 Configuration record for the MATE desktop environment.
15871 @item @code{mate} (default: @code{mate})
15872 The MATE package to use.
15876 @deffn {Scheme Variable} enlightenment-desktop-service-type
15877 Return a service that adds the @code{enlightenment} package to the system
15878 profile, and extends dbus with actions from @code{efl}.
15881 @deftp {Data Type} enlightenment-desktop-service-configuration
15883 @item @code{enlightenment} (default: @code{enlightenment})
15884 The enlightenment package to use.
15888 Because the GNOME, Xfce and MATE desktop services pull in so many packages,
15889 the default @code{%desktop-services} variable doesn't include any of
15890 them by default. To add GNOME, Xfce or MATE, just @code{cons} them onto
15891 @code{%desktop-services} in the @code{services} field of your
15892 @code{operating-system}:
15895 (use-modules (gnu))
15896 (use-service-modules desktop)
15899 ;; cons* adds items to the list given as its last argument.
15900 (services (cons* (service gnome-desktop-service-type)
15901 (service xfce-desktop-service)
15902 %desktop-services))
15906 These desktop environments will then be available as options in the
15907 graphical login window.
15909 The actual service definitions included in @code{%desktop-services} and
15910 provided by @code{(gnu services dbus)} and @code{(gnu services desktop)}
15911 are described below.
15913 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} dbus-service [#:dbus @var{dbus}] [#:services '()]
15914 Return a service that runs the ``system bus'', using @var{dbus}, with
15915 support for @var{services}.
15917 @uref{https://dbus.freedesktop.org/, D-Bus} is an inter-process communication
15918 facility. Its system bus is used to allow system services to communicate
15919 and to be notified of system-wide events.
15921 @var{services} must be a list of packages that provide an
15922 @file{etc/dbus-1/system.d} directory containing additional D-Bus configuration
15923 and policy files. For example, to allow avahi-daemon to use the system bus,
15924 @var{services} must be equal to @code{(list avahi)}.
15927 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} elogind-service [#:config @var{config}]
15928 Return a service that runs the @code{elogind} login and
15929 seat management daemon. @uref{https://github.com/elogind/elogind,
15930 Elogind} exposes a D-Bus interface that can be used to know which users
15931 are logged in, know what kind of sessions they have open, suspend the
15932 system, inhibit system suspend, reboot the system, and other tasks.
15934 Elogind handles most system-level power events for a computer, for
15935 example suspending the system when a lid is closed, or shutting it down
15936 when the power button is pressed.
15938 The @var{config} keyword argument specifies the configuration for
15939 elogind, and should be the result of an @code{(elogind-configuration
15940 (@var{parameter} @var{value})...)} invocation. Available parameters and
15941 their default values are:
15944 @item kill-user-processes?
15946 @item kill-only-users
15948 @item kill-exclude-users
15950 @item inhibit-delay-max-seconds
15952 @item handle-power-key
15954 @item handle-suspend-key
15956 @item handle-hibernate-key
15958 @item handle-lid-switch
15960 @item handle-lid-switch-docked
15962 @item power-key-ignore-inhibited?
15964 @item suspend-key-ignore-inhibited?
15966 @item hibernate-key-ignore-inhibited?
15968 @item lid-switch-ignore-inhibited?
15970 @item holdoff-timeout-seconds
15974 @item idle-action-seconds
15976 @item runtime-directory-size-percent
15978 @item runtime-directory-size
15982 @item suspend-state
15983 @code{("mem" "standby" "freeze")}
15986 @item hibernate-state
15988 @item hibernate-mode
15989 @code{("platform" "shutdown")}
15990 @item hybrid-sleep-state
15992 @item hybrid-sleep-mode
15993 @code{("suspend" "platform" "shutdown")}
15997 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} accountsservice-service @
15998 [#:accountsservice @var{accountsservice}]
15999 Return a service that runs AccountsService, a system service that can
16000 list available accounts, change their passwords, and so on.
16001 AccountsService integrates with PolicyKit to enable unprivileged users
16002 to acquire the capability to modify their system configuration.
16003 @uref{https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/AccountsService/, the
16004 accountsservice web site} for more information.
16006 The @var{accountsservice} keyword argument is the @code{accountsservice}
16007 package to expose as a service.
16010 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} polkit-service @
16011 [#:polkit @var{polkit}]
16012 Return a service that runs the
16013 @uref{https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/polkit/, Polkit privilege
16014 management service}, which allows system administrators to grant access to
16015 privileged operations in a structured way. By querying the Polkit service, a
16016 privileged system component can know when it should grant additional
16017 capabilities to ordinary users. For example, an ordinary user can be granted
16018 the capability to suspend the system if the user is logged in locally.
16021 @defvr {Scheme Variable} polkit-wheel-service
16022 Service that adds the @code{wheel} group as admins to the Polkit
16023 service. This makes it so that users in the @code{wheel} group are queried
16024 for their own passwords when performing administrative actions instead of
16025 @code{root}'s, similar to the behaviour used by @code{sudo}.
16028 @defvr {Scheme Variable} upower-service-type
16029 Service that runs @uref{https://upower.freedesktop.org/, @command{upowerd}}, a
16030 system-wide monitor for power consumption and battery levels, with the given
16031 configuration settings.
16033 It implements the @code{org.freedesktop.UPower} D-Bus interface, and is
16034 notably used by GNOME.
16037 @deftp {Data Type} upower-configuration
16038 Data type representation the configuration for UPower.
16042 @item @code{upower} (default: @var{upower})
16043 Package to use for @code{upower}.
16045 @item @code{watts-up-pro?} (default: @code{#f})
16046 Enable the Watts Up Pro device.
16048 @item @code{poll-batteries?} (default: @code{#t})
16049 Enable polling the kernel for battery level changes.
16051 @item @code{ignore-lid?} (default: @code{#f})
16052 Ignore the lid state, this can be useful if it's incorrect on a device.
16054 @item @code{use-percentage-for-policy?} (default: @code{#f})
16055 Whether battery percentage based policy should be used. The default is to use
16056 the time left, change to @code{#t} to use the percentage.
16058 @item @code{percentage-low} (default: @code{10})
16059 When @code{use-percentage-for-policy?} is @code{#t}, this sets the percentage
16060 at which the battery is considered low.
16062 @item @code{percentage-critical} (default: @code{3})
16063 When @code{use-percentage-for-policy?} is @code{#t}, this sets the percentage
16064 at which the battery is considered critical.
16066 @item @code{percentage-action} (default: @code{2})
16067 When @code{use-percentage-for-policy?} is @code{#t}, this sets the percentage
16068 at which action will be taken.
16070 @item @code{time-low} (default: @code{1200})
16071 When @code{use-time-for-policy?} is @code{#f}, this sets the time remaining in
16072 seconds at which the battery is considered low.
16074 @item @code{time-critical} (default: @code{300})
16075 When @code{use-time-for-policy?} is @code{#f}, this sets the time remaining in
16076 seconds at which the battery is considered critical.
16078 @item @code{time-action} (default: @code{120})
16079 When @code{use-time-for-policy?} is @code{#f}, this sets the time remaining in
16080 seconds at which action will be taken.
16082 @item @code{critical-power-action} (default: @code{'hybrid-sleep})
16083 The action taken when @code{percentage-action} or @code{time-action} is
16084 reached (depending on the configuration of @code{use-percentage-for-policy?}).
16086 Possible values are:
16096 @code{'hybrid-sleep}.
16102 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} udisks-service [#:udisks @var{udisks}]
16103 Return a service for @uref{https://udisks.freedesktop.org/docs/latest/,
16104 UDisks}, a @dfn{disk management} daemon that provides user interfaces with
16105 notifications and ways to mount/unmount disks. Programs that talk to UDisks
16106 include the @command{udisksctl} command, part of UDisks, and GNOME Disks.
16109 @deffn {Scheme Variable} colord-service-type
16110 This is the type of the service that runs @command{colord}, a system
16111 service with a D-Bus
16112 interface to manage the color profiles of input and output devices such as
16113 screens and scanners. It is notably used by the GNOME Color Manager graphical
16114 tool. See @uref{https://www.freedesktop.org/software/colord/, the colord web
16115 site} for more information.
16118 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} geoclue-application name [#:allowed? #t] [#:system? #f] [#:users '()]
16119 Return a configuration allowing an application to access GeoClue
16120 location data. @var{name} is the Desktop ID of the application, without
16121 the @code{.desktop} part. If @var{allowed?} is true, the application
16122 will have access to location information by default. The boolean
16123 @var{system?} value indicates whether an application is a system component
16124 or not. Finally @var{users} is a list of UIDs of all users for which
16125 this application is allowed location info access. An empty users list
16126 means that all users are allowed.
16129 @cindex scanner access
16130 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} sane-service-type
16131 This service provides access to scanners @i{via}
16132 @uref{http://www.sane-project.org, SANE} by installing the necessary udev
16136 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %standard-geoclue-applications
16137 The standard list of well-known GeoClue application configurations,
16138 granting authority to the GNOME date-and-time utility to ask for the
16139 current location in order to set the time zone, and allowing the
16140 IceCat and Epiphany web browsers to request location information.
16141 IceCat and Epiphany both query the user before allowing a web page to
16142 know the user's location.
16145 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} geoclue-service [#:colord @var{colord}] @
16146 [#:whitelist '()] @
16147 [#:wifi-geolocation-url "https://location.services.mozilla.com/v1/geolocate?key=geoclue"] @
16148 [#:submit-data? #f]
16149 [#:wifi-submission-url "https://location.services.mozilla.com/v1/submit?key=geoclue"] @
16150 [#:submission-nick "geoclue"] @
16151 [#:applications %standard-geoclue-applications]
16152 Return a service that runs the GeoClue location service. This service
16153 provides a D-Bus interface to allow applications to request access to a
16154 user's physical location, and optionally to add information to online
16155 location databases. See
16156 @uref{https://wiki.freedesktop.org/www/Software/GeoClue/, the GeoClue
16157 web site} for more information.
16160 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} bluetooth-service [#:bluez @var{bluez}] @
16161 [@w{#:auto-enable? #f}]
16162 Return a service that runs the @command{bluetoothd} daemon, which
16163 manages all the Bluetooth devices and provides a number of D-Bus
16164 interfaces. When AUTO-ENABLE? is true, the bluetooth controller is
16165 powered automatically at boot, which can be useful when using a
16166 bluetooth keyboard or mouse.
16168 Users need to be in the @code{lp} group to access the D-Bus service.
16171 @defvr {Scheme Variable} gnome-keyring-service-type
16172 This is the type of the service that adds the
16173 @uref{https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GnomeKeyring, GNOME Keyring}. Its
16174 value is a @code{gnome-keyring-configuration} object (see below.)
16176 This service adds the @code{gnome-keyring} package to the system profile
16177 and extends PAM with entries using @code{pam_gnome_keyring.so}, unlocking
16178 a user's login keyring when they log in or setting its password with passwd.
16181 @deftp {Data Type} gnome-keyring-configuration
16182 Configuration record for the GNOME Keyring service.
16185 @item @code{keyring} (default: @code{gnome-keyring})
16186 The GNOME keyring package to use.
16188 @item @code{pam-services}
16189 A list of @code{(@var{service} . @var{kind})} pairs denoting PAM
16190 services to extend, where @var{service} is the name of an existing
16191 service to extend and @var{kind} is one of @code{login} or
16194 If @code{login} is given, it adds an optional
16195 @code{pam_gnome_keyring.so} to the auth block without arguments and to
16196 the session block with @code{auto_start}. If @code{passwd} is given, it
16197 adds an optional @code{pam_gnome_keyring.so} to the password block
16200 By default, this field contains ``gdm-password'' with the value @code{login}
16201 and ``passwd'' is with the value @code{passwd}.
16206 @node Sound Services
16207 @subsection Sound Services
16209 @cindex sound support
16211 @cindex PulseAudio, sound support
16213 The @code{(gnu services sound)} module provides a service to configure the
16214 Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) system, which makes PulseAudio the
16215 preferred ALSA output driver.
16217 @deffn {Scheme Variable} alsa-service-type
16218 This is the type for the @uref{https://alsa-project.org/, Advanced Linux Sound
16219 Architecture} (ALSA) system, which generates the @file{/etc/asound.conf}
16220 configuration file. The value for this type is a @command{alsa-configuration}
16221 record as in this example:
16224 (service alsa-service-type)
16227 See below for details about @code{alsa-configuration}.
16230 @deftp {Data Type} alsa-configuration
16231 Data type representing the configuration for @code{alsa-service}.
16234 @item @code{alsa-plugins} (default: @var{alsa-plugins})
16235 @code{alsa-plugins} package to use.
16237 @item @code{pulseaudio?} (default: @var{#t})
16238 Whether ALSA applications should transparently be made to use the
16239 @uref{https://www.pulseaudio.org/, PulseAudio} sound server.
16241 Using PulseAudio allows you to run several sound-producing applications
16242 at the same time and to individual control them @i{via}
16243 @command{pavucontrol}, among other things.
16245 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @var{""})
16246 String to append to the @file{/etc/asound.conf} file.
16251 Individual users who want to override the system configuration of ALSA can do
16252 it with the @file{~/.asoundrc} file:
16255 # In guix, we have to specify the absolute path for plugins.
16257 lib "/home/alice/.guix-profile/lib/alsa-lib/libasound_module_pcm_jack.so"
16260 # Routing ALSA to jack:
16261 # <http://jackaudio.org/faq/routing_alsa.html>.
16265 0 system:playback_1
16266 1 system:playback_2
16283 See @uref{https://www.alsa-project.org/main/index.php/Asoundrc} for the
16286 @deffn {Scheme Variable} pulseaudio-service-type
16287 This is the type for the @uref{https://www.pulseaudio.org/, PulseAudio}
16288 sound server. It exists to allow system overrides of the default settings
16289 via @code{pulseaudio-configuration}, see below.
16292 This service on its own does not ensure, that the @code{pulseaudio} package
16293 exists on your machine. It merely adds configuration files for it, as
16294 detailed below. In the (admittedly unlikely) case, that you find yourself
16295 without a @code{pulseaudio} package, consider enabling it through the
16296 @code{alsa-service-type} above.
16300 @deftp {Data Type} pulseaudio-configuration
16301 Data type representing the configuration for @code{pulseaudio-service}.
16304 @item @var{client-conf} (default: @code{'()})
16305 List of settings to set in @file{client.conf}.
16306 Accepts a list of strings or a symbol-value pairs. A string will be
16307 inserted as-is with a newline added. A pair will be formatted as
16308 ``key = value'', again with a newline added.
16310 @item @var{daemon-conf} (default: @code{'((flat-volumes . no))})
16311 List of settings to set in @file{daemon.conf}, formatted just like
16314 @item @var{script-file} (default: @code{(file-append pulseaudio "/etc/pulse/default.pa")})
16315 Script file to use as as @file{default.pa}.
16317 @item @var{system-script-file} (default: @code{(file-append pulseaudio "/etc/pulse/system.pa")})
16318 Script file to use as as @file{system.pa}.
16322 @deffn {Scheme Variable} ladspa-service-type
16323 This service sets the @var{LADSPA_PATH} variable, so that programs, which
16324 respect it, e.g. PulseAudio, can load LADSPA plugins.
16326 The following example will setup the service to enable modules from the
16327 @code{swh-plugins} package:
16330 (service ladspa-service-type
16331 (ladspa-configuration (plugins (list swh-plugins))))
16334 See @uref{http://plugin.org.uk/ladspa-swh/docs/ladspa-swh.html} for the
16339 @node Database Services
16340 @subsection Database Services
16344 The @code{(gnu services databases)} module provides the following services.
16346 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} postgresql-service [#:postgresql postgresql] @
16347 [#:config-file] [#:data-directory ``/var/lib/postgresql/data''] @
16348 [#:port 5432] [#:locale ``en_US.utf8''] [#:extension-packages '()]
16349 Return a service that runs @var{postgresql}, the PostgreSQL database
16352 The PostgreSQL daemon loads its runtime configuration from @var{config-file},
16353 creates a database cluster with @var{locale} as the default
16354 locale, stored in @var{data-directory}. It then listens on @var{port}.
16356 @cindex postgresql extension-packages
16357 Additional extensions are loaded from packages listed in
16358 @var{extension-packages}. Extensions are available at runtime. For instance,
16359 to create a geographic database using the @code{postgis} extension, a user can
16360 configure the postgresql-service as in this example:
16364 (use-package-modules databases geo)
16368 ;; postgresql is required to run `psql' but postgis is not required for
16369 ;; proper operation.
16370 (packages (cons* postgresql %base-packages))
16373 (postgresql-service #:extension-packages (list postgis))
16377 Then the extension becomes visible and you can initialise an empty geographic
16378 database in this way:
16382 > create database postgistest;
16383 > \connect postgistest;
16384 > create extension postgis;
16385 > create extension postgis_topology;
16388 There is no need to add this field for contrib extensions such as hstore or
16389 dblink as they are already loadable by postgresql. This field is only
16390 required to add extensions provided by other packages.
16393 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} mysql-service [#:config (mysql-configuration)]
16394 Return a service that runs @command{mysqld}, the MySQL or MariaDB
16397 The optional @var{config} argument specifies the configuration for
16398 @command{mysqld}, which should be a @code{<mysql-configuration>} object.
16401 @deftp {Data Type} mysql-configuration
16402 Data type representing the configuration of @var{mysql-service}.
16405 @item @code{mysql} (default: @var{mariadb})
16406 Package object of the MySQL database server, can be either @var{mariadb}
16409 For MySQL, a temporary root password will be displayed at activation time.
16410 For MariaDB, the root password is empty.
16412 @item @code{port} (default: @code{3306})
16413 TCP port on which the database server listens for incoming connections.
16417 @defvr {Scheme Variable} memcached-service-type
16418 This is the service type for the @uref{https://memcached.org/,
16419 Memcached} service, which provides a distributed in memory cache. The
16420 value for the service type is a @code{memcached-configuration} object.
16424 (service memcached-service-type)
16427 @deftp {Data Type} memcached-configuration
16428 Data type representing the configuration of memcached.
16431 @item @code{memcached} (default: @code{memcached})
16432 The Memcached package to use.
16434 @item @code{interfaces} (default: @code{'("0.0.0.0")})
16435 Network interfaces on which to listen.
16437 @item @code{tcp-port} (default: @code{11211})
16438 Port on which to accept connections on,
16440 @item @code{udp-port} (default: @code{11211})
16441 Port on which to accept UDP connections on, a value of 0 will disable
16442 listening on a UDP socket.
16444 @item @code{additional-options} (default: @code{'()})
16445 Additional command line options to pass to @code{memcached}.
16449 @defvr {Scheme Variable} mongodb-service-type
16450 This is the service type for @uref{https://www.mongodb.com/, MongoDB}.
16451 The value for the service type is a @code{mongodb-configuration} object.
16455 (service mongodb-service-type)
16458 @deftp {Data Type} mongodb-configuration
16459 Data type representing the configuration of mongodb.
16462 @item @code{mongodb} (default: @code{mongodb})
16463 The MongoDB package to use.
16465 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{%default-mongodb-configuration-file})
16466 The configuration file for MongoDB.
16468 @item @code{data-directory} (default: @code{"/var/lib/mongodb"})
16469 This value is used to create the directory, so that it exists and is
16470 owned by the mongodb user. It should match the data-directory which
16471 MongoDB is configured to use through the configuration file.
16475 @defvr {Scheme Variable} redis-service-type
16476 This is the service type for the @uref{https://redis.io/, Redis}
16477 key/value store, whose value is a @code{redis-configuration} object.
16480 @deftp {Data Type} redis-configuration
16481 Data type representing the configuration of redis.
16484 @item @code{redis} (default: @code{redis})
16485 The Redis package to use.
16487 @item @code{bind} (default: @code{"127.0.0.1"})
16488 Network interface on which to listen.
16490 @item @code{port} (default: @code{6379})
16491 Port on which to accept connections on, a value of 0 will disable
16492 listening on a TCP socket.
16494 @item @code{working-directory} (default: @code{"/var/lib/redis"})
16495 Directory in which to store the database and related files.
16499 @node Mail Services
16500 @subsection Mail Services
16504 The @code{(gnu services mail)} module provides Guix service definitions
16505 for email services: IMAP, POP3, and LMTP servers, as well as mail
16506 transport agents (MTAs). Lots of acronyms! These services are detailed
16507 in the subsections below.
16509 @subsubheading Dovecot Service
16511 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} dovecot-service [#:config (dovecot-configuration)]
16512 Return a service that runs the Dovecot IMAP/POP3/LMTP mail server.
16515 By default, Dovecot does not need much configuration; the default
16516 configuration object created by @code{(dovecot-configuration)} will
16517 suffice if your mail is delivered to @code{~/Maildir}. A self-signed
16518 certificate will be generated for TLS-protected connections, though
16519 Dovecot will also listen on cleartext ports by default. There are a
16520 number of options, though, which mail administrators might need to change,
16521 and as is the case with other services, Guix allows the system
16522 administrator to specify these parameters via a uniform Scheme interface.
16524 For example, to specify that mail is located at @code{maildir~/.mail},
16525 one would instantiate the Dovecot service like this:
16528 (dovecot-service #:config
16529 (dovecot-configuration
16530 (mail-location "maildir:~/.mail")))
16533 The available configuration parameters follow. Each parameter
16534 definition is preceded by its type; for example, @samp{string-list foo}
16535 indicates that the @code{foo} parameter should be specified as a list of
16536 strings. There is also a way to specify the configuration as a string,
16537 if you have an old @code{dovecot.conf} file that you want to port over
16538 from some other system; see the end for more details.
16540 @c The following documentation was initially generated by
16541 @c (generate-documentation) in (gnu services mail). Manually maintained
16542 @c documentation is better, so we shouldn't hesitate to edit below as
16543 @c needed. However if the change you want to make to this documentation
16544 @c can be done in an automated way, it's probably easier to change
16545 @c (generate-documentation) than to make it below and have to deal with
16546 @c the churn as dovecot updates.
16548 Available @code{dovecot-configuration} fields are:
16550 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} package dovecot
16551 The dovecot package.
16554 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} comma-separated-string-list listen
16555 A list of IPs or hosts where to listen for connections. @samp{*}
16556 listens on all IPv4 interfaces, @samp{::} listens on all IPv6
16557 interfaces. If you want to specify non-default ports or anything more
16558 complex, customize the address and port fields of the
16559 @samp{inet-listener} of the specific services you are interested in.
16562 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} protocol-configuration-list protocols
16563 List of protocols we want to serve. Available protocols include
16564 @samp{imap}, @samp{pop3}, and @samp{lmtp}.
16566 Available @code{protocol-configuration} fields are:
16568 @deftypevr {@code{protocol-configuration} parameter} string name
16569 The name of the protocol.
16572 @deftypevr {@code{protocol-configuration} parameter} string auth-socket-path
16573 UNIX socket path to the master authentication server to find users.
16574 This is used by imap (for shared users) and lda.
16575 It defaults to @samp{"/var/run/dovecot/auth-userdb"}.
16578 @deftypevr {@code{protocol-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list mail-plugins
16579 Space separated list of plugins to load.
16582 @deftypevr {@code{protocol-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mail-max-userip-connections
16583 Maximum number of IMAP connections allowed for a user from each IP
16584 address. NOTE: The username is compared case-sensitively.
16585 Defaults to @samp{10}.
16590 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} service-configuration-list services
16591 List of services to enable. Available services include @samp{imap},
16592 @samp{imap-login}, @samp{pop3}, @samp{pop3-login}, @samp{auth}, and
16595 Available @code{service-configuration} fields are:
16597 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} string kind
16598 The service kind. Valid values include @code{director},
16599 @code{imap-login}, @code{pop3-login}, @code{lmtp}, @code{imap},
16600 @code{pop3}, @code{auth}, @code{auth-worker}, @code{dict},
16601 @code{tcpwrap}, @code{quota-warning}, or anything else.
16604 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} listener-configuration-list listeners
16605 Listeners for the service. A listener is either a
16606 @code{unix-listener-configuration}, a @code{fifo-listener-configuration}, or
16607 an @code{inet-listener-configuration}.
16608 Defaults to @samp{()}.
16610 Available @code{unix-listener-configuration} fields are:
16612 @deftypevr {@code{unix-listener-configuration} parameter} string path
16613 Path to the file, relative to @code{base-dir} field. This is also used as
16617 @deftypevr {@code{unix-listener-configuration} parameter} string mode
16618 The access mode for the socket.
16619 Defaults to @samp{"0600"}.
16622 @deftypevr {@code{unix-listener-configuration} parameter} string user
16623 The user to own the socket.
16624 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16627 @deftypevr {@code{unix-listener-configuration} parameter} string group
16628 The group to own the socket.
16629 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16633 Available @code{fifo-listener-configuration} fields are:
16635 @deftypevr {@code{fifo-listener-configuration} parameter} string path
16636 Path to the file, relative to @code{base-dir} field. This is also used as
16640 @deftypevr {@code{fifo-listener-configuration} parameter} string mode
16641 The access mode for the socket.
16642 Defaults to @samp{"0600"}.
16645 @deftypevr {@code{fifo-listener-configuration} parameter} string user
16646 The user to own the socket.
16647 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16650 @deftypevr {@code{fifo-listener-configuration} parameter} string group
16651 The group to own the socket.
16652 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16656 Available @code{inet-listener-configuration} fields are:
16658 @deftypevr {@code{inet-listener-configuration} parameter} string protocol
16659 The protocol to listen for.
16662 @deftypevr {@code{inet-listener-configuration} parameter} string address
16663 The address on which to listen, or empty for all addresses.
16664 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16667 @deftypevr {@code{inet-listener-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer port
16668 The port on which to listen.
16671 @deftypevr {@code{inet-listener-configuration} parameter} boolean ssl?
16672 Whether to use SSL for this service; @samp{yes}, @samp{no}, or
16674 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16679 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer client-limit
16680 Maximum number of simultaneous client connections per process. Once
16681 this number of connections is received, the next incoming connection
16682 will prompt Dovecot to spawn another process. If set to 0,
16683 @code{default-client-limit} is used instead.
16685 Defaults to @samp{0}.
16689 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer service-count
16690 Number of connections to handle before starting a new process.
16691 Typically the only useful values are 0 (unlimited) or 1. 1 is more
16692 secure, but 0 is faster. <doc/wiki/LoginProcess.txt>.
16693 Defaults to @samp{1}.
16697 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer process-limit
16698 Maximum number of processes that can exist for this service. If set to
16699 0, @code{default-process-limit} is used instead.
16701 Defaults to @samp{0}.
16705 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer process-min-avail
16706 Number of processes to always keep waiting for more connections.
16707 Defaults to @samp{0}.
16710 @deftypevr {@code{service-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer vsz-limit
16711 If you set @samp{service-count 0}, you probably need to grow
16713 Defaults to @samp{256000000}.
16718 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} dict-configuration dict
16719 Dict configuration, as created by the @code{dict-configuration}
16722 Available @code{dict-configuration} fields are:
16724 @deftypevr {@code{dict-configuration} parameter} free-form-fields entries
16725 A list of key-value pairs that this dict should hold.
16726 Defaults to @samp{()}.
16731 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} passdb-configuration-list passdbs
16732 A list of passdb configurations, each one created by the
16733 @code{passdb-configuration} constructor.
16735 Available @code{passdb-configuration} fields are:
16737 @deftypevr {@code{passdb-configuration} parameter} string driver
16738 The driver that the passdb should use. Valid values include
16739 @samp{pam}, @samp{passwd}, @samp{shadow}, @samp{bsdauth}, and
16741 Defaults to @samp{"pam"}.
16744 @deftypevr {@code{passdb-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list args
16745 Space separated list of arguments to the passdb driver.
16746 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16751 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} userdb-configuration-list userdbs
16752 List of userdb configurations, each one created by the
16753 @code{userdb-configuration} constructor.
16755 Available @code{userdb-configuration} fields are:
16757 @deftypevr {@code{userdb-configuration} parameter} string driver
16758 The driver that the userdb should use. Valid values include
16759 @samp{passwd} and @samp{static}.
16760 Defaults to @samp{"passwd"}.
16763 @deftypevr {@code{userdb-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list args
16764 Space separated list of arguments to the userdb driver.
16765 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16768 @deftypevr {@code{userdb-configuration} parameter} free-form-args override-fields
16769 Override fields from passwd.
16770 Defaults to @samp{()}.
16775 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} plugin-configuration plugin-configuration
16776 Plug-in configuration, created by the @code{plugin-configuration}
16780 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} list-of-namespace-configuration namespaces
16781 List of namespaces. Each item in the list is created by the
16782 @code{namespace-configuration} constructor.
16784 Available @code{namespace-configuration} fields are:
16786 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} string name
16787 Name for this namespace.
16790 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} string type
16791 Namespace type: @samp{private}, @samp{shared} or @samp{public}.
16792 Defaults to @samp{"private"}.
16795 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} string separator
16796 Hierarchy separator to use. You should use the same separator for
16797 all namespaces or some clients get confused. @samp{/} is usually a good
16798 one. The default however depends on the underlying mail storage
16800 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16803 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} string prefix
16804 Prefix required to access this namespace. This needs to be
16805 different for all namespaces. For example @samp{Public/}.
16806 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16809 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} string location
16810 Physical location of the mailbox. This is in the same format as
16811 mail_location, which is also the default for it.
16812 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16815 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} boolean inbox?
16816 There can be only one INBOX, and this setting defines which
16818 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16821 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} boolean hidden?
16822 If namespace is hidden, it's not advertised to clients via NAMESPACE
16823 extension. You'll most likely also want to set @samp{list? #f}. This is mostly
16824 useful when converting from another server with different namespaces
16825 which you want to deprecate but still keep working. For example you can
16826 create hidden namespaces with prefixes @samp{~/mail/}, @samp{~%u/mail/}
16828 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16831 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} boolean list?
16832 Show the mailboxes under this namespace with the LIST command. This
16833 makes the namespace visible for clients that do not support the NAMESPACE
16834 extension. The special @code{children} value lists child mailboxes, but
16835 hides the namespace prefix.
16836 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16839 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} boolean subscriptions?
16840 Namespace handles its own subscriptions. If set to @code{#f}, the
16841 parent namespace handles them. The empty prefix should always have this
16843 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16846 @deftypevr {@code{namespace-configuration} parameter} mailbox-configuration-list mailboxes
16847 List of predefined mailboxes in this namespace.
16848 Defaults to @samp{()}.
16850 Available @code{mailbox-configuration} fields are:
16852 @deftypevr {@code{mailbox-configuration} parameter} string name
16853 Name for this mailbox.
16856 @deftypevr {@code{mailbox-configuration} parameter} string auto
16857 @samp{create} will automatically create this mailbox.
16858 @samp{subscribe} will both create and subscribe to the mailbox.
16859 Defaults to @samp{"no"}.
16862 @deftypevr {@code{mailbox-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list special-use
16863 List of IMAP @code{SPECIAL-USE} attributes as specified by RFC 6154.
16864 Valid values are @code{\All}, @code{\Archive}, @code{\Drafts},
16865 @code{\Flagged}, @code{\Junk}, @code{\Sent}, and @code{\Trash}.
16866 Defaults to @samp{()}.
16873 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name base-dir
16874 Base directory where to store runtime data.
16875 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/dovecot/"}.
16878 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string login-greeting
16879 Greeting message for clients.
16880 Defaults to @samp{"Dovecot ready."}.
16883 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list login-trusted-networks
16884 List of trusted network ranges. Connections from these IPs are
16885 allowed to override their IP addresses and ports (for logging and for
16886 authentication checks). @samp{disable-plaintext-auth} is also ignored
16887 for these networks. Typically you would specify your IMAP proxy servers
16889 Defaults to @samp{()}.
16892 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list login-access-sockets
16893 List of login access check sockets (e.g.@: tcpwrap).
16894 Defaults to @samp{()}.
16897 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean verbose-proctitle?
16898 Show more verbose process titles (in ps). Currently shows user name
16899 and IP address. Useful for seeing who is actually using the IMAP
16900 processes (e.g.@: shared mailboxes or if the same uid is used for multiple
16902 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
16905 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean shutdown-clients?
16906 Should all processes be killed when Dovecot master process shuts down.
16907 Setting this to @code{#f} means that Dovecot can be upgraded without
16908 forcing existing client connections to close (although that could also
16909 be a problem if the upgrade is e.g.@: due to a security fix).
16910 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16913 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer doveadm-worker-count
16914 If non-zero, run mail commands via this many connections to doveadm
16915 server, instead of running them directly in the same process.
16916 Defaults to @samp{0}.
16919 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string doveadm-socket-path
16920 UNIX socket or host:port used for connecting to doveadm server.
16921 Defaults to @samp{"doveadm-server"}.
16924 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list import-environment
16925 List of environment variables that are preserved on Dovecot startup
16926 and passed down to all of its child processes. You can also give
16927 key=value pairs to always set specific settings.
16930 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean disable-plaintext-auth?
16931 Disable LOGIN command and all other plaintext authentications unless
16932 SSL/TLS is used (LOGINDISABLED capability). Note that if the remote IP
16933 matches the local IP (i.e.@: you're connecting from the same computer),
16934 the connection is considered secure and plaintext authentication is
16935 allowed. See also ssl=required setting.
16936 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
16939 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer auth-cache-size
16940 Authentication cache size (e.g.@: @samp{#e10e6}). 0 means it's disabled.
16941 Note that bsdauth, PAM and vpopmail require @samp{cache-key} to be set
16942 for caching to be used.
16943 Defaults to @samp{0}.
16946 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-cache-ttl
16947 Time to live for cached data. After TTL expires the cached record
16948 is no longer used, *except* if the main database lookup returns internal
16949 failure. We also try to handle password changes automatically: If
16950 user's previous authentication was successful, but this one wasn't, the
16951 cache isn't used. For now this works only with plaintext
16953 Defaults to @samp{"1 hour"}.
16956 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-cache-negative-ttl
16957 TTL for negative hits (user not found, password mismatch).
16958 0 disables caching them completely.
16959 Defaults to @samp{"1 hour"}.
16962 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list auth-realms
16963 List of realms for SASL authentication mechanisms that need them.
16964 You can leave it empty if you don't want to support multiple realms.
16965 Many clients simply use the first one listed here, so keep the default
16967 Defaults to @samp{()}.
16970 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-default-realm
16971 Default realm/domain to use if none was specified. This is used for
16972 both SASL realms and appending @@domain to username in plaintext
16974 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16977 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-username-chars
16978 List of allowed characters in username. If the user-given username
16979 contains a character not listed in here, the login automatically fails.
16980 This is just an extra check to make sure user can't exploit any
16981 potential quote escaping vulnerabilities with SQL/LDAP databases. If
16982 you want to allow all characters, set this value to empty.
16983 Defaults to @samp{"abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ01234567890.-_@@"}.
16986 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-username-translation
16987 Username character translations before it's looked up from
16988 databases. The value contains series of from -> to characters. For
16989 example @samp{#@@/@@} means that @samp{#} and @samp{/} characters are
16990 translated to @samp{@@}.
16991 Defaults to @samp{""}.
16994 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-username-format
16995 Username formatting before it's looked up from databases. You can
16996 use the standard variables here, e.g.@: %Lu would lowercase the username,
16997 %n would drop away the domain if it was given, or @samp{%n-AT-%d} would
16998 change the @samp{@@} into @samp{-AT-}. This translation is done after
16999 @samp{auth-username-translation} changes.
17000 Defaults to @samp{"%Lu"}.
17003 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-master-user-separator
17004 If you want to allow master users to log in by specifying the master
17005 username within the normal username string (i.e.@: not using SASL
17006 mechanism's support for it), you can specify the separator character
17007 here. The format is then <username><separator><master username>.
17008 UW-IMAP uses @samp{*} as the separator, so that could be a good
17010 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17013 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-anonymous-username
17014 Username to use for users logging in with ANONYMOUS SASL
17016 Defaults to @samp{"anonymous"}.
17019 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer auth-worker-max-count
17020 Maximum number of dovecot-auth worker processes. They're used to
17021 execute blocking passdb and userdb queries (e.g.@: MySQL and PAM).
17022 They're automatically created and destroyed as needed.
17023 Defaults to @samp{30}.
17026 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-gssapi-hostname
17027 Host name to use in GSSAPI principal names. The default is to use
17028 the name returned by gethostname(). Use @samp{$ALL} (with quotes) to
17029 allow all keytab entries.
17030 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17033 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-krb5-keytab
17034 Kerberos keytab to use for the GSSAPI mechanism. Will use the
17035 system default (usually @file{/etc/krb5.keytab}) if not specified. You may
17036 need to change the auth service to run as root to be able to read this
17038 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17041 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-use-winbind?
17042 Do NTLM and GSS-SPNEGO authentication using Samba's winbind daemon
17043 and @samp{ntlm-auth} helper.
17044 <doc/wiki/Authentication/Mechanisms/Winbind.txt>.
17045 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17048 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name auth-winbind-helper-path
17049 Path for Samba's @samp{ntlm-auth} helper binary.
17050 Defaults to @samp{"/usr/bin/ntlm_auth"}.
17053 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-failure-delay
17054 Time to delay before replying to failed authentications.
17055 Defaults to @samp{"2 secs"}.
17058 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-ssl-require-client-cert?
17059 Require a valid SSL client certificate or the authentication
17061 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17064 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-ssl-username-from-cert?
17065 Take the username from client's SSL certificate, using
17066 @code{X509_NAME_get_text_by_NID()} which returns the subject's DN's
17068 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17071 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list auth-mechanisms
17072 List of wanted authentication mechanisms. Supported mechanisms are:
17073 @samp{plain}, @samp{login}, @samp{digest-md5}, @samp{cram-md5},
17074 @samp{ntlm}, @samp{rpa}, @samp{apop}, @samp{anonymous}, @samp{gssapi},
17075 @samp{otp}, @samp{skey}, and @samp{gss-spnego}. NOTE: See also
17076 @samp{disable-plaintext-auth} setting.
17079 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list director-servers
17080 List of IPs or hostnames to all director servers, including ourself.
17081 Ports can be specified as ip:port. The default port is the same as what
17082 director service's @samp{inet-listener} is using.
17083 Defaults to @samp{()}.
17086 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list director-mail-servers
17087 List of IPs or hostnames to all backend mail servers. Ranges are
17088 allowed too, like 10.0.0.10-10.0.0.30.
17089 Defaults to @samp{()}.
17092 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string director-user-expire
17093 How long to redirect users to a specific server after it no longer
17094 has any connections.
17095 Defaults to @samp{"15 min"}.
17098 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string director-username-hash
17099 How the username is translated before being hashed. Useful values
17100 include %Ln if user can log in with or without @@domain, %Ld if mailboxes
17101 are shared within domain.
17102 Defaults to @samp{"%Lu"}.
17105 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string log-path
17106 Log file to use for error messages. @samp{syslog} logs to syslog,
17107 @samp{/dev/stderr} logs to stderr.
17108 Defaults to @samp{"syslog"}.
17111 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string info-log-path
17112 Log file to use for informational messages. Defaults to
17114 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17117 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string debug-log-path
17118 Log file to use for debug messages. Defaults to
17119 @samp{info-log-path}.
17120 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17123 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string syslog-facility
17124 Syslog facility to use if you're logging to syslog. Usually if you
17125 don't want to use @samp{mail}, you'll use local0..local7. Also other
17126 standard facilities are supported.
17127 Defaults to @samp{"mail"}.
17130 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-verbose?
17131 Log unsuccessful authentication attempts and the reasons why they
17133 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17136 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string auth-verbose-passwords
17137 In case of password mismatches, log the attempted password. Valid
17138 values are no, plain and sha1. sha1 can be useful for detecting brute
17139 force password attempts vs. user simply trying the same password over
17140 and over again. You can also truncate the value to n chars by appending
17141 ":n" (e.g.@: sha1:6).
17142 Defaults to @samp{"no"}.
17145 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-debug?
17146 Even more verbose logging for debugging purposes. Shows for example
17148 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17151 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean auth-debug-passwords?
17152 In case of password mismatches, log the passwords and used scheme so
17153 the problem can be debugged. Enabling this also enables
17155 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17158 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mail-debug?
17159 Enable mail process debugging. This can help you figure out why
17160 Dovecot isn't finding your mails.
17161 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17164 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean verbose-ssl?
17165 Show protocol level SSL errors.
17166 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17169 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string log-timestamp
17170 Prefix for each line written to log file. % codes are in
17171 strftime(3) format.
17172 Defaults to @samp{"\"%b %d %H:%M:%S \""}.
17175 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list login-log-format-elements
17176 List of elements we want to log. The elements which have a
17177 non-empty variable value are joined together to form a comma-separated
17181 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string login-log-format
17182 Login log format. %s contains @samp{login-log-format-elements}
17183 string, %$ contains the data we want to log.
17184 Defaults to @samp{"%$: %s"}.
17187 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-log-prefix
17188 Log prefix for mail processes. See doc/wiki/Variables.txt for list
17189 of possible variables you can use.
17190 Defaults to @samp{"\"%s(%u)<%@{pid@}><%@{session@}>: \""}.
17193 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string deliver-log-format
17194 Format to use for logging mail deliveries. You can use variables:
17197 Delivery status message (e.g.@: @samp{saved to INBOX})
17209 Defaults to @samp{"msgid=%m: %$"}.
17212 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-location
17213 Location for users' mailboxes. The default is empty, which means
17214 that Dovecot tries to find the mailboxes automatically. This won't work
17215 if the user doesn't yet have any mail, so you should explicitly tell
17216 Dovecot the full location.
17218 If you're using mbox, giving a path to the INBOX
17219 file (e.g.@: /var/mail/%u) isn't enough. You'll also need to tell Dovecot
17220 where the other mailboxes are kept. This is called the "root mail
17221 directory", and it must be the first path given in the
17222 @samp{mail-location} setting.
17224 There are a few special variables you can use, eg.:
17230 user part in user@@domain, same as %u if there's no domain
17232 domain part in user@@domain, empty if there's no domain
17237 See doc/wiki/Variables.txt for full list. Some examples:
17239 @item maildir:~/Maildir
17240 @item mbox:~/mail:INBOX=/var/mail/%u
17241 @item mbox:/var/mail/%d/%1n/%n:INDEX=/var/indexes/%d/%1n/%
17243 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17246 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-uid
17247 System user and group used to access mails. If you use multiple,
17248 userdb can override these by returning uid or gid fields. You can use
17249 either numbers or names. <doc/wiki/UserIds.txt>.
17250 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17253 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-gid
17255 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17258 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-privileged-group
17259 Group to enable temporarily for privileged operations. Currently
17260 this is used only with INBOX when either its initial creation or
17261 dotlocking fails. Typically this is set to "mail" to give access to
17263 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17266 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-access-groups
17267 Grant access to these supplementary groups for mail processes.
17268 Typically these are used to set up access to shared mailboxes. Note
17269 that it may be dangerous to set these if users can create
17270 symlinks (e.g.@: if "mail" group is set here, ln -s /var/mail ~/mail/var
17271 could allow a user to delete others' mailboxes, or ln -s
17272 /secret/shared/box ~/mail/mybox would allow reading it).
17273 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17276 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mail-full-filesystem-access?
17277 Allow full file system access to clients. There's no access checks
17278 other than what the operating system does for the active UID/GID. It
17279 works with both maildir and mboxes, allowing you to prefix mailboxes
17280 names with e.g.@: /path/ or ~user/.
17281 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17284 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mmap-disable?
17285 Don't use mmap() at all. This is required if you store indexes to
17286 shared file systems (NFS or clustered file system).
17287 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17290 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean dotlock-use-excl?
17291 Rely on @samp{O_EXCL} to work when creating dotlock files. NFS
17292 supports @samp{O_EXCL} since version 3, so this should be safe to use
17293 nowadays by default.
17294 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
17297 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-fsync
17298 When to use fsync() or fdatasync() calls:
17301 Whenever necessary to avoid losing important data
17303 Useful with e.g.@: NFS when write()s are delayed
17305 Never use it (best performance, but crashes can lose data).
17307 Defaults to @samp{"optimized"}.
17310 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mail-nfs-storage?
17311 Mail storage exists in NFS. Set this to yes to make Dovecot flush
17312 NFS caches whenever needed. If you're using only a single mail server
17314 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17317 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mail-nfs-index?
17318 Mail index files also exist in NFS. Setting this to yes requires
17319 @samp{mmap-disable? #t} and @samp{fsync-disable? #f}.
17320 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17323 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string lock-method
17324 Locking method for index files. Alternatives are fcntl, flock and
17325 dotlock. Dotlocking uses some tricks which may create more disk I/O
17326 than other locking methods. NFS users: flock doesn't work, remember to
17327 change @samp{mmap-disable}.
17328 Defaults to @samp{"fcntl"}.
17331 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name mail-temp-dir
17332 Directory in which LDA/LMTP temporarily stores incoming mails >128
17334 Defaults to @samp{"/tmp"}.
17337 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer first-valid-uid
17338 Valid UID range for users. This is mostly to make sure that users can't
17339 log in as daemons or other system users. Note that denying root logins is
17340 hardcoded to dovecot binary and can't be done even if @samp{first-valid-uid}
17342 Defaults to @samp{500}.
17345 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer last-valid-uid
17347 Defaults to @samp{0}.
17350 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer first-valid-gid
17351 Valid GID range for users. Users having non-valid GID as primary group ID
17352 aren't allowed to log in. If user belongs to supplementary groups with
17353 non-valid GIDs, those groups are not set.
17354 Defaults to @samp{1}.
17357 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer last-valid-gid
17359 Defaults to @samp{0}.
17362 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mail-max-keyword-length
17363 Maximum allowed length for mail keyword name. It's only forced when
17364 trying to create new keywords.
17365 Defaults to @samp{50}.
17368 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} colon-separated-file-name-list valid-chroot-dirs
17369 List of directories under which chrooting is allowed for mail
17370 processes (i.e.@: /var/mail will allow chrooting to /var/mail/foo/bar
17371 too). This setting doesn't affect @samp{login-chroot}
17372 @samp{mail-chroot} or auth chroot settings. If this setting is empty,
17373 "/./" in home dirs are ignored. WARNING: Never add directories here
17374 which local users can modify, that may lead to root exploit. Usually
17375 this should be done only if you don't allow shell access for users.
17376 <doc/wiki/Chrooting.txt>.
17377 Defaults to @samp{()}.
17380 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-chroot
17381 Default chroot directory for mail processes. This can be overridden
17382 for specific users in user database by giving /./ in user's home
17383 directory (e.g.@: /home/./user chroots into /home). Note that usually
17384 there is no real need to do chrooting, Dovecot doesn't allow users to
17385 access files outside their mail directory anyway. If your home
17386 directories are prefixed with the chroot directory, append "/."@: to
17387 @samp{mail-chroot}. <doc/wiki/Chrooting.txt>.
