Merge pull request #176595 from symphorien/appimage-run-doc
nixos/doc: explain how to run appimages
This commit is contained in:
commit
dbc86c1be8
2 changed files with 107 additions and 44 deletions
|
@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
|
|||
# Adding Custom Packages {#sec-custom-packages}
|
||||
|
||||
It's possible that a package you need is not available in NixOS. In that
|
||||
case, you can do two things. First, you can clone the Nixpkgs
|
||||
repository, add the package to your clone, and (optionally) submit a
|
||||
patch or pull request to have it accepted into the main Nixpkgs repository.
|
||||
This is described in detail in the [Nixpkgs manual](https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual).
|
||||
In short, you clone Nixpkgs:
|
||||
case, you can do two things. Either you can package it with Nix, or you can try
|
||||
to use prebuilt packages from upstream. Due to the peculiarities of NixOS, it
|
||||
is important to note that building software from source is often easier than
|
||||
using pre-built executables.
|
||||
|
||||
## Building with Nix {#sec-custom-packages-nix}
|
||||
|
||||
This can be done either in-tree or out-of-tree. For an in-tree build, you can
|
||||
clone the Nixpkgs repository, add the package to your clone, and (optionally)
|
||||
submit a patch or pull request to have it accepted into the main Nixpkgs
|
||||
repository. This is described in detail in the [Nixpkgs
|
||||
manual](https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual). In short, you clone Nixpkgs:
|
||||
|
||||
```ShellSession
|
||||
$ git clone https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs
|
||||
|
@ -72,3 +79,21 @@ $ nix-build my-hello.nix
|
|||
$ ./result/bin/hello
|
||||
Hello, world!
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
## Using pre-built executables {#sec-custom-packages-prebuilt}
|
||||
|
||||
Most pre-built executables will not work on NixOS. There are two notable
|
||||
exceptions: flatpaks and AppImages. For flatpaks see the [dedicated
|
||||
section](#module-services-flatpak). AppImages will not run "as-is" on NixOS.
|
||||
First you need to install `appimage-run`: add to `/etc/nixos/configuration.nix`
|
||||
|
||||
```nix
|
||||
environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.appimage-run ];
|
||||
```
|
||||
|
||||
Then instead of running the AppImage "as-is", run `appimage-run foo.appimage`.
|
||||
|
||||
To make other pre-built executables work on NixOS, you need to package them
|
||||
with Nix and special helpers like `autoPatchelfHook` or `buildFHSUserEnv`. See
|
||||
the [Nixpkgs manual](https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual) for details. This
|
||||
is complex and often doing a source build is easier.
|
||||
|
|
|
@ -2,40 +2,50 @@
|
|||
<title>Adding Custom Packages</title>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
It’s possible that a package you need is not available in NixOS. In
|
||||
that case, you can do two things. First, you can clone the Nixpkgs
|
||||
repository, add the package to your clone, and (optionally) submit a
|
||||
patch or pull request to have it accepted into the main Nixpkgs
|
||||
repository. This is described in detail in the
|
||||
<link xlink:href="https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual">Nixpkgs
|
||||
manual</link>. In short, you clone Nixpkgs:
|
||||
that case, you can do two things. Either you can package it with
|
||||
Nix, or you can try to use prebuilt packages from upstream. Due to
|
||||
the peculiarities of NixOS, it is important to note that building
|
||||
software from source is often easier than using pre-built
|
||||
executables.
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting>
|
||||
<section xml:id="sec-custom-packages-nix">
|
||||
<title>Building with Nix</title>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
This can be done either in-tree or out-of-tree. For an in-tree
|
||||
build, you can clone the Nixpkgs repository, add the package to
|
||||
your clone, and (optionally) submit a patch or pull request to
|
||||
have it accepted into the main Nixpkgs repository. This is
|
||||
described in detail in the
|
||||
<link xlink:href="https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual">Nixpkgs
|
||||
manual</link>. In short, you clone Nixpkgs:
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting>
|
||||
$ git clone https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs
|
||||
$ cd nixpkgs
|
||||
</programlisting>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
Then you write and test the package as described in the Nixpkgs
|
||||
manual. Finally, you add it to
|
||||
<xref linkend="opt-environment.systemPackages" />, e.g.
