Restructuring the Nix manual

doc/manual/glossary/glossary.xml

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+<appendix xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook"
+          xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
+
+<title>Glossary</title>
+
+
+<glosslist>
+
+
+<glossentry xml:id="gloss-derivation"><glossterm>derivation</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>A description of a build action.  The result of a
+  derivation is a store object.  Derivations are typically specified
+  in Nix expressions using the <link
+  linkend="ssec-derivation"><function>derivation</function>
+  primitive</link>.  These are translated into low-level
+  <emphasis>store derivations</emphasis> (implicitly by
+  <command>nix-env</command> and <command>nix-build</command>, or
+  explicitly by <command>nix-instantiate</command>).</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry><glossterm>store</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>The location in the file system where store objects
+  live.  Typically <filename>/nix/store</filename>.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry><glossterm>store path</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>The location in the file system of a store object,
+  i.e., an immediate child of the Nix store
+  directory.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry><glossterm>store object</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>A file that is an immediate child of the Nix store
+  directory.  These can be regular files, but also entire directory
+  trees.  Store objects can be sources (objects copied from outside of
+  the store), derivation outputs (objects produced by running a build
+  action), or derivations (files describing a build
+  action).</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry xml:id="gloss-substitute"><glossterm>substitute</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>A substitute is a command invocation stored in the
+  Nix database that describes how to build a store object, bypassing
+  normal the build mechanism (i.e., derivations).  Typically, the
+  substitute builds the store object by downloading a pre-built
+  version of the store object from some server.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry><glossterm>purity</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>The assumption that equal Nix derivations when run
+  always produce the same output.  This cannot be guaranteed in
+  general (e.g., a builder can rely on external inputs such as the
+  network or the system time) but the Nix model assumes
+  it.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry><glossterm>Nix expression</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>A high-level description of software packages and
+  compositions thereof.  Deploying software using Nix entails writing
+  Nix expressions for your packages.  Nix expressions are translated
+  to derivations that are stored in the Nix store.  These derivations
+  can then be built.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry xml:id="gloss-reference"><glossterm>reference</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>A store path <varname>P</varname> is said to have a
+  reference to a store path <varname>Q</varname> if the store object
+  at <varname>P</varname> contains the path <varname>Q</varname>
+  somewhere.  This implies than an execution involving
+  <varname>P</varname> potentially needs <varname>Q</varname> to be
+  present.  The <emphasis>references</emphasis> of a store path are
+  the set of store paths to which it has a reference.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry xml:id="gloss-closure"><glossterm>closure</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>The closure of a store path is the set of store
+  paths that are directly or indirectly “reachable” from that store
+  path; that is, it’s the closure of the path under the <link
+  linkend="gloss-reference">references</link> relation.  For instance,
+  if the store object at path <varname>P</varname> contains a
+  reference to path <varname>Q</varname>, then <varname>Q</varname> is
+  in the closure of <varname>P</varname>.  For correct deployment it
+  is necessary to deploy whole closures, since otherwise at runtime
+  files could be missing.  The command <command>nix-store
+  -qR</command> prints out closures of store paths.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry xml:id="gloss-output-path"><glossterm>output path</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>A store path produced by a derivation.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry xml:id="gloss-deriver"><glossterm>deriver</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>The deriver of an <link
+  linkend="gloss-output-path">output path</link> is the store
+  derivation that built it.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry xml:id="gloss-validity"><glossterm>validity</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>A store path is considered
+  <emphasis>valid</emphasis> if it exists in the file system, is
+  listed in the Nix database as being valid, and if all paths in its
+  closure are also valid.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry xml:id="gloss-user-env"><glossterm>user environment</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>An automatically generated store object that
+  consists of a set of symlinks to “active” applications, i.e., other
+  store paths.  These are generated automatically by <link
+  linkend="sec-nix-env"><command>nix-env</command></link>.  See <xref
+  linkend="sec-profiles" />.</para>
+
+  </glossdef>
+  
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry xml:id="gloss-profile"><glossterm>profile</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>A symlink to the current <link
+  linkend="gloss-user-env">user environment</link> of a user, e.g.,
+  <filename>/nix/var/nix/profiles/default</filename>.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+<glossentry xml:id="gloss-nar"><glossterm>NAR</glossterm>
+
+  <glossdef><para>A <emphasis>N</emphasis>ix
+  <emphasis>AR</emphasis>chive.  This is a serialisation of a path in
+  the Nix store.  It can contain regular files, directories and
+  symbolic links.  NARs are generated and unpacked using
+  <command>nix-store --dump</command> and <command>nix-store
+  --restore</command>.</para></glossdef>
+
+</glossentry>
+
+
+
+</glosslist>
+
+
+</appendix>