17388 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17391 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name auth-socket-path
17392 UNIX socket path to master authentication server to find users.
17393 This is used by imap (for shared users) and lda.
17394 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/dovecot/auth-userdb"}.
17397 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name mail-plugin-dir
17398 Directory where to look up mail plugins.
17399 Defaults to @samp{"/usr/lib/dovecot"}.
17402 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list mail-plugins
17403 List of plugins to load for all services. Plugins specific to IMAP,
17404 LDA, etc.@: are added to this list in their own .conf files.
17405 Defaults to @samp{()}.
17408 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mail-cache-min-mail-count
17409 The minimum number of mails in a mailbox before updates are done to
17410 cache file. This allows optimizing Dovecot's behavior to do less disk
17411 writes at the cost of more disk reads.
17412 Defaults to @samp{0}.
17415 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mailbox-idle-check-interval
17416 When IDLE command is running, mailbox is checked once in a while to
17417 see if there are any new mails or other changes. This setting defines
17418 the minimum time to wait between those checks. Dovecot can also use
17419 dnotify, inotify and kqueue to find out immediately when changes
17421 Defaults to @samp{"30 secs"}.
17424 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mail-save-crlf?
17425 Save mails with CR+LF instead of plain LF. This makes sending those
17426 mails take less CPU, especially with sendfile() syscall with Linux and
17427 FreeBSD. But it also creates a bit more disk I/O which may just make it
17428 slower. Also note that if other software reads the mboxes/maildirs,
17429 they may handle the extra CRs wrong and cause problems.
17430 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17433 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean maildir-stat-dirs?
17434 By default LIST command returns all entries in maildir beginning
17435 with a dot. Enabling this option makes Dovecot return only entries
17436 which are directories. This is done by stat()ing each entry, so it
17437 causes more disk I/O.
17438 (For systems setting struct @samp{dirent->d_type} this check is free
17439 and it's done always regardless of this setting).
17440 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17443 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean maildir-copy-with-hardlinks?
17444 When copying a message, do it with hard links whenever possible.
17445 This makes the performance much better, and it's unlikely to have any
17447 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
17450 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean maildir-very-dirty-syncs?
17451 Assume Dovecot is the only MUA accessing Maildir: Scan cur/
17452 directory only when its mtime changes unexpectedly or when we can't find
17453 the mail otherwise.
17454 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17457 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list mbox-read-locks
17458 Which locking methods to use for locking mbox. There are four
17463 Create <mailbox>.lock file. This is the oldest and most NFS-safe
17464 solution. If you want to use /var/mail/ like directory, the users will
17465 need write access to that directory.
17467 Same as dotlock, but if it fails because of permissions or because there
17468 isn't enough disk space, just skip it.
17470 Use this if possible. Works with NFS too if lockd is used.
17472 May not exist in all systems. Doesn't work with NFS.
17474 May not exist in all systems. Doesn't work with NFS.
17477 You can use multiple locking methods; if you do the order they're declared
17478 in is important to avoid deadlocks if other MTAs/MUAs are using multiple
17479 locking methods as well. Some operating systems don't allow using some of
17480 them simultaneously.
17483 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list mbox-write-locks
17487 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mbox-lock-timeout
17488 Maximum time to wait for lock (all of them) before aborting.
17489 Defaults to @samp{"5 mins"}.
17492 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mbox-dotlock-change-timeout
17493 If dotlock exists but the mailbox isn't modified in any way,
17494 override the lock file after this much time.
17495 Defaults to @samp{"2 mins"}.
17498 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mbox-dirty-syncs?
17499 When mbox changes unexpectedly we have to fully read it to find out
17500 what changed. If the mbox is large this can take a long time. Since
17501 the change is usually just a newly appended mail, it'd be faster to
17502 simply read the new mails. If this setting is enabled, Dovecot does
17503 this but still safely fallbacks to re-reading the whole mbox file
17504 whenever something in mbox isn't how it's expected to be. The only real
17505 downside to this setting is that if some other MUA changes message
17506 flags, Dovecot doesn't notice it immediately. Note that a full sync is
17507 done with SELECT, EXAMINE, EXPUNGE and CHECK commands.
17508 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
17511 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mbox-very-dirty-syncs?
17512 Like @samp{mbox-dirty-syncs}, but don't do full syncs even with SELECT,
17513 EXAMINE, EXPUNGE or CHECK commands. If this is set,
17514 @samp{mbox-dirty-syncs} is ignored.
17515 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17518 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mbox-lazy-writes?
17519 Delay writing mbox headers until doing a full write sync (EXPUNGE
17520 and CHECK commands and when closing the mailbox). This is especially
17521 useful for POP3 where clients often delete all mails. The downside is
17522 that our changes aren't immediately visible to other MUAs.
17523 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
17526 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mbox-min-index-size
17527 If mbox size is smaller than this (e.g.@: 100k), don't write index
17528 files. If an index file already exists it's still read, just not
17530 Defaults to @samp{0}.
17533 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mdbox-rotate-size
17534 Maximum dbox file size until it's rotated.
17535 Defaults to @samp{10000000}.
17538 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mdbox-rotate-interval
17539 Maximum dbox file age until it's rotated. Typically in days. Day
17540 begins from midnight, so 1d = today, 2d = yesterday, etc. 0 = check
17542 Defaults to @samp{"1d"}.
17545 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean mdbox-preallocate-space?
17546 When creating new mdbox files, immediately preallocate their size to
17547 @samp{mdbox-rotate-size}. This setting currently works only in Linux
17548 with some file systems (ext4, xfs).
17549 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17552 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-attachment-dir
17553 sdbox and mdbox support saving mail attachments to external files,
17554 which also allows single instance storage for them. Other backends
17555 don't support this for now.
17557 WARNING: This feature hasn't been tested much yet. Use at your own risk.
17559 Directory root where to store mail attachments. Disabled, if empty.
17560 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17563 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer mail-attachment-min-size
17564 Attachments smaller than this aren't saved externally. It's also
17565 possible to write a plugin to disable saving specific attachments
17567 Defaults to @samp{128000}.
17570 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-attachment-fs
17571 File system backend to use for saving attachments:
17574 No SiS done by Dovecot (but this might help FS's own deduplication)
17576 SiS with immediate byte-by-byte comparison during saving
17577 @item sis-queue posix
17578 SiS with delayed comparison and deduplication.
17580 Defaults to @samp{"sis posix"}.
17583 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string mail-attachment-hash
17584 Hash format to use in attachment filenames. You can add any text and
17585 variables: @code{%@{md4@}}, @code{%@{md5@}}, @code{%@{sha1@}},
17586 @code{%@{sha256@}}, @code{%@{sha512@}}, @code{%@{size@}}. Variables can be
17587 truncated, e.g.@: @code{%@{sha256:80@}} returns only first 80 bits.
17588 Defaults to @samp{"%@{sha1@}"}.
17591 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer default-process-limit
17593 Defaults to @samp{100}.
17596 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer default-client-limit
17598 Defaults to @samp{1000}.
17601 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer default-vsz-limit
17602 Default VSZ (virtual memory size) limit for service processes.
17603 This is mainly intended to catch and kill processes that leak memory
17604 before they eat up everything.
17605 Defaults to @samp{256000000}.
17608 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string default-login-user
17609 Login user is internally used by login processes. This is the most
17610 untrusted user in Dovecot system. It shouldn't have access to anything
17612 Defaults to @samp{"dovenull"}.
17615 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string default-internal-user
17616 Internal user is used by unprivileged processes. It should be
17617 separate from login user, so that login processes can't disturb other
17619 Defaults to @samp{"dovecot"}.
17622 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl?
17623 SSL/TLS support: yes, no, required. <doc/wiki/SSL.txt>.
17624 Defaults to @samp{"required"}.
17627 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-cert
17628 PEM encoded X.509 SSL/TLS certificate (public key).
17629 Defaults to @samp{"</etc/dovecot/default.pem"}.
17632 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-key
17633 PEM encoded SSL/TLS private key. The key is opened before
17634 dropping root privileges, so keep the key file unreadable by anyone but
17636 Defaults to @samp{"</etc/dovecot/private/default.pem"}.
17639 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-key-password
17640 If key file is password protected, give the password here.
17641 Alternatively give it when starting dovecot with -p parameter. Since
17642 this file is often world-readable, you may want to place this setting
17643 instead to a different.
17644 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17647 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-ca
17648 PEM encoded trusted certificate authority. Set this only if you
17649 intend to use @samp{ssl-verify-client-cert? #t}. The file should
17650 contain the CA certificate(s) followed by the matching
17651 CRL(s). (e.g.@: @samp{ssl-ca </etc/ssl/certs/ca.pem}).
17652 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17655 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean ssl-require-crl?
17656 Require that CRL check succeeds for client certificates.
17657 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
17660 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean ssl-verify-client-cert?
17661 Request client to send a certificate. If you also want to require
17662 it, set @samp{auth-ssl-require-client-cert? #t} in auth section.
17663 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17666 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-cert-username-field
17667 Which field from certificate to use for username. commonName and
17668 x500UniqueIdentifier are the usual choices. You'll also need to set
17669 @samp{auth-ssl-username-from-cert? #t}.
17670 Defaults to @samp{"commonName"}.
17673 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-min-protocol
17674 Minimum SSL protocol version to accept.
17675 Defaults to @samp{"TLSv1"}.
17678 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-cipher-list
17679 SSL ciphers to use.
17680 Defaults to @samp{"ALL:!kRSA:!SRP:!kDHd:!DSS:!aNULL:!eNULL:!EXPORT:!DES:!3DES:!MD5:!PSK:!RC4:!ADH:!LOW@@STRENGTH"}.
17683 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string ssl-crypto-device
17684 SSL crypto device to use, for valid values run "openssl engine".
17685 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17688 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string postmaster-address
17689 Address to use when sending rejection mails.
17690 %d expands to recipient domain.
17691 Defaults to @samp{"postmaster@@%d"}.
17694 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string hostname
17695 Hostname to use in various parts of sent mails (e.g.@: in Message-Id)
17696 and in LMTP replies. Default is the system's real hostname@@domain.
17697 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17700 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean quota-full-tempfail?
17701 If user is over quota, return with temporary failure instead of
17703 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17706 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} file-name sendmail-path
17707 Binary to use for sending mails.
17708 Defaults to @samp{"/usr/sbin/sendmail"}.
17711 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string submission-host
17712 If non-empty, send mails via this SMTP host[:port] instead of
17714 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17717 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string rejection-subject
17718 Subject: header to use for rejection mails. You can use the same
17719 variables as for @samp{rejection-reason} below.
17720 Defaults to @samp{"Rejected: %s"}.
17723 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string rejection-reason
17724 Human readable error message for rejection mails. You can use
17737 Defaults to @samp{"Your message to <%t> was automatically rejected:%n%r"}.
17740 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string recipient-delimiter
17741 Delimiter character between local-part and detail in email
17743 Defaults to @samp{"+"}.
17746 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string lda-original-recipient-header
17747 Header where the original recipient address (SMTP's RCPT TO:
17748 address) is taken from if not available elsewhere. With dovecot-lda -a
17749 parameter overrides this. A commonly used header for this is
17751 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17754 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean lda-mailbox-autocreate?
17755 Should saving a mail to a nonexistent mailbox automatically create
17757 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17760 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} boolean lda-mailbox-autosubscribe?
17761 Should automatically created mailboxes be also automatically
17763 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
17766 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer imap-max-line-length
17767 Maximum IMAP command line length. Some clients generate very long
17768 command lines with huge mailboxes, so you may need to raise this if you
17769 get "Too long argument" or "IMAP command line too large" errors
17771 Defaults to @samp{64000}.
17774 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-logout-format
17775 IMAP logout format string:
17778 total number of bytes read from client
17780 total number of bytes sent to client.
17782 See @file{doc/wiki/Variables.txt} for a list of all the variables you can use.
17783 Defaults to @samp{"in=%i out=%o deleted=%@{deleted@} expunged=%@{expunged@} trashed=%@{trashed@} hdr_count=%@{fetch_hdr_count@} hdr_bytes=%@{fetch_hdr_bytes@} body_count=%@{fetch_body_count@} body_bytes=%@{fetch_body_bytes@}"}.
17786 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-capability
17787 Override the IMAP CAPABILITY response. If the value begins with '+',
17788 add the given capabilities on top of the defaults (e.g.@: +XFOO XBAR).
17789 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17792 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-idle-notify-interval
17793 How long to wait between "OK Still here" notifications when client
17795 Defaults to @samp{"2 mins"}.
17798 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-id-send
17799 ID field names and values to send to clients. Using * as the value
17800 makes Dovecot use the default value. The following fields have default
17801 values currently: name, version, os, os-version, support-url,
17803 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17806 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-id-log
17807 ID fields sent by client to log. * means everything.
17808 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17811 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list imap-client-workarounds
17812 Workarounds for various client bugs:
17815 @item delay-newmail
17816 Send EXISTS/RECENT new mail notifications only when replying to NOOP and
17817 CHECK commands. Some clients ignore them otherwise, for example OSX
17818 Mail (<v2.1). Outlook Express breaks more badly though, without this it
17819 may show user "Message no longer in server" errors. Note that OE6
17820 still breaks even with this workaround if synchronization is set to
17823 @item tb-extra-mailbox-sep
17824 Thunderbird gets somehow confused with LAYOUT=fs (mbox and dbox) and
17825 adds extra @samp{/} suffixes to mailbox names. This option causes Dovecot to
17826 ignore the extra @samp{/} instead of treating it as invalid mailbox name.
17828 @item tb-lsub-flags
17829 Show \Noselect flags for LSUB replies with LAYOUT=fs (e.g.@: mbox).
17830 This makes Thunderbird realize they aren't selectable and show them
17831 greyed out, instead of only later giving "not selectable" popup error.
17833 Defaults to @samp{()}.
17836 @deftypevr {@code{dovecot-configuration} parameter} string imap-urlauth-host
17837 Host allowed in URLAUTH URLs sent by client. "*" allows all.
17838 Defaults to @samp{""}.
17842 Whew! Lots of configuration options. The nice thing about it though is
17843 that Guix has a complete interface to Dovecot's configuration
17844 language. This allows not only a nice way to declare configurations,
17845 but also offers reflective capabilities as well: users can write code to
17846 inspect and transform configurations from within Scheme.
17848 However, it could be that you just want to get a @code{dovecot.conf} up
17849 and running. In that case, you can pass an
17850 @code{opaque-dovecot-configuration} as the @code{#:config} parameter to
17851 @code{dovecot-service}. As its name indicates, an opaque configuration
17852 does not have easy reflective capabilities.
17854 Available @code{opaque-dovecot-configuration} fields are:
17856 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-dovecot-configuration} parameter} package dovecot
17857 The dovecot package.
17860 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-dovecot-configuration} parameter} string string
17861 The contents of the @code{dovecot.conf}, as a string.
17864 For example, if your @code{dovecot.conf} is just the empty string, you
17865 could instantiate a dovecot service like this:
17868 (dovecot-service #:config
17869 (opaque-dovecot-configuration
17873 @subsubheading OpenSMTPD Service
17875 @deffn {Scheme Variable} opensmtpd-service-type
17876 This is the type of the @uref{https://www.opensmtpd.org, OpenSMTPD}
17877 service, whose value should be an @code{opensmtpd-configuration} object
17878 as in this example:
17881 (service opensmtpd-service-type
17882 (opensmtpd-configuration
17883 (config-file (local-file "./my-smtpd.conf"))))
17887 @deftp {Data Type} opensmtpd-configuration
17888 Data type representing the configuration of opensmtpd.
17891 @item @code{package} (default: @var{opensmtpd})
17892 Package object of the OpenSMTPD SMTP server.
17894 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{%default-opensmtpd-file})
17895 File-like object of the OpenSMTPD configuration file to use. By default
17896 it listens on the loopback network interface, and allows for mail from
17897 users and daemons on the local machine, as well as permitting email to
17898 remote servers. Run @command{man smtpd.conf} for more information.
17903 @subsubheading Exim Service
17905 @cindex mail transfer agent (MTA)
17906 @cindex MTA (mail transfer agent)
17909 @deffn {Scheme Variable} exim-service-type
17910 This is the type of the @uref{https://exim.org, Exim} mail transfer
17911 agent (MTA), whose value should be an @code{exim-configuration} object
17912 as in this example:
17915 (service exim-service-type
17916 (exim-configuration
17917 (config-file (local-file "./my-exim.conf"))))
17921 In order to use an @code{exim-service-type} service you must also have a
17922 @code{mail-aliases-service-type} service present in your
17923 @code{operating-system} (even if it has no aliases).
17925 @deftp {Data Type} exim-configuration
17926 Data type representing the configuration of exim.
17929 @item @code{package} (default: @var{exim})
17930 Package object of the Exim server.
17932 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{#f})
17933 File-like object of the Exim configuration file to use. If its value is
17934 @code{#f} then use the default configuration file from the package
17935 provided in @code{package}. The resulting configuration file is loaded
17936 after setting the @code{exim_user} and @code{exim_group} configuration
17942 @subsubheading Getmail service
17947 @deffn {Scheme Variable} getmail-service-type
17948 This is the type of the @uref{http://pyropus.ca/software/getmail/, Getmail}
17949 mail retriever, whose value should be an @code{getmail-configuration}.
17952 Available @code{getmail-configuration} fields are:
17954 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-configuration} parameter} symbol name
17955 A symbol to identify the getmail service.
17957 Defaults to @samp{"unset"}.
17961 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-configuration} parameter} package package
17962 The getmail package to use.
17966 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-configuration} parameter} string user
17967 The user to run getmail as.
17969 Defaults to @samp{"getmail"}.
17973 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-configuration} parameter} string group
17974 The group to run getmail as.
17976 Defaults to @samp{"getmail"}.
17980 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-configuration} parameter} string directory
17981 The getmail directory to use.
17983 Defaults to @samp{"/var/lib/getmail/default"}.
17987 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-configuration} parameter} getmail-configuration-file rcfile
17988 The getmail configuration file to use.
17990 Available @code{getmail-configuration-file} fields are:
17992 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-configuration-file} parameter} getmail-retriever-configuration retriever
17993 What mail account to retrieve mail from, and how to access that account.
17995 Available @code{getmail-retriever-configuration} fields are:
17997 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-retriever-configuration} parameter} string type
17998 The type of mail retriever to use. Valid values include @samp{passwd}
18001 Defaults to @samp{"SimpleIMAPSSLRetriever"}.
18005 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-retriever-configuration} parameter} string server
18006 Username to login to the mail server with.
18008 Defaults to @samp{unset}.
18012 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-retriever-configuration} parameter} string username
18013 Username to login to the mail server with.
18015 Defaults to @samp{unset}.
18019 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-retriever-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer port
18020 Port number to connect to.
18022 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
18026 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-retriever-configuration} parameter} string password
18027 Override fields from passwd.
18029 Defaults to @samp{""}.
18033 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-retriever-configuration} parameter} list password-command
18034 Override fields from passwd.
18036 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18040 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-retriever-configuration} parameter} string keyfile
18041 PEM-formatted key file to use for the TLS negotiation.
18043 Defaults to @samp{""}.
18047 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-retriever-configuration} parameter} string certfile
18048 PEM-formatted certificate file to use for the TLS negotiation.
18050 Defaults to @samp{""}.
18054 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-retriever-configuration} parameter} string ca-certs
18055 CA certificates to use.
18057 Defaults to @samp{""}.
18061 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-retriever-configuration} parameter} parameter-alist extra-parameters
18062 Extra retriever parameters.
18064 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18070 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-configuration-file} parameter} getmail-destination-configuration destination
18071 What to do with retrieved messages.
18073 Available @code{getmail-destination-configuration} fields are:
18075 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-destination-configuration} parameter} string type
18076 The type of mail destination. Valid values include @samp{Maildir},
18077 @samp{Mboxrd} and @samp{MDA_external}.
18079 Defaults to @samp{unset}.
18083 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-destination-configuration} parameter} string-or-filelike path
18084 The path option for the mail destination. The behaviour depends on the
18087 Defaults to @samp{""}.
18091 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-destination-configuration} parameter} parameter-alist extra-parameters
18092 Extra destination parameters
18094 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18100 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-configuration-file} parameter} getmail-options-configuration options
18103 Available @code{getmail-options-configuration} fields are:
18105 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer verbose
18106 If set to @samp{0}, getmail will only print warnings and errors. A
18107 value of @samp{1} means that messages will be printed about retrieving
18108 and deleting messages. If set to @samp{2}, getmail will print messages
18109 about each of it's actions.
18111 Defaults to @samp{1}.
18115 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} boolean read-all
18116 If true, getmail will retrieve all available messages. Otherwise it
18117 will only retrieve messages it hasn't seen previously.
18119 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
18123 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} boolean delete
18124 If set to true, messages will be deleted from the server after
18125 retrieving and successfully delivering them. Otherwise, messages will
18126 be left on the server.
18128 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
18132 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer delete-after
18133 Getmail will delete messages this number of days after seeing them, if
18134 they have been delivered. This means messages will be left on the
18135 server this number of days after delivering them. A value of @samp{0}
18136 disabled this feature.
18138 Defaults to @samp{0}.
18142 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer delete-bigger-than
18143 Delete messages larger than this of bytes after retrieving them, even if
18144 the delete and delete-after options are disabled. A value of @samp{0}
18145 disables this feature.
18147 Defaults to @samp{0}.
18151 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-bytes-per-session
18152 Retrieve messages totalling up to this number of bytes before closing
18153 the session with the server. A value of @samp{0} disables this feature.
18155 Defaults to @samp{0}.
18159 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-message-size
18160 Don't retrieve messages larger than this number of bytes. A value of
18161 @samp{0} disables this feature.
18163 Defaults to @samp{0}.
18167 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} boolean delivered-to
18168 If true, getmail will add a Delivered-To header to messages.
18170 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
18174 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} boolean received
18175 If set, getmail adds a Received header to the messages.
18177 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
18181 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} string message-log
18182 Getmail will record a log of its actions to the named file. A value of
18183 @samp{""} disables this feature.
18185 Defaults to @samp{""}.
18189 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} boolean message-log-syslog
18190 If true, getmail will record a log of its actions using the system
18193 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
18197 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} boolean message-log-verbose
18198 If true, getmail will log information about messages not retrieved and
18199 the reason for not retrieving them, as well as starting and ending
18202 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
18206 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-options-configuration} parameter} parameter-alist extra-parameters
18207 Extra options to include.
18209 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18217 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-configuration} parameter} list idle
18218 A list of mailboxes that getmail should wait on the server for new mail
18219 notifications. This depends on the server supporting the IDLE
18222 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18226 @deftypevr {@code{getmail-configuration} parameter} list environment-variables
18227 Environment variables to set for getmail.
18229 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18233 @subsubheading Mail Aliases Service
18235 @cindex email aliases
18236 @cindex aliases, for email addresses
18238 @deffn {Scheme Variable} mail-aliases-service-type
18239 This is the type of the service which provides @code{/etc/aliases},
18240 specifying how to deliver mail to users on this system.
18243 (service mail-aliases-service-type
18244 '(("postmaster" "bob")
18245 ("bob" "bob@@example.com" "bob@@example2.com")))
18249 The configuration for a @code{mail-aliases-service-type} service is an
18250 association list denoting how to deliver mail that comes to this
18251 system. Each entry is of the form @code{(alias addresses ...)}, with
18252 @code{alias} specifying the local alias and @code{addresses} specifying
18253 where to deliver this user's mail.
18255 The aliases aren't required to exist as users on the local system. In
18256 the above example, there doesn't need to be a @code{postmaster} entry in
18257 the @code{operating-system}'s @code{user-accounts} in order to deliver
18258 the @code{postmaster} mail to @code{bob} (which subsequently would
18259 deliver mail to @code{bob@@example.com} and @code{bob@@example2.com}).
18261 @subsubheading GNU Mailutils IMAP4 Daemon
18262 @cindex GNU Mailutils IMAP4 Daemon
18264 @deffn {Scheme Variable} imap4d-service-type
18265 This is the type of the GNU Mailutils IMAP4 Daemon (@pxref{imap4d,,,
18266 mailutils, GNU Mailutils Manual}), whose value should be an
18267 @code{imap4d-configuration} object as in this example:
18270 (service imap4d-service-type
18271 (imap4d-configuration
18272 (config-file (local-file "imap4d.conf"))))
18276 @deftp {Data Type} imap4d-configuration
18277 Data type representing the configuration of @command{imap4d}.
18280 @item @code{package} (default: @code{mailutils})
18281 The package that provides @command{imap4d}.
18283 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{%default-imap4d-config-file})
18284 File-like object of the configuration file to use, by default it will listen
18285 on TCP port 143 of @code{localhost}. @xref{Conf-imap4d,,, mailutils, GNU
18286 Mailutils Manual}, for details.
18291 @node Messaging Services
18292 @subsection Messaging Services
18297 The @code{(gnu services messaging)} module provides Guix service
18298 definitions for messaging services: currently only Prosody is supported.
18300 @subsubheading Prosody Service
18302 @deffn {Scheme Variable} prosody-service-type
18303 This is the type for the @uref{https://prosody.im, Prosody XMPP
18304 communication server}. Its value must be a @code{prosody-configuration}
18305 record as in this example:
18308 (service prosody-service-type
18309 (prosody-configuration
18310 (modules-enabled (cons* "groups" "mam" %default-modules-enabled))
18313 (int-component-configuration
18314 (hostname "conference.example.net")
18316 (mod-muc (mod-muc-configuration)))))
18319 (virtualhost-configuration
18320 (domain "example.net"))))))
18323 See below for details about @code{prosody-configuration}.
18327 By default, Prosody does not need much configuration. Only one
18328 @code{virtualhosts} field is needed: it specifies the domain you wish
18331 You can perform various sanity checks on the generated configuration
18332 with the @code{prosodyctl check} command.
18334 Prosodyctl will also help you to import certificates from the
18335 @code{letsencrypt} directory so that the @code{prosody} user can access
18336 them. See @url{https://prosody.im/doc/letsencrypt}.
18339 prosodyctl --root cert import /etc/letsencrypt/live
18342 The available configuration parameters follow. Each parameter
18343 definition is preceded by its type; for example, @samp{string-list foo}
18344 indicates that the @code{foo} parameter should be specified as a list of
18345 strings. Types starting with @code{maybe-} denote parameters that won't
18346 show up in @code{prosody.cfg.lua} when their value is @code{'disabled}.
18348 There is also a way to specify the configuration as a string, if you
18349 have an old @code{prosody.cfg.lua} file that you want to port over from
18350 some other system; see the end for more details.
18352 The @code{file-object} type designates either a file-like object
18353 (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like objects}) or a file name.
18355 @c The following documentation was initially generated by
18356 @c (generate-documentation) in (gnu services messaging). Manually maintained
18357 @c documentation is better, so we shouldn't hesitate to edit below as
18358 @c needed. However if the change you want to make to this documentation
18359 @c can be done in an automated way, it's probably easier to change
18360 @c (generate-documentation) than to make it below and have to deal with
18361 @c the churn as Prosody updates.
18363 Available @code{prosody-configuration} fields are:
18365 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} package prosody
18366 The Prosody package.
18369 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} file-name data-path
18370 Location of the Prosody data storage directory. See
18371 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/configure}.
18372 Defaults to @samp{"/var/lib/prosody"}.
18375 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} file-object-list plugin-paths
18376 Additional plugin directories. They are searched in all the specified
18377 paths in order. See @url{https://prosody.im/doc/plugins_directory}.
18378 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18381 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} file-name certificates
18382 Every virtual host and component needs a certificate so that clients and
18383 servers can securely verify its identity. Prosody will automatically load
18384 certificates/keys from the directory specified here.
18385 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/prosody/certs"}.
18388 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string-list admins
18389 This is a list of accounts that are admins for the server. Note that you
18390 must create the accounts separately. See @url{https://prosody.im/doc/admins} and
18391 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/creating_accounts}.
18392 Example: @code{(admins '("user1@@example.com" "user2@@example.net"))}
18393 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18396 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} boolean use-libevent?
18397 Enable use of libevent for better performance under high load. See
18398 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/libevent}.
18399 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
18402 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} module-list modules-enabled
18403 This is the list of modules Prosody will load on startup. It looks for
18404 @code{mod_modulename.lua} in the plugins folder, so make sure that exists too.
18405 Documentation on modules can be found at:
18406 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/modules}.
18407 Defaults to @samp{("roster" "saslauth" "tls" "dialback" "disco" "carbons" "private" "blocklist" "vcard" "version" "uptime" "time" "ping" "pep" "register" "admin_adhoc")}.
18410 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string-list modules-disabled
18411 @samp{"offline"}, @samp{"c2s"} and @samp{"s2s"} are auto-loaded, but
18412 should you want to disable them then add them to this list.
18413 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18416 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} file-object groups-file
18417 Path to a text file where the shared groups are defined. If this path is
18418 empty then @samp{mod_groups} does nothing. See
18419 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_groups}.
18420 Defaults to @samp{"/var/lib/prosody/sharedgroups.txt"}.
18423 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} boolean allow-registration?
18424 Disable account creation by default, for security. See
18425 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/creating_accounts}.
18426 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
18429 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} maybe-ssl-configuration ssl
18430 These are the SSL/TLS-related settings. Most of them are disabled so to
18431 use Prosody's defaults. If you do not completely understand these options, do
18432 not add them to your config, it is easy to lower the security of your server
18433 using them. See @url{https://prosody.im/doc/advanced_ssl_config}.
18435 Available @code{ssl-configuration} fields are:
18437 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string protocol
18438 This determines what handshake to use.
18441 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-file-name key
18442 Path to your private key file.
18445 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-file-name certificate
18446 Path to your certificate file.
18449 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} file-object capath
18450 Path to directory containing root certificates that you wish Prosody to
18451 trust when verifying the certificates of remote servers.
18452 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/ssl/certs"}.
18455 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-file-object cafile
18456 Path to a file containing root certificates that you wish Prosody to trust.
18457 Similar to @code{capath} but with all certificates concatenated together.
18460 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string-list verify
18461 A list of verification options (these mostly map to OpenSSL's
18462 @code{set_verify()} flags).
18465 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string-list options
18466 A list of general options relating to SSL/TLS. These map to OpenSSL's
18467 @code{set_options()}. For a full list of options available in LuaSec, see the
18471 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer depth
18472 How long a chain of certificate authorities to check when looking for a
18473 trusted root certificate.
18476 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string ciphers
18477 An OpenSSL cipher string. This selects what ciphers Prosody will offer to
18478 clients, and in what order.
18481 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-file-name dhparam
18482 A path to a file containing parameters for Diffie-Hellman key exchange. You
18483 can create such a file with:
18484 @code{openssl dhparam -out /etc/prosody/certs/dh-2048.pem 2048}
18487 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string curve
18488 Curve for Elliptic curve Diffie-Hellman. Prosody's default is
18489 @samp{"secp384r1"}.
18492 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string-list verifyext
18493 A list of "extra" verification options.
18496 @deftypevr {@code{ssl-configuration} parameter} maybe-string password
18497 Password for encrypted private keys.
18502 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} boolean c2s-require-encryption?
18503 Whether to force all client-to-server connections to be encrypted or not.
18504 See @url{https://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_tls}.
18505 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
18508 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string-list disable-sasl-mechanisms
18509 Set of mechanisms that will never be offered. See
18510 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_saslauth}.
18511 Defaults to @samp{("DIGEST-MD5")}.
18514 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} boolean s2s-require-encryption?
18515 Whether to force all server-to-server connections to be encrypted or not.
18516 See @url{https://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_tls}.
18517 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
18520 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} boolean s2s-secure-auth?
18521 Whether to require encryption and certificate authentication. This
18522 provides ideal security, but requires servers you communicate with to support
18523 encryption AND present valid, trusted certificates. See
18524 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/s2s#security}.
18525 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
18528 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string-list s2s-insecure-domains
18529 Many servers don't support encryption or have invalid or self-signed
18530 certificates. You can list domains here that will not be required to
18531 authenticate using certificates. They will be authenticated using DNS. See
18532 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/s2s#security}.
18533 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18536 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string-list s2s-secure-domains
18537 Even if you leave @code{s2s-secure-auth?} disabled, you can still require
18538 valid certificates for some domains by specifying a list here. See
18539 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/s2s#security}.
18540 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18543 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string authentication
18544 Select the authentication backend to use. The default provider stores
18545 passwords in plaintext and uses Prosody's configured data storage to store the
18546 authentication data. If you do not trust your server please see
18547 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_auth_internal_hashed} for information
18548 about using the hashed backend. See also
18549 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/authentication}
18550 Defaults to @samp{"internal_plain"}.
18553 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} maybe-string log
18554 Set logging options. Advanced logging configuration is not yet supported
18555 by the Prosody service. See @url{https://prosody.im/doc/logging}.
18556 Defaults to @samp{"*syslog"}.
18559 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} file-name pidfile
18560 File to write pid in. See @url{https://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_posix}.
18561 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/prosody/prosody.pid"}.
18564 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer http-max-content-size
18565 Maximum allowed size of the HTTP body (in bytes).
18568 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} maybe-string http-external-url
18569 Some modules expose their own URL in various ways. This URL is built
18570 from the protocol, host and port used. If Prosody sits behind a proxy, the
18571 public URL will be @code{http-external-url} instead. See
18572 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/http#external_url}.
18575 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} virtualhost-configuration-list virtualhosts
18576 A host in Prosody is a domain on which user accounts can be created. For
18577 example if you want your users to have addresses like
18578 @samp{"john.smith@@example.com"} then you need to add a host
18579 @samp{"example.com"}. All options in this list will apply only to this host.
18581 Note: the name "virtual" host is used in configuration to avoid confusion with
18582 the actual physical host that Prosody is installed on. A single Prosody
18583 instance can serve many domains, each one defined as a VirtualHost entry in
18584 Prosody's configuration. Conversely a server that hosts a single domain would
18585 have just one VirtualHost entry.
18587 See @url{https://prosody.im/doc/configure#virtual_host_settings}.
18589 Available @code{virtualhost-configuration} fields are:
18591 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:
18592 @deftypevr {@code{virtualhost-configuration} parameter} string domain
18593 Domain you wish Prosody to serve.
18598 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} int-component-configuration-list int-components
18599 Components are extra services on a server which are available to clients,
18600 usually on a subdomain of the main server (such as
18601 @samp{"mycomponent.example.com"}). Example components might be chatroom
18602 servers, user directories, or gateways to other protocols.
18604 Internal components are implemented with Prosody-specific plugins. To add an
18605 internal component, you simply fill the hostname field, and the plugin you wish
18606 to use for the component.
18608 See @url{https://prosody.im/doc/components}.
18609 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18611 Available @code{int-component-configuration} fields are:
18613 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:
18614 @deftypevr {@code{int-component-configuration} parameter} string hostname
18615 Hostname of the component.
18618 @deftypevr {@code{int-component-configuration} parameter} string plugin
18619 Plugin you wish to use for the component.
18622 @deftypevr {@code{int-component-configuration} parameter} maybe-mod-muc-configuration mod-muc
18623 Multi-user chat (MUC) is Prosody's module for allowing you to create
18624 hosted chatrooms/conferences for XMPP users.
18626 General information on setting up and using multi-user chatrooms can be found
18627 in the "Chatrooms" documentation (@url{https://prosody.im/doc/chatrooms}),
18628 which you should read if you are new to XMPP chatrooms.
18630 See also @url{https://prosody.im/doc/modules/mod_muc}.
18632 Available @code{mod-muc-configuration} fields are:
18634 @deftypevr {@code{mod-muc-configuration} parameter} string name
18635 The name to return in service discovery responses.
18636 Defaults to @samp{"Prosody Chatrooms"}.
18639 @deftypevr {@code{mod-muc-configuration} parameter} string-or-boolean restrict-room-creation
18640 If @samp{#t}, this will only allow admins to create new chatrooms.
18641 Otherwise anyone can create a room. The value @samp{"local"} restricts room
18642 creation to users on the service's parent domain. E.g.@: @samp{user@@example.com}
18643 can create rooms on @samp{rooms.example.com}. The value @samp{"admin"}
18644 restricts to service administrators only.
18645 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
18648 @deftypevr {@code{mod-muc-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-history-messages
18649 Maximum number of history messages that will be sent to the member that has
18650 just joined the room.
18651 Defaults to @samp{20}.
18658 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} ext-component-configuration-list ext-components
18659 External components use XEP-0114, which most standalone components
18660 support. To add an external component, you simply fill the hostname field. See
18661 @url{https://prosody.im/doc/components}.
18662 Defaults to @samp{()}.
18664 Available @code{ext-component-configuration} fields are:
18666 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:
18667 @deftypevr {@code{ext-component-configuration} parameter} string component-secret
18668 Password which the component will use to log in.
18671 @deftypevr {@code{ext-component-configuration} parameter} string hostname
18672 Hostname of the component.
18677 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer-list component-ports
18678 Port(s) Prosody listens on for component connections.
18679 Defaults to @samp{(5347)}.
18682 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} string component-interface
18683 Interface Prosody listens on for component connections.
18684 Defaults to @samp{"127.0.0.1"}.
18687 @deftypevr {@code{prosody-configuration} parameter} maybe-raw-content raw-content
18688 Raw content that will be added to the configuration file.
18691 It could be that you just want to get a @code{prosody.cfg.lua}
18692 up and running. In that case, you can pass an
18693 @code{opaque-prosody-configuration} record as the value of
18694 @code{prosody-service-type}. As its name indicates, an opaque configuration
18695 does not have easy reflective capabilities.
18696 Available @code{opaque-prosody-configuration} fields are:
18698 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-prosody-configuration} parameter} package prosody
18699 The prosody package.
18702 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-prosody-configuration} parameter} string prosody.cfg.lua
18703 The contents of the @code{prosody.cfg.lua} to use.
18706 For example, if your @code{prosody.cfg.lua} is just the empty
18707 string, you could instantiate a prosody service like this:
18710 (service prosody-service-type
18711 (opaque-prosody-configuration
18712 (prosody.cfg.lua "")))
18715 @c end of Prosody auto-generated documentation
18717 @subsubheading BitlBee Service
18719 @cindex IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
18720 @cindex IRC gateway
18721 @url{https://bitlbee.org,BitlBee} is a gateway that provides an IRC
18722 interface to a variety of messaging protocols such as XMPP.
18724 @defvr {Scheme Variable} bitlbee-service-type
18725 This is the service type for the @url{https://bitlbee.org,BitlBee} IRC
18726 gateway daemon. Its value is a @code{bitlbee-configuration} (see
18729 To have BitlBee listen on port 6667 on localhost, add this line to your
18733 (service bitlbee-service-type)
18737 @deftp {Data Type} bitlbee-configuration
18738 This is the configuration for BitlBee, with the following fields:
18741 @item @code{interface} (default: @code{"127.0.0.1"})
18742 @itemx @code{port} (default: @code{6667})
18743 Listen on the network interface corresponding to the IP address
18744 specified in @var{interface}, on @var{port}.
18746 When @var{interface} is @code{127.0.0.1}, only local clients can
18747 connect; when it is @code{0.0.0.0}, connections can come from any
18748 networking interface.
18750 @item @code{bitlbee} (default: @code{bitlbee})
18751 The BitlBee package to use.
18753 @item @code{plugins} (default: @code{'()})
18754 List of plugin packages to use---e.g., @code{bitlbee-discord}.
18756 @item @code{extra-settings} (default: @code{""})
18757 Configuration snippet added as-is to the BitlBee configuration file.
18761 @subsubheading Quassel Service
18763 @cindex IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
18764 @url{https://quassel-irc.org/,Quassel} is a distributed IRC client,
18765 meaning that one or more clients can attach to and detach from the
18768 @defvr {Scheme Variable} quassel-service-type
18769 This is the service type for the @url{https://quassel-irc.org/,Quassel}
18770 IRC backend daemon. Its value is a @code{quassel-configuration}
18774 @deftp {Data Type} quassel-configuration
18775 This is the configuration for Quassel, with the following fields:
18778 @item @code{quassel} (default: @code{quassel})
18779 The Quassel package to use.
18781 @item @code{interface} (default: @code{"::,0.0.0.0"})
18782 @item @code{port} (default: @code{4242})
18783 Listen on the network interface(s) corresponding to the IPv4 or IPv6
18784 interfaces specified in the comma delimited @var{interface}, on
18787 @item @code{loglevel} (default: @code{"Info"})
18788 The level of logging desired. Accepted values are Debug, Info, Warning
18793 @node Telephony Services
18794 @subsection Telephony Services
18796 @cindex Murmur (VoIP server)
18797 @cindex VoIP server
18798 This section describes how to set up and run a Murmur server. Murmur is
18799 the server of the @uref{https://mumble.info, Mumble} voice-over-IP
18802 @deftp {Data Type} murmur-configuration
18803 The service type for the Murmur server. An example configuration can
18807 (service murmur-service-type
18808 (murmur-configuration
18810 "Welcome to this Mumble server running on Guix!")
18811 (cert-required? #t) ;disallow text password logins
18812 (ssl-cert "/etc/letsencrypt/live/mumble.example.com/fullchain.pem")
18813 (ssl-key "/etc/letsencrypt/live/mumble.example.com/privkey.pem")))
18816 After reconfiguring your system, you can manually set the murmur @code{SuperUser}
18817 password with the command that is printed during the activation phase.
18819 It is recommended to register a normal Mumble user account
18820 and grant it admin or moderator rights.
18821 You can use the @code{mumble} client to
18822 login as new normal user, register yourself, and log out.
18823 For the next step login with the name @code{SuperUser} use
18824 the @code{SuperUser} password that you set previously,
18825 and grant your newly registered mumble user administrator or moderator
18826 rights and create some channels.
18828 Available @code{murmur-configuration} fields are:
18831 @item @code{package} (default: @code{mumble})
18832 Package that contains @code{bin/murmurd}.
18834 @item @code{user} (default: @code{"murmur"})
18835 User who will run the Murmur server.
18837 @item @code{group} (default: @code{"murmur"})
18838 Group of the user who will run the murmur server.
18840 @item @code{port} (default: @code{64738})
18841 Port on which the server will listen.
18843 @item @code{welcome-text} (default: @code{""})
18844 Welcome text sent to clients when they connect.
18846 @item @code{server-password} (default: @code{""})
18847 Password the clients have to enter in order to connect.
18849 @item @code{max-users} (default: @code{100})
18850 Maximum of users that can be connected to the server at once.
18852 @item @code{max-user-bandwidth} (default: @code{#f})
18853 Maximum voice traffic a user can send per second.
18855 @item @code{database-file} (default: @code{"/var/lib/murmur/db.sqlite"})
18856 File name of the sqlite database.
18857 The service's user will become the owner of the directory.
18859 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{"/var/log/murmur/murmur.log"})
18860 File name of the log file.
18861 The service's user will become the owner of the directory.
18863 @item @code{autoban-attempts} (default: @code{10})
18864 Maximum number of logins a user can make in @code{autoban-timeframe}
18865 without getting auto banned for @code{autoban-time}.
18867 @item @code{autoban-timeframe} (default: @code{120})
18868 Timeframe for autoban in seconds.
18870 @item @code{autoban-time} (default: @code{300})
18871 Amount of time in seconds for which a client gets banned
18872 when violating the autoban limits.
18874 @item @code{opus-threshold} (default: @code{100})
18875 Percentage of clients that need to support opus
18876 before switching over to opus audio codec.
18878 @item @code{channel-nesting-limit} (default: @code{10})
18879 How deep channels can be nested at maximum.
18881 @item @code{channelname-regex} (default: @code{#f})
18882 A string in form of a Qt regular expression that channel names must conform to.
18884 @item @code{username-regex} (default: @code{#f})
18885 A string in form of a Qt regular expression that user names must conform to.
18887 @item @code{text-message-length} (default: @code{5000})
18888 Maximum size in bytes that a user can send in one text chat message.
18890 @item @code{image-message-length} (default: @code{(* 128 1024)})
18891 Maximum size in bytes that a user can send in one image message.
18893 @item @code{cert-required?} (default: @code{#f})
18894 If it is set to @code{#t} clients that use weak password authentication
18895 will not be accepted. Users must have completed the certificate wizard to join.
18897 @item @code{remember-channel?} (default: @code{#f})
18898 Should murmur remember the last channel each user was in when they disconnected
18899 and put them into the remembered channel when they rejoin.
18901 @item @code{allow-html?} (default: @code{#f})
18902 Should html be allowed in text messages, user comments, and channel descriptions.
18904 @item @code{allow-ping?} (default: @code{#f})
18905 Setting to true exposes the current user count, the maximum user count, and
18906 the server's maximum bandwidth per client to unauthenticated users. In the
18907 Mumble client, this information is shown in the Connect dialog.
18909 Disabling this setting will prevent public listing of the server.
18911 @item @code{bonjour?} (default: @code{#f})
18912 Should the server advertise itself in the local network through the bonjour protocol.
18914 @item @code{send-version?} (default: @code{#f})
18915 Should the murmur server version be exposed in ping requests.
18917 @item @code{log-days} (default: @code{31})
18918 Murmur also stores logs in the database, which are accessible via RPC.
18919 The default is 31 days of months, but you can set this setting to 0 to keep logs forever,
18920 or -1 to disable logging to the database.
18922 @item @code{obfuscate-ips?} (default: @code{#t})
18923 Should logged ips be obfuscated to protect the privacy of users.
18925 @item @code{ssl-cert} (default: @code{#f})
18926 File name of the SSL/TLS certificate used for encrypted connections.
18929 (ssl-cert "/etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/fullchain.pem")
18931 @item @code{ssl-key} (default: @code{#f})
18932 Filepath to the ssl private key used for encrypted connections.
18934 (ssl-key "/etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/privkey.pem")
18937 @item @code{ssl-dh-params} (default: @code{#f})
18938 File name of a PEM-encoded file with Diffie-Hellman parameters
18939 for the SSL/TLS encryption. Alternatively you set it to
18940 @code{"@@ffdhe2048"}, @code{"@@ffdhe3072"}, @code{"@@ffdhe4096"}, @code{"@@ffdhe6144"}
18941 or @code{"@@ffdhe8192"} to use bundled parameters from RFC 7919.
18943 @item @code{ssl-ciphers} (default: @code{#f})
18944 The @code{ssl-ciphers} option chooses the cipher suites to make available for use
18947 This option is specified using
18948 @uref{https://www.openssl.org/docs/apps/ciphers.html#CIPHER-LIST-FORMAT,
18949 OpenSSL cipher list notation}.
18951 It is recommended that you try your cipher string using 'openssl ciphers <string>'
18952 before setting it here, to get a feel for which cipher suites you will get.