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting language="bash">
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
Then you write and test the package as described in the Nixpkgs
|
||||
manual. Finally, you add it to
|
||||
<xref linkend="opt-environment.systemPackages" />, e.g.
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting language="bash">
|
||||
environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.my-package ];
|
||||
</programlisting>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
and you run <literal>nixos-rebuild</literal>, specifying your own
|
||||
Nixpkgs tree:
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
and you run <literal>nixos-rebuild</literal>, specifying your own
|
||||
Nixpkgs tree:
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting>
|
||||
# nixos-rebuild switch -I nixpkgs=/path/to/my/nixpkgs
|
||||
</programlisting>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
The second possibility is to add the package outside of the Nixpkgs
|
||||
tree. For instance, here is how you specify a build of the
|
||||
<link xlink:href="https://www.gnu.org/software/hello/">GNU
|
||||
Hello</link> package directly in
|
||||
<literal>configuration.nix</literal>:
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting language="bash">
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
The second possibility is to add the package outside of the
|
||||
Nixpkgs tree. For instance, here is how you specify a build of the
|
||||
<link xlink:href="https://www.gnu.org/software/hello/">GNU
|
||||
Hello</link> package directly in
|
||||
<literal>configuration.nix</literal>:
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting language="bash">
|
||||
environment.systemPackages =
|
||||
let
|
||||
my-hello = with pkgs; stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
|
||||
|
@ -48,17 +58,17 @@ environment.systemPackages =
|
|||
in
|
||||
[ my-hello ];
|
||||
</programlisting>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
Of course, you can also move the definition of
|
||||
<literal>my-hello</literal> into a separate Nix expression, e.g.
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting language="bash">
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
Of course, you can also move the definition of
|
||||
<literal>my-hello</literal> into a separate Nix expression, e.g.
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting language="bash">
|
||||
environment.systemPackages = [ (import ./my-hello.nix) ];
|
||||
</programlisting>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
where <literal>my-hello.nix</literal> contains:
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting language="bash">
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
where <literal>my-hello.nix</literal> contains:
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting language="bash">
|
||||
with import <nixpkgs> {}; # bring all of Nixpkgs into scope
|
||||
|
||||
stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
|
||||
|
@ -69,12 +79,40 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
|
|||
};
|
||||
}
|
||||
</programlisting>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
This allows testing the package easily:
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
This allows testing the package easily:
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting>
|
||||
$ nix-build my-hello.nix
|
||||
$ ./result/bin/hello
|
||||
Hello, world!
|
||||
</programlisting>
|
||||
</section>
|
||||
<section xml:id="sec-custom-packages-prebuilt">
|
||||
<title>Using pre-built executables</title>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
Most pre-built executables will not work on NixOS. There are two
|
||||
notable exceptions: flatpaks and AppImages. For flatpaks see the
|
||||
<link linkend="module-services-flatpak">dedicated section</link>.
|
||||
AppImages will not run <quote>as-is</quote> on NixOS. First you
|
||||
need to install <literal>appimage-run</literal>: add to
|
||||
<literal>/etc/nixos/configuration.nix</literal>
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<programlisting language="bash">
|
||||
environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.appimage-run ];
|
||||
</programlisting>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
Then instead of running the AppImage <quote>as-is</quote>, run
|
||||
<literal>appimage-run foo.appimage</literal>.
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
<para>
|
||||
To make other pre-built executables work on NixOS, you need to
|
||||
package them with Nix and special helpers like
|
||||
<literal>autoPatchelfHook</literal> or
|
||||
<literal>buildFHSUserEnv</literal>. See the
|
||||
<link xlink:href="https://nixos.org/nixpkgs/manual">Nixpkgs
|
||||
manual</link> for details. This is complex and often doing a
|
||||
source build is easier.
|
||||
</para>
|
||||
</section>
|
||||
</section>
|
||||
|
|
Loading…
Reference in a new issue