18953 After setting this option, it is recommend that you inspect your Murmur log
18954 to ensure that Murmur is using the cipher suites that you expected it to.
18956 Note: Changing this option may impact the backwards compatibility of your
18957 Murmur server, and can remove the ability for older Mumble clients to be able
18960 @item @code{public-registration} (default: @code{#f})
18961 Must be a @code{<murmur-public-registration-configuration>} record or @code{#f}.
18963 You can optionally register your server in the public server list that the
18964 @code{mumble} client shows on startup.
18965 You cannot register your server if you have set a @code{server-password},
18966 or set @code{allow-ping} to @code{#f}.
18968 It might take a few hours until it shows up in the public list.
18970 @item @code{file} (default: @code{#f})
18971 Optional alternative override for this configuration.
18975 @deftp {Data Type} murmur-public-registration-configuration
18976 Configuration for public registration of a murmur service.
18980 This is a display name for your server. Not to be confused with the hostname.
18982 @item @code{password}
18983 A password to identify your registration.
18984 Subsequent updates will need the same password. Don't lose your password.
18987 This should be a @code{http://} or @code{https://} link to your web
18990 @item @code{hostname} (default: @code{#f})
18991 By default your server will be listed by its IP address.
18992 If it is set your server will be linked by this host name instead.
18998 @node Monitoring Services
18999 @subsection Monitoring Services
19001 @subsubheading Tailon Service
19003 @uref{https://tailon.readthedocs.io/, Tailon} is a web application for
19004 viewing and searching log files.
19006 The following example will configure the service with default values.
19007 By default, Tailon can be accessed on port 8080 (@code{http://localhost:8080}).
19010 (service tailon-service-type)
19013 The following example customises more of the Tailon configuration,
19014 adding @command{sed} to the list of allowed commands.
19017 (service tailon-service-type
19018 (tailon-configuration
19020 (tailon-configuration-file
19021 (allowed-commands '("tail" "grep" "awk" "sed"))))))
19025 @deftp {Data Type} tailon-configuration
19026 Data type representing the configuration of Tailon.
19027 This type has the following parameters:
19030 @item @code{config-file} (default: @code{(tailon-configuration-file)})
19031 The configuration file to use for Tailon. This can be set to a
19032 @dfn{tailon-configuration-file} record value, or any gexp
19033 (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
19035 For example, to instead use a local file, the @code{local-file} function
19039 (service tailon-service-type
19040 (tailon-configuration
19041 (config-file (local-file "./my-tailon.conf"))))
19044 @item @code{package} (default: @code{tailon})
19045 The tailon package to use.
19050 @deftp {Data Type} tailon-configuration-file
19051 Data type representing the configuration options for Tailon.
19052 This type has the following parameters:
19055 @item @code{files} (default: @code{(list "/var/log")})
19056 List of files to display. The list can include strings for a single file
19057 or directory, or a list, where the first item is the name of a
19058 subsection, and the remaining items are the files or directories in that
19061 @item @code{bind} (default: @code{"localhost:8080"})
19062 Address and port to which Tailon should bind on.
19064 @item @code{relative-root} (default: @code{#f})
19065 URL path to use for Tailon, set to @code{#f} to not use a path.
19067 @item @code{allow-transfers?} (default: @code{#t})
19068 Allow downloading the log files in the web interface.
19070 @item @code{follow-names?} (default: @code{#t})
19071 Allow tailing of not-yet existent files.
19073 @item @code{tail-lines} (default: @code{200})
19074 Number of lines to read initially from each file.
19076 @item @code{allowed-commands} (default: @code{(list "tail" "grep" "awk")})
19077 Commands to allow running. By default, @code{sed} is disabled.
19079 @item @code{debug?} (default: @code{#f})
19080 Set @code{debug?} to @code{#t} to show debug messages.
19082 @item @code{wrap-lines} (default: @code{#t})
19083 Initial line wrapping state in the web interface. Set to @code{#t} to
19084 initially wrap lines (the default), or to @code{#f} to initially not
19087 @item @code{http-auth} (default: @code{#f})
19088 HTTP authentication type to use. Set to @code{#f} to disable
19089 authentication (the default). Supported values are @code{"digest"} or
19092 @item @code{users} (default: @code{#f})
19093 If HTTP authentication is enabled (see @code{http-auth}), access will be
19094 restricted to the credentials provided here. To configure users, use a
19095 list of pairs, where the first element of the pair is the username, and
19096 the 2nd element of the pair is the password.
19099 (tailon-configuration-file
19100 (http-auth "basic")
19101 (users '(("user1" . "password1")
19102 ("user2" . "password2"))))
19109 @subsubheading Darkstat Service
19111 Darkstat is a packet sniffer that captures network traffic, calculates
19112 statistics about usage, and serves reports over HTTP.
19114 @defvar {Scheme Variable} darkstat-service-type
19115 This is the service type for the
19116 @uref{https://unix4lyfe.org/darkstat/, darkstat}
19117 service, its value must be a @code{darkstat-configuration} record as in
19121 (service darkstat-service-type
19122 (darkstat-configuration
19123 (interface "eno1")))
19127 @deftp {Data Type} darkstat-configuration
19128 Data type representing the configuration of @command{darkstat}.
19131 @item @code{package} (default: @code{darkstat})
19132 The darkstat package to use.
19134 @item @code{interface}
19135 Capture traffic on the specified network interface.
19137 @item @code{port} (default: @code{"667"})
19138 Bind the web interface to the specified port.
19140 @item @code{bind-address} (default: @code{"127.0.0.1"})
19141 Bind the web interface to the specified address.
19143 @item @code{base} (default: @code{"/"})
19144 Specify the path of the base URL. This can be useful if
19145 @command{darkstat} is accessed via a reverse proxy.
19150 @subsubheading Prometheus Node Exporter Service
19152 @cindex prometheus-node-exporter
19153 The Prometheus ``node exporter'' makes hardware and operating system statistics
19154 provided by the Linux kernel available for the Prometheus monitoring system.
19155 This service should be deployed on all physical nodes and virtual machines,
19156 where monitoring these statistics is desirable.
19158 @defvar {Scheme variable} prometheus-node-exporter-service-type
19159 This is the service type for the
19160 @uref{https://github.com/prometheus/node_exporter/, prometheus-node-exporter}
19161 service, its value must be a @code{prometheus-node-exporter-configuration}
19162 record as in this example:
19165 (service prometheus-node-exporter-service-type
19166 (prometheus-node-exporter-configuration
19167 (web-listen-address ":9100")))
19171 @deftp {Data Type} prometheus-node-exporter-configuration
19172 Data type representing the configuration of @command{node_exporter}.
19175 @item @code{package} (default: @code{go-github-com-prometheus-node-exporter})
19176 The prometheus-node-exporter package to use.
19178 @item @code{web-listen-address} (default: @code{":9100"})
19179 Bind the web interface to the specified address.
19184 @subsubheading Zabbix server
19185 @cindex zabbix zabbix-server
19186 Zabbix provides monitoring metrics, among others network utilization, CPU load
19187 and disk space consumption:
19190 @item High performance, high capacity (able to monitor hundreds of thousands of devices).
19191 @item Auto-discovery of servers and network devices and interfaces.
19192 @item Low-level discovery, allows to automatically start monitoring new items, file systems or network interfaces among others.
19193 @item Distributed monitoring with centralized web administration.
19194 @item Native high performance agents.
19195 @item SLA, and ITIL KPI metrics on reporting.
19196 @item High-level (business) view of monitored resources through user-defined visual console screens and dashboards.
19197 @item Remote command execution through Zabbix proxies.
19200 @c %start of fragment
19202 Available @code{zabbix-server-configuration} fields are:
19204 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} package zabbix-server
19205 The zabbix-server package.
19209 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} string user
19210 User who will run the Zabbix server.
19212 Defaults to @samp{"zabbix"}.
19216 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} group group
19217 Group who will run the Zabbix server.
19219 Defaults to @samp{"zabbix"}.
19223 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} string db-host
19224 Database host name.
19226 Defaults to @samp{"127.0.0.1"}.
19230 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} string db-name
19233 Defaults to @samp{"zabbix"}.
19237 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} string db-user
19240 Defaults to @samp{"zabbix"}.
19244 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} string db-password
19245 Database password. Please, use @code{include-files} with
19246 @code{DBPassword=SECRET} inside a specified file instead.
19248 Defaults to @samp{""}.
19252 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} number db-port
19255 Defaults to @samp{5432}.
19259 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} string log-type
19260 Specifies where log messages are written to:
19264 @code{system} - syslog.
19267 @code{file} - file specified with @code{log-file} parameter.
19270 @code{console} - standard output.
19274 Defaults to @samp{""}.
19278 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} string log-file
19279 Log file name for @code{log-type} @code{file} parameter.
19281 Defaults to @samp{"/var/log/zabbix/server.log"}.
19285 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} string pid-file
19288 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/zabbix/zabbix_server.pid"}.
19292 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} string ssl-ca-location
19293 The location of certificate authority (CA) files for SSL server
19294 certificate verification.
19296 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt"}.
19300 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} string ssl-cert-location
19301 Location of SSL client certificates.
19303 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/ssl/certs"}.
19307 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} string extra-options
19308 Extra options will be appended to Zabbix server configuration file.
19310 Defaults to @samp{""}.
19314 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-server-configuration} parameter} include-files include-files
19315 You may include individual files or all files in a directory in the
19316 configuration file.
19318 Defaults to @samp{()}.
19322 @c %end of fragment
19324 @subsubheading Zabbix agent
19325 @cindex zabbix zabbix-agent
19327 Zabbix agent gathers information for Zabbix server.
19329 @c %start of fragment
19331 Available @code{zabbix-agent-configuration} fields are:
19333 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-agent-configuration} parameter} package zabbix-agent
19334 The zabbix-agent package.
19338 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-agent-configuration} parameter} string user
19339 User who will run the Zabbix agent.
19341 Defaults to @samp{"zabbix"}.
19345 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-agent-configuration} parameter} group group
19346 Group who will run the Zabbix agent.
19348 Defaults to @samp{"zabbix"}.
19352 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-agent-configuration} parameter} string hostname
19353 Unique, case sensitive hostname which is required for active checks and
19354 must match hostname as configured on the server.
19356 Defaults to @samp{"Zabbix server"}.
19360 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-agent-configuration} parameter} string log-type
19361 Specifies where log messages are written to:
19365 @code{system} - syslog.
19368 @code{file} - file specified with @code{log-file} parameter.
19371 @code{console} - standard output.
19375 Defaults to @samp{""}.
19379 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-agent-configuration} parameter} string log-file
19380 Log file name for @code{log-type} @code{file} parameter.
19382 Defaults to @samp{"/var/log/zabbix/agent.log"}.
19386 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-agent-configuration} parameter} string pid-file
19389 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/zabbix/zabbix_agent.pid"}.
19393 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-agent-configuration} parameter} list server
19394 List of IP addresses, optionally in CIDR notation, or hostnames of
19395 Zabbix servers and Zabbix proxies. Incoming connections will be
19396 accepted only from the hosts listed here.
19398 Defaults to @samp{("127.0.0.1")}.
19402 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-agent-configuration} parameter} list server-active
19403 List of IP:port (or hostname:port) pairs of Zabbix servers and Zabbix
19404 proxies for active checks. If port is not specified, default port is
19405 used. If this parameter is not specified, active checks are disabled.
19407 Defaults to @samp{("127.0.0.1")}.
19411 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-agent-configuration} parameter} string extra-options
19412 Extra options will be appended to Zabbix server configuration file.
19414 Defaults to @samp{""}.
19418 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-agent-configuration} parameter} include-files include-files
19419 You may include individual files or all files in a directory in the
19420 configuration file.
19422 Defaults to @samp{()}.
19426 @c %end of fragment
19428 @subsubheading Zabbix front-end
19429 @cindex zabbix zabbix-front-end
19431 This service provides a WEB interface to Zabbix server.
19433 @c %start of fragment
19435 Available @code{zabbix-front-end-configuration} fields are:
19437 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-front-end-configuration} parameter} nginx-server-configuration-list nginx
19438 NGINX configuration.
19442 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-front-end-configuration} parameter} string db-host
19443 Database host name.
19445 Defaults to @samp{"localhost"}.
19449 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-front-end-configuration} parameter} number db-port
19452 Defaults to @samp{5432}.
19456 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-front-end-configuration} parameter} string db-name
19459 Defaults to @samp{"zabbix"}.
19463 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-front-end-configuration} parameter} string db-user
19466 Defaults to @samp{"zabbix"}.
19470 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-front-end-configuration} parameter} string db-password
19471 Database password. Please, use @code{db-secret-file} instead.
19473 Defaults to @samp{""}.
19477 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-front-end-configuration} parameter} string db-secret-file
19478 Secret file which will be appended to @file{zabbix.conf.php} file. This
19479 file contains credentials for use by Zabbix front-end. You are expected
19480 to create it manually.
19482 Defaults to @samp{""}.
19486 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-front-end-configuration} parameter} string zabbix-host
19487 Zabbix server hostname.
19489 Defaults to @samp{"localhost"}.
19493 @deftypevr {@code{zabbix-front-end-configuration} parameter} number zabbix-port
19494 Zabbix server port.
19496 Defaults to @samp{10051}.
19501 @c %end of fragment
19503 @node Kerberos Services
19504 @subsection Kerberos Services
19507 The @code{(gnu services kerberos)} module provides services relating to
19508 the authentication protocol @dfn{Kerberos}.
19510 @subsubheading Krb5 Service
19512 Programs using a Kerberos client library normally
19513 expect a configuration file in @file{/etc/krb5.conf}.
19514 This service generates such a file from a definition provided in the
19515 operating system declaration.
19516 It does not cause any daemon to be started.
19518 No ``keytab'' files are provided by this service---you must explicitly create them.
19519 This service is known to work with the MIT client library, @code{mit-krb5}.
19520 Other implementations have not been tested.
19522 @defvr {Scheme Variable} krb5-service-type
19523 A service type for Kerberos 5 clients.
19527 Here is an example of its use:
19529 (service krb5-service-type
19530 (krb5-configuration
19531 (default-realm "EXAMPLE.COM")
19532 (allow-weak-crypto? #t)
19535 (name "EXAMPLE.COM")
19536 (admin-server "groucho.example.com")
19537 (kdc "karl.example.com"))
19540 (admin-server "kerb-admin.argrx.edu")
19541 (kdc "keys.argrx.edu"))))))
19545 This example provides a Kerberos@tie{}5 client configuration which:
19547 @item Recognizes two realms, @i{viz:} ``EXAMPLE.COM'' and ``ARGRX.EDU'', both
19548 of which have distinct administration servers and key distribution centers;
19549 @item Will default to the realm ``EXAMPLE.COM'' if the realm is not explicitly
19550 specified by clients;
19551 @item Accepts services which only support encryption types known to be weak.
19554 The @code{krb5-realm} and @code{krb5-configuration} types have many fields.
19555 Only the most commonly used ones are described here.
19556 For a full list, and more detailed explanation of each, see the MIT
19557 @uref{https://web.mit.edu/kerberos/krb5-devel/doc/admin/conf_files/krb5_conf.html,,krb5.conf}
19561 @deftp {Data Type} krb5-realm
19562 @cindex realm, kerberos
19565 This field is a string identifying the name of the realm.
19566 A common convention is to use the fully qualified DNS name of your organization,
19567 converted to upper case.
19569 @item @code{admin-server}
19570 This field is a string identifying the host where the administration server is
19574 This field is a string identifying the key distribution center
19579 @deftp {Data Type} krb5-configuration
19582 @item @code{allow-weak-crypto?} (default: @code{#f})
19583 If this flag is @code{#t} then services which only offer encryption algorithms
19584 known to be weak will be accepted.
19586 @item @code{default-realm} (default: @code{#f})
19587 This field should be a string identifying the default Kerberos
19588 realm for the client.
19589 You should set this field to the name of your Kerberos realm.
19590 If this value is @code{#f}
19591 then a realm must be specified with every Kerberos principal when invoking programs
19592 such as @command{kinit}.
19594 @item @code{realms}
19595 This should be a non-empty list of @code{krb5-realm} objects, which clients may
19597 Normally, one of them will have a @code{name} field matching the @code{default-realm}
19603 @subsubheading PAM krb5 Service
19606 The @code{pam-krb5} service allows for login authentication and password
19607 management via Kerberos.
19608 You will need this service if you want PAM enabled applications to authenticate
19609 users using Kerberos.
19611 @defvr {Scheme Variable} pam-krb5-service-type
19612 A service type for the Kerberos 5 PAM module.
19615 @deftp {Data Type} pam-krb5-configuration
19616 Data type representing the configuration of the Kerberos 5 PAM module.
19617 This type has the following parameters:
19619 @item @code{pam-krb5} (default: @code{pam-krb5})
19620 The pam-krb5 package to use.
19622 @item @code{minimum-uid} (default: @code{1000})
19623 The smallest user ID for which Kerberos authentications should be attempted.
19624 Local accounts with lower values will silently fail to authenticate.
19629 @node LDAP Services
19630 @subsection LDAP Services
19632 @cindex nslcd, LDAP service
19634 The @code{(gnu services authentication)} module provides the
19635 @code{nslcd-service-type}, which can be used to authenticate against an LDAP
19636 server. In addition to configuring the service itself, you may want to add
19637 @code{ldap} as a name service to the Name Service Switch. @xref{Name Service
19638 Switch} for detailed information.
19640 Here is a simple operating system declaration with a default configuration of
19641 the @code{nslcd-service-type} and a Name Service Switch configuration that
19642 consults the @code{ldap} name service last:
19645 (use-service-modules authentication)
19646 (use-modules (gnu system nss))
19652 (service nslcd-service-type)
19653 (service dhcp-client-service-type)
19655 (name-service-switch
19656 (let ((services (list (name-service (name "db"))
19657 (name-service (name "files"))
19658 (name-service (name "ldap")))))
19659 (name-service-switch
19660 (inherit %mdns-host-lookup-nss)
19661 (password services)
19664 (netgroup services)
19665 (gshadow services)))))
19668 @c %start of generated documentation for nslcd-configuration
19670 Available @code{nslcd-configuration} fields are:
19672 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} package nss-pam-ldapd
19673 The @code{nss-pam-ldapd} package to use.
19677 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-number threads
19678 The number of threads to start that can handle requests and perform LDAP
19679 queries. Each thread opens a separate connection to the LDAP server.
19680 The default is to start 5 threads.
19682 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19686 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} string uid
19687 This specifies the user id with which the daemon should be run.
19689 Defaults to @samp{"nslcd"}.
19693 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} string gid
19694 This specifies the group id with which the daemon should be run.
19696 Defaults to @samp{"nslcd"}.
19700 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} log-option log
19701 This option controls the way logging is done via a list containing
19702 SCHEME and LEVEL. The SCHEME argument may either be the symbols "none"
19703 or "syslog", or an absolute file name. The LEVEL argument is optional
19704 and specifies the log level. The log level may be one of the following
19705 symbols: "crit", "error", "warning", "notice", "info" or "debug". All
19706 messages with the specified log level or higher are logged.
19708 Defaults to @samp{("/var/log/nslcd" info)}.
19712 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} list uri
19713 The list of LDAP server URIs. Normally, only the first server will be
19714 used with the following servers as fall-back.
19716 Defaults to @samp{("ldap://localhost:389/")}.
19720 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string ldap-version
19721 The version of the LDAP protocol to use. The default is to use the
19722 maximum version supported by the LDAP library.
19724 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19728 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string binddn
19729 Specifies the distinguished name with which to bind to the directory
19730 server for lookups. The default is to bind anonymously.
19732 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19736 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string bindpw
19737 Specifies the credentials with which to bind. This option is only
19738 applicable when used with binddn.
19740 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19744 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string rootpwmoddn
19745 Specifies the distinguished name to use when the root user tries to
19746 modify a user's password using the PAM module.
19748 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19752 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string rootpwmodpw
19753 Specifies the credentials with which to bind if the root user tries to
19754 change a user's password. This option is only applicable when used with
19757 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19761 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string sasl-mech
19762 Specifies the SASL mechanism to be used when performing SASL
19765 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19769 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string sasl-realm
19770 Specifies the SASL realm to be used when performing SASL authentication.
19772 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19776 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string sasl-authcid
19777 Specifies the authentication identity to be used when performing SASL
19780 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19784 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string sasl-authzid
19785 Specifies the authorization identity to be used when performing SASL
19788 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19792 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean sasl-canonicalize?
19793 Determines whether the LDAP server host name should be canonicalised. If
19794 this is enabled the LDAP library will do a reverse host name lookup. By
19795 default, it is left up to the LDAP library whether this check is
19798 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19802 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string krb5-ccname
19803 Set the name for the GSS-API Kerberos credentials cache.
19805 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19809 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} string base
19810 The directory search base.
19812 Defaults to @samp{"dc=example,dc=com"}.
19816 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} scope-option scope
19817 Specifies the search scope (subtree, onelevel, base or children). The
19818 default scope is subtree; base scope is almost never useful for name
19819 service lookups; children scope is not supported on all servers.
19821 Defaults to @samp{(subtree)}.
19825 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-deref-option deref
19826 Specifies the policy for dereferencing aliases. The default policy is
19827 to never dereference aliases.
19829 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19833 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean referrals
19834 Specifies whether automatic referral chasing should be enabled. The
19835 default behaviour is to chase referrals.
19837 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19841 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} list-of-map-entries maps
19842 This option allows for custom attributes to be looked up instead of the
19843 default RFC 2307 attributes. It is a list of maps, each consisting of
19844 the name of a map, the RFC 2307 attribute to match and the query
19845 expression for the attribute as it is available in the directory.
19847 Defaults to @samp{()}.
19851 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} list-of-filter-entries filters
19852 A list of filters consisting of the name of a map to which the filter
19853 applies and an LDAP search filter expression.
19855 Defaults to @samp{()}.
19859 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-number bind-timelimit
19860 Specifies the time limit in seconds to use when connecting to the
19861 directory server. The default value is 10 seconds.
19863 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19867 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-number timelimit
19868 Specifies the time limit (in seconds) to wait for a response from the
19869 LDAP server. A value of zero, which is the default, is to wait
19870 indefinitely for searches to be completed.
19872 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19876 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-number idle-timelimit
19877 Specifies the period if inactivity (in seconds) after which the con‐
19878 nection to the LDAP server will be closed. The default is not to time
19881 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19885 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-number reconnect-sleeptime
19886 Specifies the number of seconds to sleep when connecting to all LDAP
19887 servers fails. By default one second is waited between the first
19888 failure and the first retry.
19890 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19894 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-number reconnect-retrytime
19895 Specifies the time after which the LDAP server is considered to be
19896 permanently unavailable. Once this time is reached retries will be done
19897 only once per this time period. The default value is 10 seconds.
19899 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19903 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-ssl-option ssl
19904 Specifies whether to use SSL/TLS or not (the default is not to). If
19905 'start-tls is specified then StartTLS is used rather than raw LDAP over
19908 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19912 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-tls-reqcert-option tls-reqcert
19913 Specifies what checks to perform on a server-supplied certificate. The
19914 meaning of the values is described in the ldap.conf(5) manual page.
19916 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19920 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string tls-cacertdir
19921 Specifies the directory containing X.509 certificates for peer authen‐
19922 tication. This parameter is ignored when using GnuTLS.
19924 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19928 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string tls-cacertfile
19929 Specifies the path to the X.509 certificate for peer authentication.
19931 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19935 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string tls-randfile
19936 Specifies the path to an entropy source. This parameter is ignored when
19939 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19943 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string tls-ciphers
19944 Specifies the ciphers to use for TLS as a string.
19946 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19950 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string tls-cert
19951 Specifies the path to the file containing the local certificate for
19952 client TLS authentication.
19954 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19958 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string tls-key
19959 Specifies the path to the file containing the private key for client TLS
19962 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19966 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-number pagesize
19967 Set this to a number greater than 0 to request paged results from the
19968 LDAP server in accordance with RFC2696. The default (0) is to not
19969 request paged results.
19971 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19975 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-ignore-users-option nss-initgroups-ignoreusers
19976 This option prevents group membership lookups through LDAP for the
19977 specified users. Alternatively, the value 'all-local may be used. With
19978 that value nslcd builds a full list of non-LDAP users on startup.
19980 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19984 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-number nss-min-uid
19985 This option ensures that LDAP users with a numeric user id lower than
19986 the specified value are ignored.
19988 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
19992 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-number nss-uid-offset
19993 This option specifies an offset that is added to all LDAP numeric user
19994 ids. This can be used to avoid user id collisions with local users.
19996 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
20000 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-number nss-gid-offset
20001 This option specifies an offset that is added to all LDAP numeric group
20002 ids. This can be used to avoid user id collisions with local groups.
20004 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
20008 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean nss-nested-groups
20009 If this option is set, the member attribute of a group may point to
20010 another group. Members of nested groups are also returned in the higher
20011 level group and parent groups are returned when finding groups for a
20012 specific user. The default is not to perform extra searches for nested
20015 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
20019 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean nss-getgrent-skipmembers
20020 If this option is set, the group member list is not retrieved when
20021 looking up groups. Lookups for finding which groups a user belongs to
20022 will remain functional so the user will likely still get the correct
20023 groups assigned on login.
20025 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
20029 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean nss-disable-enumeration
20030 If this option is set, functions which cause all user/group entries to
20031 be loaded from the directory will not succeed in doing so. This can
20032 dramatically reduce LDAP server load in situations where there are a
20033 great number of users and/or groups. This option is not recommended for
20034 most configurations.
20036 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
20040 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string validnames
20041 This option can be used to specify how user and group names are verified
20042 within the system. This pattern is used to check all user and group
20043 names that are requested and returned from LDAP.
20045 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
20049 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean ignorecase
20050 This specifies whether or not to perform searches using case-insensitive
20051 matching. Enabling this could open up the system to authorization
20052 bypass vulnerabilities and introduce nscd cache poisoning
20053 vulnerabilities which allow denial of service.
20055 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
20059 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean pam-authc-ppolicy
20060 This option specifies whether password policy controls are requested and
20061 handled from the LDAP server when performing user authentication.
20063 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
20067 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string pam-authc-search
20068 By default nslcd performs an LDAP search with the user's credentials
20069 after BIND (authentication) to ensure that the BIND operation was
20070 successful. The default search is a simple check to see if the user's
20071 DN exists. A search filter can be specified that will be used instead.
20072 It should return at least one entry.
20074 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
20078 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string pam-authz-search
20079 This option allows flexible fine tuning of the authorisation check that
20080 should be performed. The search filter specified is executed and if any
20081 entries match, access is granted, otherwise access is denied.
20083 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
20087 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} maybe-string pam-password-prohibit-message
20088 If this option is set password modification using pam_ldap will be
20089 denied and the specified message will be presented to the user instead.
20090 The message can be used to direct the user to an alternative means of
20091 changing their password.
20093 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
20097 @deftypevr {@code{nslcd-configuration} parameter} list pam-services
20098 List of pam service names for which LDAP authentication should suffice.
20100 Defaults to @samp{()}.
20104 @c %end of generated documentation for nslcd-configuration
20108 @subsection Web Services
20113 The @code{(gnu services web)} module provides the Apache HTTP Server,
20114 the nginx web server, and also a fastcgi wrapper daemon.
20116 @subsubheading Apache HTTP Server
20118 @deffn {Scheme Variable} httpd-service-type
20119 Service type for the @uref{https://httpd.apache.org/,Apache HTTP} server
20120 (@dfn{httpd}). The value for this service type is a
20121 @code{httpd-configuration} record.
20123 A simple example configuration is given below.
20126 (service httpd-service-type
20127 (httpd-configuration
20130 (server-name "www.example.com")
20131 (document-root "/srv/http/www.example.com")))))
20134 Other services can also extend the @code{httpd-service-type} to add to
20138 (simple-service 'www.example.com-server httpd-service-type
20142 (list (string-join '("ServerName www.example.com"
20143 "DocumentRoot /srv/http/www.example.com")
20148 The details for the @code{httpd-configuration}, @code{httpd-module},
20149 @code{httpd-config-file} and @code{httpd-virtualhost} record types are
20152 @deffn {Data Type} httpd-configuration
20153 This data type represents the configuration for the httpd service.
20156 @item @code{package} (default: @code{httpd})
20157 The httpd package to use.
20159 @item @code{pid-file} (default: @code{"/var/run/httpd"})
20160 The pid file used by the shepherd-service.
20162 @item @code{config} (default: @code{(httpd-config-file)})
20163 The configuration file to use with the httpd service. The default value
20164 is a @code{httpd-config-file} record, but this can also be a different
20165 G-expression that generates a file, for example a @code{plain-file}. A
20166 file outside of the store can also be specified through a string.
20171 @deffn {Data Type} httpd-module
20172 This data type represents a module for the httpd service.
20176 The name of the module.
20179 The file for the module. This can be relative to the httpd package being
20180 used, the absolute location of a file, or a G-expression for a file
20181 within the store, for example @code{(file-append mod-wsgi
20182 "/modules/mod_wsgi.so")}.
20187 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-httpd-modules
20188 A default list of @code{httpd-module} objects.
20191 @deffn {Data Type} httpd-config-file
20192 This data type represents a configuration file for the httpd service.
20195 @item @code{modules} (default: @code{%default-httpd-modules})
20196 The modules to load. Additional modules can be added here, or loaded by
20197 additional configuration.
20199 For example, in order to handle requests for PHP files, you can use Apache’s
20200 @code{mod_proxy_fcgi} module along with @code{php-fpm-service-type}:
20203 (service httpd-service-type
20204 (httpd-configuration
20209 (name "proxy_module")
20210 (file "modules/mod_proxy.so"))
20212 (name "proxy_fcgi_module")
20213 (file "modules/mod_proxy_fcgi.so"))
20214 %default-httpd-modules))
20215 (extra-config (list "\
20216 <FilesMatch \\.php$>
20217 SetHandler \"proxy:unix:/var/run/php-fpm.sock|fcgi://localhost/\"
20218 </FilesMatch>"))))))
20219 (service php-fpm-service-type
20220 (php-fpm-configuration
20221 (socket "/var/run/php-fpm.sock")
20222 (socket-group "httpd")))
20225 @item @code{server-root} (default: @code{httpd})
20226 The @code{ServerRoot} in the configuration file, defaults to the httpd
20227 package. Directives including @code{Include} and @code{LoadModule} are
20228 taken as relative to the server root.
20230 @item @code{server-name} (default: @code{#f})
20231 The @code{ServerName} in the configuration file, used to specify the
20232 request scheme, hostname and port that the server uses to identify
20235 This doesn't need to be set in the server config, and can be specified
20236 in virtual hosts. The default is @code{#f} to not specify a
20239 @item @code{document-root} (default: @code{"/srv/http"})
20240 The @code{DocumentRoot} from which files will be served.
20242 @item @code{listen} (default: @code{'("80")})
20243 The list of values for the @code{Listen} directives in the config
20244 file. The value should be a list of strings, when each string can
20245 specify the port number to listen on, and optionally the IP address and
20248 @item @code{pid-file} (default: @code{"/var/run/httpd"})
20249 The @code{PidFile} to use. This should match the @code{pid-file} set in
20250 the @code{httpd-configuration} so that the Shepherd service is
20251 configured correctly.
20253 @item @code{error-log} (default: @code{"/var/log/httpd/error_log"})
20254 The @code{ErrorLog} to which the server will log errors.
20256 @item @code{user} (default: @code{"httpd"})
20257 The @code{User} which the server will answer requests as.
20259 @item @code{group} (default: @code{"httpd"})
20260 The @code{Group} which the server will answer requests as.
20262 @item @code{extra-config} (default: @code{(list "TypesConfig etc/httpd/mime.types")})
20263 A flat list of strings and G-expressions which will be added to the end
20264 of the configuration file.
20266 Any values which the service is extended with will be appended to this
20272 @deffn {Data Type} httpd-virtualhost
20273 This data type represents a virtualhost configuration block for the httpd service.
20275 These should be added to the extra-config for the httpd-service.
20278 (simple-service 'www.example.com-server httpd-service-type
20282 (list (string-join '("ServerName www.example.com"
20283 "DocumentRoot /srv/http/www.example.com")
20288 @item @code{addresses-and-ports}
20289 The addresses and ports for the @code{VirtualHost} directive.
20291 @item @code{contents}
20292 The contents of the @code{VirtualHost} directive, this should be a list
20293 of strings and G-expressions.
20298 @subsubheading NGINX
20300 @deffn {Scheme Variable} nginx-service-type
20301 Service type for the @uref{https://nginx.org/,NGinx} web server. The
20302 value for this service type is a @code{<nginx-configuration>} record.
20304 A simple example configuration is given below.
20307 (service nginx-service-type
20308 (nginx-configuration
20310 (list (nginx-server-configuration
20311 (server-name '("www.example.com"))
20312 (root "/srv/http/www.example.com"))))))
20315 In addition to adding server blocks to the service configuration
20316 directly, this service can be extended by other services to add server
20317 blocks, as in this example:
20320 (simple-service 'my-extra-server nginx-service-type
20321 (list (nginx-server-configuration
20322 (root "/srv/http/extra-website")
20323 (try-files (list "$uri" "$uri/index.html")))))
20327 At startup, @command{nginx} has not yet read its configuration file, so
20328 it uses a default file to log error messages. If it fails to load its
20329 configuration file, that is where error messages are logged. After the
20330 configuration file is loaded, the default error log file changes as per
20331 configuration. In our case, startup error messages can be found in
20332 @file{/var/run/nginx/logs/error.log}, and after configuration in
20333 @file{/var/log/nginx/error.log}. The second location can be changed
20334 with the @var{log-directory} configuration option.
20336 @deffn {Data Type} nginx-configuration
20337 This data type represents the configuration for NGinx. Some
20338 configuration can be done through this and the other provided record
20339 types, or alternatively, a config file can be provided.
20342 @item @code{nginx} (default: @code{nginx})
20343 The nginx package to use.
20345 @item @code{log-directory} (default: @code{"/var/log/nginx"})
20346 The directory to which NGinx will write log files.
20348 @item @code{run-directory} (default: @code{"/var/run/nginx"})
20349 The directory in which NGinx will create a pid file, and write temporary
20352 @item @code{server-blocks} (default: @code{'()})
20353 A list of @dfn{server blocks} to create in the generated configuration
20354 file, the elements should be of type
20355 @code{<nginx-server-configuration>}.
20357 The following example would setup NGinx to serve @code{www.example.com}
20358 from the @code{/srv/http/www.example.com} directory, without using
20361 (service nginx-service-type
20362 (nginx-configuration
20364 (list (nginx-server-configuration
20365 (server-name '("www.example.com"))
20366 (root "/srv/http/www.example.com"))))))
20369 @item @code{upstream-blocks} (default: @code{'()})
20370 A list of @dfn{upstream blocks} to create in the generated configuration
20371 file, the elements should be of type
20372 @code{<nginx-upstream-configuration>}.
20374 Configuring upstreams through the @code{upstream-blocks} can be useful
20375 when combined with @code{locations} in the
20376 @code{<nginx-server-configuration>} records. The following example
20377 creates a server configuration with one location configuration, that
20378 will proxy requests to a upstream configuration, which will handle
20379 requests with two servers.
20384 (nginx-configuration
20386 (list (nginx-server-configuration
20387 (server-name '("www.example.com"))
20388 (root "/srv/http/www.example.com")
20391 (nginx-location-configuration
20393 (body '("proxy_pass http://server-proxy;"))))))))
20395 (list (nginx-upstream-configuration
20396 (name "server-proxy")
20397 (servers (list "server1.example.com"
20398 "server2.example.com")))))))
20401 @item @code{file} (default: @code{#f})
20402 If a configuration @var{file} is provided, this will be used, rather than
20403 generating a configuration file from the provided @code{log-directory},
20404 @code{run-directory}, @code{server-blocks} and @code{upstream-blocks}. For
20405 proper operation, these arguments should match what is in @var{file} to ensure
20406 that the directories are created when the service is activated.
20408 This can be useful if you have an existing configuration file, or it's
20409 not possible to do what is required through the other parts of the
20410 nginx-configuration record.
20412 @item @code{server-names-hash-bucket-size} (default: @code{#f})
20413 Bucket size for the server names hash tables, defaults to @code{#f} to
20414 use the size of the processors cache line.
20416 @item @code{server-names-hash-bucket-max-size} (default: @code{#f})
20417 Maximum bucket size for the server names hash tables.
20419 @item @code{modules} (default: @code{'()})
20420 List of nginx dynamic modules to load. This should be a list of file
20421 names of loadable modules, as in this example:
20426 (file-append nginx-accept-language-module "\
20427 /etc/nginx/modules/ngx_http_accept_language_module.so")))
20430 @item @code{global-directives} (default: @code{'((events . ()))})
20431 Association list of global directives for the top level of the nginx
20432 configuration. Values may themselves be association lists.
20436 `((worker_processes . 16)
20438 (events . ((worker_connections . 1024)))))
20441 @item @code{extra-content} (default: @code{""})
20442 Extra content for the @code{http} block. Should be string or a string
20443 valued G-expression.
20448 @deftp {Data Type} nginx-server-configuration
20449 Data type representing the configuration of an nginx server block.
20450 This type has the following parameters:
20453 @item @code{listen} (default: @code{'("80" "443 ssl")})
20454 Each @code{listen} directive sets the address and port for IP, or the
20455 path for a UNIX-domain socket on which the server will accept requests.
20456 Both address and port, or only address or only port can be specified.
20457 An address may also be a hostname, for example:
20460 '("127.0.0.1:8000" "127.0.0.1" "8000" "*:8000" "localhost:8000")
20463 @item @code{server-name} (default: @code{(list 'default)})
20464 A list of server names this server represents. @code{'default} represents the
20465 default server for connections matching no other server.
20467 @item @code{root} (default: @code{"/srv/http"})
20468 Root of the website nginx will serve.
20470 @item @code{locations} (default: @code{'()})
20471 A list of @dfn{nginx-location-configuration} or
20472 @dfn{nginx-named-location-configuration} records to use within this
20475 @item @code{index} (default: @code{(list "index.html")})
20476 Index files to look for when clients ask for a directory. If it cannot be found,
20477 Nginx will send the list of files in the directory.
20479 @item @code{try-files} (default: @code{'()})
20480 A list of files whose existence is checked in the specified order.
20481 @code{nginx} will use the first file it finds to process the request.
20483 @item @code{ssl-certificate} (default: @code{#f})
20484 Where to find the certificate for secure connections. Set it to @code{#f} if
20485 you don't have a certificate or you don't want to use HTTPS.
20487 @item @code{ssl-certificate-key} (default: @code{#f})
20488 Where to find the private key for secure connections. Set it to @code{#f} if
20489 you don't have a key or you don't want to use HTTPS.
20491 @item @code{server-tokens?} (default: @code{#f})
20492 Whether the server should add its configuration to response.
20494 @item @code{raw-content} (default: @code{'()})
20495 A list of raw lines added to the server block.
20500 @deftp {Data Type} nginx-upstream-configuration
20501 Data type representing the configuration of an nginx @code{upstream}
20502 block. This type has the following parameters:
20506 Name for this group of servers.
20508 @item @code{servers}
20509 Specify the addresses of the servers in the group. The address can be
20510 specified as a IP address (e.g.@: @samp{127.0.0.1}), domain name
20511 (e.g.@: @samp{backend1.example.com}) or a path to a UNIX socket using the
20512 prefix @samp{unix:}. For addresses using an IP address or domain name,
20513 the default port is 80, and a different port can be specified
20519 @deftp {Data Type} nginx-location-configuration
20520 Data type representing the configuration of an nginx @code{location}
20521 block. This type has the following parameters:
20525 URI which this location block matches.
20527 @anchor{nginx-location-configuration body}
20529 Body of the location block, specified as a list of strings. This can contain
20531 configuration directives. For example, to pass requests to a upstream
20532 server group defined using an @code{nginx-upstream-configuration} block,
20533 the following directive would be specified in the body @samp{(list "proxy_pass
20534 http://upstream-name;")}.
20539 @deftp {Data Type} nginx-named-location-configuration
20540 Data type representing the configuration of an nginx named location
20541 block. Named location blocks are used for request redirection, and not
20542 used for regular request processing. This type has the following
20547 Name to identify this location block.
20550 @xref{nginx-location-configuration body}, as the body for named location
20551 blocks can be used in a similar way to the
20552 @code{nginx-location-configuration body}. One restriction is that the
20553 body of a named location block cannot contain location blocks.
20558 @subsubheading Varnish Cache
20560 Varnish is a fast cache server that sits in between web applications
20561 and end users. It proxies requests from clients and caches the
20562 accessed URLs such that multiple requests for the same resource only
20563 creates one request to the back-end.
20565 @defvr {Scheme Variable} varnish-service-type
20566 Service type for the Varnish daemon.
20569 @deftp {Data Type} varnish-configuration
20570 Data type representing the @code{varnish} service configuration.
20571 This type has the following parameters:
20574 @item @code{package} (default: @code{varnish})
20575 The Varnish package to use.
20577 @item @code{name} (default: @code{"default"})
20578 A name for this Varnish instance. Varnish will create a directory in
20579 @file{/var/varnish/} with this name and keep temporary files there. If
20580 the name starts with a forward slash, it is interpreted as an absolute
20583 Pass the @code{-n} argument to other Varnish programs to connect to the
20584 named instance, e.g.@: @command{varnishncsa -n default}.
20586 @item @code{backend} (default: @code{"localhost:8080"})
20587 The backend to use. This option has no effect if @code{vcl} is set.
20589 @item @code{vcl} (default: #f)
20590 The @dfn{VCL} (Varnish Configuration Language) program to run. If this
20591 is @code{#f}, Varnish will proxy @code{backend} using the default
20592 configuration. Otherwise this must be a file-like object with valid
20595 @c Varnish does not support HTTPS, so keep this URL to avoid confusion.
20596 For example, to mirror @url{https://www.gnu.org,www.gnu.org} with VCL you
20597 can do something along these lines:
20600 (define %gnu-mirror
20601 (plain-file "gnu.vcl"
20603 backend gnu @{ .host = \"www.gnu.org\"; @}"))
20607 (services (cons (service varnish-service-type
20608 (varnish-configuration
20610 (vcl %gnu-mirror)))
20614 The configuration of an already running Varnish instance can be inspected
20615 and changed using the @command{varnishadm} program.
20617 Consult the @url{https://varnish-cache.org/docs/,Varnish User Guide} and
20618 @url{https://book.varnish-software.com/4.0/,Varnish Book} for
20619 comprehensive documentation on Varnish and its configuration language.
20621 @item @code{listen} (default: @code{'("localhost:80")})
20622 List of addresses Varnish will listen on.
20624 @item @code{storage} (default: @code{'("malloc,128m")})
20625 List of storage backends that will be available in VCL.
20627 @item @code{parameters} (default: @code{'()})
20628 List of run-time parameters in the form @code{'(("parameter" . "value"))}.
20630 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @code{'()})
20631 Additional arguments to pass to the @command{varnishd} process.
20636 @subsubheading Patchwork
20638 Patchwork is a patch tracking system. It can collect patches sent to a
20639 mailing list, and display them in a web interface.
20641 @defvr {Scheme Variable} patchwork-service-type
20642 Service type for Patchwork.
20645 The following example is an example of a minimal service for Patchwork, for
20646 the @code{patchwork.example.com} domain.
20649 (service patchwork-service-type
20650 (patchwork-configuration
20651 (domain "patchwork.example.com")
20653 (patchwork-settings-module
20654 (allowed-hosts (list domain))
20655 (default-from-email "patchwork@@patchwork.example.com")))
20656 (getmail-retriever-config
20657 (getmail-retriever-configuration
20658 (type "SimpleIMAPSSLRetriever")
20659 (server "imap.example.com")
20661 (username "patchwork")
20663 (list (file-append coreutils "/bin/cat")
20664 "/etc/getmail-patchwork-imap-password"))
20666 '((mailboxes . ("Patches"))))))))
20670 There are three records for configuring the Patchwork service. The
20671 @code{<patchwork-configuration>} relates to the configuration for Patchwork
20672 within the HTTPD service.
20674 The @code{settings-module} field within the @code{<patchwork-configuration>}
20675 record can be populated with the @code{<patchwork-settings-module>} record,
20676 which describes a settings module that is generated within the Guix store.
20678 For the @code{database-configuration} field within the
20679 @code{<patchwork-settings-module>}, the
20680 @code{<patchwork-database-configuration>} must be used.
20682 @deftp {Data Type} patchwork-configuration
20683 Data type representing the Patchwork service configuration. This type has the
20684 following parameters:
20687 @item @code{patchwork} (default: @code{patchwork})
20688 The Patchwork package to use.
20690 @item @code{domain}
20691 The domain to use for Patchwork, this is used in the HTTPD service virtual
20694 @item @code{settings-module}
20695 The settings module to use for Patchwork. As a Django application, Patchwork
20696 is configured with a Python module containing the settings. This can either be
20697 an instance of the @code{<patchwork-settings-module>} record, any other record
20698 that represents the settings in the store, or a directory outside of the
20701 @item @code{static-path} (default: @code{"/static/"})
20702 The path under which the HTTPD service should serve the static files.
20704 @item @code{getmail-retriever-config}
20705 The getmail-retriever-configuration record value to use with
20706 Patchwork. Getmail will be configured with this value, the messages will be
20707 delivered to Patchwork.
20712 @deftp {Data Type} patchwork-settings-module
20713 Data type representing a settings module for Patchwork. Some of these
20714 settings relate directly to Patchwork, but others relate to Django, the web
20715 framework used by Patchwork, or the Django Rest Framework library. This type
20716 has the following parameters:
20719 @item @code{database-configuration} (default: @code{(patchwork-database-configuration)})
20720 The database connection settings used for Patchwork. See the
20721 @code{<patchwork-database-configuration>} record type for more information.
20723 @item @code{secret-key-file} (default: @code{"/etc/patchwork/django-secret-key"})
20724 Patchwork, as a Django web application uses a secret key for cryptographically
20725 signing values. This file should contain a unique unpredictable value.
20727 If this file does not exist, it will be created and populated with a random
20728 value by the patchwork-setup shepherd service.
20730 This setting relates to Django.
20732 @item @code{allowed-hosts}
20733 A list of valid hosts for this Patchwork service. This should at least include
20734 the domain specified in the @code{<patchwork-configuration>} record.
20736 This is a Django setting.
20738 @item @code{default-from-email}
20739 The email address from which Patchwork should send email by default.
20741 This is a Patchwork setting.
20743 @item @code{static-url} (default: @code{#f})
20744 The URL to use when serving static assets. It can be part of a URL, or a full
20745 URL, but must end in a @code{/}.
20747 If the default value is used, the @code{static-path} value from the
20748 @code{<patchwork-configuration>} record will be used.
20750 This is a Django setting.
20752 @item @code{admins} (default: @code{'()})
20753 Email addresses to send the details of errors that occur. Each value should
20754 be a list containing two elements, the name and then the email address.
20756 This is a Django setting.
20758 @item @code{debug?} (default: @code{#f})
20759 Whether to run Patchwork in debug mode. If set to @code{#t}, detailed error
20760 messages will be shown.
20762 This is a Django setting.
20764 @item @code{enable-rest-api?} (default: @code{#t})
20765 Whether to enable the Patchwork REST API.
20767 This is a Patchwork setting.
20769 @item @code{enable-xmlrpc?} (default: @code{#t})
20770 Whether to enable the XML RPC API.
20772 This is a Patchwork setting.
20774 @item @code{force-https-links?} (default: @code{#t})
20775 Whether to use HTTPS links on Patchwork pages.
20777 This is a Patchwork setting.
20779 @item @code{extra-settings} (default: @code{""})
20780 Extra code to place at the end of the Patchwork settings module.
20785 @deftp {Data Type} patchwork-database-configuration
20786 Data type representing the database configuration for Patchwork.
20789 @item @code{engine} (default: @code{"django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2"})
20790 The database engine to use.
20792 @item @code{name} (default: @code{"patchwork"})
20793 The name of the database to use.
20795 @item @code{user} (default: @code{"httpd"})
20796 The user to connect to the database as.
20798 @item @code{password} (default: @code{""})
20799 The password to use when connecting to the database.
20801 @item @code{host} (default: @code{""})
20802 The host to make the database connection to.
20804 @item @code{port} (default: @code{""})
20805 The port on which to connect to the database.
20810 @subsubheading Mumi
20812 @cindex Mumi, Debbugs Web interface
20813 @cindex Debbugs, Mumi Web interface
20814 @uref{https://git.elephly.net/gitweb.cgi?p=software/mumi.git, Mumi} is a
20815 Web interface to the Debbugs bug tracker, by default for
20816 @uref{https://bugs.gnu.org, the GNU instance}. Mumi is a Web server,
20817 but it also fetches and indexes mail retrieved from Debbugs.
20819 @defvr {Scheme Variable} mumi-service-type
20820 This is the service type for Mumi.
20823 @deftp {Data Type} mumi-configuration
20824 Data type representing the Mumi service configuration. This type has the
20828 @item @code{mumi} (default: @code{mumi})
20829 The Mumi package to use.
20831 @item @code{mailer?} (default: @code{#true})
20832 Whether to enable or disable the mailer component.
20834 @item @code{mumi-configuration-sender}
20835 The email address used as the sender for comments.
20837 @item @code{mumi-configuration-smtp}
20838 A URI to configure the SMTP settings for Mailutils. This could be
20839 something like @code{sendmail:///path/to/bin/msmtp} or any other URI
20840 supported by Mailutils. @xref{SMTP Mailboxes, SMTP Mailboxes,,
20841 mailutils, GNU@tie{}Mailutils}.
20847 @subsubheading FastCGI
20850 FastCGI is an interface between the front-end and the back-end of a web
20851 service. It is a somewhat legacy facility; new web services should
20852 generally just talk HTTP between the front-end and the back-end.
20853 However there are a number of back-end services such as PHP or the
20854 optimized HTTP Git repository access that use FastCGI, so we have
20855 support for it in Guix.
20857 To use FastCGI, you configure the front-end web server (e.g., nginx) to
20858 dispatch some subset of its requests to the fastcgi backend, which
20859 listens on a local TCP or UNIX socket. There is an intermediary
20860 @code{fcgiwrap} program that sits between the actual backend process and
20861 the web server. The front-end indicates which backend program to run,
20862 passing that information to the @code{fcgiwrap} process.
20864 @defvr {Scheme Variable} fcgiwrap-service-type
20865 A service type for the @code{fcgiwrap} FastCGI proxy.
20868 @deftp {Data Type} fcgiwrap-configuration
20869 Data type representing the configuration of the @code{fcgiwrap} service.
20870 This type has the following parameters:
20872 @item @code{package} (default: @code{fcgiwrap})
20873 The fcgiwrap package to use.
20875 @item @code{socket} (default: @code{tcp:127.0.0.1:9000})
20876 The socket on which the @code{fcgiwrap} process should listen, as a
20877 string. Valid @var{socket} values include
20878 @code{unix:@var{/path/to/unix/socket}},
20879 @code{tcp:@var{dot.ted.qu.ad}:@var{port}} and
20880 @code{tcp6:[@var{ipv6_addr}]:port}.
20882 @item @code{user} (default: @code{fcgiwrap})
20883 @itemx @code{group} (default: @code{fcgiwrap})
20884 The user and group names, as strings, under which to run the
20885 @code{fcgiwrap} process. The @code{fastcgi} service will ensure that if
20886 the user asks for the specific user or group names @code{fcgiwrap} that
20887 the corresponding user and/or group is present on the system.
20889 It is possible to configure a FastCGI-backed web service to pass HTTP
20890 authentication information from the front-end to the back-end, and to
20891 allow @code{fcgiwrap} to run the back-end process as a corresponding
20892 local user. To enable this capability on the back-end, run
20893 @code{fcgiwrap} as the @code{root} user and group. Note that this
20894 capability also has to be configured on the front-end as well.
20899 PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) is an alternative PHP FastCGI implementation
20900 with some additional features useful for sites of any size.
20902 These features include:
20904 @item Adaptive process spawning
20905 @item Basic statistics (similar to Apache's mod_status)
20906 @item Advanced process management with graceful stop/start
20907 @item Ability to start workers with different uid/gid/chroot/environment
20908 and different php.ini (replaces safe_mode)
20909 @item Stdout & stderr logging
20910 @item Emergency restart in case of accidental opcode cache destruction
20911 @item Accelerated upload support
20912 @item Support for a "slowlog"
20913 @item Enhancements to FastCGI, such as fastcgi_finish_request() -
20914 a special function to finish request & flush all data while continuing to do
20915 something time-consuming (video converting, stats processing, etc.)
20917 ...@: and much more.
20919 @defvr {Scheme Variable} php-fpm-service-type
20920 A Service type for @code{php-fpm}.
20923 @deftp {Data Type} php-fpm-configuration
20924 Data Type for php-fpm service configuration.
20926 @item @code{php} (default: @code{php})
20927 The php package to use.
20928 @item @code{socket} (default: @code{(string-append "/var/run/php" (version-major (package-version php)) "-fpm.sock")})
20929 The address on which to accept FastCGI requests. Valid syntaxes are:
20931 @item @code{"ip.add.re.ss:port"}
20932 Listen on a TCP socket to a specific address on a specific port.
20933 @item @code{"port"}
20934 Listen on a TCP socket to all addresses on a specific port.
20935 @item @code{"/path/to/unix/socket"}
20936 Listen on a unix socket.
20939 @item @code{user} (default: @code{php-fpm})
20940 User who will own the php worker processes.
20941 @item @code{group} (default: @code{php-fpm})
20942 Group of the worker processes.
20943 @item @code{socket-user} (default: @code{php-fpm})
20944 User who can speak to the php-fpm socket.
20945 @item @code{socket-group} (default: @code{nginx})
20946 Group that can speak to the php-fpm socket.
20947 @item @code{pid-file} (default: @code{(string-append "/var/run/php" (version-major (package-version php)) "-fpm.pid")})
20948 The process id of the php-fpm process is written to this file
20949 once the service has started.
20950 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{(string-append "/var/log/php" (version-major (package-version php)) "-fpm.log")})
20951 Log for the php-fpm master process.
20952 @item @code{process-manager} (default: @code{(php-fpm-dynamic-process-manager-configuration)})
20953 Detailed settings for the php-fpm process manager.
20956 @item @code{<php-fpm-dynamic-process-manager-configuration>}
20957 @item @code{<php-fpm-static-process-manager-configuration>}
20958 @item @code{<php-fpm-on-demand-process-manager-configuration>}
20960 @item @code{display-errors} (default @code{#f})
20961 Determines whether php errors and warning should be sent to clients
20962 and displayed in their browsers.
20963 This is useful for local php development, but a security risk for public sites,
20964 as error messages can reveal passwords and personal data.
20965 @item @code{timezone} (default @code{#f})
20966 Specifies @code{php_admin_value[date.timezone]} parameter.
20967 @item @code{workers-logfile} (default @code{(string-append "/var/log/php" (version-major (package-version php)) "-fpm.www.log")})
20968 This file will log the @code{stderr} outputs of php worker processes.
20969 Can be set to @code{#f} to disable logging.
20970 @item @code{file} (default @code{#f})
20971 An optional override of the whole configuration.
20972 You can use the @code{mixed-text-file} function or an absolute filepath for it.
20976 @deftp {Data type} php-fpm-dynamic-process-manager-configuration
20977 Data Type for the @code{dynamic} php-fpm process manager. With the
20978 @code{dynamic} process manager, spare worker processes are kept around
20979 based on it's configured limits.
20981 @item @code{max-children} (default: @code{5})
20982 Maximum of worker processes.
20983 @item @code{start-servers} (default: @code{2})
20984 How many worker processes should be started on start-up.
20985 @item @code{min-spare-servers} (default: @code{1})
20986 How many spare worker processes should be kept around at minimum.
20987 @item @code{max-spare-servers} (default: @code{3})
20988 How many spare worker processes should be kept around at maximum.
20992 @deftp {Data type} php-fpm-static-process-manager-configuration
20993 Data Type for the @code{static} php-fpm process manager. With the
20994 @code{static} process manager, an unchanging number of worker processes
20997 @item @code{max-children} (default: @code{5})
20998 Maximum of worker processes.
21002 @deftp {Data type} php-fpm-on-demand-process-manager-configuration
21003 Data Type for the @code{on-demand} php-fpm process manager. With the
21004 @code{on-demand} process manager, worker processes are only created as
21007 @item @code{max-children} (default: @code{5})
21008 Maximum of worker processes.
21009 @item @code{process-idle-timeout} (default: @code{10})
21010 The time in seconds after which a process with no requests is killed.
21015 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} nginx-php-location @
21016 [#:nginx-package nginx] @
21017 [socket (string-append "/var/run/php" @
21018 (version-major (package-version php)) @
21020 A helper function to quickly add php to an @code{nginx-server-configuration}.
21023 A simple services setup for nginx with php can look like this:
21025 (services (cons* (service dhcp-client-service-type)
21026 (service php-fpm-service-type)
21027 (service nginx-service-type
21028 (nginx-server-configuration
21029 (server-name '("example.com"))
21030 (root "/srv/http/")
21032 (list (nginx-php-location)))
21034 (ssl-certificate #f)
21035 (ssl-certificate-key #f)))
21039 @cindex cat-avatar-generator
21040 The cat avatar generator is a simple service to demonstrate the use of php-fpm
21041 in @code{Nginx}. It is used to generate cat avatar from a seed, for instance
21042 the hash of a user's email address.
21044 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} cat-avatar-generator-service @
21045 [#:cache-dir "/var/cache/cat-avatar-generator"] @
21046 [#:package cat-avatar-generator] @
21047 [#:configuration (nginx-server-configuration)]
21048 Returns an nginx-server-configuration that inherits @code{configuration}. It
21049 extends the nginx configuration to add a server block that serves @code{package},
21050 a version of cat-avatar-generator. During execution, cat-avatar-generator will
21051 be able to use @code{cache-dir} as its cache directory.
21054 A simple setup for cat-avatar-generator can look like this:
21056 (services (cons* (cat-avatar-generator-service
21058 (nginx-server-configuration
21059 (server-name '("example.com"))))
21064 @subsubheading Hpcguix-web
21066 @cindex hpcguix-web
21067 The @uref{https://github.com/UMCUGenetics/hpcguix-web/, hpcguix-web}
21068 program is a customizable web interface to browse Guix packages,
21069 initially designed for users of high-performance computing (HPC)
21072 @defvr {Scheme Variable} hpcguix-web-service-type
21073 The service type for @code{hpcguix-web}.
21076 @deftp {Data Type} hpcguix-web-configuration
21077 Data type for the hpcguix-web service configuration.
21081 A gexp (@pxref{G-Expressions}) specifying the hpcguix-web service
21082 configuration. The main items available in this spec are:
21085 @item @code{title-prefix} (default: @code{"hpcguix | "})
21086 The page title prefix.
21088 @item @code{guix-command} (default: @code{"guix"})
21089 The @command{guix} command.
21091 @item @code{package-filter-proc} (default: @code{(const #t)})
21092 A procedure specifying how to filter packages that are displayed.
21094 @item @code{package-page-extension-proc} (default: @code{(const '())})
21095 Extension package for @code{hpcguix-web}.
21097 @item @code{menu} (default: @code{'()})
21098 Additional entry in page @code{menu}.
21100 @item @code{channels} (default: @code{%default-channels})
21101 List of channels from which the package list is built (@pxref{Channels}).
21103 @item @code{package-list-expiration} (default: @code{(* 12 3600)})
21104 The expiration time, in seconds, after which the package list is rebuilt from
21105 the latest instances of the given channels.
21108 See the hpcguix-web repository for a
21109 @uref{https://github.com/UMCUGenetics/hpcguix-web/blob/master/hpcweb-configuration.scm,
21112 @item @code{package} (default: @code{hpcguix-web})
21113 The hpcguix-web package to use.
21117 A typical hpcguix-web service declaration looks like this:
21120 (service hpcguix-web-service-type
21121 (hpcguix-web-configuration
21123 #~(define site-config
21124 (hpcweb-configuration
21125 (title-prefix "Guix-HPC - ")
21126 (menu '(("/about" "ABOUT"))))))))
21130 The hpcguix-web service periodically updates the package list it publishes by
21131 pulling channels from Git. To that end, it needs to access X.509 certificates
21132 so that it can authenticate Git servers when communicating over HTTPS, and it
21133 assumes that @file{/etc/ssl/certs} contains those certificates.
21135 Thus, make sure to add @code{nss-certs} or another certificate package to the
21136 @code{packages} field of your configuration. @ref{X.509 Certificates}, for
21137 more information on X.509 certificates.
21140 @node Certificate Services
21141 @subsection Certificate Services
21144 @cindex HTTP, HTTPS
21145 @cindex Let's Encrypt
21146 @cindex TLS certificates
21147 The @code{(gnu services certbot)} module provides a service to
21148 automatically obtain a valid TLS certificate from the Let's Encrypt
21149 certificate authority. These certificates can then be used to serve
21150 content securely over HTTPS or other TLS-based protocols, with the
21151 knowledge that the client will be able to verify the server's
21154 @url{https://letsencrypt.org/, Let's Encrypt} provides the
21155 @code{certbot} tool to automate the certification process. This tool
21156 first securely generates a key on the server. It then makes a request
21157 to the Let's Encrypt certificate authority (CA) to sign the key. The CA
21158 checks that the request originates from the host in question by using a
21159 challenge-response protocol, requiring the server to provide its
21160 response over HTTP. If that protocol completes successfully, the CA
21161 signs the key, resulting in a certificate. That certificate is valid
21162 for a limited period of time, and therefore to continue to provide TLS
21163 services, the server needs to periodically ask the CA to renew its
21166 The certbot service automates this process: the initial key
21167 generation, the initial certification request to the Let's Encrypt
21168 service, the web server challenge/response integration, writing the
21169 certificate to disk, the automated periodic renewals, and the deployment
21170 tasks associated with the renewal (e.g.@: reloading services, copying keys
21171 with different permissions).
21173 Certbot is run twice a day, at a random minute within the hour. It
21174 won't do anything until your certificates are due for renewal or
21175 revoked, but running it regularly would give your service a chance of
21176 staying online in case a Let's Encrypt-initiated revocation happened for
21179 By using this service, you agree to the ACME Subscriber Agreement, which
21180 can be found there:
21181 @url{https://acme-v01.api.letsencrypt.org/directory}.
21183 @defvr {Scheme Variable} certbot-service-type
21184 A service type for the @code{certbot} Let's Encrypt client. Its value
21185 must be a @code{certbot-configuration} record as in this example:
21188 (define %nginx-deploy-hook
21190 "nginx-deploy-hook"
21191 #~(let ((pid (call-with-input-file "/var/run/nginx/pid" read)))
21192 (kill pid SIGHUP))))
21194 (service certbot-service-type
21195 (certbot-configuration
21196 (email "foo@@example.net")
21199 (certificate-configuration
21200 (domains '("example.net" "www.example.net"))
21201 (deploy-hook %nginx-deploy-hook))
21202 (certificate-configuration
21203 (domains '("bar.example.net")))))))
21206 See below for details about @code{certbot-configuration}.
21209 @deftp {Data Type} certbot-configuration
21210 Data type representing the configuration of the @code{certbot} service.
21211 This type has the following parameters:
21214 @item @code{package} (default: @code{certbot})
21215 The certbot package to use.
21217 @item @code{webroot} (default: @code{/var/www})
21218 The directory from which to serve the Let's Encrypt challenge/response
21221 @item @code{certificates} (default: @code{()})
21222 A list of @code{certificates-configuration}s for which to generate
21223 certificates and request signatures. Each certificate has a @code{name}
21224 and several @code{domains}.
21227 Mandatory email used for registration, recovery contact, and important
21228 account notifications.
21230 @item @code{server} (default: @code{#f})
21231 Optional URL of ACME server. Setting this overrides certbot's default,
21232 which is the Let's Encrypt server.
21234 @item @code{rsa-key-size} (default: @code{2048})
21235 Size of the RSA key.
21237 @item @code{default-location} (default: @i{see below})
21238 The default @code{nginx-location-configuration}. Because @code{certbot}
21239 needs to be able to serve challenges and responses, it needs to be able
21240 to run a web server. It does so by extending the @code{nginx} web
21241 service with an @code{nginx-server-configuration} listening on the
21242 @var{domains} on port 80, and which has a
21243 @code{nginx-location-configuration} for the @code{/.well-known/} URI
21244 path subspace used by Let's Encrypt. @xref{Web Services}, for more on
21245 these nginx configuration data types.
21247 Requests to other URL paths will be matched by the
21248 @code{default-location}, which if present is added to all
21249 @code{nginx-server-configuration}s.
21251 By default, the @code{default-location} will issue a redirect from
21252 @code{http://@var{domain}/...} to @code{https://@var{domain}/...}, leaving
21253 you to define what to serve on your site via @code{https}.
21255 Pass @code{#f} to not issue a default location.
21259 @deftp {Data Type} certificate-configuration
21260 Data type representing the configuration of a certificate.
21261 This type has the following parameters:
21264 @item @code{name} (default: @i{see below})
21265 This name is used by Certbot for housekeeping and in file paths; it
21266 doesn't affect the content of the certificate itself. To see
21267 certificate names, run @code{certbot certificates}.
21269 Its default is the first provided domain.
21271 @item @code{domains} (default: @code{()})
21272 The first domain provided will be the subject CN of the certificate, and
21273 all domains will be Subject Alternative Names on the certificate.
21275 @item @code{challenge} (default: @code{#f})
21276 The challenge type that has to be run by certbot. If @code{#f} is specified,
21277 default to the HTTP challenge. If a value is specified, defaults to the
21278 manual plugin (see @code{authentication-hook}, @code{cleanup-hook} and
21279 the documentation at @url{https://certbot.eff.org/docs/using.html#hooks}),
21280 and gives Let's Encrypt permission to log the public IP address of the
21281 requesting machine.
21283 @item @code{authentication-hook} (default: @code{#f})
21284 Command to be run in a shell once for each certificate challenge to be
21285 answered. For this command, the shell variable @code{$CERTBOT_DOMAIN}
21286 will contain the domain being authenticated, @code{$CERTBOT_VALIDATION}
21287 contains the validation string and @code{$CERTBOT_TOKEN} contains the
21288 file name of the resource requested when performing an HTTP-01 challenge.
21290 @item @code{cleanup-hook} (default: @code{#f})
21291 Command to be run in a shell once for each certificate challenge that
21292 have been answered by the @code{auth-hook}. For this command, the shell
21293 variables available in the @code{auth-hook} script are still available, and
21294 additionally @code{$CERTBOT_AUTH_OUTPUT} will contain the standard output
21295 of the @code{auth-hook} script.
21297 @item @code{deploy-hook} (default: @code{#f})
21298 Command to be run in a shell once for each successfully issued
21299 certificate. For this command, the shell variable
21300 @code{$RENEWED_LINEAGE} will point to the config live subdirectory (for
21301 example, @samp{"/etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com"}) containing the new
21302 certificates and keys; the shell variable @code{$RENEWED_DOMAINS} will
21303 contain a space-delimited list of renewed certificate domains (for
21304 example, @samp{"example.com www.example.com"}.
21309 For each @code{certificate-configuration}, the certificate is saved to
21310 @code{/etc/letsencrypt/live/@var{name}/fullchain.pem} and the key is
21311 saved to @code{/etc/letsencrypt/live/@var{name}/privkey.pem}.
21313 @subsection DNS Services
21314 @cindex DNS (domain name system)
21315 @cindex domain name system (DNS)
21317 The @code{(gnu services dns)} module provides services related to the
21318 @dfn{domain name system} (DNS). It provides a server service for hosting
21319 an @emph{authoritative} DNS server for multiple zones, slave or master.
21320 This service uses @uref{https://www.knot-dns.cz/, Knot DNS}. And also a
21321 caching and forwarding DNS server for the LAN, which uses
21322 @uref{http://www.thekelleys.org.uk/dnsmasq/doc.html, dnsmasq}.
21324 @subsubheading Knot Service
21326 An example configuration of an authoritative server for two zones, one master
21330 (define-zone-entries example.org.zone
21331 ;; Name TTL Class Type Data
21332 ("@@" "" "IN" "A" "127.0.0.1")
21333 ("@@" "" "IN" "NS" "ns")
21334 ("ns" "" "IN" "A" "127.0.0.1"))
21336 (define master-zone
21337 (knot-zone-configuration
21338 (domain "example.org")
21340 (origin "example.org")
21341 (entries example.org.zone)))))
21344 (knot-zone-configuration
21345 (domain "plop.org")
21346 (dnssec-policy "default")
21347 (master (list "plop-master"))))
21349 (define plop-master
21350 (knot-remote-configuration
21352 (address (list "208.76.58.171"))))
21356 (services (cons* (service knot-service-type
21357 (knot-configuration
21358 (remotes (list plop-master))
21359 (zones (list master-zone slave-zone))))
21364 @deffn {Scheme Variable} knot-service-type
21365 This is the type for the Knot DNS server.
21367 Knot DNS is an authoritative DNS server, meaning that it can serve multiple
21368 zones, that is to say domain names you would buy from a registrar. This server
21369 is not a resolver, meaning that it can only resolve names for which it is
21370 authoritative. This server can be configured to serve zones as a master server
21371 or a slave server as a per-zone basis. Slave zones will get their data from
21372 masters, and will serve it as an authoritative server. From the point of view
21373 of a resolver, there is no difference between master and slave.
21375 The following data types are used to configure the Knot DNS server:
21378 @deftp {Data Type} knot-key-configuration
21379 Data type representing a key.
21380 This type has the following parameters:
21383 @item @code{id} (default: @code{""})
21384 An identifier for other configuration fields to refer to this key. IDs must
21385 be unique and must not be empty.
21387 @item @code{algorithm} (default: @code{#f})
21388 The algorithm to use. Choose between @code{#f}, @code{'hmac-md5},
21389 @code{'hmac-sha1}, @code{'hmac-sha224}, @code{'hmac-sha256}, @code{'hmac-sha384}
21390 and @code{'hmac-sha512}.
21392 @item @code{secret} (default: @code{""})
21393 The secret key itself.
21398 @deftp {Data Type} knot-acl-configuration
21399 Data type representing an Access Control List (ACL) configuration.
21400 This type has the following parameters:
21403 @item @code{id} (default: @code{""})
21404 An identifier for ether configuration fields to refer to this key. IDs must be
21405 unique and must not be empty.
21407 @item @code{address} (default: @code{'()})
21408 An ordered list of IP addresses, network subnets, or network ranges represented
21409 with strings. The query must match one of them. Empty value means that
21410 address match is not required.
21412 @item @code{key} (default: @code{'()})
21413 An ordered list of references to keys represented with strings. The string
21414 must match a key ID defined in a @code{knot-key-configuration}. No key means
21415 that a key is not require to match that ACL.
21417 @item @code{action} (default: @code{'()})
21418 An ordered list of actions that are permitted or forbidden by this ACL. Possible
21419 values are lists of zero or more elements from @code{'transfer}, @code{'notify}
21420 and @code{'update}.
21422 @item @code{deny?} (default: @code{#f})
21423 When true, the ACL defines restrictions. Listed actions are forbidden. When
21424 false, listed actions are allowed.
21429 @deftp {Data Type} zone-entry
21430 Data type representing a record entry in a zone file.
21431 This type has the following parameters:
21434 @item @code{name} (default: @code{"@@"})
21435 The name of the record. @code{"@@"} refers to the origin of the zone. Names
21436 are relative to the origin of the zone. For example, in the @code{example.org}
21437 zone, @code{"ns.example.org"} actually refers to @code{ns.example.org.example.org}.
21438 Names ending with a dot are absolute, which means that @code{"ns.example.org."}
21439 refers to @code{ns.example.org}.
21441 @item @code{ttl} (default: @code{""})
21442 The Time-To-Live (TTL) of this record. If not set, the default TTL is used.
21444 @item @code{class} (default: @code{"IN"})
21445 The class of the record. Knot currently supports only @code{"IN"} and
21446 partially @code{"CH"}.
21448 @item @code{type} (default: @code{"A"})
21449 The type of the record. Common types include A (IPv4 address), AAAA (IPv6
21450 address), NS (Name Server) and MX (Mail eXchange). Many other types are
21453 @item @code{data} (default: @code{""})
21454 The data contained in the record. For instance an IP address associated with
21455 an A record, or a domain name associated with an NS record. Remember that
21456 domain names are relative to the origin unless they end with a dot.
21461 @deftp {Data Type} zone-file
21462 Data type representing the content of a zone file.
21463 This type has the following parameters:
21466 @item @code{entries} (default: @code{'()})
21467 The list of entries. The SOA record is taken care of, so you don't need to
21468 put it in the list of entries. This list should probably contain an entry
21469 for your primary authoritative DNS server. Other than using a list of entries
21470 directly, you can use @code{define-zone-entries} to define a object containing
21471 the list of entries more easily, that you can later pass to the @code{entries}
21472 field of the @code{zone-file}.
21474 @item @code{origin} (default: @code{""})
21475 The name of your zone. This parameter cannot be empty.
21477 @item @code{ns} (default: @code{"ns"})
21478 The domain of your primary authoritative DNS server. The name is relative to
21479 the origin, unless it ends with a dot. It is mandatory that this primary
21480 DNS server corresponds to an NS record in the zone and that it is associated
21481 to an IP address in the list of entries.
21483 @item @code{mail} (default: @code{"hostmaster"})
21484 An email address people can contact you at, as the owner of the zone. This
21485 is translated as @code{<mail>@@<origin>}.
21487 @item @code{serial} (default: @code{1})
21488 The serial number of the zone. As this is used to keep track of changes by
21489 both slaves and resolvers, it is mandatory that it @emph{never} decreases.
21490 Always increment it when you make a change in your zone.
21492 @item @code{refresh} (default: @code{(* 2 24 3600)})
21493 The frequency at which slaves will do a zone transfer. This value is a number
21494 of seconds. It can be computed by multiplications or with
21495 @code{(string->duration)}.
21497 @item @code{retry} (default: @code{(* 15 60)})
21498 The period after which a slave will retry to contact its master when it fails
21499 to do so a first time.
21501 @item @code{expiry} (default: @code{(* 14 24 3600)})
21502 Default TTL of records. Existing records are considered correct for at most
21503 this amount of time. After this period, resolvers will invalidate their cache
21504 and check again that it still exists.
21506 @item @code{nx} (default: @code{3600})
21507 Default TTL of inexistant records. This delay is usually short because you want
21508 your new domains to reach everyone quickly.
21513 @deftp {Data Type} knot-remote-configuration
21514 Data type representing a remote configuration.
21515 This type has the following parameters:
21518 @item @code{id} (default: @code{""})
21519 An identifier for other configuration fields to refer to this remote. IDs must
21520 be unique and must not be empty.
21522 @item @code{address} (default: @code{'()})
21523 An ordered list of destination IP addresses. Addresses are tried in sequence.
21524 An optional port can be given with the @@ separator. For instance:
21525 @code{(list "1.2.3.4" "2.3.4.5@@53")}. Default port is 53.
21527 @item @code{via} (default: @code{'()})
21528 An ordered list of source IP addresses. An empty list will have Knot choose
21529 an appropriate source IP. An optional port can be given with the @@ separator.
21530 The default is to choose at random.
21532 @item @code{key} (default: @code{#f})
21533 A reference to a key, that is a string containing the identifier of a key
21534 defined in a @code{knot-key-configuration} field.
21539 @deftp {Data Type} knot-keystore-configuration
21540 Data type representing a keystore to hold dnssec keys.
21541 This type has the following parameters:
21544 @item @code{id} (default: @code{""})
21545 The id of the keystore. It must not be empty.
21547 @item @code{backend} (default: @code{'pem})
21548 The backend to store the keys in. Can be @code{'pem} or @code{'pkcs11}.
21550 @item @code{config} (default: @code{"/var/lib/knot/keys/keys"})
21551 The configuration string of the backend. An example for the PKCS#11 is:
21552 @code{"pkcs11:token=knot;pin-value=1234 /gnu/store/.../lib/pkcs11/libsofthsm2.so"}.
21553 For the pem backend, the string represents a path in the file system.
21558 @deftp {Data Type} knot-policy-configuration
21559 Data type representing a dnssec policy. Knot DNS is able to automatically
21560 sign your zones. It can either generate and manage your keys automatically or
21561 use keys that you generate.
21563 Dnssec is usually implemented using two keys: a Key Signing Key (KSK) that is
21564 used to sign the second, and a Zone Signing Key (ZSK) that is used to sign the
21565 zone. In order to be trusted, the KSK needs to be present in the parent zone
21566 (usually a top-level domain). If your registrar supports dnssec, you will
21567 have to send them your KSK's hash so they can add a DS record in their zone.
21568 This is not automated and need to be done each time you change your KSK.
21570 The policy also defines the lifetime of keys. Usually, ZSK can be changed
21571 easily and use weaker cryptographic functions (they use lower parameters) in
21572 order to sign records quickly, so they are changed often. The KSK however
21573 requires manual interaction with the registrar, so they are changed less often
21574 and use stronger parameters because they sign only one record.
21576 This type has the following parameters:
21579 @item @code{id} (default: @code{""})
21580 The id of the policy. It must not be empty.
21582 @item @code{keystore} (default: @code{"default"})
21583 A reference to a keystore, that is a string containing the identifier of a
21584 keystore defined in a @code{knot-keystore-configuration} field. The
21585 @code{"default"} identifier means the default keystore (a kasp database that
21586 was setup by this service).
21588 @item @code{manual?} (default: @code{#f})
21589 Whether the key management is manual or automatic.
21591 @item @code{single-type-signing?} (default: @code{#f})
21592 When @code{#t}, use the Single-Type Signing Scheme.
21594 @item @code{algorithm} (default: @code{"ecdsap256sha256"})
21595 An algorithm of signing keys and issued signatures.
21597 @item @code{ksk-size} (default: @code{256})
21598 The length of the KSK. Note that this value is correct for the default
21599 algorithm, but would be unsecure for other algorithms.
21601 @item @code{zsk-size} (default: @code{256})
21602 The length of the ZSK. Note that this value is correct for the default
21603 algorithm, but would be unsecure for other algorithms.
21605 @item @code{dnskey-ttl} (default: @code{'default})
21606 The TTL value for DNSKEY records added into zone apex. The special
21607 @code{'default} value means same as the zone SOA TTL.
21609 @item @code{zsk-lifetime} (default: @code{(* 30 24 3600)})
21610 The period between ZSK publication and the next rollover initiation.
21612 @item @code{propagation-delay} (default: @code{(* 24 3600)})
21613 An extra delay added for each key rollover step. This value should be high
21614 enough to cover propagation of data from the master server to all slaves.
21616 @item @code{rrsig-lifetime} (default: @code{(* 14 24 3600)})
21617 A validity period of newly issued signatures.
21619 @item @code{rrsig-refresh} (default: @code{(* 7 24 3600)})
21620 A period how long before a signature expiration the signature will be refreshed.
21622 @item @code{nsec3?} (default: @code{#f})
21623 When @code{#t}, NSEC3 will be used instead of NSEC.
21625 @item @code{nsec3-iterations} (default: @code{5})
21626 The number of additional times the hashing is performed.
21628 @item @code{nsec3-salt-length} (default: @code{8})
21629 The length of a salt field in octets, which is appended to the original owner
21630 name before hashing.
21632 @item @code{nsec3-salt-lifetime} (default: @code{(* 30 24 3600)})
21633 The validity period of newly issued salt field.
21638 @deftp {Data Type} knot-zone-configuration
21639 Data type representing a zone served by Knot.
21640 This type has the following parameters:
21643 @item @code{domain} (default: @code{""})
21644 The domain served by this configuration. It must not be empty.
21646 @item @code{file} (default: @code{""})
21647 The file where this zone is saved. This parameter is ignored by master zones.
21648 Empty means default location that depends on the domain name.
21650 @item @code{zone} (default: @code{(zone-file)})
21651 The content of the zone file. This parameter is ignored by slave zones. It
21652 must contain a zone-file record.
21654 @item @code{master} (default: @code{'()})
21655 A list of master remotes. When empty, this zone is a master. When set, this
21656 zone is a slave. This is a list of remotes identifiers.
21658 @item @code{ddns-master} (default: @code{#f})
21659 The main master. When empty, it defaults to the first master in the list of
21662 @item @code{notify} (default: @code{'()})
21663 A list of slave remote identifiers.
21665 @item @code{acl} (default: @code{'()})
21666 A list of acl identifiers.
21668 @item @code{semantic-checks?} (default: @code{#f})
21669 When set, this adds more semantic checks to the zone.
21671 @item @code{disable-any?} (default: @code{#f})
21672 When set, this forbids queries of the ANY type.
21674 @item @code{zonefile-sync} (default: @code{0})
21675 The delay between a modification in memory and on disk. 0 means immediate
21678 @item @code{zonefile-load} (default: @code{#f})
21679 The way the zone file contents are applied during zone load. Possible values
21683 @item @code{#f} for using the default value from Knot,
21684 @item @code{'none} for not using the zone file at all,
21685 @item @code{'difference} for computing the difference between already available
21686 contents and zone contents and applying it to the current zone contents,
21687 @item @code{'difference-no-serial} for the same as @code{'difference}, but
21688 ignoring the SOA serial in the zone file, while the server takes care of it
21690 @item @code{'whole} for loading zone contents from the zone file.
21693 @item @code{journal-content} (default: @code{#f})
21694 The way the journal is used to store zone and its changes. Possible values
21695 are @code{'none} to not use it at all, @code{'changes} to store changes and
21696 @code{'all} to store contents. @code{#f} does not set this option, so the
21697 default value from Knot is used.
21699 @item @code{max-journal-usage} (default: @code{#f})
21700 The maximum size for the journal on disk. @code{#f} does not set this option,
21701 so the default value from Knot is used.
21703 @item @code{max-journal-depth} (default: @code{#f})
21704 The maximum size of the history. @code{#f} does not set this option, so the
21705 default value from Knot is used.
21707 @item @code{max-zone-size} (default: @code{#f})
21708 The maximum size of the zone file. This limit is enforced for incoming
21709 transfer and updates. @code{#f} does not set this option, so the default
21710 value from Knot is used.
21712 @item @code{dnssec-policy} (default: @code{#f})
21713 A reference to a @code{knot-policy-configuration} record, or the special
21714 name @code{"default"}. If the value is @code{#f}, there is no dnssec signing
21717 @item @code{serial-policy} (default: @code{'increment})
21718 A policy between @code{'increment} and @code{'unixtime}.
21723 @deftp {Data Type} knot-configuration
21724 Data type representing the Knot configuration.
21725 This type has the following parameters:
21728 @item @code{knot} (default: @code{knot})
21731 @item @code{run-directory} (default: @code{"/var/run/knot"})
21732 The run directory. This directory will be used for pid file and sockets.
21734 @item @code{includes} (default: @code{'()})
21735 A list of strings or file-like objects denoting other files that must be
21736 included at the top of the configuration file.
21738 @cindex secrets, Knot service
21739 This can be used to manage secrets out-of-band. For example, secret
21740 keys may be stored in an out-of-band file not managed by Guix, and
21741 thus not visible in @file{/gnu/store}---e.g., you could store secret
21742 key configuration in @file{/etc/knot/secrets.conf} and add this file
21743 to the @code{includes} list.
21745 One can generate a secret tsig key (for nsupdate and zone transfers with the
21746 keymgr command from the knot package. Note that the package is not automatically
21747 installed by the service. The following example shows how to generate a new
21751 keymgr -t mysecret > /etc/knot/secrets.conf
21752 chmod 600 /etc/knot/secrets.conf
21755 Also note that the generated key will be named @var{mysecret}, so it is the
21756 name that needs to be used in the @var{key} field of the
21757 @code{knot-acl-configuration} record and in other places that need to refer
21760 It can also be used to add configuration not supported by this interface.
21762 @item @code{listen-v4} (default: @code{"0.0.0.0"})
21763 An ip address on which to listen.
21765 @item @code{listen-v6} (default: @code{"::"})
21766 An ip address on which to listen.
21768 @item @code{listen-port} (default: @code{53})
21769 A port on which to listen.
21771 @item @code{keys} (default: @code{'()})
21772 The list of knot-key-configuration used by this configuration.
21774 @item @code{acls} (default: @code{'()})
21775 The list of knot-acl-configuration used by this configuration.
21777 @item @code{remotes} (default: @code{'()})
21778 The list of knot-remote-configuration used by this configuration.
21780 @item @code{zones} (default: @code{'()})
21781 The list of knot-zone-configuration used by this configuration.
21786 @subsubheading Knot Resolver Service
21788 @deffn {Scheme Variable} knot-resolver-service-type
21789 This this the type of the knot resolver service, whose value should be
21790 an @code{knot-resolver-configuration} object as in this example:
21793 (service knot-resolver-service-type
21794 (knot-resolver-configuration
21795 (kresd-config-file (plain-file "kresd.conf" "
21796 net.listen('192.168.0.1', 5353)
21797 user('knot-resolver', 'knot-resolver')
21798 modules = @{ 'hints > iterate', 'stats', 'predict' @}
21799 cache.size = 100 * MB
21803 For more information, refer its @url{https://knot-resolver.readthedocs.org/en/stable/daemon.html#configuration, manual}.
21806 @deftp {Data Type} knot-resolver-configuration
21807 Data type representing the configuration of knot-resolver.
21810 @item @code{package} (default: @var{knot-resolver})
21811 Package object of the knot DNS resolver.
21813 @item @code{kresd-config-file} (default: %kresd.conf)
21814 File-like object of the kresd configuration file to use, by default it
21815 will listen on @code{127.0.0.1} and @code{::1}.
21817 @item @code{garbage-collection-interval} (default: 1000)
21818 Number of milliseconds for @code{kres-cache-gc} to periodically trim the cache.
21824 @subsubheading Dnsmasq Service
21826 @deffn {Scheme Variable} dnsmasq-service-type
21827 This is the type of the dnsmasq service, whose value should be an
21828 @code{dnsmasq-configuration} object as in this example:
21831 (service dnsmasq-service-type
21832 (dnsmasq-configuration
21834 (servers '("192.168.1.1"))))
21838 @deftp {Data Type} dnsmasq-configuration
21839 Data type representing the configuration of dnsmasq.
21842 @item @code{package} (default: @var{dnsmasq})
21843 Package object of the dnsmasq server.
21845 @item @code{no-hosts?} (default: @code{#f})
21846 When true, don't read the hostnames in /etc/hosts.
21848 @item @code{port} (default: @code{53})
21849 The port to listen on. Setting this to zero completely disables DNS
21850 responses, leaving only DHCP and/or TFTP functions.
21852 @item @code{local-service?} (default: @code{#t})
21853 Accept DNS queries only from hosts whose address is on a local subnet,
21854 ie a subnet for which an interface exists on the server.
21856 @item @code{listen-addresses} (default: @code{'()})
21857 Listen on the given IP addresses.
21859 @item @code{resolv-file} (default: @code{"/etc/resolv.conf"})
21860 The file to read the IP address of the upstream nameservers from.
21862 @item @code{no-resolv?} (default: @code{#f})
21863 When true, don't read @var{resolv-file}.
21865 @item @code{servers} (default: @code{'()})
21866 Specify IP address of upstream servers directly.
21868 @item @code{cache-size} (default: @code{150})
21869 Set the size of dnsmasq's cache. Setting the cache size to zero
21872 @item @code{negative-cache?} (default: @code{#t})
21873 When false, disable negative caching.
21878 @subsubheading ddclient Service
21881 The ddclient service described below runs the ddclient daemon, which takes
21882 care of automatically updating DNS entries for service providers such as
21883 @uref{https://dyn.com/dns/, Dyn}.
21885 The following example show instantiates the service with its default
21889 (service ddclient-service-type)
21892 Note that ddclient needs to access credentials that are stored in a
21893 @dfn{secret file}, by default @file{/etc/ddclient/secrets} (see
21894 @code{secret-file} below.) You are expected to create this file manually, in
21895 an ``out-of-band'' fashion (you @emph{could} make this file part of the
21896 service configuration, for instance by using @code{plain-file}, but it will be
21897 world-readable @i{via} @file{/gnu/store}.) See the examples in the
21898 @file{share/ddclient} directory of the @code{ddclient} package.
21900 @c %start of fragment
21902 Available @code{ddclient-configuration} fields are:
21904 @deftypevr {@code{ddclient-configuration} parameter} package ddclient
21905 The ddclient package.
21909 @deftypevr {@code{ddclient-configuration} parameter} integer daemon
21910 The period after which ddclient will retry to check IP and domain name.
21912 Defaults to @samp{300}.
21916 @deftypevr {@code{ddclient-configuration} parameter} boolean syslog
21917 Use syslog for the output.
21919 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
21923 @deftypevr {@code{ddclient-configuration} parameter} string mail
21926 Defaults to @samp{"root"}.
21930 @deftypevr {@code{ddclient-configuration} parameter} string mail-failure
21931 Mail failed update to user.
21933 Defaults to @samp{"root"}.
21937 @deftypevr {@code{ddclient-configuration} parameter} string pid
21938 The ddclient PID file.
21940 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/ddclient/ddclient.pid"}.
21944 @deftypevr {@code{ddclient-configuration} parameter} boolean ssl
21945 Enable SSL support.
21947 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
21951 @deftypevr {@code{ddclient-configuration} parameter} string user
21952 Specifies the user name or ID that is used when running ddclient
21955 Defaults to @samp{"ddclient"}.
21959 @deftypevr {@code{ddclient-configuration} parameter} string group
21960 Group of the user who will run the ddclient program.
21962 Defaults to @samp{"ddclient"}.
21966 @deftypevr {@code{ddclient-configuration} parameter} string secret-file
21967 Secret file which will be appended to @file{ddclient.conf} file. This
21968 file contains credentials for use by ddclient. You are expected to
21969 create it manually.
21971 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/ddclient/secrets.conf"}.
21975 @deftypevr {@code{ddclient-configuration} parameter} list extra-options
21976 Extra options will be appended to @file{ddclient.conf} file.
21978 Defaults to @samp{()}.
21983 @c %end of fragment
21987 @subsection VPN Services
21988 @cindex VPN (virtual private network)
21989 @cindex virtual private network (VPN)
21991 The @code{(gnu services vpn)} module provides services related to
21992 @dfn{virtual private networks} (VPNs). It provides a @emph{client} service for
21993 your machine to connect to a VPN, and a @emph{server} service for your machine
21994 to host a VPN. Both services use @uref{https://openvpn.net/, OpenVPN}.
21996 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} openvpn-client-service @
21997 [#:config (openvpn-client-configuration)]
21999 Return a service that runs @command{openvpn}, a VPN daemon, as a client.
22002 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} openvpn-server-service @
22003 [#:config (openvpn-server-configuration)]
22005 Return a service that runs @command{openvpn}, a VPN daemon, as a server.
22007 Both can be run simultaneously.
22010 @c %automatically generated documentation
22012 Available @code{openvpn-client-configuration} fields are:
22014 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} package openvpn
22015 The OpenVPN package.
22019 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} string pid-file
22020 The OpenVPN pid file.
22022 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/openvpn/openvpn.pid"}.
22026 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} proto proto
22027 The protocol (UDP or TCP) used to open a channel between clients and
22030 Defaults to @samp{udp}.
22034 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} dev dev
22035 The device type used to represent the VPN connection.
22037 Defaults to @samp{tun}.
22041 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} string ca
22042 The certificate authority to check connections against.
22044 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/ca.crt"}.
22048 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} string cert
22049 The certificate of the machine the daemon is running on. It should be
22050 signed by the authority given in @code{ca}.
22052 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/client.crt"}.
22056 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} string key
22057 The key of the machine the daemon is running on. It must be the key whose
22058 certificate is @code{cert}.
22060 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/client.key"}.
22064 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} boolean comp-lzo?
22065 Whether to use the lzo compression algorithm.
22067 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
22071 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} boolean persist-key?
22072 Don't re-read key files across SIGUSR1 or --ping-restart.
22074 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
22078 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} boolean persist-tun?
22079 Don't close and reopen TUN/TAP device or run up/down scripts across
22080 SIGUSR1 or --ping-restart restarts.
22082 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
22086 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} boolean fast-io?
22087 (Experimental) Optimize TUN/TAP/UDP I/O writes by avoiding a call to
22088 poll/epoll/select prior to the write operation.
22090 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22093 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} number verbosity
22096 Defaults to @samp{3}.
22100 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} tls-auth-client tls-auth
22101 Add an additional layer of HMAC authentication on top of the TLS control
22102 channel to protect against DoS attacks.
22104 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22108 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} maybe-string auth-user-pass
22109 Authenticate with server using username/password. The option is a file
22110 containing username/password on 2 lines. Do not use a file-like object as it
22111 would be added to the store and readable by any user.
22113 Defaults to @samp{'disabled}.
22116 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} key-usage verify-key-usage?
22117 Whether to check the server certificate has server usage extension.
22119 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
22123 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} bind bind?
22124 Bind to a specific local port number.
22126 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22130 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} resolv-retry resolv-retry?
22131 Retry resolving server address.
22133 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
22137 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-client-configuration} parameter} openvpn-remote-list remote
22138 A list of remote servers to connect to.
22140 Defaults to @samp{()}.
22142 Available @code{openvpn-remote-configuration} fields are:
22144 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-remote-configuration} parameter} string name
22147 Defaults to @samp{"my-server"}.
22151 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-remote-configuration} parameter} number port
22152 Port number the server listens to.
22154 Defaults to @samp{1194}.
22159 @c %end of automatic openvpn-client documentation
22161 @c %automatically generated documentation
22163 Available @code{openvpn-server-configuration} fields are:
22165 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} package openvpn
22166 The OpenVPN package.
22170 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string pid-file
22171 The OpenVPN pid file.
22173 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/openvpn/openvpn.pid"}.
22177 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} proto proto
22178 The protocol (UDP or TCP) used to open a channel between clients and
22181 Defaults to @samp{udp}.
22185 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} dev dev
22186 The device type used to represent the VPN connection.
22188 Defaults to @samp{tun}.
22192 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string ca
22193 The certificate authority to check connections against.
22195 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/ca.crt"}.
22199 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string cert
22200 The certificate of the machine the daemon is running on. It should be
22201 signed by the authority given in @code{ca}.
22203 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/client.crt"}.
22207 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string key
22208 The key of the machine the daemon is running on. It must be the key whose
22209 certificate is @code{cert}.
22211 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/client.key"}.
22215 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} boolean comp-lzo?
22216 Whether to use the lzo compression algorithm.
22218 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
22222 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} boolean persist-key?
22223 Don't re-read key files across SIGUSR1 or --ping-restart.
22225 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
22229 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} boolean persist-tun?
22230 Don't close and reopen TUN/TAP device or run up/down scripts across
22231 SIGUSR1 or --ping-restart restarts.
22233 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
22237 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} boolean fast-io?
22238 (Experimental) Optimize TUN/TAP/UDP I/O writes by avoiding a call to
22239 poll/epoll/select prior to the write operation.
22241 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22244 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} number verbosity
22247 Defaults to @samp{3}.
22251 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} tls-auth-server tls-auth
22252 Add an additional layer of HMAC authentication on top of the TLS control
22253 channel to protect against DoS attacks.
22255 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22259 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} number port
22260 Specifies the port number on which the server listens.
22262 Defaults to @samp{1194}.
22266 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} ip-mask server
22267 An ip and mask specifying the subnet inside the virtual network.
22269 Defaults to @samp{"10.8.0.0 255.255.255.0"}.
22273 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} cidr6 server-ipv6
22274 A CIDR notation specifying the IPv6 subnet inside the virtual network.
22276 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22280 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string dh
22281 The Diffie-Hellman parameters file.
22283 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/dh2048.pem"}.
22287 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string ifconfig-pool-persist
22288 The file that records client IPs.
22290 Defaults to @samp{"/etc/openvpn/ipp.txt"}.
22294 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} gateway redirect-gateway?
22295 When true, the server will act as a gateway for its clients.
22297 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22301 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} boolean client-to-client?
22302 When true, clients are allowed to talk to each other inside the VPN.
22304 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22308 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} keepalive keepalive
22309 Causes ping-like messages to be sent back and forth over the link so
22310 that each side knows when the other side has gone down. @code{keepalive}
22311 requires a pair. The first element is the period of the ping sending,
22312 and the second element is the timeout before considering the other side
22317 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} number max-clients
22318 The maximum number of clients.
22320 Defaults to @samp{100}.
22324 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} string status
22325 The status file. This file shows a small report on current connection.
22326 It is truncated and rewritten every minute.
22328 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/openvpn/status"}.
22332 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-server-configuration} parameter} openvpn-ccd-list client-config-dir
22333 The list of configuration for some clients.
22335 Defaults to @samp{()}.
22337 Available @code{openvpn-ccd-configuration} fields are:
22339 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-ccd-configuration} parameter} string name
22342 Defaults to @samp{"client"}.
22346 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-ccd-configuration} parameter} ip-mask iroute
22349 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22353 @deftypevr {@code{openvpn-ccd-configuration} parameter} ip-mask ifconfig-push
22356 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22363 @c %end of automatic openvpn-server documentation
22366 @node Network File System
22367 @subsection Network File System
22370 The @code{(gnu services nfs)} module provides the following services,
22371 which are most commonly used in relation to mounting or exporting
22372 directory trees as @dfn{network file systems} (NFS).
22374 While it is possible to use the individual components that together make
22375 up a Network File System service, we recommended to configure an NFS
22376 server with the @code{nfs-service-type}.
22378 @subsubheading NFS Service
22379 @cindex NFS, server
22381 The NFS service takes care of setting up all NFS component services,
22382 kernel configuration file systems, and installs configuration files in
22383 the locations that NFS expects.
22385 @defvr {Scheme Variable} nfs-service-type
22386 A service type for a complete NFS server.
22389 @deftp {Data Type} nfs-configuration
22390 This data type represents the configuration of the NFS service and all
22393 It has the following parameters:
22395 @item @code{nfs-utils} (default: @code{nfs-utils})
22396 The nfs-utils package to use.
22398 @item @code{nfs-versions} (default: @code{'("4.2" "4.1" "4.0")})
22399 If a list of string values is provided, the @command{rpc.nfsd} daemon
22400 will be limited to supporting the given versions of the NFS protocol.
22402 @item @code{exports} (default: @code{'()})
22403 This is a list of directories the NFS server should export. Each entry
22404 is a list consisting of two elements: a directory name and a string
22405 containing all options. This is an example in which the directory
22406 @file{/export} is served to all NFS clients as a read-only share:
22412 "*(ro,insecure,no_subtree_check,crossmnt,fsid=0)"))))
22415 @item @code{rpcmountd-port} (default: @code{#f})
22416 The network port that the @command{rpc.mountd} daemon should use.
22418 @item @code{rpcstatd-port} (default: @code{#f})
22419 The network port that the @command{rpc.statd} daemon should use.
22421 @item @code{rpcbind} (default: @code{rpcbind})
22422 The rpcbind package to use.
22424 @item @code{idmap-domain} (default: @code{"localdomain"})
22425 The local NFSv4 domain name.
22427 @item @code{nfsd-port} (default: @code{2049})
22428 The network port that the @command{nfsd} daemon should use.
22430 @item @code{nfsd-threads} (default: @code{8})
22431 The number of threads used by the @command{nfsd} daemon.
22433 @item @code{pipefs-directory} (default: @code{"/var/lib/nfs/rpc_pipefs"})
22434 The directory where the pipefs file system is mounted.
22436 @item @code{debug} (default: @code{'()"})
22437 A list of subsystems for which debugging output should be enabled. This
22438 is a list of symbols. Any of these symbols are valid: @code{nfsd},
22439 @code{nfs}, @code{rpc}, @code{idmap}, @code{statd}, or @code{mountd}.
22443 If you don't need a complete NFS service or prefer to build it yourself
22444 you can use the individual component services that are documented below.
22446 @subsubheading RPC Bind Service
22449 The RPC Bind service provides a facility to map program numbers into
22450 universal addresses.
22451 Many NFS related services use this facility. Hence it is automatically
22452 started when a dependent service starts.
22454 @defvr {Scheme Variable} rpcbind-service-type
22455 A service type for the RPC portmapper daemon.
22459 @deftp {Data Type} rpcbind-configuration
22460 Data type representing the configuration of the RPC Bind Service.
22461 This type has the following parameters:
22463 @item @code{rpcbind} (default: @code{rpcbind})
22464 The rpcbind package to use.
22466 @item @code{warm-start?} (default: @code{#t})
22467 If this parameter is @code{#t}, then the daemon will read a
22468 state file on startup thus reloading state information saved by a previous
22474 @subsubheading Pipefs Pseudo File System
22478 The pipefs file system is used to transfer NFS related data
22479 between the kernel and user space programs.
22481 @defvr {Scheme Variable} pipefs-service-type
22482 A service type for the pipefs pseudo file system.
22485 @deftp {Data Type} pipefs-configuration
22486 Data type representing the configuration of the pipefs pseudo file system service.
22487 This type has the following parameters:
22489 @item @code{mount-point} (default: @code{"/var/lib/nfs/rpc_pipefs"})
22490 The directory to which the file system is to be attached.
22495 @subsubheading GSS Daemon Service
22498 @cindex global security system
22500 The @dfn{global security system} (GSS) daemon provides strong security for RPC
22502 Before exchanging RPC requests an RPC client must establish a security
22503 context. Typically this is done using the Kerberos command @command{kinit}
22504 or automatically at login time using PAM services (@pxref{Kerberos Services}).
22506 @defvr {Scheme Variable} gss-service-type
22507 A service type for the Global Security System (GSS) daemon.
22510 @deftp {Data Type} gss-configuration
22511 Data type representing the configuration of the GSS daemon service.
22512 This type has the following parameters:
22514 @item @code{nfs-utils} (default: @code{nfs-utils})
22515 The package in which the @command{rpc.gssd} command is to be found.
22517 @item @code{pipefs-directory} (default: @code{"/var/lib/nfs/rpc_pipefs"})
22518 The directory where the pipefs file system is mounted.
22524 @subsubheading IDMAP Daemon Service
22526 @cindex name mapper
22528 The idmap daemon service provides mapping between user IDs and user names.
22529 Typically it is required in order to access file systems mounted via NFSv4.
22531 @defvr {Scheme Variable} idmap-service-type
22532 A service type for the Identity Mapper (IDMAP) daemon.
22535 @deftp {Data Type} idmap-configuration
22536 Data type representing the configuration of the IDMAP daemon service.
22537 This type has the following parameters:
22539 @item @code{nfs-utils} (default: @code{nfs-utils})
22540 The package in which the @command{rpc.idmapd} command is to be found.
22542 @item @code{pipefs-directory} (default: @code{"/var/lib/nfs/rpc_pipefs"})
22543 The directory where the pipefs file system is mounted.
22545 @item @code{domain} (default: @code{#f})
22546 The local NFSv4 domain name.
22547 This must be a string or @code{#f}.
22548 If it is @code{#f} then the daemon will use the host's fully qualified domain name.
22550 @item @code{verbosity} (default: @code{0})
22551 The verbosity level of the daemon.
22556 @node Continuous Integration
22557 @subsection Continuous Integration
22559 @cindex continuous integration
22560 @uref{https://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/guix/guix-cuirass.git, Cuirass} is a
22561 continuous integration tool for Guix. It can be used both for development and
22562 for providing substitutes to others (@pxref{Substitutes}).
22564 The @code{(gnu services cuirass)} module provides the following service.
22566 @defvr {Scheme Procedure} cuirass-service-type
22567 The type of the Cuirass service. Its value must be a
22568 @code{cuirass-configuration} object, as described below.
22571 To add build jobs, you have to set the @code{specifications} field of the
22572 configuration. Here is an example of a service that polls the Guix repository
22573 and builds the packages from a manifest. Some of the packages are defined in
22574 the @code{"custom-packages"} input, which is the equivalent of
22575 @code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH}.
22578 (define %cuirass-specs
22580 '((#:name . "my-manifest")
22581 (#:load-path-inputs . ("guix"))
22582 (#:package-path-inputs . ("custom-packages"))
22583 (#:proc-input . "guix")
22584 (#:proc-file . "build-aux/cuirass/gnu-system.scm")
22585 (#:proc . cuirass-jobs)
22586 (#:proc-args . ((subset . "manifests")
22587 (systems . ("x86_64-linux"))
22588 (manifests . (("config" . "guix/manifest.scm")))))
22589 (#:inputs . (((#:name . "guix")
22590 (#:url . "git://git.savannah.gnu.org/guix.git")
22591 (#:load-path . ".")
22592 (#:branch . "master")
22593 (#:no-compile? . #t))
22594 ((#:name . "config")
22595 (#:url . "https://git.example.org/config.git")
22596 (#:load-path . ".")
22597 (#:branch . "master")
22598 (#:no-compile? . #t))
22599 ((#:name . "custom-packages")
22600 (#:url . "https://git.example.org/custom-packages.git")
22601 (#:load-path . ".")
22602 (#:branch . "master")
22603 (#:no-compile? . #t)))))))
22605 (service cuirass-service-type
22606 (cuirass-configuration
22607 (specifications %cuirass-specs)))
22610 While information related to build jobs is located directly in the
22611 specifications, global settings for the @command{cuirass} process are
22612 accessible in other @code{cuirass-configuration} fields.
22614 @deftp {Data Type} cuirass-configuration
22615 Data type representing the configuration of Cuirass.
22618 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{"/var/log/cuirass.log"})
22619 Location of the log file.
22621 @item @code{web-log-file} (default: @code{"/var/log/cuirass-web.log"})
22622 Location of the log file used by the web interface.
22624 @item @code{cache-directory} (default: @code{"/var/cache/cuirass"})
22625 Location of the repository cache.
22627 @item @code{user} (default: @code{"cuirass"})
22628 Owner of the @code{cuirass} process.
22630 @item @code{group} (default: @code{"cuirass"})
22631 Owner's group of the @code{cuirass} process.
22633 @item @code{interval} (default: @code{60})
22634 Number of seconds between the poll of the repositories followed by the
22637 @item @code{database} (default: @code{"/var/lib/cuirass/cuirass.db"})
22638 Location of sqlite database which contains the build results and previously
22639 added specifications.
22641 @item @code{ttl} (default: @code{(* 30 24 3600)})
22642 Specifies the time-to-live (TTL) in seconds of garbage collector roots that
22643 are registered for build results. This means that build results are protected
22644 from garbage collection for at least @var{ttl} seconds.
22646 @item @code{port} (default: @code{8081})
22647 Port number used by the HTTP server.
22649 @item @code{host} (default: @code{"localhost"})
22650 Listen on the network interface for @var{host}. The default is to
22651 accept connections from localhost.
22653 @item @code{specifications} (default: @code{#~'()})
22654 A gexp (@pxref{G-Expressions}) that evaluates to a list of specifications,
22655 where a specification is an association list
22656 (@pxref{Associations Lists,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}) whose
22657 keys are keywords (@code{#:keyword-example}) as shown in the example
22660 @item @code{use-substitutes?} (default: @code{#f})
22661 This allows using substitutes to avoid building every dependencies of a job
22664 @item @code{one-shot?} (default: @code{#f})
22665 Only evaluate specifications and build derivations once.
22667 @item @code{fallback?} (default: @code{#f})
22668 When substituting a pre-built binary fails, fall back to building
22671 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @code{'()})
22672 Extra options to pass when running the Cuirass processes.
22674 @item @code{cuirass} (default: @code{cuirass})
22675 The Cuirass package to use.
22679 @node Power Management Services
22680 @subsection Power Management Services
22683 @cindex power management with TLP
22684 @subsubheading TLP daemon
22686 The @code{(gnu services pm)} module provides a Guix service definition
22687 for the Linux power management tool TLP.
22689 TLP enables various powersaving modes in userspace and kernel.
22690 Contrary to @code{upower-service}, it is not a passive,
22691 monitoring tool, as it will apply custom settings each time a new power
22692 source is detected. More information can be found at
22693 @uref{https://linrunner.de/en/tlp/tlp.html, TLP home page}.
22695 @deffn {Scheme Variable} tlp-service-type
22696 The service type for the TLP tool. Its value should be a valid
22697 TLP configuration (see below). To use the default settings, simply
22700 (service tlp-service-type)
22704 By default TLP does not need much configuration but most TLP parameters
22705 can be tweaked using @code{tlp-configuration}.
22707 Each parameter definition is preceded by its type; for example,
22708 @samp{boolean foo} indicates that the @code{foo} parameter
22709 should be specified as a boolean. Types starting with
22710 @code{maybe-} denote parameters that won't show up in TLP config file
22711 when their value is @code{'disabled}.
22713 @c The following documentation was initially generated by
22714 @c (generate-tlp-documentation) in (gnu services pm). Manually maintained
22715 @c documentation is better, so we shouldn't hesitate to edit below as
22716 @c needed. However if the change you want to make to this documentation
22717 @c can be done in an automated way, it's probably easier to change
22718 @c (generate-documentation) than to make it below and have to deal with
22719 @c the churn as TLP updates.
22721 Available @code{tlp-configuration} fields are:
22723 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} package tlp
22728 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean tlp-enable?
22729 Set to true if you wish to enable TLP.
22731 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
22735 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string tlp-default-mode
22736 Default mode when no power supply can be detected. Alternatives are AC
22739 Defaults to @samp{"AC"}.
22743 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer disk-idle-secs-on-ac
22744 Number of seconds Linux kernel has to wait after the disk goes idle,
22745 before syncing on AC.
22747 Defaults to @samp{0}.
22751 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer disk-idle-secs-on-bat
22752 Same as @code{disk-idle-ac} but on BAT mode.
22754 Defaults to @samp{2}.
22758 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-lost-work-secs-on-ac
22759 Dirty pages flushing periodicity, expressed in seconds.
22761 Defaults to @samp{15}.
22765 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer max-lost-work-secs-on-bat
22766 Same as @code{max-lost-work-secs-on-ac} but on BAT mode.
22768 Defaults to @samp{60}.
22772 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list cpu-scaling-governor-on-ac
22773 CPU frequency scaling governor on AC mode. With intel_pstate driver,
22774 alternatives are powersave and performance. With acpi-cpufreq driver,
22775 alternatives are ondemand, powersave, performance and conservative.
22777 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22781 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list cpu-scaling-governor-on-bat
22782 Same as @code{cpu-scaling-governor-on-ac} but on BAT mode.
22784 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22788 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-scaling-min-freq-on-ac
22789 Set the min available frequency for the scaling governor on AC.
22791 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22795 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-scaling-max-freq-on-ac
22796 Set the max available frequency for the scaling governor on AC.
22798 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22802 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-scaling-min-freq-on-bat
22803 Set the min available frequency for the scaling governor on BAT.
22805 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22809 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-scaling-max-freq-on-bat
22810 Set the max available frequency for the scaling governor on BAT.
22812 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22816 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-min-perf-on-ac
22817 Limit the min P-state to control the power dissipation of the CPU, in AC
22818 mode. Values are stated as a percentage of the available performance.
22820 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22824 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-max-perf-on-ac
22825 Limit the max P-state to control the power dissipation of the CPU, in AC
22826 mode. Values are stated as a percentage of the available performance.
22828 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22832 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-min-perf-on-bat
22833 Same as @code{cpu-min-perf-on-ac} on BAT mode.
22835 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22839 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-non-negative-integer cpu-max-perf-on-bat
22840 Same as @code{cpu-max-perf-on-ac} on BAT mode.
22842 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22846 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean cpu-boost-on-ac?
22847 Enable CPU turbo boost feature on AC mode.
22849 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22853 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean cpu-boost-on-bat?
22854 Same as @code{cpu-boost-on-ac?} on BAT mode.
22856 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22860 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean sched-powersave-on-ac?
22861 Allow Linux kernel to minimize the number of CPU cores/hyper-threads
22862 used under light load conditions.
22864 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22868 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean sched-powersave-on-bat?
22869 Same as @code{sched-powersave-on-ac?} but on BAT mode.
22871 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
22875 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean nmi-watchdog?
22876 Enable Linux kernel NMI watchdog.
22878 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
22882 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-string phc-controls
22883 For Linux kernels with PHC patch applied, change CPU voltages. An
22884 example value would be @samp{"F:V F:V F:V F:V"}.
22886 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22890 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string energy-perf-policy-on-ac
22891 Set CPU performance versus energy saving policy on AC. Alternatives are
22892 performance, normal, powersave.
22894 Defaults to @samp{"performance"}.
22898 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string energy-perf-policy-on-bat
22899 Same as @code{energy-perf-policy-ac} but on BAT mode.
22901 Defaults to @samp{"powersave"}.
22905 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list disks-devices
22910 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list disk-apm-level-on-ac
22911 Hard disk advanced power management level.
22915 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list disk-apm-level-on-bat
22916 Same as @code{disk-apm-bat} but on BAT mode.
22920 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list disk-spindown-timeout-on-ac
22921 Hard disk spin down timeout. One value has to be specified for each
22922 declared hard disk.
22924 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22928 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list disk-spindown-timeout-on-bat
22929 Same as @code{disk-spindown-timeout-on-ac} but on BAT mode.
22931 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22935 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list disk-iosched
22936 Select IO scheduler for disk devices. One value has to be specified for
22937 each declared hard disk. Example alternatives are cfq, deadline and
22940 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22944 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string sata-linkpwr-on-ac
22945 SATA aggressive link power management (ALPM) level. Alternatives are
22946 min_power, medium_power, max_performance.
22948 Defaults to @samp{"max_performance"}.
22952 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string sata-linkpwr-on-bat
22953 Same as @code{sata-linkpwr-ac} but on BAT mode.
22955 Defaults to @samp{"min_power"}.
22959 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-string sata-linkpwr-blacklist
22960 Exclude specified SATA host devices for link power management.
22962 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22966 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-on-off-boolean ahci-runtime-pm-on-ac?
22967 Enable Runtime Power Management for AHCI controller and disks on AC
22970 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22974 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-on-off-boolean ahci-runtime-pm-on-bat?
22975 Same as @code{ahci-runtime-pm-on-ac} on BAT mode.
22977 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
22981 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer ahci-runtime-pm-timeout
22982 Seconds of inactivity before disk is suspended.
22984 Defaults to @samp{15}.
22988 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string pcie-aspm-on-ac
22989 PCI Express Active State Power Management level. Alternatives are
22990 default, performance, powersave.
22992 Defaults to @samp{"performance"}.
22996 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string pcie-aspm-on-bat
22997 Same as @code{pcie-aspm-ac} but on BAT mode.
22999 Defaults to @samp{"powersave"}.
23003 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-power-profile-on-ac
23004 Radeon graphics clock speed level. Alternatives are low, mid, high,
23007 Defaults to @samp{"high"}.
23011 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-power-profile-on-bat
23012 Same as @code{radeon-power-ac} but on BAT mode.
23014 Defaults to @samp{"low"}.
23018 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-dpm-state-on-ac
23019 Radeon dynamic power management method (DPM). Alternatives are battery,
23022 Defaults to @samp{"performance"}.
23026 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-dpm-state-on-bat
23027 Same as @code{radeon-dpm-state-ac} but on BAT mode.
23029 Defaults to @samp{"battery"}.
23033 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-dpm-perf-level-on-ac
23034 Radeon DPM performance level. Alternatives are auto, low, high.
23036 Defaults to @samp{"auto"}.
23040 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string radeon-dpm-perf-level-on-bat
23041 Same as @code{radeon-dpm-perf-ac} but on BAT mode.
23043 Defaults to @samp{"auto"}.
23047 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} on-off-boolean wifi-pwr-on-ac?
23048 Wifi power saving mode.
23050 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
23054 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} on-off-boolean wifi-pwr-on-bat?
23055 Same as @code{wifi-power-ac?} but on BAT mode.
23057 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
23061 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} y-n-boolean wol-disable?
23062 Disable wake on LAN.
23064 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
23068 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer sound-power-save-on-ac
23069 Timeout duration in seconds before activating audio power saving on
23070 Intel HDA and AC97 devices. A value of 0 disables power saving.
23072 Defaults to @samp{0}.
23076 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} non-negative-integer sound-power-save-on-bat
23077 Same as @code{sound-powersave-ac} but on BAT mode.
23079 Defaults to @samp{1}.
23083 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} y-n-boolean sound-power-save-controller?
23084 Disable controller in powersaving mode on Intel HDA devices.
23086 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
23090 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean bay-poweroff-on-bat?
23091 Enable optical drive in UltraBay/MediaBay on BAT mode. Drive can be
23092 powered on again by releasing (and reinserting) the eject lever or by
23093 pressing the disc eject button on newer models.
23095 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
23099 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string bay-device
23100 Name of the optical drive device to power off.
23102 Defaults to @samp{"sr0"}.
23106 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string runtime-pm-on-ac
23107 Runtime Power Management for PCI(e) bus devices. Alternatives are on
23110 Defaults to @samp{"on"}.
23114 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} string runtime-pm-on-bat
23115 Same as @code{runtime-pm-ac} but on BAT mode.
23117 Defaults to @samp{"auto"}.
23121 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean runtime-pm-all?
23122 Runtime Power Management for all PCI(e) bus devices, except blacklisted
23125 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
23129 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-space-separated-string-list runtime-pm-blacklist
23130 Exclude specified PCI(e) device addresses from Runtime Power Management.
23132 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
23136 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} space-separated-string-list runtime-pm-driver-blacklist
23137 Exclude PCI(e) devices assigned to the specified drivers from Runtime
23142 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean usb-autosuspend?
23143 Enable USB autosuspend feature.
23145 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
23149 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-string usb-blacklist
23150 Exclude specified devices from USB autosuspend.
23152 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
23156 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean usb-blacklist-wwan?
23157 Exclude WWAN devices from USB autosuspend.
23159 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
23163 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-string usb-whitelist
23164 Include specified devices into USB autosuspend, even if they are already
23165 excluded by the driver or via @code{usb-blacklist-wwan?}.
23167 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
23171 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} maybe-boolean usb-autosuspend-disable-on-shutdown?
23172 Enable USB autosuspend before shutdown.
23174 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
23178 @deftypevr {@code{tlp-configuration} parameter} boolean restore-device-state-on-startup?
23179 Restore radio device state (bluetooth, wifi, wwan) from previous
23180 shutdown on system startup.
23182 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
23187 @cindex CPU frequency scaling with thermald
23188 @subsubheading Thermald daemon
23190 The @code{(gnu services pm)} module provides an interface to
23191 thermald, a CPU frequency scaling service which helps prevent overheating.
23193 @defvr {Scheme Variable} thermald-service-type
23194 This is the service type for
23195 @uref{https://01.org/linux-thermal-daemon/, thermald}, the Linux
23196 Thermal Daemon, which is responsible for controlling the thermal state
23197 of processors and preventing overheating.
23200 @deftp {Data Type} thermald-configuration
23201 Data type representing the configuration of @code{thermald-service-type}.
23204 @item @code{ignore-cpuid-check?} (default: @code{#f})
23205 Ignore cpuid check for supported CPU models.
23207 @item @code{thermald} (default: @var{thermald})
23208 Package object of thermald.
23213 @node Audio Services
23214 @subsection Audio Services
23216 The @code{(gnu services audio)} module provides a service to start MPD
23217 (the Music Player Daemon).
23220 @subsubheading Music Player Daemon
23222 The Music Player Daemon (MPD) is a service that can play music while
23223 being controlled from the local machine or over the network by a variety
23226 The following example shows how one might run @code{mpd} as user
23227 @code{"bob"} on port @code{6666}. It uses pulseaudio for output.
23230 (service mpd-service-type
23236 @defvr {Scheme Variable} mpd-service-type
23237 The service type for @command{mpd}
23240 @deftp {Data Type} mpd-configuration
23241 Data type representing the configuration of @command{mpd}.
23244 @item @code{user} (default: @code{"mpd"})
23245 The user to run mpd as.
23247 @item @code{music-dir} (default: @code{"~/Music"})
23248 The directory to scan for music files.
23250 @item @code{playlist-dir} (default: @code{"~/.mpd/playlists"})
23251 The directory to store playlists.
23253 @item @code{db-file} (default: @code{"~/.mpd/tag_cache"})
23254 The location of the music database.
23256 @item @code{state-file} (default: @code{"~/.mpd/state"})
23257 The location of the file that stores current MPD's state.
23259 @item @code{sticker-file} (default: @code{"~/.mpd/sticker.sql"})
23260 The location of the sticker database.
23262 @item @code{port} (default: @code{"6600"})
23263 The port to run mpd on.
23265 @item @code{address} (default: @code{"any"})
23266 The address that mpd will bind to. To use a Unix domain socket,
23267 an absolute path can be specified here.
23269 @item @code{outputs} (default: @code{"(list (mpd-output))"})
23270 The audio outputs that MPD can use. By default this is a single output using pulseaudio.
23275 @deftp {Data Type} mpd-output
23276 Data type representing an @command{mpd} audio output.
23279 @item @code{name} (default: @code{"MPD"})
23280 The name of the audio output.
23282 @item @code{type} (default: @code{"pulse"})
23283 The type of audio output.
23285 @item @code{enabled?} (default: @code{#t})
23286 Specifies whether this audio output is enabled when MPD is started. By
23287 default, all audio outputs are enabled. This is just the default
23288 setting when there is no state file; with a state file, the previous
23291 @item @code{tags?} (default: @code{#t})
23292 If set to @code{#f}, then MPD will not send tags to this output. This
23293 is only useful for output plugins that can receive tags, for example the
23294 @code{httpd} output plugin.
23296 @item @code{always-on?} (default: @code{#f})
23297 If set to @code{#t}, then MPD attempts to keep this audio output always
23298 open. This may be useful for streaming servers, when you don’t want to
23299 disconnect all listeners even when playback is accidentally stopped.
23301 @item @code{mixer-type}
23302 This field accepts a symbol that specifies which mixer should be used
23303 for this audio output: the @code{hardware} mixer, the @code{software}
23304 mixer, the @code{null} mixer (allows setting the volume, but with no
23305 effect; this can be used as a trick to implement an external mixer
23306 External Mixer) or no mixer (@code{none}).
23308 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @code{'()"})
23309 An association list of option symbols to string values to be appended to
23310 the audio output configuration.
23315 The following example shows a configuration of @code{mpd} that provides
23316 an HTTP audio streaming output.
23319 (service mpd-service-type
23327 `((encoder . "vorbis")
23328 (port . "8080"))))))))
23332 @node Virtualization Services
23333 @subsection Virtualization services
23335 The @code{(gnu services virtualization)} module provides services for
23336 the libvirt and virtlog daemons, as well as other virtualization-related
23339 @subsubheading Libvirt daemon
23340 @code{libvirtd} is the server side daemon component of the libvirt
23341 virtualization management system. This daemon runs on host servers
23342 and performs required management tasks for virtualized guests.
23344 @deffn {Scheme Variable} libvirt-service-type
23345 This is the type of the @uref{https://libvirt.org, libvirt daemon}.
23346 Its value must be a @code{libvirt-configuration}.
23349 (service libvirt-service-type
23350 (libvirt-configuration
23351 (unix-sock-group "libvirt")
23352 (tls-port "16555")))
23356 @c Auto-generated with (generate-libvirt-documentation)
23357 Available @code{libvirt-configuration} fields are:
23359 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} package libvirt
23364 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean listen-tls?
23365 Flag listening for secure TLS connections on the public TCP/IP port.
23366 must set @code{listen} for this to have any effect.
23368 It is necessary to setup a CA and issue server certificates before using
23371 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
23375 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean listen-tcp?
23376 Listen for unencrypted TCP connections on the public TCP/IP port. must
23377 set @code{listen} for this to have any effect.
23379 Using the TCP socket requires SASL authentication by default. Only SASL
23380 mechanisms which support data encryption are allowed. This is
23381 DIGEST_MD5 and GSSAPI (Kerberos5)
23383 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
23387 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string tls-port
23388 Port for accepting secure TLS connections This can be a port number, or
23391 Defaults to @samp{"16514"}.
23395 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string tcp-port
23396 Port for accepting insecure TCP connections This can be a port number,
23399 Defaults to @samp{"16509"}.
23403 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string listen-addr
23404 IP address or hostname used for client connections.
23406 Defaults to @samp{"0.0.0.0"}.
23410 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean mdns-adv?
23411 Flag toggling mDNS advertisement of the libvirt service.
23413 Alternatively can disable for all services on a host by stopping the
23416 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
23420 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string mdns-name
23421 Default mDNS advertisement name. This must be unique on the immediate
23424 Defaults to @samp{"Virtualization Host <hostname>"}.
23428 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string unix-sock-group
23429 UNIX domain socket group ownership. This can be used to allow a
23430 'trusted' set of users access to management capabilities without
23433 Defaults to @samp{"root"}.
23437 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string unix-sock-ro-perms
23438 UNIX socket permissions for the R/O socket. This is used for monitoring
23441 Defaults to @samp{"0777"}.
23445 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string unix-sock-rw-perms
23446 UNIX socket permissions for the R/W socket. Default allows only root.
23447 If PolicyKit is enabled on the socket, the default will change to allow
23448 everyone (eg, 0777)
23450 Defaults to @samp{"0770"}.
23454 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string unix-sock-admin-perms
23455 UNIX socket permissions for the admin socket. Default allows only owner
23456 (root), do not change it unless you are sure to whom you are exposing
23459 Defaults to @samp{"0777"}.
23463 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string unix-sock-dir
23464 The directory in which sockets will be found/created.
23466 Defaults to @samp{"/var/run/libvirt"}.
23470 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string auth-unix-ro
23471 Authentication scheme for UNIX read-only sockets. By default socket
23472 permissions allow anyone to connect
23474 Defaults to @samp{"polkit"}.
23478 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string auth-unix-rw
23479 Authentication scheme for UNIX read-write sockets. By default socket
23480 permissions only allow root. If PolicyKit support was compiled into
23481 libvirt, the default will be to use 'polkit' auth.
23483 Defaults to @samp{"polkit"}.
23487 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string auth-tcp
23488 Authentication scheme for TCP sockets. If you don't enable SASL, then
23489 all TCP traffic is cleartext. Don't do this outside of a dev/test
23492 Defaults to @samp{"sasl"}.
23496 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string auth-tls
23497 Authentication scheme for TLS sockets. TLS sockets already have
23498 encryption provided by the TLS layer, and limited authentication is done
23501 It is possible to make use of any SASL authentication mechanism as well,
23502 by using 'sasl' for this option
23504 Defaults to @samp{"none"}.
23508 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} optional-list access-drivers
23509 API access control scheme.
23511 By default an authenticated user is allowed access to all APIs. Access
23512 drivers can place restrictions on this.
23514 Defaults to @samp{()}.
23518 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string key-file
23519 Server key file path. If set to an empty string, then no private key is
23522 Defaults to @samp{""}.
23526 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string cert-file
23527 Server key file path. If set to an empty string, then no certificate is
23530 Defaults to @samp{""}.
23534 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string ca-file
23535 Server key file path. If set to an empty string, then no CA certificate
23538 Defaults to @samp{""}.
23542 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string crl-file
23543 Certificate revocation list path. If set to an empty string, then no
23546 Defaults to @samp{""}.
23550 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean tls-no-sanity-cert
23551 Disable verification of our own server certificates.
23553 When libvirtd starts it performs some sanity checks against its own
23556 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
23560 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean tls-no-verify-cert
23561 Disable verification of client certificates.
23563 Client certificate verification is the primary authentication mechanism.
23564 Any client which does not present a certificate signed by the CA will be
23567 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
23571 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} optional-list tls-allowed-dn-list
23572 Whitelist of allowed x509 Distinguished Name.
23574 Defaults to @samp{()}.
23578 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} optional-list sasl-allowed-usernames
23579 Whitelist of allowed SASL usernames. The format for username depends on
23580 the SASL authentication mechanism.
23582 Defaults to @samp{()}.
23586 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string tls-priority
23587 Override the compile time default TLS priority string. The default is
23588 usually "NORMAL" unless overridden at build time. Only set this is it
23589 is desired for libvirt to deviate from the global default settings.
23591 Defaults to @samp{"NORMAL"}.
23595 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-clients
23596 Maximum number of concurrent client connections to allow over all
23599 Defaults to @samp{5000}.
23603 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-queued-clients
23604 Maximum length of queue of connections waiting to be accepted by the
23605 daemon. Note, that some protocols supporting retransmission may obey
23606 this so that a later reattempt at connection succeeds.
23608 Defaults to @samp{1000}.
23612 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-anonymous-clients
23613 Maximum length of queue of accepted but not yet authenticated clients.
23614 Set this to zero to turn this feature off
23616 Defaults to @samp{20}.
23620 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer min-workers
23621 Number of workers to start up initially.
23623 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23627 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-workers
23628 Maximum number of worker threads.
23630 If the number of active clients exceeds @code{min-workers}, then more
23631 threads are spawned, up to max_workers limit. Typically you'd want
23632 max_workers to equal maximum number of clients allowed.
23634 Defaults to @samp{20}.
23638 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer prio-workers
23639 Number of priority workers. If all workers from above pool are stuck,
23640 some calls marked as high priority (notably domainDestroy) can be
23641 executed in this pool.
23643 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23647 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-requests
23648 Total global limit on concurrent RPC calls.
23650 Defaults to @samp{20}.
23654 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer max-client-requests
23655 Limit on concurrent requests from a single client connection. To avoid
23656 one client monopolizing the server this should be a small fraction of
23657 the global max_requests and max_workers parameter.
23659 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23663 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-min-workers
23664 Same as @code{min-workers} but for the admin interface.
23666 Defaults to @samp{1}.
23670 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-max-workers
23671 Same as @code{max-workers} but for the admin interface.
23673 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23677 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-max-clients
23678 Same as @code{max-clients} but for the admin interface.
23680 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23684 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-max-queued-clients
23685 Same as @code{max-queued-clients} but for the admin interface.
23687 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23691 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-max-client-requests
23692 Same as @code{max-client-requests} but for the admin interface.
23694 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23698 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer log-level
23699 Logging level. 4 errors, 3 warnings, 2 information, 1 debug.
23701 Defaults to @samp{3}.
23705 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string log-filters
23708 A filter allows to select a different logging level for a given category
23709 of logs The format for a filter is one of:
23720 where @code{name} is a string which is matched against the category
23721 given in the @code{VIR_LOG_INIT()} at the top of each libvirt source
23722 file, e.g., "remote", "qemu", or "util.json" (the name in the filter can
23723 be a substring of the full category name, in order to match multiple
23724 similar categories), the optional "+" prefix tells libvirt to log stack
23725 trace for each message matching name, and @code{x} is the minimal level
23726 where matching messages should be logged:
23743 Multiple filters can be defined in a single filters statement, they just
23744 need to be separated by spaces.
23746 Defaults to @samp{"3:remote 4:event"}.
23750 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string log-outputs
23753 An output is one of the places to save logging information. The format
23754 for an output can be:
23758 output goes to stderr
23760 @item x:syslog:name
23761 use syslog for the output and use the given name as the ident
23763 @item x:file:file_path
23764 output to a file, with the given filepath
23767 output to journald logging system
23771 In all case the x prefix is the minimal level, acting as a filter
23788 Multiple outputs can be defined, they just need to be separated by
23791 Defaults to @samp{"3:stderr"}.
23795 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer audit-level
23796 Allows usage of the auditing subsystem to be altered
23800 0: disable all auditing
23803 1: enable auditing, only if enabled on host
23806 2: enable auditing, and exit if disabled on host.
23810 Defaults to @samp{1}.
23814 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} boolean audit-logging
23815 Send audit messages via libvirt logging infrastructure.
23817 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
23821 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} optional-string host-uuid
23822 Host UUID. UUID must not have all digits be the same.
23824 Defaults to @samp{""}.
23828 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} string host-uuid-source
23829 Source to read host UUID.
23833 @code{smbios}: fetch the UUID from @code{dmidecode -s system-uuid}
23836 @code{machine-id}: fetch the UUID from @code{/etc/machine-id}
23840 If @code{dmidecode} does not provide a valid UUID a temporary UUID will
23843 Defaults to @samp{"smbios"}.
23847 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer keepalive-interval
23848 A keepalive message is sent to a client after @code{keepalive_interval}
23849 seconds of inactivity to check if the client is still responding. If
23850 set to -1, libvirtd will never send keepalive requests; however clients
23851 can still send them and the daemon will send responses.
23853 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23857 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer keepalive-count
23858 Maximum number of keepalive messages that are allowed to be sent to the
23859 client without getting any response before the connection is considered
23862 In other words, the connection is automatically closed approximately
23863 after @code{keepalive_interval * (keepalive_count + 1)} seconds since
23864 the last message received from the client. When @code{keepalive-count}
23865 is set to 0, connections will be automatically closed after
23866 @code{keepalive-interval} seconds of inactivity without sending any
23867 keepalive messages.
23869 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23873 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-keepalive-interval
23874 Same as above but for admin interface.
23876 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23880 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer admin-keepalive-count
23881 Same as above but for admin interface.
23883 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23887 @deftypevr {@code{libvirt-configuration} parameter} integer ovs-timeout
23888 Timeout for Open vSwitch calls.
23890 The @code{ovs-vsctl} utility is used for the configuration and its
23891 timeout option is set by default to 5 seconds to avoid potential
23892 infinite waits blocking libvirt.
23894 Defaults to @samp{5}.
23898 @c %end of autogenerated docs
23900 @subsubheading Virtlog daemon
23901 The virtlogd service is a server side daemon component of libvirt that is
23902 used to manage logs from virtual machine consoles.
23904 This daemon is not used directly by libvirt client applications, rather it
23905 is called on their behalf by @code{libvirtd}. By maintaining the logs in a
23906 standalone daemon, the main @code{libvirtd} daemon can be restarted without
23907 risk of losing logs. The @code{virtlogd} daemon has the ability to re-exec()
23908 itself upon receiving @code{SIGUSR1}, to allow live upgrades without downtime.
23910 @deffn {Scheme Variable} virtlog-service-type
23911 This is the type of the virtlog daemon.
23912 Its value must be a @code{virtlog-configuration}.
23915 (service virtlog-service-type
23916 (virtlog-configuration
23917 (max-clients 1000)))
23921 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} integer log-level
23922 Logging level. 4 errors, 3 warnings, 2 information, 1 debug.
23924 Defaults to @samp{3}.
23928 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} string log-filters
23931 A filter allows to select a different logging level for a given category
23932 of logs The format for a filter is one of:
23943 where @code{name} is a string which is matched against the category
23944 given in the @code{VIR_LOG_INIT()} at the top of each libvirt source
23945 file, e.g., "remote", "qemu", or "util.json" (the name in the filter can
23946 be a substring of the full category name, in order to match multiple
23947 similar categories), the optional "+" prefix tells libvirt to log stack
23948 trace for each message matching name, and @code{x} is the minimal level
23949 where matching messages should be logged:
23966 Multiple filters can be defined in a single filters statement, they just
23967 need to be separated by spaces.
23969 Defaults to @samp{"3:remote 4:event"}.
23973 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} string log-outputs
23976 An output is one of the places to save logging information The format
23977 for an output can be:
23981 output goes to stderr
23983 @item x:syslog:name
23984 use syslog for the output and use the given name as the ident
23986 @item x:file:file_path
23987 output to a file, with the given filepath
23990 output to journald logging system
23994 In all case the x prefix is the minimal level, acting as a filter
24011 Multiple outputs can be defined, they just need to be separated by
24014 Defaults to @samp{"3:stderr"}.
24018 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} integer max-clients
24019 Maximum number of concurrent client connections to allow over all
24022 Defaults to @samp{1024}.
24026 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} integer max-size
24027 Maximum file size before rolling over.
24029 Defaults to @samp{2MB}
24033 @deftypevr {@code{virtlog-configuration} parameter} integer max-backups
24034 Maximum number of backup files to keep.
24036 Defaults to @samp{3}
24040 @subsubheading Transparent Emulation with QEMU
24043 @cindex @code{binfmt_misc}
24044 @code{qemu-binfmt-service-type} provides support for transparent
24045 emulation of program binaries built for different architectures---e.g.,
24046 it allows you to transparently execute an ARMv7 program on an x86_64
24047 machine. It achieves this by combining the @uref{https://www.qemu.org,
24048 QEMU} emulator and the @code{binfmt_misc} feature of the kernel Linux.
24050 @defvr {Scheme Variable} qemu-binfmt-service-type
24051 This is the type of the QEMU/binfmt service for transparent emulation.
24052 Its value must be a @code{qemu-binfmt-configuration} object, which
24053 specifies the QEMU package to use as well as the architecture we want to
24057 (service qemu-binfmt-service-type
24058 (qemu-binfmt-configuration
24059 (platforms (lookup-qemu-platforms "arm" "aarch64" "mips64el"))))
24062 In this example, we enable transparent emulation for the ARM and aarch64
24063 platforms. Running @code{herd stop qemu-binfmt} turns it off, and
24064 running @code{herd start qemu-binfmt} turns it back on (@pxref{Invoking
24065 herd, the @command{herd} command,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).
24068 @deftp {Data Type} qemu-binfmt-configuration
24069 This is the configuration for the @code{qemu-binfmt} service.
24072 @item @code{platforms} (default: @code{'()})
24073 The list of emulated QEMU platforms. Each item must be a @dfn{platform
24074 object} as returned by @code{lookup-qemu-platforms} (see below).
24076 @item @code{guix-support?} (default: @code{#f})
24077 When it is true, QEMU and all its dependencies are added to the build
24078 environment of @command{guix-daemon} (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon,
24079 @code{--chroot-directory} option}). This allows the @code{binfmt_misc}
24080 handlers to be used within the build environment, which in turn means
24081 that you can transparently build programs for another architecture.
24083 For example, let's suppose you're on an x86_64 machine and you have this
24087 (service qemu-binfmt-service-type
24088 (qemu-binfmt-configuration
24089 (platforms (lookup-qemu-platforms "arm"))
24090 (guix-support? #t)))
24096 guix build -s armhf-linux inkscape
24100 and it will build Inkscape for ARMv7 @emph{as if it were a native
24101 build}, transparently using QEMU to emulate the ARMv7 CPU. Pretty handy
24102 if you'd like to test a package build for an architecture you don't have
24105 @item @code{qemu} (default: @code{qemu})
24106 The QEMU package to use.
24110 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} lookup-qemu-platforms @var{platforms}@dots{}
24111 Return the list of QEMU platform objects corresponding to
24112 @var{platforms}@dots{}. @var{platforms} must be a list of strings
24113 corresponding to platform names, such as @code{"arm"}, @code{"sparc"},
24114 @code{"mips64el"}, and so on.
24117 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} qemu-platform? @var{obj}
24118 Return true if @var{obj} is a platform object.
24121 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} qemu-platform-name @var{platform}
24122 Return the name of @var{platform}---a string such as @code{"arm"}.
24125 @node Version Control Services
24126 @subsection Version Control Services
24128 The @code{(gnu services version-control)} module provides a service to
24129 allow remote access to local Git repositories. There are three options:
24130 the @code{git-daemon-service}, which provides access to repositories via
24131 the @code{git://} unsecured TCP-based protocol, extending the
24132 @code{nginx} web server to proxy some requests to
24133 @code{git-http-backend}, or providing a web interface with
24134 @code{cgit-service-type}.
24136 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} git-daemon-service [#:config (git-daemon-configuration)]
24138 Return a service that runs @command{git daemon}, a simple TCP server to
24139 expose repositories over the Git protocol for anonymous access.
24141 The optional @var{config} argument should be a
24142 @code{<git-daemon-configuration>} object, by default it allows read-only
24143 access to exported@footnote{By creating the magic file
24144 "git-daemon-export-ok" in the repository directory.} repositories under
24149 @deftp {Data Type} git-daemon-configuration
24150 Data type representing the configuration for @code{git-daemon-service}.
24153 @item @code{package} (default: @var{git})
24154 Package object of the Git distributed version control system.
24156 @item @code{export-all?} (default: @var{#f})
24157 Whether to allow access for all Git repositories, even if they do not
24158 have the @file{git-daemon-export-ok} file.
24160 @item @code{base-path} (default: @file{/srv/git})
24161 Whether to remap all the path requests as relative to the given path.
24162 If you run git daemon with @var{(base-path "/srv/git")} on example.com,
24163 then if you later try to pull @code{git://example.com/hello.git}, git
24164 daemon will interpret the path as @code{/srv/git/hello.git}.
24166 @item @code{user-path} (default: @var{#f})
24167 Whether to allow @code{~user} notation to be used in requests. When
24168 specified with empty string, requests to @code{git://host/~alice/foo} is
24169 taken as a request to access @code{foo} repository in the home directory
24170 of user @code{alice}. If @var{(user-path "path")} is specified, the
24171 same request is taken as a request to access @code{path/foo} repository
24172 in the home directory of user @code{alice}.
24174 @item @code{listen} (default: @var{'()})
24175 Whether to listen on specific IP addresses or hostnames, defaults to
24178 @item @code{port} (default: @var{#f})
24179 Whether to listen on an alternative port, which defaults to 9418.
24181 @item @code{whitelist} (default: @var{'()})
24182 If not empty, only allow access to this list of directories.
24184 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @var{'()})
24185 Extra options will be passed to @code{git daemon}, please run
24186 @command{man git-daemon} for more information.
24191 The @code{git://} protocol lacks authentication. When you pull from a
24192 repository fetched via @code{git://}, you don't know whether the data you
24193 receive was modified or is even coming from the specified host, and your
24194 connection is subject to eavesdropping. It's better to use an authenticated
24195 and encrypted transport, such as @code{https}. Although Git allows you
24196 to serve repositories using unsophisticated file-based web servers,
24197 there is a faster protocol implemented by the @code{git-http-backend}
24198 program. This program is the back-end of a proper Git web service. It
24199 is designed to sit behind a FastCGI proxy. @xref{Web Services}, for more
24200 on running the necessary @code{fcgiwrap} daemon.
24202 Guix has a separate configuration data type for serving Git repositories
24205 @deftp {Data Type} git-http-configuration
24206 Data type representing the configuration for @code{git-http-service}.
24209 @item @code{package} (default: @var{git})
24210 Package object of the Git distributed version control system.
24212 @item @code{git-root} (default: @file{/srv/git})
24213 Directory containing the Git repositories to expose to the world.
24215 @item @code{export-all?} (default: @var{#f})
24216 Whether to expose access for all Git repositories in @var{git-root},
24217 even if they do not have the @file{git-daemon-export-ok} file.
24219 @item @code{uri-path} (default: @file{/git/})
24220 Path prefix for Git access. With the default @code{/git/} prefix, this
24221 will map @code{http://@var{server}/git/@var{repo}.git} to
24222 @code{/srv/git/@var{repo}.git}. Requests whose URI paths do not begin
24223 with this prefix are not passed on to this Git instance.
24225 @item @code{fcgiwrap-socket} (default: @code{127.0.0.1:9000})
24226 The socket on which the @code{fcgiwrap} daemon is listening. @xref{Web
24231 There is no @code{git-http-service-type}, currently; instead you can
24232 create an @code{nginx-location-configuration} from a
24233 @code{git-http-configuration} and then add that location to a web
24236 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} git-http-nginx-location-configuration @
24237 [config=(git-http-configuration)]
24238 Compute an @code{nginx-location-configuration} that corresponds to the
24239 given Git http configuration. An example nginx service definition to
24240 serve the default @file{/srv/git} over HTTPS might be:
24243 (service nginx-service-type
24244 (nginx-configuration
24247 (nginx-server-configuration
24248 (listen '("443 ssl"))
24249 (server-name "git.my-host.org")
24251 "/etc/letsencrypt/live/git.my-host.org/fullchain.pem")
24252 (ssl-certificate-key
24253 "/etc/letsencrypt/live/git.my-host.org/privkey.pem")
24256 (git-http-nginx-location-configuration
24257 (git-http-configuration (uri-path "/"))))))))))
24260 This example assumes that you are using Let's Encrypt to get your TLS
24261 certificate. @xref{Certificate Services}. The default @code{certbot}
24262 service will redirect all HTTP traffic on @code{git.my-host.org} to
24263 HTTPS. You will also need to add an @code{fcgiwrap} proxy to your
24264 system services. @xref{Web Services}.
24267 @subsubheading Cgit Service
24269 @cindex Cgit service
24270 @cindex Git, web interface
24271 @uref{https://git.zx2c4.com/cgit/, Cgit} is a web frontend for Git
24272 repositories written in C.
24274 The following example will configure the service with default values.
24275 By default, Cgit can be accessed on port 80 (@code{http://localhost:80}).
24278 (service cgit-service-type)
24281 The @code{file-object} type designates either a file-like object
24282 (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like objects}) or a string.
24284 @c %start of fragment
24286 Available @code{cgit-configuration} fields are:
24288 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} package package
24293 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} nginx-server-configuration-list nginx
24294 NGINX configuration.
24298 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object about-filter
24299 Specifies a command which will be invoked to format the content of about
24300 pages (both top-level and for each repository).
24302 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24306 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string agefile
24307 Specifies a path, relative to each repository path, which can be used to
24308 specify the date and time of the youngest commit in the repository.
24310 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24314 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object auth-filter
24315 Specifies a command that will be invoked for authenticating repository
24318 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24322 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string branch-sort
24323 Flag which, when set to @samp{age}, enables date ordering in the branch
24324 ref list, and when set @samp{name} enables ordering by branch name.
24326 Defaults to @samp{"name"}.
24330 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string cache-root
24331 Path used to store the cgit cache entries.
24333 Defaults to @samp{"/var/cache/cgit"}.
24337 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer cache-static-ttl
24338 Number which specifies the time-to-live, in minutes, for the cached
24339 version of repository pages accessed with a fixed SHA1.
24341 Defaults to @samp{-1}.
24345 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer cache-dynamic-ttl
24346 Number which specifies the time-to-live, in minutes, for the cached
24347 version of repository pages accessed without a fixed SHA1.
24349 Defaults to @samp{5}.
24353 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer cache-repo-ttl
24354 Number which specifies the time-to-live, in minutes, for the cached
24355 version of the repository summary page.
24357 Defaults to @samp{5}.
24361 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer cache-root-ttl
24362 Number which specifies the time-to-live, in minutes, for the cached
24363 version of the repository index page.
24365 Defaults to @samp{5}.
24369 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer cache-scanrc-ttl
24370 Number which specifies the time-to-live, in minutes, for the result of
24371 scanning a path for Git repositories.
24373 Defaults to @samp{15}.
24377 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer cache-about-ttl
24378 Number which specifies the time-to-live, in minutes, for the cached
24379 version of the repository about page.
24381 Defaults to @samp{15}.
24385 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer cache-snapshot-ttl
24386 Number which specifies the time-to-live, in minutes, for the cached
24387 version of snapshots.
24389 Defaults to @samp{5}.
24393 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer cache-size
24394 The maximum number of entries in the cgit cache. When set to @samp{0},
24395 caching is disabled.
24397 Defaults to @samp{0}.
24401 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean case-sensitive-sort?
24402 Sort items in the repo list case sensitively.
24404 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
24408 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} list clone-prefix
24409 List of common prefixes which, when combined with a repository URL,
24410 generates valid clone URLs for the repository.
24412 Defaults to @samp{()}.
24416 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} list clone-url
24417 List of @code{clone-url} templates.
24419 Defaults to @samp{()}.
24423 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object commit-filter
24424 Command which will be invoked to format commit messages.
24426 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24430 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string commit-sort
24431 Flag which, when set to @samp{date}, enables strict date ordering in the
24432 commit log, and when set to @samp{topo} enables strict topological
24435 Defaults to @samp{"git log"}.
24439 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object css
24440 URL which specifies the css document to include in all cgit pages.
24442 Defaults to @samp{"/share/cgit/cgit.css"}.
24446 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object email-filter
24447 Specifies a command which will be invoked to format names and email
24448 address of committers, authors, and taggers, as represented in various
24449 places throughout the cgit interface.
24451 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24455 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean embedded?
24456 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, will make cgit generate a HTML
24457 fragment suitable for embedding in other HTML pages.
24459 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24463 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-commit-graph?
24464 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, will make cgit print an ASCII-art
24465 commit history graph to the left of the commit messages in the
24466 repository log page.
24468 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24472 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-filter-overrides?
24473 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, allows all filter settings to be
24474 overridden in repository-specific cgitrc files.
24476 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24480 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-follow-links?
24481 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, allows users to follow a file in the
24484 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24488 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-http-clone?
24489 If set to @samp{#t}, cgit will act as an dumb HTTP endpoint for Git
24492 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
24496 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-index-links?
24497 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, will make cgit generate extra links
24498 "summary", "commit", "tree" for each repo in the repository index.
24500 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24504 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-index-owner?
24505 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, will make cgit display the owner of
24506 each repo in the repository index.
24508 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
24512 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-log-filecount?
24513 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, will make cgit print the number of
24514 modified files for each commit on the repository log page.
24516 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24520 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-log-linecount?
24521 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, will make cgit print the number of
24522 added and removed lines for each commit on the repository log page.
24524 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24528 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-remote-branches?
24529 Flag which, when set to @code{#t}, will make cgit display remote
24530 branches in the summary and refs views.
24532 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24536 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-subject-links?
24537 Flag which, when set to @code{1}, will make cgit use the subject of the
24538 parent commit as link text when generating links to parent commits in
24541 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24545 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-html-serving?
24546 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, will make cgit use the subject of the
24547 parent commit as link text when generating links to parent commits in
24550 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24554 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-tree-linenumbers?
24555 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, will make cgit generate linenumber
24556 links for plaintext blobs printed in the tree view.
24558 Defaults to @samp{#t}.
24562 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean enable-git-config?
24563 Flag which, when set to @samp{#f}, will allow cgit to use Git config to
24564 set any repo specific settings.
24566 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24570 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object favicon
24571 URL used as link to a shortcut icon for cgit.
24573 Defaults to @samp{"/favicon.ico"}.
24577 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string footer
24578 The content of the file specified with this option will be included
24579 verbatim at the bottom of all pages (i.e.@: it replaces the standard
24580 "generated by..."@: message).
24582 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24586 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string head-include
24587 The content of the file specified with this option will be included
24588 verbatim in the HTML HEAD section on all pages.
24590 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24594 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string header
24595 The content of the file specified with this option will be included
24596 verbatim at the top of all pages.
24598 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24602 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object include
24603 Name of a configfile to include before the rest of the current config-
24606 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24610 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string index-header
24611 The content of the file specified with this option will be included
24612 verbatim above the repository index.
24614 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24618 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string index-info
24619 The content of the file specified with this option will be included
24620 verbatim below the heading on the repository index page.
24622 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24626 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean local-time?
24627 Flag which, if set to @samp{#t}, makes cgit print commit and tag times
24628 in the servers timezone.
24630 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24634 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object logo
24635 URL which specifies the source of an image which will be used as a logo
24638 Defaults to @samp{"/share/cgit/cgit.png"}.
24642 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string logo-link
24643 URL loaded when clicking on the cgit logo image.
24645 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24649 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object owner-filter
24650 Command which will be invoked to format the Owner column of the main
24653 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24657 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer max-atom-items
24658 Number of items to display in atom feeds view.
24660 Defaults to @samp{10}.
24664 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer max-commit-count
24665 Number of entries to list per page in "log" view.
24667 Defaults to @samp{50}.
24671 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer max-message-length
24672 Number of commit message characters to display in "log" view.
24674 Defaults to @samp{80}.
24678 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer max-repo-count
24679 Specifies the number of entries to list per page on the repository index
24682 Defaults to @samp{50}.
24686 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer max-repodesc-length
24687 Specifies the maximum number of repo description characters to display
24688 on the repository index page.
24690 Defaults to @samp{80}.
24694 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer max-blob-size
24695 Specifies the maximum size of a blob to display HTML for in KBytes.
24697 Defaults to @samp{0}.
24701 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string max-stats
24702 Maximum statistics period. Valid values are @samp{week},@samp{month},
24703 @samp{quarter} and @samp{year}.
24705 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24709 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} mimetype-alist mimetype
24710 Mimetype for the specified filename extension.
24712 Defaults to @samp{((gif "image/gif") (html "text/html") (jpg
24713 "image/jpeg") (jpeg "image/jpeg") (pdf "application/pdf") (png
24714 "image/png") (svg "image/svg+xml"))}.
24718 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object mimetype-file
24719 Specifies the file to use for automatic mimetype lookup.
24721 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24725 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string module-link
24726 Text which will be used as the formatstring for a hyperlink when a
24727 submodule is printed in a directory listing.
24729 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24733 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean nocache?
24734 If set to the value @samp{#t} caching will be disabled.
24736 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24740 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean noplainemail?
24741 If set to @samp{#t} showing full author email addresses will be
24744 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24748 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean noheader?
24749 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, will make cgit omit the standard
24750 header on all pages.
24752 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24756 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} project-list project-list
24757 A list of subdirectories inside of @code{repository-directory}, relative
24758 to it, that should loaded as Git repositories. An empty list means that
24759 all subdirectories will be loaded.
24761 Defaults to @samp{()}.
24765 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object readme
24766 Text which will be used as default value for @code{cgit-repo-readme}.
24768 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24772 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean remove-suffix?
24773 If set to @code{#t} and @code{repository-directory} is enabled, if any
24774 repositories are found with a suffix of @code{.git}, this suffix will be
24775 removed for the URL and name.
24777 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24781 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer renamelimit
24782 Maximum number of files to consider when detecting renames.
24784 Defaults to @samp{-1}.
24788 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string repository-sort
24789 The way in which repositories in each section are sorted.
24791 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24795 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} robots-list robots
24796 Text used as content for the @code{robots} meta-tag.
24798 Defaults to @samp{("noindex" "nofollow")}.
24802 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string root-desc
24803 Text printed below the heading on the repository index page.
24805 Defaults to @samp{"a fast webinterface for the git dscm"}.
24809 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string root-readme
24810 The content of the file specified with this option will be included
24811 verbatim below the "about" link on the repository index page.
24813 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24817 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string root-title
24818 Text printed as heading on the repository index page.
24820 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24824 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean scan-hidden-path
24825 If set to @samp{#t} and repository-directory is enabled,
24826 repository-directory will recurse into directories whose name starts
24827 with a period. Otherwise, repository-directory will stay away from such
24828 directories, considered as "hidden". Note that this does not apply to
24829 the ".git" directory in non-bare repos.
24831 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24835 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} list snapshots
24836 Text which specifies the default set of snapshot formats that cgit
24837 generates links for.
24839 Defaults to @samp{()}.
24843 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} repository-directory repository-directory
24844 Name of the directory to scan for repositories (represents
24847 Defaults to @samp{"/srv/git"}.
24851 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string section
24852 The name of the current repository section - all repositories defined
24853 after this option will inherit the current section name.
24855 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24859 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string section-sort
24860 Flag which, when set to @samp{1}, will sort the sections on the
24861 repository listing by name.
24863 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24867 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer section-from-path
24868 A number which, if defined prior to repository-directory, specifies how
24869 many path elements from each repo path to use as a default section name.
24871 Defaults to @samp{0}.
24875 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} boolean side-by-side-diffs?
24876 If set to @samp{#t} shows side-by-side diffs instead of unidiffs per
24879 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
24883 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} file-object source-filter
24884 Specifies a command which will be invoked to format plaintext blobs in
24887 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24891 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer summary-branches
24892 Specifies the number of branches to display in the repository "summary"
24895 Defaults to @samp{10}.
24899 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer summary-log
24900 Specifies the number of log entries to display in the repository
24903 Defaults to @samp{10}.
24907 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} integer summary-tags
24908 Specifies the number of tags to display in the repository "summary"
24911 Defaults to @samp{10}.
24915 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string strict-export
24916 Filename which, if specified, needs to be present within the repository
24917 for cgit to allow access to that repository.
24919 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24923 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} string virtual-root
24924 URL which, if specified, will be used as root for all cgit links.
24926 Defaults to @samp{"/"}.
24930 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} repository-cgit-configuration-list repositories
24931 A list of @dfn{cgit-repo} records to use with config.
24933 Defaults to @samp{()}.
24935 Available @code{repository-cgit-configuration} fields are:
24937 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-list snapshots
24938 A mask of snapshot formats for this repo that cgit generates links for,
24939 restricted by the global @code{snapshots} setting.
24941 Defaults to @samp{()}.
24945 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-file-object source-filter
24946 Override the default @code{source-filter}.
24948 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24952 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string url
24953 The relative URL used to access the repository.
24955 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24959 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-file-object about-filter
24960 Override the default @code{about-filter}.
24962 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24966 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string branch-sort
24967 Flag which, when set to @samp{age}, enables date ordering in the branch
24968 ref list, and when set to @samp{name} enables ordering by branch name.
24970 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24974 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-list clone-url
24975 A list of URLs which can be used to clone repo.
24977 Defaults to @samp{()}.
24981 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-file-object commit-filter
24982 Override the default @code{commit-filter}.
24984 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24988 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string commit-sort
24989 Flag which, when set to @samp{date}, enables strict date ordering in the
24990 commit log, and when set to @samp{topo} enables strict topological
24993 Defaults to @samp{""}.
24997 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string defbranch
24998 The name of the default branch for this repository. If no such branch
24999 exists in the repository, the first branch name (when sorted) is used as
25000 default instead. By default branch pointed to by HEAD, or "master" if
25001 there is no suitable HEAD.
25003 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25007 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string desc
25008 The value to show as repository description.
25010 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25014 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string homepage
25015 The value to show as repository homepage.
25017 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25021 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-file-object email-filter
25022 Override the default @code{email-filter}.
25024 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25028 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} maybe-repo-boolean enable-commit-graph?
25029 A flag which can be used to disable the global setting
25030 @code{enable-commit-graph?}.
25032 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
25036 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} maybe-repo-boolean enable-log-filecount?
25037 A flag which can be used to disable the global setting
25038 @code{enable-log-filecount?}.
25040 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
25044 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} maybe-repo-boolean enable-log-linecount?
25045 A flag which can be used to disable the global setting
25046 @code{enable-log-linecount?}.
25048 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
25052 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} maybe-repo-boolean enable-remote-branches?
25053 Flag which, when set to @code{#t}, will make cgit display remote
25054 branches in the summary and refs views.
25056 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
25060 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} maybe-repo-boolean enable-subject-links?
25061 A flag which can be used to override the global setting
25062 @code{enable-subject-links?}.
25064 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
25068 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} maybe-repo-boolean enable-html-serving?
25069 A flag which can be used to override the global setting
25070 @code{enable-html-serving?}.
25072 Defaults to @samp{disabled}.
25076 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-boolean hide?
25077 Flag which, when set to @code{#t}, hides the repository from the
25080 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
25084 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-boolean ignore?
25085 Flag which, when set to @samp{#t}, ignores the repository.
25087 Defaults to @samp{#f}.
25091 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-file-object logo
25092 URL which specifies the source of an image which will be used as a logo
25093 on this repo’s pages.
25095 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25099 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string logo-link
25100 URL loaded when clicking on the cgit logo image.
25102 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25106 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-file-object owner-filter
25107 Override the default @code{owner-filter}.
25109 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25113 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string module-link
25114 Text which will be used as the formatstring for a hyperlink when a
25115 submodule is printed in a directory listing. The arguments for the
25116 formatstring are the path and SHA1 of the submodule commit.
25118 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25122 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} module-link-path module-link-path
25123 Text which will be used as the formatstring for a hyperlink when a
25124 submodule with the specified subdirectory path is printed in a directory
25127 Defaults to @samp{()}.
25131 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string max-stats
25132 Override the default maximum statistics period.
25134 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25138 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string name
25139 The value to show as repository name.
25141 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25145 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string owner
25146 A value used to identify the owner of the repository.
25148 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25152 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string path
25153 An absolute path to the repository directory.
25155 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25159 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string readme
25160 A path (relative to repo) which specifies a file to include verbatim as
25161 the "About" page for this repo.
25163 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25167 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-string section
25168 The name of the current repository section - all repositories defined
25169 after this option will inherit the current section name.
25171 Defaults to @samp{""}.
25175 @deftypevr {@code{repository-cgit-configuration} parameter} repo-list extra-options
25176 Extra options will be appended to cgitrc file.
25178 Defaults to @samp{()}.
25184 @deftypevr {@code{cgit-configuration} parameter} list extra-options
25185 Extra options will be appended to cgitrc file.
25187 Defaults to @samp{()}.
25192 @c %end of fragment
25194 However, it could be that you just want to get a @code{cgitrc} up and
25195 running. In that case, you can pass an @code{opaque-cgit-configuration}
25196 as a record to @code{cgit-service-type}. As its name indicates, an
25197 opaque configuration does not have easy reflective capabilities.
25199 Available @code{opaque-cgit-configuration} fields are:
25201 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-cgit-configuration} parameter} package cgit
25205 @deftypevr {@code{opaque-cgit-configuration} parameter} string string
25206 The contents of the @code{cgitrc}, as a string.
25209 For example, if your @code{cgitrc} is just the empty string, you
25210 could instantiate a cgit service like this:
25213 (service cgit-service-type
25214 (opaque-cgit-configuration
25218 @subsubheading Gitolite Service
25220 @cindex Gitolite service
25221 @cindex Git, hosting
25222 @uref{https://gitolite.com/gitolite/, Gitolite} is a tool for hosting Git
25223 repositories on a central server.
25225 Gitolite can handle multiple repositories and users, and supports flexible
25226 configuration of the permissions for the users on the repositories.
25228 The following example will configure Gitolite using the default @code{git}
25229 user, and the provided SSH public key.
25232 (service gitolite-service-type
25233 (gitolite-configuration
25234 (admin-pubkey (plain-file
25236 "ssh-rsa AAAA... guix@@example.com"))))
25239 Gitolite is configured through a special admin repository which you can clone,
25240 for example, if you setup Gitolite on @code{example.com}, you would run the
25241 following command to clone the admin repository.
25244 git clone git@@example.com:gitolite-admin
25247 When the Gitolite service is activated, the provided @code{admin-pubkey} will
25248 be inserted in to the @file{keydir} directory in the gitolite-admin
25249 repository. If this results in a change in the repository, it will be
25250 committed using the message ``gitolite setup by GNU Guix''.
25252 @deftp {Data Type} gitolite-configuration
25253 Data type representing the configuration for @code{gitolite-service-type}.
25256 @item @code{package} (default: @var{gitolite})
25257 Gitolite package to use.
25259 @item @code{user} (default: @var{git})
25260 User to use for Gitolite. This will be user that you use when accessing
25263 @item @code{group} (default: @var{git})
25264 Group to use for Gitolite.
25266 @item @code{home-directory} (default: @var{"/var/lib/gitolite"})
25267 Directory in which to store the Gitolite configuration and repositories.
25269 @item @code{rc-file} (default: @var{(gitolite-rc-file)})
25270 A ``file-like'' object (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like objects}),
25271 representing the configuration for Gitolite.
25273 @item @code{admin-pubkey} (default: @var{#f})
25274 A ``file-like'' object (@pxref{G-Expressions, file-like objects}) used to
25275 setup Gitolite. This will be inserted in to the @file{keydir} directory
25276 within the gitolite-admin repository.
25278 To specify the SSH key as a string, use the @code{plain-file} function.
25281 (plain-file "yourname.pub" "ssh-rsa AAAA... guix@@example.com")
25287 @deftp {Data Type} gitolite-rc-file
25288 Data type representing the Gitolite RC file.
25291 @item @code{umask} (default: @code{#o0077})
25292 This controls the permissions Gitolite sets on the repositories and their
25295 A value like @code{#o0027} will give read access to the group used by Gitolite
25296 (by default: @code{git}). This is necessary when using Gitolite with software
25297 like cgit or gitweb.
25299 @item @code{git-config-keys} (default: @code{""})
25300 Gitolite allows you to set git config values using the "config" keyword. This
25301 setting allows control over the config keys to accept.
25303 @item @code{roles} (default: @code{'(("READERS" . 1) ("WRITERS" . ))})
25304 Set the role names allowed to be used by users running the perms command.
25306 @item @code{enable} (default: @code{'("help" "desc" "info" "perms" "writable" "ssh-authkeys" "git-config" "daemon" "gitweb")})
25307 This setting controls the commands and features to enable within Gitolite.
25313 @node Game Services
25314 @subsection Game Services
25316 @subsubheading The Battle for Wesnoth Service
25318 @uref{https://wesnoth.org, The Battle for Wesnoth} is a fantasy, turn
25319 based tactical strategy game, with several single player campaigns, and
25320 multiplayer games (both networked and local).
25322 @defvar {Scheme Variable} wesnothd-service-type
25323 Service type for the wesnothd service. Its value must be a
25324 @code{wesnothd-configuration} object. To run wesnothd in the default
25325 configuration, instantiate it as:
25328 (service wesnothd-service-type)
25332 @deftp {Data Type} wesnothd-configuration
25333 Data type representing the configuration of @command{wesnothd}.
25336 @item @code{package} (default: @code{wesnoth-server})
25337 The wesnoth server package to use.
25339 @item @code{port} (default: @code{15000})
25340 The port to bind the server to.
25345 @node PAM Mount Service
25346 @subsection PAM Mount Service
25349 The @code{(gnu services pam-mount)} module provides a service allowing
25350 users to mount volumes when they log in. It should be able to mount any
25351 volume format supported by the system.
25353 @defvar {Scheme Variable} pam-mount-service-type
25354 Service type for PAM Mount support.
25357 @deftp {Data Type} pam-mount-configuration
25358 Data type representing the configuration of PAM Mount.
25360 It takes the following parameters:
25364 The configuration rules that will be used to generate
25365 @file{/etc/security/pam_mount.conf.xml}.
25367 The configuration rules are SXML elements (@pxref{SXML,,, guile, GNU
25368 Guile Reference Manual}), and the the default ones don't mount anything
25369 for anyone at login:
25372 `((debug (@@ (enable "0")))
25373 (mntoptions (@@ (allow ,(string-join
25374 '("nosuid" "nodev" "loop"
25375 "encryption" "fsck" "nonempty"
25376 "allow_root" "allow_other")
25378 (mntoptions (@@ (require "nosuid,nodev")))
25379 (logout (@@ (wait "0")
25383 (mkmountpoint (@@ (enable "1")
25387 Some @code{volume} elements must be added to automatically mount volumes
25388 at login. Here's an example allowing the user @code{alice} to mount her
25389 encrypted @code{HOME} directory and allowing the user @code{bob} to mount
25390 the partition where he stores his data:
25393 (define pam-mount-rules
25394 `((debug (@@ (enable "0")))
25395 (volume (@@ (user "alice")
25398 (mountpoint "/home/alice")))
25399 (volume (@@ (user "bob")
25402 (mountpoint "/home/bob/data")
25403 (options "defaults,autodefrag,compress")))
25404 (mntoptions (@@ (allow ,(string-join
25405 '("nosuid" "nodev" "loop"
25406 "encryption" "fsck" "nonempty"
25407 "allow_root" "allow_other")
25409 (mntoptions (@@ (require "nosuid,nodev")))
25410 (logout (@@ (wait "0")
25414 (mkmountpoint (@@ (enable "1")
25415 (remove "true")))))
25417 (service pam-mount-service-type
25418 (pam-mount-configuration
25419 (rules pam-mount-rules)))
25422 The complete list of possible options can be found in the man page for
25423 @uref{http://pam-mount.sourceforge.net/pam_mount.conf.5.html, pam_mount.conf}.
25428 @node Guix Services
25429 @subsection Guix Services
25431 @subsubheading Guix Data Service
25432 The @uref{http://data.guix.gnu.org,Guix Data Service} processes, stores
25433 and provides data about GNU Guix. This includes information about
25434 packages, derivations and lint warnings.
25436 The data is stored in a PostgreSQL database, and available through a web
25439 @defvar {Scheme Variable} guix-data-service-type
25440 Service type for the Guix Data Service. Its value must be a
25441 @code{guix-data-service-configuration} object. The service optionally
25442 extends the getmail service, as the guix-commits mailing list is used to
25443 find out about changes in the Guix git repository.
25446 @deftp {Data Type} guix-data-service-configuration
25447 Data type representing the configuration of the Guix Data Service.
25450 @item @code{package} (default: @code{guix-data-service})
25451 The Guix Data Service package to use.
25453 @item @code{user} (default: @code{"guix-data-service"})
25454 The system user to run the service as.
25456 @item @code{group} (default: @code{"guix-data-service"})
25457 The system group to run the service as.
25459 @item @code{port} (default: @code{8765})
25460 The port to bind the web service to.
25462 @item @code{host} (default: @code{"127.0.0.1"})
25463 The host to bind the web service to.
25465 @item @code{getmail-idle-mailboxes} (default: @code{#f})
25466 If set, this is the list of mailboxes that the getmail service will be
25467 configured to listen to.
25469 @item @code{commits-getmail-retriever-configuration} (default: @code{#f})
25470 If set, this is the @code{getmail-retriever-configuration} object with
25471 which to configure getmail to fetch mail from the guix-commits mailing
25474 @item @code{extra-options} (default: @var{'()})
25475 Extra command line options for @code{guix-data-service}.
25477 @item @code{extra-process-jobs-options} (default: @var{'()})
25478 Extra command line options for @code{guix-data-service-process-jobs}.
25483 @node Linux Services
25484 @subsubheading Linux Services
25487 @cindex out of memory killer
25489 @cindex early out of memory daemon
25490 @subsection Early OOM Service
25492 @uref{https://github.com/rfjakob/earlyoom,Early OOM}, also known as
25493 Earlyoom, is a minimalist out of memory (OOM) daemon that runs in user
25494 space and provides a more responsive and configurable alternative to the
25495 in-kernel OOM killer. It is useful to prevent the system from becoming
25496 unresponsive when it runs out of memory.
25498 @deffn {Scheme Variable} earlyoom-service-type
25499 The service type for running @command{earlyoom}, the Early OOM daemon.
25500 Its value must be a @code{earlyoom-configuration} object, described
25501 below. The service can be instantiated in its default configuration
25505 (service earlyoom-service-type)
25509 @deftp {Data Type} earlyoom-configuration
25510 This is the configuration record for the @code{earlyoom-service-type}.
25513 @item @code{earlyoom} (default: @var{earlyoom})
25514 The Earlyoom package to use.
25516 @item @code{minimum-available-memory} (default: @code{10})
25517 The threshold for the minimum @emph{available} memory, in percentages.
25519 @item @code{minimum-free-swap} (default: @code{10})
25520 The threshold for the minimum free swap memory, in percentages.
25522 @item @code{prefer-regexp} (default: @code{#f})
25523 A regular expression (as a string) to match the names of the processes
25524 that should be preferably killed.
25526 @item @code{avoid-regexp} (default: @code{#f})
25527 A regular expression (as a string) to match the names of the processes
25528 that should @emph{not} be killed.
25530 @item @code{memory-report-interval} (default: @code{0})
25531 The interval in seconds at which a memory report is printed. It is
25532 disabled by default.
25534 @item @code{ignore-positive-oom-score-adj?} (default: @code{#f})
25535 A boolean indicating whether the positive adjustments set in
25536 @file{/proc/*/oom_score_adj}.
25538 @item @code{show-debug-messages?} (default: @code{#f})
25539 A boolean indicating whether debug messages should be printed. The logs
25540 are saved at @file{/var/log/earlyoom.log}.
25542 @item @code{send-notification-command} (default: @code{#f})
25543 This can be used to provide a custom command used for sending
25549 @cindex kernel module loader
25550 @subsubsection Kernel Module Loader Service
25552 The kernel module loader service allows one to load loadable kernel
25553 modules at boot. This is especially useful for modules that don't
25554 autoload and need to be manually loaded, as it's the case with
25557 @deffn {Scheme Variable} kernel-module-loader-service-type
25558 The service type for loading loadable kernel modules at boot with
25559 @command{modprobe}. Its value must be a list of strings representing
25560 module names. For example loading the drivers provided by
25561 @code{ddcci-driver-linux}, in debugging mode by passing some module
25562 parameters, can be done as follow:
25565 (use-modules (gnu) (gnu services))
25566 (use-package-modules linux)
25567 (use-service-modules linux)
25569 (define ddcci-config
25570 (plain-file "ddcci.conf"
25571 "options ddcci dyndbg delay=120"))
25575 (services (cons* (service kernel-module-loader-service-type
25576 '("ddcci" "ddcci_backlight"))
25577 (simple-service 'ddcci-config etc-service-type
25578 (list `("modprobe.d/ddcci.conf"
25581 (kernel-loadable-modules (list ddcci-driver-linux)))
25585 @node Miscellaneous Services
25586 @subsection Miscellaneous Services
25588 @cindex fingerprint
25589 @subsubheading Fingerprint Service
25591 The @code{(gnu services authentication)} module provides a DBus service to
25592 read and identify fingerprints via a fingerprint sensor.
25594 @defvr {Scheme Variable} fprintd-service-type
25595 The service type for @command{fprintd}, which provides the fingerprint
25596 reading capability.
25599 (service fprintd-service-type)
25604 @subsubheading System Control Service
25606 The @code{(gnu services sysctl)} provides a service to configure kernel
25607 parameters at boot.
25609 @defvr {Scheme Variable} sysctl-service-type
25610 The service type for @command{sysctl}, which modifies kernel parameters
25611 under @file{/proc/sys/}. To enable IPv4 forwarding, it can be
25615 (service sysctl-service-type
25616 (sysctl-configuration
25617 (settings '(("net.ipv4.ip_forward" . "1")))))
25621 @deftp {Data Type} sysctl-configuration
25622 The data type representing the configuration of @command{sysctl}.
25625 @item @code{sysctl} (default: @code{(file-append procps "/sbin/sysctl"})
25626 The @command{sysctl} executable to use.
25628 @item @code{settings} (default: @code{'()})
25629 An association list specifies kernel parameters and their values.
25634 @subsubheading PC/SC Smart Card Daemon Service
25636 The @code{(gnu services security-token)} module provides the following service
25637 to run @command{pcscd}, the PC/SC Smart Card Daemon. @command{pcscd} is the
25638 daemon program for pcsc-lite and the MuscleCard framework. It is a resource
25639 manager that coordinates communications with smart card readers, smart cards
25640 and cryptographic tokens that are connected to the system.
25642 @defvr {Scheme Variable} pcscd-service-type
25643 Service type for the @command{pcscd} service. Its value must be a
25644 @code{pcscd-configuration} object. To run pcscd in the default
25645 configuration, instantiate it as:
25648 (service pcscd-service-type)
25652 @deftp {Data Type} pcscd-configuration
25653 The data type representing the configuration of @command{pcscd}.
25656 @item @code{pcsc-lite} (default: @code{pcsc-lite})
25657 The pcsc-lite package that provides pcscd.
25658 @item @code{usb-drivers} (default: @code{(list ccid)})
25659 List of packages that provide USB drivers to pcscd. Drivers are expected to be
25660 under @file{pcsc/drivers} in the store directory of the package.
25665 @subsubheading Lirc Service
25667 The @code{(gnu services lirc)} module provides the following service.
25669 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} lirc-service [#:lirc lirc] @
25670 [#:device #f] [#:driver #f] [#:config-file #f] @
25671 [#:extra-options '()]
25672 Return a service that runs @url{http://www.lirc.org,LIRC}, a daemon that
25673 decodes infrared signals from remote controls.
25675 Optionally, @var{device}, @var{driver} and @var{config-file}
25676 (configuration file name) may be specified. See @command{lircd} manual
25679 Finally, @var{extra-options} is a list of additional command-line options
25680 passed to @command{lircd}.
25684 @subsubheading Spice Service
25686 The @code{(gnu services spice)} module provides the following service.
25688 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} spice-vdagent-service [#:spice-vdagent]
25689 Returns a service that runs @url{https://www.spice-space.org,VDAGENT}, a daemon
25690 that enables sharing the clipboard with a vm and setting the guest display
25691 resolution when the graphical console window resizes.
25694 @cindex inputattach
25695 @subsubheading inputattach Service
25697 @cindex tablet input, for Xorg
25698 @cindex touchscreen input, for Xorg
25699 The @uref{https://linuxwacom.github.io/, inputattach} service allows you to
25700 use input devices such as Wacom tablets, touchscreens, or joysticks with the
25701 Xorg display server.
25703 @deffn {Scheme Variable} inputattach-service-type
25704 Type of a service that runs @command{inputattach} on a device and
25705 dispatches events from it.
25708 @deftp {Data Type} inputattach-configuration
25710 @item @code{device-type} (default: @code{"wacom"})
25711 The type of device to connect to. Run @command{inputattach --help}, from the
25712 @code{inputattach} package, to see the list of supported device types.
25714 @item @code{device} (default: @code{"/dev/ttyS0"})
25715 The device file to connect to the device.
25717 @item @code{baud-rate} (default: @code{#f})
25718 Baud rate to use for the serial connection.
25719 Should be a number or @code{#f}.
25721 @item @code{log-file} (default: @code{#f})
25722 If true, this must be the name of a file to log messages to.
25726 @subsection Dictionary Services
25728 The @code{(gnu services dict)} module provides the following service:
25730 @defvr {Scheme Variable} dicod-service-type
25731 This is the type of the service that runs the @command{dicod} daemon, an
25732 implementation of DICT server (@pxref{Dicod,,, dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
25735 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} dicod-service [#:config (dicod-configuration)]
25736 Return a service that runs the @command{dicod} daemon, an implementation
25737 of DICT server (@pxref{Dicod,,, dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
25739 The optional @var{config} argument specifies the configuration for
25740 @command{dicod}, which should be a @code{<dicod-configuration>} object, by
25741 default it serves the GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
25743 You can add @command{open localhost} to your @file{~/.dico} file to make
25744 @code{localhost} the default server for @command{dico} client
25745 (@pxref{Initialization File,,, dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
25748 @deftp {Data Type} dicod-configuration
25749 Data type representing the configuration of dicod.
25752 @item @code{dico} (default: @var{dico})
25753 Package object of the GNU Dico dictionary server.
25755 @item @code{interfaces} (default: @var{'("localhost")})
25756 This is the list of IP addresses and ports and possibly socket file
25757 names to listen to (@pxref{Server Settings, @code{listen} directive,,
25758 dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
25760 @item @code{handlers} (default: @var{'()})
25761 List of @code{<dicod-handler>} objects denoting handlers (module instances).
25763 @item @code{databases} (default: @var{(list %dicod-database:gcide)})
25764 List of @code{<dicod-database>} objects denoting dictionaries to be served.
25768 @deftp {Data Type} dicod-handler
25769 Data type representing a dictionary handler (module instance).
25773 Name of the handler (module instance).
25775 @item @code{module} (default: @var{#f})
25776 Name of the dicod module of the handler (instance). If it is @code{#f},
25777 the module has the same name as the handler.
25778 (@pxref{Modules,,, dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
25780 @item @code{options}
25781 List of strings or gexps representing the arguments for the module handler
25785 @deftp {Data Type} dicod-database
25786 Data type representing a dictionary database.
25790 Name of the database, will be used in DICT commands.
25792 @item @code{handler}
25793 Name of the dicod handler (module instance) used by this database
25794 (@pxref{Handlers,,, dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
25796 @item @code{complex?} (default: @var{#f})
25797 Whether the database configuration complex. The complex configuration
25798 will need a corresponding @code{<dicod-handler>} object, otherwise not.
25800 @item @code{options}
25801 List of strings or gexps representing the arguments for the database
25802 (@pxref{Databases,,, dico, GNU Dico Manual}).
25806 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %dicod-database:gcide
25807 A @code{<dicod-database>} object serving the GNU Collaborative International
25808 Dictionary of English using the @code{gcide} package.
25811 The following is an example @code{dicod-service} configuration.
25814 (dicod-service #:config
25815 (dicod-configuration
25816 (handlers (list (dicod-handler
25820 (list #~(string-append "dbdir=" #$wordnet))))))
25821 (databases (list (dicod-database
25824 (handler "wordnet")
25825 (options '("database=wn")))
25826 %dicod-database:gcide))))
25830 @subsubheading Docker Service
25832 The @code{(gnu services docker)} module provides the following services.
25834 @defvr {Scheme Variable} docker-service-type
25836 This is the type of the service that runs @url{https://www.docker.com,Docker},
25837 a daemon that can execute application bundles (sometimes referred to as
25838 ``containers'') in isolated environments.
25842 @deftp {Data Type} docker-configuration
25843 This is the data type representing the configuration of Docker and Containerd.
25847 @item @code{package} (default: @code{docker})
25848 The Docker package to use.
25850 @item @code{containerd} (default: @var{containerd})
25851 The Containerd package to use.
25857 @subsubheading Auditd Service
25859 The @code{(gnu services auditd)} module provides the following service.
25861 @defvr {Scheme Variable} auditd-service-type
25863 This is the type of the service that runs
25864 @url{https://people.redhat.com/sgrubb/audit/,auditd},
25865 a daemon that tracks security-relevant information on your system.
25867 Examples of things that can be tracked:
25877 Failed login attempts
25884 @command{auditctl} from the @code{audit} package can be used in order
25885 to add or remove events to be tracked (until the next reboot).
25886 In order to permanently track events, put the command line arguments
25887 of auditctl into @file{/etc/audit/audit.rules}.
25888 @command{aureport} from the @code{audit} package can be used in order
25889 to view a report of all recorded events.
25890 The audit daemon usually logs into the directory @file{/var/log/audit}.
25894 @deftp {Data Type} auditd-configuration
25895 This is the data type representing the configuration of auditd.
25899 @item @code{audit} (default: @code{audit})
25900 The audit package to use.
25905 @defvr {Scheme Variable} singularity-service-type
25906 This is the type of the service that allows you to run
25907 @url{https://www.sylabs.io/singularity/, Singularity}, a Docker-style tool to
25908 create and run application bundles (aka. ``containers''). The value for this
25909 service is the Singularity package to use.
25911 The service does not install a daemon; instead, it installs helper programs as
25912 setuid-root (@pxref{Setuid Programs}) such that unprivileged users can invoke
25913 @command{singularity run} and similar commands.
25917 @subsubheading Nix service
25919 The @code{(gnu services nix)} module provides the following service.
25921 @defvr {Scheme Variable} nix-service-type
25923 This is the type of the service that runs build daemon of the
25924 @url{https://nixos.org/nix/, Nix} package manager. Here is an example showing
25928 (use-modules (gnu))
25929 (use-service-modules nix)
25930 (use-package-modules package-management)
25934 (packages (append (list nix)
25937 (services (append (list (service nix-service-type))
25941 After @command{guix system reconfigure} configure Nix for your user:
25944 @item Add a Nix channel and update it. See
25945 @url{https://nixos.org/nix/manual/, Nix Package Manager Guide}.
25947 @item Create a symlink to your profile and activate Nix profile:
25951 $ ln -s "/nix/var/nix/profiles/per-user/$USER/profile" ~/.nix-profile
25952 $ source /run/current-system/profile/etc/profile.d/nix.sh
25957 @node Setuid Programs
25958 @section Setuid Programs
25960 @cindex setuid programs
25961 Some programs need to run with ``root'' privileges, even when they are
25962 launched by unprivileged users. A notorious example is the
25963 @command{passwd} program, which users can run to change their
25964 password, and which needs to access the @file{/etc/passwd} and
25965 @file{/etc/shadow} files---something normally restricted to root, for
25966 obvious security reasons. To address that, these executables are
25967 @dfn{setuid-root}, meaning that they always run with root privileges
25968 (@pxref{How Change Persona,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual},
25969 for more info about the setuid mechanism.)
25971 The store itself @emph{cannot} contain setuid programs: that would be a
25972 security issue since any user on the system can write derivations that
25973 populate the store (@pxref{The Store}). Thus, a different mechanism is
25974 used: instead of changing the setuid bit directly on files that are in
25975 the store, we let the system administrator @emph{declare} which programs
25976 should be setuid root.
25978 The @code{setuid-programs} field of an @code{operating-system}
25979 declaration contains a list of G-expressions denoting the names of
25980 programs to be setuid-root (@pxref{Using the Configuration System}).
25981 For instance, the @command{passwd} program, which is part of the Shadow
25982 package, can be designated by this G-expression (@pxref{G-Expressions}):
25985 #~(string-append #$shadow "/bin/passwd")
25988 A default set of setuid programs is defined by the
25989 @code{%setuid-programs} variable of the @code{(gnu system)} module.
25991 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %setuid-programs
25992 A list of G-expressions denoting common programs that are setuid-root.
25994 The list includes commands such as @command{passwd}, @command{ping},
25995 @command{su}, and @command{sudo}.
25998 Under the hood, the actual setuid programs are created in the
25999 @file{/run/setuid-programs} directory at system activation time. The
26000 files in this directory refer to the ``real'' binaries, which are in the
26003 @node X.509 Certificates
26004 @section X.509 Certificates
26006 @cindex HTTPS, certificates
26007 @cindex X.509 certificates
26009 Web servers available over HTTPS (that is, HTTP over the transport-layer
26010 security mechanism, TLS) send client programs an @dfn{X.509 certificate}
26011 that the client can then use to @emph{authenticate} the server. To do
26012 that, clients verify that the server's certificate is signed by a
26013 so-called @dfn{certificate authority} (CA). But to verify the CA's
26014 signature, clients must have first acquired the CA's certificate.
26016 Web browsers such as GNU@tie{}IceCat include their own set of CA
26017 certificates, such that they are able to verify CA signatures
26020 However, most other programs that can talk HTTPS---@command{wget},
26021 @command{git}, @command{w3m}, etc.---need to be told where CA
26022 certificates can be found.
26024 @cindex @code{nss-certs}
26025 In Guix, this is done by adding a package that provides certificates
26026 to the @code{packages} field of the @code{operating-system} declaration
26027 (@pxref{operating-system Reference}). Guix includes one such package,
26028 @code{nss-certs}, which is a set of CA certificates provided as part of
26029 Mozilla's Network Security Services.
26031 Note that it is @emph{not} part of @code{%base-packages}, so you need to
26032 explicitly add it. The @file{/etc/ssl/certs} directory, which is where
26033 most applications and libraries look for certificates by default, points
26034 to the certificates installed globally.
26036 Unprivileged users, including users of Guix on a foreign distro,
26037 can also install their own certificate package in
26038 their profile. A number of environment variables need to be defined so
26039 that applications and libraries know where to find them. Namely, the
26040 OpenSSL library honors the @code{SSL_CERT_DIR} and @code{SSL_CERT_FILE}
26041 variables. Some applications add their own environment variables; for
26042 instance, the Git version control system honors the certificate bundle
26043 pointed to by the @code{GIT_SSL_CAINFO} environment variable. Thus, you
26044 would typically run something like:
26047 $ guix install nss-certs
26048 $ export SSL_CERT_DIR="$HOME/.guix-profile/etc/ssl/certs"
26049 $ export SSL_CERT_FILE="$HOME/.guix-profile/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt"
26050 $ export GIT_SSL_CAINFO="$SSL_CERT_FILE"
26053 As another example, R requires the @code{CURL_CA_BUNDLE} environment
26054 variable to point to a certificate bundle, so you would have to run
26055 something like this:
26058 $ guix install nss-certs
26059 $ export CURL_CA_BUNDLE="$HOME/.guix-profile/etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt"
26062 For other applications you may want to look up the required environment
26063 variable in the relevant documentation.
26066 @node Name Service Switch
26067 @section Name Service Switch
26069 @cindex name service switch
26071 The @code{(gnu system nss)} module provides bindings to the
26072 configuration file of the libc @dfn{name service switch} or @dfn{NSS}
26073 (@pxref{NSS Configuration File,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference
26074 Manual}). In a nutshell, the NSS is a mechanism that allows libc to be
26075 extended with new ``name'' lookup methods for system databases, which
26076 includes host names, service names, user accounts, and more (@pxref{Name
26077 Service Switch, System Databases and Name Service Switch,, libc, The GNU
26078 C Library Reference Manual}).
26080 The NSS configuration specifies, for each system database, which lookup
26081 method is to be used, and how the various methods are chained
26082 together---for instance, under which circumstances NSS should try the
26083 next method in the list. The NSS configuration is given in the
26084 @code{name-service-switch} field of @code{operating-system} declarations
26085 (@pxref{operating-system Reference, @code{name-service-switch}}).
26088 @cindex .local, host name lookup
26089 As an example, the declaration below configures the NSS to use the
26090 @uref{https://0pointer.de/lennart/projects/nss-mdns/, @code{nss-mdns}
26091 back-end}, which supports host name lookups over multicast DNS (mDNS)
26092 for host names ending in @code{.local}:
26095 (name-service-switch
26096 (hosts (list %files ;first, check /etc/hosts
26098 ;; If the above did not succeed, try
26099 ;; with 'mdns_minimal'.
26101 (name "mdns_minimal")
26103 ;; 'mdns_minimal' is authoritative for
26104 ;; '.local'. When it returns "not found",
26105 ;; no need to try the next methods.
26106 (reaction (lookup-specification
26107 (not-found => return))))
26109 ;; Then fall back to DNS.
26113 ;; Finally, try with the "full" 'mdns'.
26118 Do not worry: the @code{%mdns-host-lookup-nss} variable (see below)
26119 contains this configuration, so you will not have to type it if all you
26120 want is to have @code{.local} host lookup working.
26122 Note that, in this case, in addition to setting the
26123 @code{name-service-switch} of the @code{operating-system} declaration,
26124 you also need to use @code{avahi-service-type} (@pxref{Networking Services,
26125 @code{avahi-service-type}}), or @code{%desktop-services}, which includes it
26126 (@pxref{Desktop Services}). Doing this makes @code{nss-mdns} accessible
26127 to the name service cache daemon (@pxref{Base Services,
26128 @code{nscd-service}}).
26130 For convenience, the following variables provide typical NSS
26133 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-nss
26134 This is the default name service switch configuration, a
26135 @code{name-service-switch} object.
26138 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %mdns-host-lookup-nss
26139 This is the name service switch configuration with support for host name
26140 lookup over multicast DNS (mDNS) for host names ending in @code{.local}.
26143 The reference for name service switch configuration is given below. It
26144 is a direct mapping of the configuration file format of the C library , so
26145 please refer to the C library manual for more information (@pxref{NSS
26146 Configuration File,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
26147 Compared to the configuration file format of libc NSS, it has the advantage
26148 not only of adding this warm parenthetic feel that we like, but also
26149 static checks: you will know about syntax errors and typos as soon as you
26150 run @command{guix system}.
26152 @deftp {Data Type} name-service-switch
26154 This is the data type representation the configuration of libc's name
26155 service switch (NSS). Each field below represents one of the supported
26172 The system databases handled by the NSS. Each of these fields must be a
26173 list of @code{<name-service>} objects (see below).
26177 @deftp {Data Type} name-service
26179 This is the data type representing an actual name service and the
26180 associated lookup action.
26184 A string denoting the name service (@pxref{Services in the NSS
26185 configuration,,, libc, The GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
26187 Note that name services listed here must be visible to nscd. This is
26188 achieved by passing the @code{#:name-services} argument to
26189 @code{nscd-service} the list of packages providing the needed name
26190 services (@pxref{Base Services, @code{nscd-service}}).
26193 An action specified using the @code{lookup-specification} macro
26194 (@pxref{Actions in the NSS configuration,,, libc, The GNU C Library
26195 Reference Manual}). For example:
26198 (lookup-specification (unavailable => continue)
26199 (success => return))
26204 @node Initial RAM Disk
26205 @section Initial RAM Disk
26208 @cindex initial RAM disk
26209 For bootstrapping purposes, the Linux-Libre kernel is passed an
26210 @dfn{initial RAM disk}, or @dfn{initrd}. An initrd contains a temporary
26211 root file system as well as an initialization script. The latter is
26212 responsible for mounting the real root file system, and for loading any
26213 kernel modules that may be needed to achieve that.
26215 The @code{initrd-modules} field of an @code{operating-system}
26216 declaration allows you to specify Linux-libre kernel modules that must
26217 be available in the initrd. In particular, this is where you would list
26218 modules needed to actually drive the hard disk where your root partition
26219 is---although the default value of @code{initrd-modules} should cover
26220 most use cases. For example, assuming you need the @code{megaraid_sas}
26221 module in addition to the default modules to be able to access your root
26222 file system, you would write:
26227 (initrd-modules (cons "megaraid_sas" %base-initrd-modules)))
26230 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %base-initrd-modules
26231 This is the list of kernel modules included in the initrd by default.
26234 Furthermore, if you need lower-level customization, the @code{initrd}
26235 field of an @code{operating-system} declaration allows
26236 you to specify which initrd you would like to use. The @code{(gnu
26237 system linux-initrd)} module provides three ways to build an initrd: the
26238 high-level @code{base-initrd} procedure and the low-level
26239 @code{raw-initrd} and @code{expression->initrd} procedures.
26241 The @code{base-initrd} procedure is intended to cover most common uses.
26242 For example, if you want to add a bunch of kernel modules to be loaded
26243 at boot time, you can define the @code{initrd} field of the operating
26244 system declaration like this:
26247 (initrd (lambda (file-systems . rest)
26248 ;; Create a standard initrd but set up networking
26249 ;; with the parameters QEMU expects by default.
26250 (apply base-initrd file-systems
26251 #:qemu-networking? #t
26255 The @code{base-initrd} procedure also handles common use cases that
26256 involves using the system as a QEMU guest, or as a ``live'' system with
26257 volatile root file system.
26259 The @code{base-initrd} procedure is built from @code{raw-initrd} procedure.
26260 Unlike @code{base-initrd}, @code{raw-initrd} doesn't do anything high-level,
26261 such as trying to guess which kernel modules and packages should be included
26262 to the initrd. An example use of @code{raw-initrd} is when a user has
26263 a custom Linux kernel configuration and default kernel modules included by
26264 @code{base-initrd} are not available.
26266 The initial RAM disk produced by @code{base-initrd} or @code{raw-initrd}
26267 honors several options passed on the Linux kernel command line
26268 (that is, arguments passed @i{via} the @code{linux} command of GRUB, or the
26269 @code{-append} option of QEMU), notably:
26272 @item --load=@var{boot}
26273 Tell the initial RAM disk to load @var{boot}, a file containing a Scheme
26274 program, once it has mounted the root file system.
26276 Guix uses this option to yield control to a boot program that runs the
26277 service activation programs and then spawns the GNU@tie{}Shepherd, the
26278 initialization system.
26280 @item --root=@var{root}
26281 Mount @var{root} as the root file system. @var{root} can be a
26282 device name like @code{/dev/sda1}, a file system label, or a file system
26285 @item --system=@var{system}
26286 Have @file{/run/booted-system} and @file{/run/current-system} point to
26289 @item modprobe.blacklist=@var{modules}@dots{}
26290 @cindex module, black-listing
26291 @cindex black list, of kernel modules
26292 Instruct the initial RAM disk as well as the @command{modprobe} command
26293 (from the kmod package) to refuse to load @var{modules}. @var{modules}
26294 must be a comma-separated list of module names---e.g.,
26295 @code{usbkbd,9pnet}.
26298 Start a read-eval-print loop (REPL) from the initial RAM disk before it
26299 tries to load kernel modules and to mount the root file system. Our
26300 marketing team calls it @dfn{boot-to-Guile}. The Schemer in you will
26301 love it. @xref{Using Guile Interactively,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference
26302 Manual}, for more information on Guile's REPL.
26306 Now that you know all the features that initial RAM disks produced by
26307 @code{base-initrd} and @code{raw-initrd} provide,
26308 here is how to use it and customize it further.
26311 @cindex initial RAM disk
26312 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} raw-initrd @var{file-systems} @
26313 [#:linux-modules '()] [#:mapped-devices '()] @
26314 [#:keyboard-layout #f] @
26315 [#:helper-packages '()] [#:qemu-networking? #f] [#:volatile-root? #f]
26316 Return a derivation that builds a raw initrd. @var{file-systems} is
26317 a list of file systems to be mounted by the initrd, possibly in addition to
26318 the root file system specified on the kernel command line via @code{--root}.
26319 @var{linux-modules} is a list of kernel modules to be loaded at boot time.
26320 @var{mapped-devices} is a list of device mappings to realize before
26321 @var{file-systems} are mounted (@pxref{Mapped Devices}).
26322 @var{helper-packages} is a list of packages to be copied in the initrd. It may
26323 include @code{e2fsck/static} or other packages needed by the initrd to check
26324 the root file system.
26326 When true, @var{keyboard-layout} is a @code{<keyboard-layout>} record denoting
26327 the desired console keyboard layout. This is done before @var{mapped-devices}
26328 are set up and before @var{file-systems} are mounted such that, should the
26329 user need to enter a passphrase or use the REPL, this happens using the
26330 intended keyboard layout.
26332 When @var{qemu-networking?} is true, set up networking with the standard QEMU
26333 parameters. When @var{virtio?} is true, load additional modules so that the
26334 initrd can be used as a QEMU guest with para-virtualized I/O drivers.
26336 When @var{volatile-root?} is true, the root file system is writable but any changes
26340 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} base-initrd @var{file-systems} @
26341 [#:mapped-devices '()] [#:keyboard-layout #f] @
26342 [#:qemu-networking? #f] [#:volatile-root? #f] @
26343 [#:linux-modules '()]
26344 Return as a file-like object a generic initrd, with kernel
26345 modules taken from @var{linux}. @var{file-systems} is a list of file-systems to be
26346 mounted by the initrd, possibly in addition to the root file system specified
26347 on the kernel command line via @code{--root}. @var{mapped-devices} is a list of device
26348 mappings to realize before @var{file-systems} are mounted.
26350 When true, @var{keyboard-layout} is a @code{<keyboard-layout>} record denoting
26351 the desired console keyboard layout. This is done before @var{mapped-devices}
26352 are set up and before @var{file-systems} are mounted such that, should the
26353 user need to enter a passphrase or use the REPL, this happens using the
26354 intended keyboard layout.
26356 @var{qemu-networking?} and @var{volatile-root?} behaves as in @code{raw-initrd}.
26358 The initrd is automatically populated with all the kernel modules necessary
26359 for @var{file-systems} and for the given options. Additional kernel
26360 modules can be listed in @var{linux-modules}. They will be added to the initrd, and
26361 loaded at boot time in the order in which they appear.
26364 Needless to say, the initrds we produce and use embed a
26365 statically-linked Guile, and the initialization program is a Guile
26366 program. That gives a lot of flexibility. The
26367 @code{expression->initrd} procedure builds such an initrd, given the
26368 program to run in that initrd.
26370 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} expression->initrd @var{exp} @
26371 [#:guile %guile-static-stripped] [#:name "guile-initrd"]
26372 Return as a file-like object a Linux initrd (a gzipped cpio archive)
26373 containing @var{guile} and that evaluates @var{exp}, a G-expression,
26374 upon booting. All the derivations referenced by @var{exp} are
26375 automatically copied to the initrd.
26378 @node Bootloader Configuration
26379 @section Bootloader Configuration
26382 @cindex boot loader
26384 The operating system supports multiple bootloaders. The bootloader is
26385 configured using @code{bootloader-configuration} declaration. All the
26386 fields of this structure are bootloader agnostic except for one field,
26387 @code{bootloader} that indicates the bootloader to be configured and
26390 Some of the bootloaders do not honor every field of
26391 @code{bootloader-configuration}. For instance, the extlinux
26392 bootloader does not support themes and thus ignores the @code{theme}
26395 @deftp {Data Type} bootloader-configuration
26396 The type of a bootloader configuration declaration.
26400 @item @code{bootloader}
26401 @cindex EFI, bootloader
26402 @cindex UEFI, bootloader
26403 @cindex BIOS, bootloader
26404 The bootloader to use, as a @code{bootloader} object. For now
26405 @code{grub-bootloader}, @code{grub-efi-bootloader},
26406 @code{extlinux-bootloader} and @code{u-boot-bootloader} are supported.
26408 @vindex grub-efi-bootloader
26409 @code{grub-efi-bootloader} allows to boot on modern systems using the
26410 @dfn{Unified Extensible Firmware Interface} (UEFI). This is what you should
26411 use if the installation image contains a @file{/sys/firmware/efi} directory
26412 when you boot it on your system.
26414 @vindex grub-bootloader
26415 @code{grub-bootloader} allows you to boot in particular Intel-based machines
26416 in ``legacy'' BIOS mode.
26418 @cindex ARM, bootloaders
26419 @cindex AArch64, bootloaders
26420 Available bootloaders are described in @code{(gnu bootloader @dots{})}
26421 modules. In particular, @code{(gnu bootloader u-boot)} contains definitions
26422 of bootloaders for a wide range of ARM and AArch64 systems, using the
26423 @uref{https://www.denx.de/wiki/U-Boot/, U-Boot bootloader}.
26425 @item @code{target}
26426 This is a string denoting the target onto which to install the
26429 The interpretation depends on the bootloader in question. For
26430 @code{grub-bootloader}, for example, it should be a device name understood by
26431 the bootloader @command{installer} command, such as @code{/dev/sda} or
26432 @code{(hd0)} (@pxref{Invoking grub-install,,, grub, GNU GRUB Manual}). For
26433 @code{grub-efi-bootloader}, it should be the mount point of the EFI file
26434 system, usually @file{/boot/efi}.
26436 @item @code{menu-entries} (default: @code{()})
26437 A possibly empty list of @code{menu-entry} objects (see below), denoting
26438 entries to appear in the bootloader menu, in addition to the current
26439 system entry and the entry pointing to previous system generations.
26441 @item @code{default-entry} (default: @code{0})
26442 The index of the default boot menu entry. Index 0 is for the entry of the
26445 @item @code{timeout} (default: @code{5})
26446 The number of seconds to wait for keyboard input before booting. Set to
26447 0 to boot immediately, and to -1 to wait indefinitely.
26449 @cindex keyboard layout, for the bootloader
26450 @item @code{keyboard-layout} (default: @code{#f})
26451 If this is @code{#f}, the bootloader's menu (if any) uses the default keyboard
26452 layout, usually US@tie{}English (``qwerty'').
26454 Otherwise, this must be a @code{keyboard-layout} object (@pxref{Keyboard
26458 This option is currently ignored by bootloaders other than @code{grub} and
26462 @item @code{theme} (default: @var{#f})
26463 The bootloader theme object describing the theme to use. If no theme
26464 is provided, some bootloaders might use a default theme, that's true
26467 @item @code{terminal-outputs} (default: @code{'(gfxterm)})
26468 The output terminals used for the bootloader boot menu, as a list of
26469 symbols. GRUB accepts the values: @code{console}, @code{serial},
26470 @code{serial_@{0-3@}}, @code{gfxterm}, @code{vga_text},
26471 @code{mda_text}, @code{morse}, and @code{pkmodem}. This field
26472 corresponds to the GRUB variable @code{GRUB_TERMINAL_OUTPUT} (@pxref{Simple
26473 configuration,,, grub,GNU GRUB manual}).
26475 @item @code{terminal-inputs} (default: @code{'()})
26476 The input terminals used for the bootloader boot menu, as a list of
26477 symbols. For GRUB, the default is the native platform terminal as
26478 determined at run-time. GRUB accepts the values: @code{console},
26479 @code{serial}, @code{serial_@{0-3@}}, @code{at_keyboard}, and
26480 @code{usb_keyboard}. This field corresponds to the GRUB variable
26481 @code{GRUB_TERMINAL_INPUT} (@pxref{Simple configuration,,, grub,GNU GRUB
26484 @item @code{serial-unit} (default: @code{#f})
26485 The serial unit used by the bootloader, as an integer from 0 to 3.
26486 For GRUB, it is chosen at run-time; currently GRUB chooses 0, which
26487 corresponds to COM1 (@pxref{Serial terminal,,, grub,GNU GRUB manual}).
26489 @item @code{serial-speed} (default: @code{#f})
26490 The speed of the serial interface, as an integer. For GRUB, the
26491 default value is chosen at run-time; currently GRUB chooses
26492 9600@tie{}bps (@pxref{Serial terminal,,, grub,GNU GRUB manual}).
26499 Should you want to list additional boot menu entries @i{via} the
26500 @code{menu-entries} field above, you will need to create them with the
26501 @code{menu-entry} form. For example, imagine you want to be able to
26502 boot another distro (hard to imagine!), you can define a menu entry
26507 (label "The Other Distro")
26508 (linux "/boot/old/vmlinux-2.6.32")
26509 (linux-arguments '("root=/dev/sda2"))
26510 (initrd "/boot/old/initrd"))
26515 @deftp {Data Type} menu-entry
26516 The type of an entry in the bootloader menu.
26521 The label to show in the menu---e.g., @code{"GNU"}.
26524 The Linux kernel image to boot, for example:
26527 (file-append linux-libre "/bzImage")
26530 For GRUB, it is also possible to specify a device explicitly in the
26531 file path using GRUB's device naming convention (@pxref{Naming
26532 convention,,, grub, GNU GRUB manual}), for example:
26535 "(hd0,msdos1)/boot/vmlinuz"
26538 If the device is specified explicitly as above, then the @code{device}
26539 field is ignored entirely.
26541 @item @code{linux-arguments} (default: @code{()})
26542 The list of extra Linux kernel command-line arguments---e.g.,
26543 @code{("console=ttyS0")}.
26545 @item @code{initrd}
26546 A G-Expression or string denoting the file name of the initial RAM disk
26547 to use (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
26548 @item @code{device} (default: @code{#f})
26549 The device where the kernel and initrd are to be found---i.e., for GRUB,
26550 @dfn{root} for this menu entry (@pxref{root,,, grub, GNU GRUB manual}).
26552 This may be a file system label (a string), a file system UUID (a
26553 bytevector, @pxref{File Systems}), or @code{#f}, in which case
26554 the bootloader will search the device containing the file specified by
26555 the @code{linux} field (@pxref{search,,, grub, GNU GRUB manual}). It
26556 must @emph{not} be an OS device name such as @file{/dev/sda1}.
26564 @c FIXME: Write documentation once it's stable.
26565 For now only GRUB has theme support. GRUB themes are created using
26566 the @code{grub-theme} form, which is not fully documented yet.
26568 @deftp {Data Type} grub-theme
26569 Data type representing the configuration of the GRUB theme.
26572 @item @code{gfxmode} (default: @code{'("auto")})
26573 The GRUB @code{gfxmode} to set (a list of screen resolution strings, see
26574 @pxref{gfxmode,,, grub, GNU GRUB manual}).
26578 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %default-theme
26579 This is the default GRUB theme used by the operating system if no
26580 @code{theme} field is specified in @code{bootloader-configuration}
26583 It comes with a fancy background image displaying the GNU and Guix
26587 For example, to override the default resolution, you may use something
26592 (grub-configuration
26595 (inherit %default-theme)
26596 (gfxmode '("1024x786x32" "auto"))))))
26599 @node Invoking guix system
26600 @section Invoking @code{guix system}
26602 Once you have written an operating system declaration as seen in the
26603 previous section, it can be @dfn{instantiated} using the @command{guix
26604 system} command. The synopsis is:
26607 guix system @var{options}@dots{} @var{action} @var{file}
26610 @var{file} must be the name of a file containing an
26611 @code{operating-system} declaration. @var{action} specifies how the
26612 operating system is instantiated. Currently the following values are
26617 Display available service type definitions that match the given regular
26618 expressions, sorted by relevance:
26624 $ guix system search console
26625 name: console-fonts
26626 location: gnu/services/base.scm:806:2
26627 extends: shepherd-root
26628 description: Install the given fonts on the specified ttys (fonts are per
26629 + virtual console on GNU/Linux). The value of this service is a list of
26630 + tty/font pairs. The font can be the name of a font provided by the `kbd'
26631 + package or any valid argument to `setfont', as in this example:
26633 + '(("tty1" . "LatGrkCyr-8x16")
26634 + ("tty2" . (file-append
26636 + "/share/kbd/consolefonts/TamzenForPowerline10x20.psf"))
26637 + ("tty3" . (file-append
26639 + "/share/consolefonts/ter-132n"))) ; for HDPI
26643 location: gnu/services/base.scm:1190:2
26644 extends: shepherd-root
26645 description: Provide console login using the `mingetty' program.
26649 location: gnu/services/base.scm:860:2
26651 description: Provide a console log-in service as specified by its
26652 + configuration value, a `login-configuration' object.
26658 As for @command{guix package --search}, the result is written in
26659 @code{recutils} format, which makes it easy to filter the output
26660 (@pxref{Top, GNU recutils databases,, recutils, GNU recutils manual}).
26663 Build the operating system described in @var{file}, activate it, and
26664 switch to it@footnote{This action (and the related actions
26665 @code{switch-generation} and @code{roll-back}) are usable only on
26666 systems already running Guix System.}.
26669 @c The paragraph below refers to the problem discussed at
26670 @c <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/guix-devel/2014-08/msg00057.html>.
26671 It is highly recommended to run @command{guix pull} once before you run
26672 @command{guix system reconfigure} for the first time (@pxref{Invoking
26673 guix pull}). Failing to do that you would see an older version of Guix
26674 once @command{reconfigure} has completed.
26677 This effects all the configuration specified in @var{file}: user
26678 accounts, system services, global package list, setuid programs, etc.
26679 The command starts system services specified in @var{file} that are not
26680 currently running; if a service is currently running this command will
26681 arrange for it to be upgraded the next time it is stopped (e.g.@: by
26682 @code{herd stop X} or @code{herd restart X}).
26684 This command creates a new generation whose number is one greater than
26685 the current generation (as reported by @command{guix system
26686 list-generations}). If that generation already exists, it will be
26687 overwritten. This behavior mirrors that of @command{guix package}
26688 (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).
26690 It also adds a bootloader menu entry for the new OS configuration,
26691 ---unless @option{--no-bootloader} is passed. For GRUB, it moves
26692 entries for older configurations to a submenu, allowing you to choose
26693 an older system generation at boot time should you need it.
26695 @cindex provenance tracking, of the operating system
26696 Upon completion, the new system is deployed under
26697 @file{/run/current-system}. This directory contains @dfn{provenance
26698 meta-data}: the list of channels in use (@pxref{Channels}) and
26699 @var{file} itself, when available. This information is useful should
26700 you later want to inspect how this particular generation was built.
26702 In fact, assuming @var{file} is self-contained, you can later rebuild
26703 generation @var{n} of your operating system with:
26706 guix time-machine \
26707 -C /var/guix/profiles/system-@var{n}-link/channels.scm -- \
26708 system reconfigure \
26709 /var/guix/profiles/system-@var{n}-link/configuration.scm
26712 You can think of it as some sort of built-in version control! Your
26713 system is not just a binary artifact: @emph{it carries its own source}.
26714 @xref{Service Reference, @code{provenance-service-type}}, for more
26715 information on provenance tracking.
26717 @item switch-generation
26718 @cindex generations
26719 Switch to an existing system generation. This action atomically
26720 switches the system profile to the specified system generation. It
26721 also rearranges the system's existing bootloader menu entries. It
26722 makes the menu entry for the specified system generation the default,
26723 and it moves the entries for the other generations to a submenu, if
26724 supported by the bootloader being used. The next time the system
26725 boots, it will use the specified system generation.
26727 The bootloader itself is not being reinstalled when using this
26728 command. Thus, the installed bootloader is used with an updated
26729 configuration file.
26731 The target generation can be specified explicitly by its generation
26732 number. For example, the following invocation would switch to system
26736 guix system switch-generation 7
26739 The target generation can also be specified relative to the current
26740 generation with the form @code{+N} or @code{-N}, where @code{+3} means
26741 ``3 generations ahead of the current generation,'' and @code{-1} means
26742 ``1 generation prior to the current generation.'' When specifying a
26743 negative value such as @code{-1}, you must precede it with @code{--} to
26744 prevent it from being parsed as an option. For example:
26747 guix system switch-generation -- -1
26750 Currently, the effect of invoking this action is @emph{only} to switch
26751 the system profile to an existing generation and rearrange the
26752 bootloader menu entries. To actually start using the target system
26753 generation, you must reboot after running this action. In the future,
26754 it will be updated to do the same things as @command{reconfigure},
26755 like activating and deactivating services.
26757 This action will fail if the specified generation does not exist.
26760 @cindex rolling back
26761 Switch to the preceding system generation. The next time the system
26762 boots, it will use the preceding system generation. This is the inverse
26763 of @command{reconfigure}, and it is exactly the same as invoking
26764 @command{switch-generation} with an argument of @code{-1}.
26766 Currently, as with @command{switch-generation}, you must reboot after
26767 running this action to actually start using the preceding system
26770 @item delete-generations
26771 @cindex deleting system generations
26772 @cindex saving space
26773 Delete system generations, making them candidates for garbage collection
26774 (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}, for information on how to run the ``garbage
26777 This works in the same way as @command{guix package --delete-generations}
26778 (@pxref{Invoking guix package, @code{--delete-generations}}). With no
26779 arguments, all system generations but the current one are deleted:
26782 guix system delete-generations
26785 You can also select the generations you want to delete. The example below
26786 deletes all the system generations that are more than two month old:
26789 guix system delete-generations 2m
26792 Running this command automatically reinstalls the bootloader with an updated
26793 list of menu entries---e.g., the ``old generations'' sub-menu in GRUB no
26794 longer lists the generations that have been deleted.
26797 Build the derivation of the operating system, which includes all the
26798 configuration files and programs needed to boot and run the system.
26799 This action does not actually install anything.
26802 Populate the given directory with all the files necessary to run the
26803 operating system specified in @var{file}. This is useful for first-time
26804 installations of Guix System. For instance:
26807 guix system init my-os-config.scm /mnt
26810 copies to @file{/mnt} all the store items required by the configuration
26811 specified in @file{my-os-config.scm}. This includes configuration
26812 files, packages, and so on. It also creates other essential files
26813 needed for the system to operate correctly---e.g., the @file{/etc},
26814 @file{/var}, and @file{/run} directories, and the @file{/bin/sh} file.
26816 This command also installs bootloader on the target specified in
26817 @file{my-os-config}, unless the @option{--no-bootloader} option was
26821 @cindex virtual machine
26823 @anchor{guix system vm}
26824 Build a virtual machine that contains the operating system declared in
26825 @var{file}, and return a script to run that virtual machine (VM).
26828 The @code{vm} action and others below
26829 can use KVM support in the Linux-libre kernel. Specifically, if the
26830 machine has hardware virtualization support, the corresponding
26831 KVM kernel module should be loaded, and the @file{/dev/kvm} device node
26832 must exist and be readable and writable by the user and by the
26833 build users of the daemon (@pxref{Build Environment Setup}).
26836 Arguments given to the script are passed to QEMU as in the example
26837 below, which enables networking and requests 1@tie{}GiB of RAM for the
26841 $ /gnu/store/@dots{}-run-vm.sh -m 1024 -smp 2 -net user,model=virtio-net-pci
26844 The VM shares its store with the host system.
26846 Additional file systems can be shared between the host and the VM using
26847 the @code{--share} and @code{--expose} command-line options: the former
26848 specifies a directory to be shared with write access, while the latter
26849 provides read-only access to the shared directory.
26851 The example below creates a VM in which the user's home directory is
26852 accessible read-only, and where the @file{/exchange} directory is a
26853 read-write mapping of @file{$HOME/tmp} on the host:
26856 guix system vm my-config.scm \
26857 --expose=$HOME --share=$HOME/tmp=/exchange
26860 On GNU/Linux, the default is to boot directly to the kernel; this has
26861 the advantage of requiring only a very tiny root disk image since the
26862 store of the host can then be mounted.
26864 The @code{--full-boot} option forces a complete boot sequence, starting
26865 with the bootloader. This requires more disk space since a root image
26866 containing at least the kernel, initrd, and bootloader data files must
26867 be created. The @code{--image-size} option can be used to specify the
26870 @cindex System images, creation in various formats
26871 @cindex Creating system images in various formats
26874 @itemx docker-image
26875 Return a virtual machine, disk image, or Docker image of the operating
26876 system declared in @var{file} that stands alone. By default,
26877 @command{guix system} estimates the size of the image needed to store
26878 the system, but you can use the @option{--image-size} option to specify
26879 a value. Docker images are built to contain exactly what they need, so
26880 the @option{--image-size} option is ignored in the case of
26881 @code{docker-image}.
26883 You can specify the root file system type by using the
26884 @option{--file-system-type} option. It defaults to @code{ext4}.
26886 When using @code{vm-image}, the returned image is in qcow2 format, which
26887 the QEMU emulator can efficiently use. @xref{Running Guix in a VM},
26888 for more information on how to run the image in a virtual machine.
26890 When using @code{disk-image}, a raw disk image is produced; it can be
26891 copied as is to a USB stick, for instance. Assuming @code{/dev/sdc} is
26892 the device corresponding to a USB stick, one can copy the image to it
26893 using the following command:
26896 # dd if=$(guix system disk-image my-os.scm) of=/dev/sdc
26899 When using @code{docker-image}, a Docker image is produced. Guix builds
26900 the image from scratch, not from a pre-existing Docker base image. As a
26901 result, it contains @emph{exactly} what you define in the operating
26902 system configuration file. You can then load the image and launch a
26903 Docker container using commands like the following:
26906 image_id="`docker load < guix-system-docker-image.tar.gz`"
26907 container_id="`docker create $image_id`"
26908 docker start $container_id
26911 This command starts a new Docker container from the specified image. It
26912 will boot the Guix system in the usual manner, which means it will
26913 start any services you have defined in the operating system
26914 configuration. You can get an interactive shell running in the container
26915 using @command{docker exec}:
26918 docker exec -ti $container_id /run/current-system/profile/bin/bash --login
26921 Depending on what you run in the Docker container, it
26922 may be necessary to give the container additional permissions. For
26923 example, if you intend to build software using Guix inside of the Docker
26924 container, you may need to pass the @option{--privileged} option to
26925 @code{docker create}.
26928 Return a script to run the operating system declared in @var{file}
26929 within a container. Containers are a set of lightweight isolation
26930 mechanisms provided by the kernel Linux-libre. Containers are
26931 substantially less resource-demanding than full virtual machines since
26932 the kernel, shared objects, and other resources can be shared with the
26933 host system; this also means they provide thinner isolation.
26935 Currently, the script must be run as root in order to support more than
26936 a single user and group. The container shares its store with the host
26939 As with the @code{vm} action (@pxref{guix system vm}), additional file
26940 systems to be shared between the host and container can be specified
26941 using the @option{--share} and @option{--expose} options:
26944 guix system container my-config.scm \
26945 --expose=$HOME --share=$HOME/tmp=/exchange
26949 This option requires Linux-libre 3.19 or newer.
26954 @var{options} can contain any of the common build options (@pxref{Common
26955 Build Options}). In addition, @var{options} can contain one of the
26959 @item --expression=@var{expr}
26960 @itemx -e @var{expr}
26961 Consider the operating-system @var{expr} evaluates to.
26962 This is an alternative to specifying a file which evaluates to an
26964 This is used to generate the Guix system installer @pxref{Building the
26965 Installation Image}).
26967 @item --system=@var{system}
26968 @itemx -s @var{system}
26969 Attempt to build for @var{system} instead of the host system type.
26970 This works as per @command{guix build} (@pxref{Invoking guix build}).
26974 Return the derivation file name of the given operating system without
26977 @cindex provenance tracking, of the operating system
26978 @item --save-provenance
26979 As discussed above, @command{guix system init} and @command{guix system
26980 reconfigure} always save provenance information @i{via} a dedicated
26981 service (@pxref{Service Reference, @code{provenance-service-type}}).
26982 However, other commands don't do that by default. If you wish to, say,
26983 create a virtual machine image that contains provenance information, you
26987 guix system vm-image --save-provenance config.scm
26990 That way, the resulting image will effectively ``embed its own source''
26991 in the form of meta-data in @file{/run/current-system}. With that
26992 information, one can rebuild the image to make sure it really contains
26993 what it pretends to contain; or they could use that to derive a variant
26996 @item --file-system-type=@var{type}
26997 @itemx -t @var{type}
26998 For the @code{disk-image} action, create a file system of the given
26999 @var{type} on the image.
27001 When this option is omitted, @command{guix system} uses @code{ext4}.
27003 @cindex ISO-9660 format
27004 @cindex CD image format
27005 @cindex DVD image format
27006 @code{--file-system-type=iso9660} produces an ISO-9660 image, suitable
27007 for burning on CDs and DVDs.
27009 @item --image-size=@var{size}
27010 For the @code{vm-image} and @code{disk-image} actions, create an image
27011 of the given @var{size}. @var{size} may be a number of bytes, or it may
27012 include a unit as a suffix (@pxref{Block size, size specifications,,
27013 coreutils, GNU Coreutils}).
27015 When this option is omitted, @command{guix system} computes an estimate
27016 of the image size as a function of the size of the system declared in
27021 For the @code{container} action, allow containers to access the host network,
27022 that is, do not create a network namespace.
27024 @item --root=@var{file}
27025 @itemx -r @var{file}
27026 Make @var{file} a symlink to the result, and register it as a garbage
27029 @item --skip-checks
27030 Skip pre-installation safety checks.
27032 By default, @command{guix system init} and @command{guix system
27033 reconfigure} perform safety checks: they make sure the file systems that
27034 appear in the @code{operating-system} declaration actually exist
27035 (@pxref{File Systems}), and that any Linux kernel modules that may be
27036 needed at boot time are listed in @code{initrd-modules} (@pxref{Initial
27037 RAM Disk}). Passing this option skips these tests altogether.
27040 @cindex on-error strategy
27041 @cindex error strategy
27042 @item --on-error=@var{strategy}
27043 Apply @var{strategy} when an error occurs when reading @var{file}.
27044 @var{strategy} may be one of the following:
27047 @item nothing-special
27048 Report the error concisely and exit. This is the default strategy.
27051 Likewise, but also display a backtrace.
27054 Report the error and enter Guile's debugger. From there, you can run
27055 commands such as @code{,bt} to get a backtrace, @code{,locals} to
27056 display local variable values, and more generally inspect the state of the
27057 program. @xref{Debug Commands,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}, for
27058 a list of available debugging commands.
27062 Once you have built, configured, re-configured, and re-re-configured
27063 your Guix installation, you may find it useful to list the operating
27064 system generations available on disk---and that you can choose from the
27065 bootloader boot menu:
27070 Describe the current system generation: its file name, the kernel and
27071 bootloader used, etc., as well as provenance information when available.
27073 @item list-generations
27074 List a summary of each generation of the operating system available on
27075 disk, in a human-readable way. This is similar to the
27076 @option{--list-generations} option of @command{guix package}
27077 (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).
27079 Optionally, one can specify a pattern, with the same syntax that is used
27080 in @command{guix package --list-generations}, to restrict the list of
27081 generations displayed. For instance, the following command displays
27082 generations that are up to 10 days old:
27085 $ guix system list-generations 10d
27090 The @command{guix system} command has even more to offer! The following
27091 sub-commands allow you to visualize how your system services relate to
27094 @anchor{system-extension-graph}
27097 @item extension-graph
27098 Emit in Dot/Graphviz format to standard output the @dfn{service
27099 extension graph} of the operating system defined in @var{file}
27100 (@pxref{Service Composition}, for more information on service
27106 $ guix system extension-graph @var{file} | dot -Tpdf > services.pdf
27109 produces a PDF file showing the extension relations among services.
27111 @anchor{system-shepherd-graph}
27112 @item shepherd-graph
27113 Emit in Dot/Graphviz format to standard output the @dfn{dependency
27114 graph} of shepherd services of the operating system defined in
27115 @var{file}. @xref{Shepherd Services}, for more information and for an
27120 @node Invoking guix deploy
27121 @section Invoking @code{guix deploy}
27123 We've already seen @code{operating-system} declarations used to manage a
27124 machine's configuration locally. Suppose you need to configure multiple
27125 machines, though---perhaps you're managing a service on the web that's
27126 comprised of several servers. @command{guix deploy} enables you to use those
27127 same @code{operating-system} declarations to manage multiple remote hosts at
27128 once as a logical ``deployment''.
27131 The functionality described in this section is still under development
27132 and is subject to change. Get in touch with us on
27133 @email{guix-devel@@gnu.org}!
27137 guix deploy @var{file}
27140 Such an invocation will deploy the machines that the code within @var{file}
27141 evaluates to. As an example, @var{file} might contain a definition like this:
27144 ;; This is a Guix deployment of a "bare bones" setup, with
27145 ;; no X11 display server, to a machine with an SSH daemon
27146 ;; listening on localhost:2222. A configuration such as this
27147 ;; may be appropriate for virtual machine with ports
27148 ;; forwarded to the host's loopback interface.
27150 (use-service-modules networking ssh)
27151 (use-package-modules bootloaders)
27155 (host-name "gnu-deployed")
27156 (timezone "Etc/UTC")
27157 (bootloader (bootloader-configuration
27158 (bootloader grub-bootloader)
27159 (target "/dev/vda")
27160 (terminal-outputs '(console))))
27161 (file-systems (cons (file-system
27163 (device "/dev/vda1")
27165 %base-file-systems))
27167 (append (list (service dhcp-client-service-type)
27168 (service openssh-service-type
27169 (openssh-configuration
27170 (permit-root-login #t)
27171 (allow-empty-passwords? #t))))
27175 (operating-system %system)
27176 (environment managed-host-environment-type)
27177 (configuration (machine-ssh-configuration
27178 (host-name "localhost")
27179 (system "x86_64-linux")
27181 (identity "./id_rsa")
27185 The file should evaluate to a list of @var{machine} objects. This example,
27186 upon being deployed, will create a new generation on the remote system
27187 realizing the @code{operating-system} declaration @code{%system}.
27188 @code{environment} and @code{configuration} specify how the machine should be
27189 provisioned---that is, how the computing resources should be created and
27190 managed. The above example does not create any resources, as a
27191 @code{'managed-host} is a machine that is already running the Guix system and
27192 available over the network. This is a particularly simple case; a more
27193 complex deployment may involve, for example, starting virtual machines through
27194 a Virtual Private Server (VPS) provider. In such a case, a different
27195 @var{environment} type would be used.
27197 Do note that you first need to generate a key pair on the coordinator machine
27198 to allow the daemon to export signed archives of files from the store
27199 (@pxref{Invoking guix archive}).
27202 # guix archive --generate-key
27206 Each target machine must authorize the key of the master machine so that it
27207 accepts store items it receives from the coordinator:
27210 # guix archive --authorize < coordinator-public-key.txt
27213 @code{user}, in this example, specifies the name of the user account to log in
27214 as to perform the deployment. Its default value is @code{root}, but root
27215 login over SSH may be forbidden in some cases. To work around this,
27216 @command{guix deploy} can log in as an unprivileged user and employ
27217 @code{sudo} to escalate privileges. This will only work if @code{sudo} is
27218 currently installed on the remote and can be invoked non-interactively as
27219 @code{user}. That is, the line in @code{sudoers} granting @code{user} the
27220 ability to use @code{sudo} must contain the @code{NOPASSWD} tag. This can
27221 be accomplished with the following operating system configuration snippet:
27225 (gnu system)) ;for %sudoers-specification
27227 (define %user "username")
27232 (plain-file "sudoers"
27233 (string-append (plain-file-content %sudoers-specification)
27234 (format #f "~a ALL = NOPASSWD: ALL~%"
27239 For more information regarding the format of the @file{sudoers} file,
27240 consult @command{man sudoers}.
27242 @deftp {Data Type} machine
27243 This is the data type representing a single machine in a heterogeneous Guix
27247 @item @code{operating-system}
27248 The object of the operating system configuration to deploy.
27250 @item @code{environment}
27251 An @code{environment-type} describing how the machine should be provisioned.
27253 @item @code{configuration} (default: @code{#f})
27254 An object describing the configuration for the machine's @code{environment}.
27255 If the @code{environment} has a default configuration, @code{#f} may be used.
27256 If @code{#f} is used for an environment with no default configuration,
27257 however, an error will be thrown.
27261 @deftp {Data Type} machine-ssh-configuration
27262 This is the data type representing the SSH client parameters for a machine
27263 with an @code{environment} of @code{managed-host-environment-type}.
27266 @item @code{host-name}
27267 @item @code{build-locally?} (default: @code{#t})
27268 If false, system derivations will be built on the machine being deployed to.
27269 @item @code{system}
27270 The system type describing the architecture of the machine being deployed
27271 to---e.g., @code{"x86_64-linux"}.
27272 @item @code{authorize?} (default: @code{#t})
27273 If true, the coordinator's signing key will be added to the remote's ACL
27275 @item @code{port} (default: @code{22})
27276 @item @code{user} (default: @code{"root"})
27277 @item @code{identity} (default: @code{#f})
27278 If specified, the path to the SSH private key to use to authenticate with the
27281 @item @code{host-key} (default: @code{#f})
27282 This should be the SSH host key of the machine, which looks like this:
27285 ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3Nz@dots{} root@@example.org
27288 When @code{host-key} is @code{#f}, the server is authenticated against
27289 the @file{~/.ssh/known_hosts} file, just like the OpenSSH @command{ssh}
27295 @deftp {Data Type} digital-ocean-configuration
27296 This is the data type describing the Droplet that should be created for a
27297 machine with an @code{environment} of @code{digital-ocean-environment-type}.
27300 @item @code{ssh-key}
27301 The path to the SSH private key to use to authenticate with the remote
27302 host. In the future, this field may not exist.
27304 A list of string ``tags'' that uniquely identify the machine. Must be given
27305 such that no two machines in the deployment have the same set of tags.
27306 @item @code{region}
27307 A Digital Ocean region slug, such as @code{"nyc3"}.
27309 A Digital Ocean size slug, such as @code{"s-1vcpu-1gb"}
27310 @item @code{enable-ipv6?}
27311 Whether or not the droplet should be created with IPv6 networking.
27315 @node Running Guix in a VM
27316 @section Running Guix in a Virtual Machine
27318 @cindex virtual machine
27319 To run Guix in a virtual machine (VM), one can use the pre-built Guix VM image
27321 @url{@value{BASE-URL}/guix-system-vm-image-@value{VERSION}.x86_64-linux.xz}.
27322 This image is a compressed image in QCOW format. You will first need to
27323 decompress with @command{xz -d}, and then you can pass it to an emulator such
27324 as QEMU (see below for details).
27326 This image boots the Xfce graphical environment and it contains some
27327 commonly-used tools. You can install more software in the image by running
27328 @command{guix package} in a terminal (@pxref{Invoking guix package}). You can
27329 also reconfigure the system based on its initial configuration file available
27330 as @file{/run/current-system/configuration.scm} (@pxref{Using the
27331 Configuration System}).
27333 Instead of using this pre-built image, one can also build their own virtual
27334 machine image using @command{guix system vm-image} (@pxref{Invoking guix
27335 system}). The returned image is in qcow2 format, which the
27336 @uref{https://qemu.org/, QEMU emulator} can efficiently use.
27339 If you built your own image, you must copy it out of the store
27340 (@pxref{The Store}) and give yourself permission to write to the copy
27341 before you can use it. When invoking QEMU, you must choose a system
27342 emulator that is suitable for your hardware platform. Here is a minimal
27343 QEMU invocation that will boot the result of @command{guix system
27344 vm-image} on x86_64 hardware:
27347 $ qemu-system-x86_64 \
27348 -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci \
27349 -enable-kvm -m 1024 \
27350 -device virtio-blk,drive=myhd \
27351 -drive if=none,file=/tmp/qemu-image,id=myhd
27354 Here is what each of these options means:
27357 @item qemu-system-x86_64
27358 This specifies the hardware platform to emulate. This should match the
27361 @item -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci
27362 Enable the unprivileged user-mode network stack. The guest OS can
27363 access the host but not vice versa. This is the simplest way to get the
27364 guest OS online. @code{model} specifies which network device to emulate:
27365 @code{virtio-net-pci} is a special device made for virtualized operating
27366 systems and recommended for most uses. Assuming your hardware platform is
27367 x86_64, you can get a list of available NIC models by running
27368 @command{qemu-system-x86_64 -nic model=help}.
27371 If your system has hardware virtualization extensions, enabling the
27372 virtual machine support (KVM) of the Linux kernel will make things run
27375 @c To run Xfce + 'guix pull', we need at least 1G of RAM.
27377 RAM available to the guest OS, in mebibytes. Defaults to 128@tie{}MiB,
27378 which may be insufficient for some operations.
27380 @item -device virtio-blk,drive=myhd
27381 Create a @code{virtio-blk} drive called ``myhd''. @code{virtio-blk} is a
27382 ``paravirtualization'' mechanism for block devices that allows QEMU to achieve
27383 better performance than if it were emulating a complete disk drive. See the
27384 QEMU and KVM documentation for more info.
27386 @item -drive if=none,file=/tmp/qemu-image,id=myhd
27387 Use our QCOW image, the @file{/tmp/qemu-image} file, as the backing store the
27388 the ``myhd'' drive.
27391 The default @command{run-vm.sh} script that is returned by an invocation of
27392 @command{guix system vm} does not add a @command{-nic user} flag by default.
27393 To get network access from within the vm add the @code{(dhcp-client-service)}
27394 to your system definition and start the VM using
27395 @command{`guix system vm config.scm` -nic user}. An important caveat of using
27396 @command{-nic user} for networking is that @command{ping} will not work, because
27397 it uses the ICMP protocol. You'll have to use a different command to check for
27398 network connectivity, for example @command{guix download}.
27400 @subsection Connecting Through SSH
27404 To enable SSH inside a VM you need to add an SSH server like
27405 @code{openssh-service-type} to your VM (@pxref{Networking Services,
27406 @code{openssh-service-type}}). In addition you need to forward the SSH port,
27407 22 by default, to the host. You can do this with
27410 `guix system vm config.scm` -nic user,model=virtio-net-pci,hostfwd=tcp::10022-:22
27413 To connect to the VM you can run
27416 ssh -o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -p 10022
27419 The @command{-p} tells @command{ssh} the port you want to connect to.
27420 @command{-o UserKnownHostsFile=/dev/null} prevents @command{ssh} from complaining
27421 every time you modify your @command{config.scm} file and the
27422 @command{-o StrictHostKeyChecking=no} prevents you from having to allow a
27423 connection to an unknown host every time you connect.
27425 @subsection Using @command{virt-viewer} with Spice
27427 As an alternative to the default @command{qemu} graphical client you can
27428 use the @command{remote-viewer} from the @command{virt-viewer} package. To
27429 connect pass the @command{-spice port=5930,disable-ticketing} flag to
27430 @command{qemu}. See previous section for further information on how to do this.
27432 Spice also allows you to do some nice stuff like share your clipboard with your
27433 VM. To enable that you'll also have to pass the following flags to @command{qemu}:
27436 -device virtio-serial-pci,id=virtio-serial0,max_ports=16,bus=pci.0,addr=0x5
27437 -chardev spicevmc,name=vdagent,id=vdagent
27438 -device virtserialport,nr=1,bus=virtio-serial0.0,chardev=vdagent,
27439 name=com.redhat.spice.0
27442 You'll also need to add the @code{(spice-vdagent-service)} to your
27443 system definition (@pxref{Miscellaneous Services, Spice service}).
27445 @node Defining Services
27446 @section Defining Services
27448 The previous sections show the available services and how one can combine
27449 them in an @code{operating-system} declaration. But how do we define
27450 them in the first place? And what is a service anyway?
27453 * Service Composition:: The model for composing services.
27454 * Service Types and Services:: Types and services.
27455 * Service Reference:: API reference.
27456 * Shepherd Services:: A particular type of service.
27459 @node Service Composition
27460 @subsection Service Composition
27464 Here we define a @dfn{service} as, broadly, something that extends the
27465 functionality of the operating system. Often a service is a process---a
27466 @dfn{daemon}---started when the system boots: a secure shell server, a
27467 Web server, the Guix build daemon, etc. Sometimes a service is a daemon
27468 whose execution can be triggered by another daemon---e.g., an FTP server
27469 started by @command{inetd} or a D-Bus service activated by
27470 @command{dbus-daemon}. Occasionally, a service does not map to a
27471 daemon. For instance, the ``account'' service collects user accounts
27472 and makes sure they exist when the system runs; the ``udev'' service
27473 collects device management rules and makes them available to the eudev
27474 daemon; the @file{/etc} service populates the @file{/etc} directory
27477 @cindex service extensions
27478 Guix system services are connected by @dfn{extensions}. For instance, the
27479 secure shell service @emph{extends} the Shepherd---the
27480 initialization system, running as PID@tie{}1---by giving it the command
27481 lines to start and stop the secure shell daemon (@pxref{Networking
27482 Services, @code{openssh-service-type}}); the UPower service extends the D-Bus
27483 service by passing it its @file{.service} specification, and extends the
27484 udev service by passing it device management rules (@pxref{Desktop
27485 Services, @code{upower-service}}); the Guix daemon service extends the
27486 Shepherd by passing it the command lines to start and stop the daemon,
27487 and extends the account service by passing it a list of required build
27488 user accounts (@pxref{Base Services}).
27490 All in all, services and their ``extends'' relations form a directed
27491 acyclic graph (DAG). If we represent services as boxes and extensions
27492 as arrows, a typical system might provide something like this:
27494 @image{images/service-graph,,5in,Typical service extension graph.}
27496 @cindex system service
27497 At the bottom, we see the @dfn{system service}, which produces the
27498 directory containing everything to run and boot the system, as returned
27499 by the @command{guix system build} command. @xref{Service Reference},
27500 to learn about the other service types shown here.
27501 @xref{system-extension-graph, the @command{guix system extension-graph}
27502 command}, for information on how to generate this representation for a
27503 particular operating system definition.
27505 @cindex service types
27506 Technically, developers can define @dfn{service types} to express these
27507 relations. There can be any number of services of a given type on the
27508 system---for instance, a system running two instances of the GNU secure
27509 shell server (lsh) has two instances of @code{lsh-service-type}, with
27510 different parameters.
27512 The following section describes the programming interface for service
27513 types and services.
27515 @node Service Types and Services
27516 @subsection Service Types and Services
27518 A @dfn{service type} is a node in the DAG described above. Let us start
27519 with a simple example, the service type for the Guix build daemon
27520 (@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon}):
27523 (define guix-service-type
27527 (list (service-extension shepherd-root-service-type guix-shepherd-service)
27528 (service-extension account-service-type guix-accounts)
27529 (service-extension activation-service-type guix-activation)))
27530 (default-value (guix-configuration))))
27534 It defines three things:
27538 A name, whose sole purpose is to make inspection and debugging easier.
27541 A list of @dfn{service extensions}, where each extension designates the
27542 target service type and a procedure that, given the parameters of the
27543 service, returns a list of objects to extend the service of that type.
27545 Every service type has at least one service extension. The only
27546 exception is the @dfn{boot service type}, which is the ultimate service.
27549 Optionally, a default value for instances of this type.
27552 In this example, @code{guix-service-type} extends three services:
27555 @item shepherd-root-service-type
27556 The @code{guix-shepherd-service} procedure defines how the Shepherd
27557 service is extended. Namely, it returns a @code{<shepherd-service>}
27558 object that defines how @command{guix-daemon} is started and stopped
27559 (@pxref{Shepherd Services}).
27561 @item account-service-type
27562 This extension for this service is computed by @code{guix-accounts},
27563 which returns a list of @code{user-group} and @code{user-account}
27564 objects representing the build user accounts (@pxref{Invoking
27567 @item activation-service-type
27568 Here @code{guix-activation} is a procedure that returns a gexp, which is
27569 a code snippet to run at ``activation time''---e.g., when the service is
27573 A service of this type is instantiated like this:
27576 (service guix-service-type
27577 (guix-configuration
27579 (use-substitutes? #f)))
27582 The second argument to the @code{service} form is a value representing
27583 the parameters of this specific service instance.
27584 @xref{guix-configuration-type, @code{guix-configuration}}, for
27585 information about the @code{guix-configuration} data type. When the
27586 value is omitted, the default value specified by
27587 @code{guix-service-type} is used:
27590 (service guix-service-type)
27593 @code{guix-service-type} is quite simple because it extends other
27594 services but is not extensible itself.
27596 @c @subsubsubsection Extensible Service Types
27598 The service type for an @emph{extensible} service looks like this:
27601 (define udev-service-type
27602 (service-type (name 'udev)
27604 (list (service-extension shepherd-root-service-type
27605 udev-shepherd-service)))
27607 (compose concatenate) ;concatenate the list of rules
27608 (extend (lambda (config rules)
27610 (($ <udev-configuration> udev initial-rules)
27611 (udev-configuration
27612 (udev udev) ;the udev package to use
27613 (rules (append initial-rules rules)))))))))
27616 This is the service type for the
27617 @uref{https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Eudev, eudev device
27618 management daemon}. Compared to the previous example, in addition to an
27619 extension of @code{shepherd-root-service-type}, we see two new fields:
27623 This is the procedure to @dfn{compose} the list of extensions to
27624 services of this type.
27626 Services can extend the udev service by passing it lists of rules; we
27627 compose those extensions simply by concatenating them.
27630 This procedure defines how the value of the service is @dfn{extended} with
27631 the composition of the extensions.
27633 Udev extensions are composed into a list of rules, but the udev service
27634 value is itself a @code{<udev-configuration>} record. So here, we
27635 extend that record by appending the list of rules it contains to the
27636 list of contributed rules.
27639 This is a string giving an overview of the service type. The string can
27640 contain Texinfo markup (@pxref{Overview,,, texinfo, GNU Texinfo}). The
27641 @command{guix system search} command searches these strings and displays
27642 them (@pxref{Invoking guix system}).
27645 There can be only one instance of an extensible service type such as
27646 @code{udev-service-type}. If there were more, the
27647 @code{service-extension} specifications would be ambiguous.
27649 Still here? The next section provides a reference of the programming
27650 interface for services.
27652 @node Service Reference
27653 @subsection Service Reference
27655 We have seen an overview of service types (@pxref{Service Types and
27656 Services}). This section provides a reference on how to manipulate
27657 services and service types. This interface is provided by the
27658 @code{(gnu services)} module.
27660 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service @var{type} [@var{value}]
27661 Return a new service of @var{type}, a @code{<service-type>} object (see
27662 below.) @var{value} can be any object; it represents the parameters of
27663 this particular service instance.
27665 When @var{value} is omitted, the default value specified by @var{type}
27666 is used; if @var{type} does not specify a default value, an error is
27669 For instance, this:
27672 (service openssh-service-type)
27676 is equivalent to this:
27679 (service openssh-service-type
27680 (openssh-configuration))
27683 In both cases the result is an instance of @code{openssh-service-type}
27684 with the default configuration.
27687 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service? @var{obj}
27688 Return true if @var{obj} is a service.
27691 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-kind @var{service}
27692 Return the type of @var{service}---i.e., a @code{<service-type>} object.
27695 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-value @var{service}
27696 Return the value associated with @var{service}. It represents its
27700 Here is an example of how a service is created and manipulated:
27704 (service nginx-service-type
27705 (nginx-configuration
27707 (log-directory log-directory)
27708 (run-directory run-directory)
27709 (file config-file))))
27714 (eq? (service-kind s) nginx-service-type)
27718 The @code{modify-services} form provides a handy way to change the
27719 parameters of some of the services of a list such as
27720 @code{%base-services} (@pxref{Base Services, @code{%base-services}}). It
27721 evaluates to a list of services. Of course, you could always use
27722 standard list combinators such as @code{map} and @code{fold} to do that
27723 (@pxref{SRFI-1, List Library,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual});
27724 @code{modify-services} simply provides a more concise form for this
27727 @deffn {Scheme Syntax} modify-services @var{services} @
27728 (@var{type} @var{variable} => @var{body}) @dots{}
27730 Modify the services listed in @var{services} according to the given
27731 clauses. Each clause has the form:
27734 (@var{type} @var{variable} => @var{body})
27737 where @var{type} is a service type---e.g.,
27738 @code{guix-service-type}---and @var{variable} is an identifier that is
27739 bound within the @var{body} to the service parameters---e.g., a
27740 @code{guix-configuration} instance---of the original service of that
27743 The @var{body} should evaluate to the new service parameters, which will
27744 be used to configure the new service. This new service will replace the
27745 original in the resulting list. Because a service's service parameters
27746 are created using @code{define-record-type*}, you can write a succinct
27747 @var{body} that evaluates to the new service parameters by using the
27748 @code{inherit} feature that @code{define-record-type*} provides.
27750 @xref{Using the Configuration System}, for example usage.
27754 Next comes the programming interface for service types. This is
27755 something you want to know when writing new service definitions, but not
27756 necessarily when simply looking for ways to customize your
27757 @code{operating-system} declaration.
27759 @deftp {Data Type} service-type
27760 @cindex service type
27761 This is the representation of a @dfn{service type} (@pxref{Service Types
27766 This is a symbol, used only to simplify inspection and debugging.
27768 @item @code{extensions}
27769 A non-empty list of @code{<service-extension>} objects (see below).
27771 @item @code{compose} (default: @code{#f})
27772 If this is @code{#f}, then the service type denotes services that cannot
27773 be extended---i.e., services that do not receive ``values'' from other
27776 Otherwise, it must be a one-argument procedure. The procedure is called
27777 by @code{fold-services} and is passed a list of values collected from
27778 extensions. It may return any single value.
27780 @item @code{extend} (default: @code{#f})
27781 If this is @code{#f}, services of this type cannot be extended.
27783 Otherwise, it must be a two-argument procedure: @code{fold-services}
27784 calls it, passing it the initial value of the service as the first
27785 argument and the result of applying @code{compose} to the extension
27786 values as the second argument. It must return a value that is a valid
27787 parameter value for the service instance.
27790 @xref{Service Types and Services}, for examples.
27793 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-extension @var{target-type} @
27795 Return a new extension for services of type @var{target-type}.
27796 @var{compute} must be a one-argument procedure: @code{fold-services}
27797 calls it, passing it the value associated with the service that provides
27798 the extension; it must return a valid value for the target service.
27801 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-extension? @var{obj}
27802 Return true if @var{obj} is a service extension.
27805 Occasionally, you might want to simply extend an existing service. This
27806 involves creating a new service type and specifying the extension of
27807 interest, which can be verbose; the @code{simple-service} procedure
27808 provides a shorthand for this.
27810 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} simple-service @var{name} @var{target} @var{value}
27811 Return a service that extends @var{target} with @var{value}. This works
27812 by creating a singleton service type @var{name}, of which the returned
27813 service is an instance.
27815 For example, this extends mcron (@pxref{Scheduled Job Execution}) with
27819 (simple-service 'my-mcron-job mcron-service-type
27820 #~(job '(next-hour (3)) "guix gc -F 2G"))
27824 At the core of the service abstraction lies the @code{fold-services}
27825 procedure, which is responsible for ``compiling'' a list of services
27826 down to a single directory that contains everything needed to boot and
27827 run the system---the directory shown by the @command{guix system build}
27828 command (@pxref{Invoking guix system}). In essence, it propagates
27829 service extensions down the service graph, updating each node parameters
27830 on the way, until it reaches the root node.
27832 @deffn {Scheme Procedure} fold-services @var{services} @
27833 [#:target-type @var{system-service-type}]
27834 Fold @var{services} by propagating their extensions down to the root of
27835 type @var{target-type}; return the root service adjusted accordingly.
27838 Lastly, the @code{(gnu services)} module also defines several essential
27839 service types, some of which are listed below.
27841 @defvr {Scheme Variable} system-service-type
27842 This is the root of the service graph. It produces the system directory
27843 as returned by the @command{guix system build} command.
27846 @defvr {Scheme Variable} boot-service-type
27847 The type of the ``boot service'', which produces the @dfn{boot script}.
27848 The boot script is what the initial RAM disk runs when booting.
27851 @defvr {Scheme Variable} etc-service-type
27852 The type of the @file{/etc} service. This service is used to create
27853 files under @file{/etc} and can be extended by
27854 passing it name/file tuples such as:
27857 (list `("issue" ,(plain-file "issue" "Welcome!\n")))
27860 In this example, the effect would be to add an @file{/etc/issue} file
27861 pointing to the given file.
27864 @defvr {Scheme Variable} setuid-program-service-type
27865 Type for the ``setuid-program service''. This service collects lists of
27866 executable file names, passed as gexps, and adds them to the set of
27867 setuid-root programs on the system (@pxref{Setuid Programs}).
27870 @defvr {Scheme Variable} profile-service-type
27871 Type of the service that populates the @dfn{system profile}---i.e., the
27872 programs under @file{/run/current-system/profile}. Other services can
27873 extend it by passing it lists of packages to add to the system profile.
27876 @cindex provenance tracking, of the operating system
27877 @defvr {Scheme Variable} provenance-service-type
27878 This is the type of the service that records @dfn{provenance meta-data}
27879 in the system itself. It creates several files under
27880 @file{/run/current-system}:
27884 This is a ``channel file'' that can be passed to @command{guix pull -C}
27885 or @command{guix time-machine -C}, and which describes the channels used
27886 to build the system, if that information was available
27887 (@pxref{Channels}).
27889 @item configuration.scm
27890 This is the file that was passed as the value for this
27891 @code{provenance-service-type} service. By default, @command{guix
27892 system reconfigure} automatically passes the OS configuration file it
27893 received on the command line.
27896 This contains the same information as the two other files but in a
27897 format that is more readily processable.
27900 In general, these two pieces of information (channels and configuration
27901 file) are enough to reproduce the operating system ``from source''.
27904 This information is necessary to rebuild your operating system, but it
27905 is not always sufficient. In particular, @file{configuration.scm}
27906 itself is insufficient if it is not self-contained---if it refers to
27907 external Guile modules or to extra files. If you want
27908 @file{configuration.scm} to be self-contained, we recommend that modules
27909 or files it refers to be part of a channel.
27911 Besides, provenance meta-data is ``silent'' in the sense that it does
27912 not change the bits contained in your system, @emph{except for the
27913 meta-data bits themselves}. Two different OS configurations or sets of
27914 channels can lead to the same system, bit-for-bit; when
27915 @code{provenance-service-type} is used, these two systems will have
27916 different meta-data and thus different store file names, which makes
27917 comparison less trivial.
27920 This service is automatically added to your operating system
27921 configuration when you use @command{guix system reconfigure},
27922 @command{guix system init}, or @command{guix deploy}.
27925 @node Shepherd Services
27926 @subsection Shepherd Services
27928 @cindex shepherd services
27930 @cindex init system
27931 The @code{(gnu services shepherd)} module provides a way to define
27932 services managed by the GNU@tie{}Shepherd, which is the
27933 initialization system---the first process that is started when the
27934 system boots, also known as PID@tie{}1
27935 (@pxref{Introduction,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).
27937 Services in the Shepherd can depend on each other. For instance, the
27938 SSH daemon may need to be started after the syslog daemon has been
27939 started, which in turn can only happen once all the file systems have
27940 been mounted. The simple operating system defined earlier (@pxref{Using
27941 the Configuration System}) results in a service graph like this:
27943 @image{images/shepherd-graph,,5in,Typical shepherd service graph.}
27945 You can actually generate such a graph for any operating system
27946 definition using the @command{guix system shepherd-graph} command
27947 (@pxref{system-shepherd-graph, @command{guix system shepherd-graph}}).
27949 The @code{%shepherd-root-service} is a service object representing
27950 PID@tie{}1, of type @code{shepherd-root-service-type}; it can be extended
27951 by passing it lists of @code{<shepherd-service>} objects.
27953 @deftp {Data Type} shepherd-service
27954 The data type representing a service managed by the Shepherd.
27957 @item @code{provision}
27958 This is a list of symbols denoting what the service provides.
27960 These are the names that may be passed to @command{herd start},
27961 @command{herd status}, and similar commands (@pxref{Invoking herd,,,
27962 shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}). @xref{Slots of services, the
27963 @code{provides} slot,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}, for details.
27965 @item @code{requirement} (default: @code{'()})
27966 List of symbols denoting the Shepherd services this one depends on.
27968 @cindex one-shot services, for the Shepherd
27969 @item @code{one-shot?} (default: @code{#f})
27970 Whether this service is @dfn{one-shot}. One-shot services stop immediately
27971 after their @code{start} action has completed. @xref{Slots of services,,,
27972 shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}, for more info.
27974 @item @code{respawn?} (default: @code{#t})
27975 Whether to restart the service when it stops, for instance when the
27976 underlying process dies.
27979 @itemx @code{stop} (default: @code{#~(const #f)})
27980 The @code{start} and @code{stop} fields refer to the Shepherd's
27981 facilities to start and stop processes (@pxref{Service De- and
27982 Constructors,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}). They are given as
27983 G-expressions that get expanded in the Shepherd configuration file
27984 (@pxref{G-Expressions}).
27986 @item @code{actions} (default: @code{'()})
27987 @cindex actions, of Shepherd services
27988 This is a list of @code{shepherd-action} objects (see below) defining
27989 @dfn{actions} supported by the service, in addition to the standard
27990 @code{start} and @code{stop} actions. Actions listed here become available as
27991 @command{herd} sub-commands:
27994 herd @var{action} @var{service} [@var{arguments}@dots{}]
27997 @item @code{auto-start?} (default: @code{#t})
27998 Whether this service should be started automatically by the Shepherd. If it
27999 is @code{#f} the service has to be started manually with @code{herd start}.
28001 @item @code{documentation}
28002 A documentation string, as shown when running:
28005 herd doc @var{service-name}
28008 where @var{service-name} is one of the symbols in @code{provision}
28009 (@pxref{Invoking herd,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).
28011 @item @code{modules} (default: @code{%default-modules})
28012 This is the list of modules that must be in scope when @code{start} and
28013 @code{stop} are evaluated.
28018 @deftp {Data Type} shepherd-action
28019 This is the data type that defines additional actions implemented by a
28020 Shepherd service (see above).
28024 Symbol naming the action.
28026 @item documentation
28027 This is a documentation string for the action. It can be viewed by running:
28030 herd doc @var{service} action @var{action}
28034 This should be a gexp that evaluates to a procedure of at least one argument,
28035 which is the ``running value'' of the service (@pxref{Slots of services,,,
28036 shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).
28039 The following example defines an action called @code{say-hello} that kindly
28045 (documentation "Say hi!")
28046 (procedure #~(lambda (running . args)
28047 (format #t "Hello, friend! arguments: ~s\n"
28052 Assuming this action is added to the @code{example} service, then you can do:
28055 # herd say-hello example
28056 Hello, friend! arguments: ()
28057 # herd say-hello example a b c
28058 Hello, friend! arguments: ("a" "b" "c")
28061 This, as you can see, is a fairly sophisticated way to say hello.
28062 @xref{Service Convenience,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}, for more
28066 @defvr {Scheme Variable} shepherd-root-service-type
28067 The service type for the Shepherd ``root service''---i.e., PID@tie{}1.
28069 This is the service type that extensions target when they want to create
28070 shepherd services (@pxref{Service Types and Services}, for an example).
28071 Each extension must pass a list of @code{<shepherd-service>}.
28074 @defvr {Scheme Variable} %shepherd-root-service
28075 This service represents PID@tie{}1.
28079 @node Documentation
28080 @chapter Documentation
28082 @cindex documentation, searching for
28083 @cindex searching for documentation
28084 @cindex Info, documentation format
28086 @cindex manual pages
28087 In most cases packages installed with Guix come with documentation.
28088 There are two main documentation formats: ``Info'', a browseable
28089 hypertext format used for GNU software, and ``manual pages'' (or ``man
28090 pages''), the linear documentation format traditionally found on Unix.
28091 Info manuals are accessed with the @command{info} command or with Emacs,
28092 and man pages are accessed using @command{man}.
28094 You can look for documentation of software installed on your system by
28095 keyword. For example, the following command searches for information
28096 about ``TLS'' in Info manuals:
28100 "(emacs)Network Security" -- STARTTLS
28101 "(emacs)Network Security" -- TLS
28102 "(gnutls)Core TLS API" -- gnutls_certificate_set_verify_flags
28103 "(gnutls)Core TLS API" -- gnutls_certificate_set_verify_function
28108 The command below searches for the same keyword in man pages:
28112 SSL (7) - OpenSSL SSL/TLS library
28113 certtool (1) - GnuTLS certificate tool
28117 These searches are purely local to your computer so you have the
28118 guarantee that documentation you find corresponds to what you have
28119 actually installed, you can access it off-line, and your privacy is
28122 Once you have these results, you can view the relevant documentation by
28126 $ info "(gnutls)Core TLS API"
28136 Info manuals contain sections and indices as well as hyperlinks like
28137 those found in Web pages. The @command{info} reader (@pxref{Top, Info
28138 reader,, info-stnd, Stand-alone GNU Info}) and its Emacs counterpart
28139 (@pxref{Misc Help,,, emacs, The GNU Emacs Manual}) provide intuitive key
28140 bindings to navigate manuals. @xref{Getting Started,,, info, Info: An
28141 Introduction}, for an introduction to Info navigation.
28143 @node Installing Debugging Files
28144 @chapter Installing Debugging Files
28146 @cindex debugging files
28147 Program binaries, as produced by the GCC compilers for instance, are
28148 typically written in the ELF format, with a section containing
28149 @dfn{debugging information}. Debugging information is what allows the
28150 debugger, GDB, to map binary code to source code; it is required to
28151 debug a compiled program in good conditions.
28153 The problem with debugging information is that is takes up a fair amount
28154 of disk space. For example, debugging information for the GNU C Library
28155 weighs in at more than 60 MiB. Thus, as a user, keeping all the
28156 debugging info of all the installed programs is usually not an option.
28157 Yet, space savings should not come at the cost of an impediment to
28158 debugging---especially in the GNU system, which should make it easier
28159 for users to exert their computing freedom (@pxref{GNU Distribution}).
28161 Thankfully, the GNU Binary Utilities (Binutils) and GDB provide a
28162 mechanism that allows users to get the best of both worlds: debugging
28163 information can be stripped from the binaries and stored in separate
28164 files. GDB is then able to load debugging information from those files,
28165 when they are available (@pxref{Separate Debug Files,,, gdb, Debugging
28168 The GNU distribution takes advantage of this by storing debugging
28169 information in the @code{lib/debug} sub-directory of a separate package
28170 output unimaginatively called @code{debug} (@pxref{Packages with
28171 Multiple Outputs}). Users can choose to install the @code{debug} output
28172 of a package when they need it. For instance, the following command
28173 installs the debugging information for the GNU C Library and for GNU
28177 guix install glibc:debug guile:debug
28180 GDB must then be told to look for debug files in the user's profile, by
28181 setting the @code{debug-file-directory} variable (consider setting it
28182 from the @file{~/.gdbinit} file, @pxref{Startup,,, gdb, Debugging with
28186 (gdb) set debug-file-directory ~/.guix-profile/lib/debug
28189 From there on, GDB will pick up debugging information from the
28190 @code{.debug} files under @file{~/.guix-profile/lib/debug}.
28192 In addition, you will most likely want GDB to be able to show the source
28193 code being debugged. To do that, you will have to unpack the source
28194 code of the package of interest (obtained with @code{guix build
28195 --source}, @pxref{Invoking guix build}), and to point GDB to that source
28196 directory using the @code{directory} command (@pxref{Source Path,
28197 @code{directory},, gdb, Debugging with GDB}).
28199 @c XXX: keep me up-to-date
28200 The @code{debug} output mechanism in Guix is implemented by the
28201 @code{gnu-build-system} (@pxref{Build Systems}). Currently, it is
28202 opt-in---debugging information is available only for the packages
28203 with definitions explicitly declaring a @code{debug} output. This may be
28204 changed to opt-out in the future if our build farm servers can handle
28205 the load. To check whether a package has a @code{debug} output, use
28206 @command{guix package --list-available} (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).
28209 @node Security Updates
28210 @chapter Security Updates
28212 @cindex security updates
28213 @cindex security vulnerabilities
28214 Occasionally, important security vulnerabilities are discovered in software
28215 packages and must be patched. Guix developers try hard to keep track of
28216 known vulnerabilities and to apply fixes as soon as possible in the
28217 @code{master} branch of Guix (we do not yet provide a ``stable'' branch
28218 containing only security updates.) The @command{guix lint} tool helps
28219 developers find out about vulnerable versions of software packages in the
28224 gnu/packages/base.scm:652:2: glibc@@2.21: probably vulnerable to CVE-2015-1781, CVE-2015-7547
28225 gnu/packages/gcc.scm:334:2: gcc@@4.9.3: probably vulnerable to CVE-2015-5276
28226 gnu/packages/image.scm:312:2: openjpeg@@2.1.0: probably vulnerable to CVE-2016-1923, CVE-2016-1924
28230 @xref{Invoking guix lint}, for more information.
28232 Guix follows a functional
28233 package management discipline (@pxref{Introduction}), which implies
28234 that, when a package is changed, @emph{every package that depends on it}
28235 must be rebuilt. This can significantly slow down the deployment of
28236 fixes in core packages such as libc or Bash, since basically the whole
28237 distribution would need to be rebuilt. Using pre-built binaries helps
28238 (@pxref{Substitutes}), but deployment may still take more time than
28242 To address this, Guix implements @dfn{grafts}, a mechanism that allows
28243 for fast deployment of critical updates without the costs associated
28244 with a whole-distribution rebuild. The idea is to rebuild only the
28245 package that needs to be patched, and then to ``graft'' it onto packages
28246 explicitly installed by the user and that were previously referring to
28247 the original package. The cost of grafting is typically very low, and
28248 order of magnitudes lower than a full rebuild of the dependency chain.
28250 @cindex replacements of packages, for grafts
28251 For instance, suppose a security update needs to be applied to Bash.
28252 Guix developers will provide a package definition for the ``fixed''
28253 Bash, say @code{bash-fixed}, in the usual way (@pxref{Defining
28254 Packages}). Then, the original package definition is augmented with a
28255 @code{replacement} field pointing to the package containing the bug fix:
28262 (replacement bash-fixed)))
28265 From there on, any package depending directly or indirectly on Bash---as
28266 reported by @command{guix gc --requisites} (@pxref{Invoking guix
28267 gc})---that is installed is automatically ``rewritten'' to refer to
28268 @code{bash-fixed} instead of @code{bash}. This grafting process takes
28269 time proportional to the size of the package, usually less than a
28270 minute for an ``average'' package on a recent machine. Grafting is
28271 recursive: when an indirect dependency requires grafting, then grafting
28272 ``propagates'' up to the package that the user is installing.
28274 Currently, the length of the name and version of the graft and that of
28275 the package it replaces (@code{bash-fixed} and @code{bash} in the example
28276 above) must be equal. This restriction mostly comes from the fact that
28277 grafting works by patching files, including binary files, directly.
28278 Other restrictions may apply: for instance, when adding a graft to a
28279 package providing a shared library, the original shared library and its
28280 replacement must have the same @code{SONAME} and be binary-compatible.
28282 The @option{--no-grafts} command-line option allows you to forcefully
28283 avoid grafting (@pxref{Common Build Options, @option{--no-grafts}}).
28287 guix build bash --no-grafts
28291 returns the store file name of the original Bash, whereas:
28298 returns the store file name of the ``fixed'', replacement Bash. This
28299 allows you to distinguish between the two variants of Bash.
28301 To verify which Bash your whole profile refers to, you can run
28302 (@pxref{Invoking guix gc}):
28305 guix gc -R `readlink -f ~/.guix-profile` | grep bash
28309 @dots{} and compare the store file names that you get with those above.
28310 Likewise for a complete Guix system generation:
28313 guix gc -R `guix system build my-config.scm` | grep bash
28316 Lastly, to check which Bash running processes are using, you can use the
28317 @command{lsof} command:
28320 lsof | grep /gnu/store/.*bash
28324 @node Bootstrapping
28325 @chapter Bootstrapping
28327 @c Adapted from the ELS 2013 paper.
28329 @cindex bootstrapping
28331 Bootstrapping in our context refers to how the distribution gets built
28332 ``from nothing''. Remember that the build environment of a derivation
28333 contains nothing but its declared inputs (@pxref{Introduction}). So
28334 there's an obvious chicken-and-egg problem: how does the first package
28335 get built? How does the first compiler get compiled? Note that this is
28336 a question of interest only to the curious hacker, not to the regular
28337 user, so you can shamelessly skip this section if you consider yourself
28338 a ``regular user''.
28340 @cindex bootstrap binaries
28341 The GNU system is primarily made of C code, with libc at its core. The
28342 GNU build system itself assumes the availability of a Bourne shell and
28343 command-line tools provided by GNU Coreutils, Awk, Findutils, `sed', and
28344 `grep'. Furthermore, build programs---programs that run
28345 @code{./configure}, @code{make}, etc.---are written in Guile Scheme
28346 (@pxref{Derivations}). Consequently, to be able to build anything at
28347 all, from scratch, Guix relies on pre-built binaries of Guile, GCC,
28348 Binutils, libc, and the other packages mentioned above---the
28349 @dfn{bootstrap binaries}.
28351 These bootstrap binaries are ``taken for granted'', though we can also
28352 re-create them if needed (more on that later).
28354 For @code{i686-linux} and @code{x86_64-linux} the Guix bootstrap process is
28355 more elaborate, @pxref{Reduced Binary Seed Bootstrap}.
28358 * Reduced Binary Seed Bootstrap:: A Bootstrap worthy of GNU.
28359 * Preparing to Use the Bootstrap Binaries:: Building that what matters most.
28362 @node Reduced Binary Seed Bootstrap
28363 @section The Reduced Binary Seed Bootstrap
28365 Guix---like other GNU/Linux distributions---is traditionally bootstrapped from
28366 a set of bootstrap binaries: Bourne shell, command-line tools provided by GNU
28367 Coreutils, Awk, Findutils, `sed', and `grep' and Guile, GCC, Binutils, and the
28368 GNU C Library (@pxref{Bootstrapping}). Usually, these bootstrap binaries are
28369 ``taken for granted.''
28371 Taking these binaries for granted means that we consider them to be a correct
28372 and trustworthy `seed' for building the complete system. Therein lies a
28373 problem: the current combined size of these bootstrap binaries is about 250MB
28374 (@pxref{Bootstrappable Builds,,, mes, GNU Mes}). Auditing or even inspecting
28375 these is next to impossible.
28377 For @code{i686-linux} and @code{x86_64-linux}, Guix now features a ``Reduced
28378 Binary Seed'' bootstrap @footnote{We would like to say: ``Full Source
28379 Bootstrap'' and while we are working towards that goal it would be hyperbole
28380 to use that term for what we do now.}.
28382 The Reduced Binary Seed bootstrap removes the most critical tools---from a
28383 trust perspective---from the bootstrap binaries: GCC, Binutils and the GNU C
28384 Library are replaced by: @code{bootstrap-mescc-tools} (a tiny assembler and
28385 linker) and @code{bootstrap-mes} (a small Scheme Interpreter and a C compiler
28386 written in Scheme and the Mes C Library, built for TinyCC and for GCC). Using
28387 these new binary seeds and a new set of
28389 packages@footnote{@c
28404 gcc-mesboot1-wrapper,
28405 glibc-headers-mesboot,
28409 gcc-mesboot-wrapper.
28412 the ``missing'' Binutils, GCC, and the GNU C Library are built from source.
28413 From here on the more traditional bootstrap process resumes. This approach
28414 has reduced the bootstrap binaries in size to about 130MB. Work is ongoing to
28415 reduce this further. If you are interested, join us on @code{#bootstrappable}
28416 on the Freenode IRC network.
28418 @c ./pre-inst-env guix graph --type=bag -e '(begin (use-modules (guix packages)) (%current-system "i686-linux") (@@ (gnu packages commencement) gcc-mesboot))' > doc/images/gcc-mesboot-bag-graph.dot
28419 @c dot -T png doc/images/gcc-mesboot-bag-graph.dot > doc/images/gcc-mesboot-bag-graph.png
28421 Below is the generated dependency graph for @code{gcc-mesboot}, the bootstrap
28422 compiler used to build the rest of GuixSD.
28424 @image{images/gcc-mesboot-bag-graph,6in,,Dependency graph of the gcc-mesboot}
28426 @node Preparing to Use the Bootstrap Binaries
28427 @section Preparing to Use the Bootstrap Binaries
28429 @c As of Emacs 24.3, Info-mode displays the image, but since it's a
28430 @c large image, it's hard to scroll. Oh well.
28431 @image{images/bootstrap-graph,6in,,Dependency graph of the early bootstrap derivations}
28433 The figure above shows the very beginning of the dependency graph of the
28434 distribution, corresponding to the package definitions of the @code{(gnu
28435 packages bootstrap)} module. A similar figure can be generated with
28436 @command{guix graph} (@pxref{Invoking guix graph}), along the lines of:
28439 guix graph -t derivation \
28440 -e '(@@@@ (gnu packages bootstrap) %bootstrap-gcc)' \
28441 | dot -Tps > gcc.ps
28444 or, for the Reduced Binary Seed bootstrap
28447 guix graph -t derivation \
28448 -e '(@@@@ (gnu packages bootstrap) %bootstrap-mes)' \
28449 | dot -Tps > mes.ps
28452 At this level of detail, things are
28453 slightly complex. First, Guile itself consists of an ELF executable,
28454 along with many source and compiled Scheme files that are dynamically
28455 loaded when it runs. This gets stored in the @file{guile-2.0.7.tar.xz}
28456 tarball shown in this graph. This tarball is part of Guix's ``source''
28457 distribution, and gets inserted into the store with @code{add-to-store}
28458 (@pxref{The Store}).
28460 But how do we write a derivation that unpacks this tarball and adds it
28461 to the store? To solve this problem, the @code{guile-bootstrap-2.0.drv}
28462 derivation---the first one that gets built---uses @code{bash} as its
28463 builder, which runs @code{build-bootstrap-guile.sh}, which in turn calls
28464 @code{tar} to unpack the tarball. Thus, @file{bash}, @file{tar},
28465 @file{xz}, and @file{mkdir} are statically-linked binaries, also part of
28466 the Guix source distribution, whose sole purpose is to allow the Guile
28467 tarball to be unpacked.
28469 Once @code{guile-bootstrap-2.0.drv} is built, we have a functioning
28470 Guile that can be used to run subsequent build programs. Its first task
28471 is to download tarballs containing the other pre-built binaries---this
28472 is what the @code{.tar.xz.drv} derivations do. Guix modules such as
28473 @code{ftp-client.scm} are used for this purpose. The
28474 @code{module-import.drv} derivations import those modules in a directory
28475 in the store, using the original layout. The
28476 @code{module-import-compiled.drv} derivations compile those modules, and
28477 write them in an output directory with the right layout. This
28478 corresponds to the @code{#:modules} argument of
28479 @code{build-expression->derivation} (@pxref{Derivations}).
28481 Finally, the various tarballs are unpacked by the derivations
28482 @code{gcc-bootstrap-0.drv}, @code{glibc-bootstrap-0.drv}, or
28483 @code{bootstrap-mes-0.drv} and @code{bootstrap-mescc-tools-0.drv}, at which
28484 point we have a working C tool chain.
28486 @unnumberedsec Building the Build Tools
28488 Bootstrapping is complete when we have a full tool chain that does not
28489 depend on the pre-built bootstrap tools discussed above. This
28490 no-dependency requirement is verified by checking whether the files of
28491 the final tool chain contain references to the @file{/gnu/store}
28492 directories of the bootstrap inputs. The process that leads to this
28493 ``final'' tool chain is described by the package definitions found in
28494 the @code{(gnu packages commencement)} module.
28496 The @command{guix graph} command allows us to ``zoom out'' compared to
28497 the graph above, by looking at the level of package objects instead of
28498 individual derivations---remember that a package may translate to
28499 several derivations, typically one derivation to download its source,
28500 one to build the Guile modules it needs, and one to actually build the
28501 package from source. The command:
28504 guix graph -t bag \
28505 -e '(@@@@ (gnu packages commencement)
28506 glibc-final-with-bootstrap-bash)' | dot -Tps > t.ps
28510 produces the dependency graph leading to the ``final'' C
28511 library@footnote{You may notice the @code{glibc-intermediate} label,
28512 suggesting that it is not @emph{quite} final, but as a good
28513 approximation, we will consider it final.}, depicted below.
28515 @image{images/bootstrap-packages,6in,,Dependency graph of the early packages}
28517 @c See <https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnu-system-discuss/2012-10/msg00000.html>.
28518 The first tool that gets built with the bootstrap binaries is
28519 GNU@tie{}Make---noted @code{make-boot0} above---which is a prerequisite
28520 for all the following packages. From there Findutils and Diffutils get
28523 Then come the first-stage Binutils and GCC, built as pseudo cross
28524 tools---i.e., with @code{--target} equal to @code{--host}. They are
28525 used to build libc. Thanks to this cross-build trick, this libc is
28526 guaranteed not to hold any reference to the initial tool chain.
28528 From there the final Binutils and GCC (not shown above) are built.
28530 from the final Binutils, and links programs against the just-built libc.
28531 This tool chain is used to build the other packages used by Guix and by
28532 the GNU Build System: Guile, Bash, Coreutils, etc.
28534 And voilà! At this point we have the complete set of build tools that
28535 the GNU Build System expects. These are in the @code{%final-inputs}
28536 variable of the @code{(gnu packages commencement)} module, and are
28537 implicitly used by any package that uses @code{gnu-build-system}
28538 (@pxref{Build Systems, @code{gnu-build-system}}).
28541 @unnumberedsec Building the Bootstrap Binaries
28543 @cindex bootstrap binaries
28544 Because the final tool chain does not depend on the bootstrap binaries,
28545 those rarely need to be updated. Nevertheless, it is useful to have an
28546 automated way to produce them, should an update occur, and this is what
28547 the @code{(gnu packages make-bootstrap)} module provides.
28549 The following command builds the tarballs containing the bootstrap binaries
28550 (Binutils, GCC, glibc, for the traditional bootstrap and linux-libre-headers,
28551 bootstrap-mescc-tools, bootstrap-mes for the Reduced Binary Seed bootstrap,
28552 and Guile, and a tarball containing a mixture of Coreutils and other basic
28553 command-line tools):
28556 guix build bootstrap-tarballs
28559 The generated tarballs are those that should be referred to in the
28560 @code{(gnu packages bootstrap)} module mentioned at the beginning of
28563 Still here? Then perhaps by now you've started to wonder: when do we
28564 reach a fixed point? That is an interesting question! The answer is
28565 unknown, but if you would like to investigate further (and have
28566 significant computational and storage resources to do so), then let us
28569 @unnumberedsec Reducing the Set of Bootstrap Binaries
28571 Our traditional bootstrap includes GCC, GNU Libc, Guile, etc. That's a lot of
28572 binary code! Why is that a problem? It's a problem because these big chunks
28573 of binary code are practically non-auditable, which makes it hard to establish
28574 what source code produced them. Every unauditable binary also leaves us
28575 vulnerable to compiler backdoors as described by Ken Thompson in the 1984
28576 paper @emph{Reflections on Trusting Trust}.
28578 This is mitigated by the fact that our bootstrap binaries were generated
28579 from an earlier Guix revision. Nevertheless it lacks the level of
28580 transparency that we get in the rest of the package dependency graph,
28581 where Guix always gives us a source-to-binary mapping. Thus, our goal
28582 is to reduce the set of bootstrap binaries to the bare minimum.
28584 The @uref{https://bootstrappable.org, Bootstrappable.org web site} lists
28585 on-going projects to do that. One of these is about replacing the
28586 bootstrap GCC with a sequence of assemblers, interpreters, and compilers
28587 of increasing complexity, which could be built from source starting from
28588 a simple and auditable assembler.
28590 Our first major achievement is the replacement of of GCC, the GNU C Library
28591 and Binutils by MesCC-Tools (a simple hex linker and macro assembler) and Mes
28592 (@pxref{Top, GNU Mes Reference Manual,, mes, GNU Mes}, a Scheme interpreter
28593 and C compiler in Scheme). Neither MesCC-Tools nor Mes can be fully
28594 bootstrapped yet and thus we inject them as binary seeds. We call this the
28595 Reduced Binary Seed bootstrap, as it has halved the size of our bootstrap
28596 binaries! Also, it has eliminated the C compiler binary; i686-linux and
28597 x86_64-linux Guix packages are now bootstrapped without any binary C compiler.
28599 Work is ongoing to make MesCC-Tools and Mes fully bootstrappable and we are
28600 also looking at any other bootstrap binaries. Your help is welcome!
28603 @chapter Porting to a New Platform
28605 As discussed above, the GNU distribution is self-contained, and
28606 self-containment is achieved by relying on pre-built ``bootstrap
28607 binaries'' (@pxref{Bootstrapping}). These binaries are specific to an
28608 operating system kernel, CPU architecture, and application binary
28609 interface (ABI). Thus, to port the distribution to a platform that is
28610 not yet supported, one must build those bootstrap binaries, and update
28611 the @code{(gnu packages bootstrap)} module to use them on that platform.
28613 Fortunately, Guix can @emph{cross compile} those bootstrap binaries.
28614 When everything goes well, and assuming the GNU tool chain supports the
28615 target platform, this can be as simple as running a command like this
28619 guix build --target=armv5tel-linux-gnueabi bootstrap-tarballs
28622 For this to work, the @code{glibc-dynamic-linker} procedure in
28623 @code{(gnu packages bootstrap)} must be augmented to return the right
28624 file name for libc's dynamic linker on that platform; likewise,
28625 @code{system->linux-architecture} in @code{(gnu packages linux)} must be
28626 taught about the new platform.
28628 Once these are built, the @code{(gnu packages bootstrap)} module needs
28629 to be updated to refer to these binaries on the target platform. That
28630 is, the hashes and URLs of the bootstrap tarballs for the new platform
28631 must be added alongside those of the currently supported platforms. The
28632 bootstrap Guile tarball is treated specially: it is expected to be
28633 available locally, and @file{gnu/local.mk} has rules to download it for
28634 the supported architectures; a rule for the new platform must be added
28637 In practice, there may be some complications. First, it may be that the
28638 extended GNU triplet that specifies an ABI (like the @code{eabi} suffix
28639 above) is not recognized by all the GNU tools. Typically, glibc
28640 recognizes some of these, whereas GCC uses an extra @code{--with-abi}
28641 configure flag (see @code{gcc.scm} for examples of how to handle this).
28642 Second, some of the required packages could fail to build for that
28643 platform. Lastly, the generated binaries could be broken for some
28646 @c *********************************************************************
28647 @include contributing.texi
28649 @c *********************************************************************
28650 @node Acknowledgments
28651 @chapter Acknowledgments
28653 Guix is based on the @uref{https://nixos.org/nix/, Nix package manager},
28654 which was designed and
28655 implemented by Eelco Dolstra, with contributions from other people (see
28656 the @file{nix/AUTHORS} file in Guix.) Nix pioneered functional package
28657 management, and promoted unprecedented features, such as transactional
28658 package upgrades and rollbacks, per-user profiles, and referentially
28659 transparent build processes. Without this work, Guix would not exist.
28661 The Nix-based software distributions, Nixpkgs and NixOS, have also been
28662 an inspiration for Guix.
28664 GNU@tie{}Guix itself is a collective work with contributions from a
28665 number of people. See the @file{AUTHORS} file in Guix for more
28666 information on these fine people. The @file{THANKS} file lists people
28667 who have helped by reporting bugs, taking care of the infrastructure,
28668 providing artwork and themes, making suggestions, and more---thank you!
28671 @c *********************************************************************
28672 @node GNU Free Documentation License
28673 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
28674 @cindex license, GNU Free Documentation License
28675 @include fdl-1.3.texi
28677 @c *********************************************************************
28678 @node Concept Index
28679 @unnumbered Concept Index
28682 @node Programming Index
28683 @unnumbered Programming Index
28684 @syncodeindex tp fn
28685 @syncodeindex vr fn
28690 @c Local Variables:
28691 @c ispell-local-dictionary: "american";