Merge pull request #7485 from fricklerhandwerk/doc-store-derivation

define "store derivation"

doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-build.md

@@ -37,10 +37,12 @@ directory containing at least a file named `default.nix`.
 
 `nix-build` is essentially a wrapper around
 [`nix-instantiate`](nix-instantiate.md) (to translate a high-level Nix
-expression to a low-level store derivation) and [`nix-store
+expression to a low-level [store derivation]) and [`nix-store
 --realise`](nix-store.md#operation---realise) (to build the store
 derivation).
 
+[store derivation]: ../glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
+
 > **Warning**
 >
 > The result of the build is automatically registered as a root of the

doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-copy-closure.md

@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ authentication, you can avoid typing the passphrase with `ssh-agent`.
     Enable compression of the SSH connection.
 
   - `--include-outputs`\
-    Also copy the outputs of store derivations included in the closure.
+    Also copy the outputs of [store derivation]s included in the closure.
+
+    [store derivation]: ../../glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
 
   - `--use-substitutes` / `-s`\
     Attempt to download missing paths on the target machine using Nix’s

doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-env.md

@@ -205,10 +205,12 @@ a number of possible ways:
     unambiguous way, which is necessary if there are multiple
     derivations with the same name.
 
-  - If *args* are store derivations, then these are
+  - If *args* are [store derivation]s, then these are
     [realised](nix-store.md#operation---realise), and the resulting output paths
     are installed.
 
+    [store derivation]: ../glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
+
   - If *args* are store paths that are not store derivations, then these
     are [realised](nix-store.md#operation---realise) and installed.
 
@@ -280,7 +282,7 @@ To copy the store path with symbolic name `gcc` from another profile:
 $ nix-env -i --from-profile /nix/var/nix/profiles/foo gcc
 ```
 
-To install a specific store derivation (typically created by
+To install a specific [store derivation] (typically created by
 `nix-instantiate`):
 
 ```console
@@ -665,7 +667,7 @@ derivation is shown unless `--no-name` is specified.
     Print the `system` attribute of the derivation.
 
   - `--drv-path`\
-    Print the path of the store derivation.
+    Print the path of the [store derivation].
 
   - `--out-path`\
     Print the output path of the derivation.

doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-instantiate.md

@@ -17,13 +17,14 @@
 
 # Description
 
-The command `nix-instantiate` generates [store
+The command `nix-instantiate` produces [store derivation]s from (high-level) Nix expressions.
-derivations](../glossary.md) from (high-level) Nix expressions. It
+It evaluates the Nix expressions in each of *files* (which defaults to
-evaluates the Nix expressions in each of *files* (which defaults to
 *./default.nix*). Each top-level expression should evaluate to a
 derivation, a list of derivations, or a set of derivations. The paths
 of the resulting store derivations are printed on standard output.
 
+[store derivation]: ../glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
+
 If *files* is the character `-`, then a Nix expression will be read from
 standard input.
 
@@ -79,8 +80,7 @@ standard input.
 
 # Examples
 
-Instantiating store derivations from a Nix expression, and building them
+Instantiate [store derivation]s from a Nix expression, and build them using `nix-store`:
-using `nix-store`:
 
 ```console
 $ nix-instantiate test.nix (instantiate)

doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-store.md

@@ -137,8 +137,10 @@ or.
 
 ## Examples
 
-This operation is typically used to build store derivations produced by
+This operation is typically used to build [store derivation]s produced by
-[`nix-instantiate`](nix-instantiate.md):
+[`nix-instantiate`](./nix-instantiate.md):
+
+[store derivation]: ../glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
 
 ```console
 $ nix-store -r $(nix-instantiate ./test.nix)
@@ -298,7 +300,7 @@ symlink.
 ## Common query options
 
   - `--use-output`; `-u`\
-    For each argument to the query that is a store derivation, apply the
+    For each argument to the query that is a [store derivation], apply the
     query to the output path of the derivation instead.
 
   - `--force-realise`; `-f`\
@@ -318,7 +320,7 @@ symlink.
     This query has one option:
 
       - `--include-outputs`
-        Also include the existing output paths of store derivations,
+        Also include the existing output paths of [store derivation]s,
         and their closures.
 
     This query can be used to implement various kinds of deployment. A
@@ -372,12 +374,12 @@ symlink.
     Prints the references graph of the store paths *paths* in the
     [GraphML](http://graphml.graphdrawing.org/) file format. This can be
     used to visualise dependency graphs. To obtain a build-time
-    dependency graph, apply this to a store derivation. To obtain a
+    dependency graph, apply this to a [store derivation]. To obtain a
     runtime dependency graph, apply it to an output path.
 
   - `--binding` *name*; `-b` *name*\
     Prints the value of the attribute *name* (i.e., environment
-    variable) of the store derivations *paths*. It is an error for a
+    variable) of the [store derivation]s *paths*. It is an error for a
     derivation to not have the specified attribute.
 
   - `--hash`\

doc/manual/src/glossary.md

@@ -7,6 +7,18 @@
     translated into low-level *store derivations* (implicitly by
     `nix-env` and `nix-build`, or explicitly by `nix-instantiate`).
 
+    [derivation]: #gloss-derivation
+
+  - [store derivation]{#gloss-store-derivation}\
+    A [derivation] represented as a `.drv` file in the [store].
+    It has a [store path], like any [store object].
+
+    Example: `/nix/store/g946hcz4c8mdvq2g8vxx42z51qb71rvp-git-2.38.1.drv`
+
+    See [`nix show-derivation`](./command-ref/new-cli/nix3-show-derivation.md) (experimental) for displaying the contents of store derivations.
+
+    [store derivation]: #gloss-store-derivation
+
   - [content-addressed derivation]{#gloss-content-addressed-derivation}\
     A derivation which has the
     [`__contentAddressed`](./language/advanced-attributes.md#adv-attr-__contentAddressed)
@@ -34,6 +46,8 @@
       directory on another machine,  accessed via `ssh` or
       served by the `nix-serve` Perl script.
 
+    [store]: #gloss-store
+
   - [chroot store]{#gloss-chroot-store}\
     A local store whose canonical path is anything other than `/nix/store`.
 
@@ -49,6 +63,10 @@
     The location in the file system of a store object, i.e., an
     immediate child of the Nix store directory.
 
+    Example: `/nix/store/a040m110amc4h71lds2jmr8qrkj2jhxd-git-2.38.1`
+
+    [store path]: #gloss-store-path
+
   - [store object]{#gloss-store-object}\
     A file that is an immediate child of the Nix store directory. These
     can be regular files, but also entire directory trees. Store objects
@@ -56,6 +74,8 @@
     derivation outputs (objects produced by running a build task), or
     derivations (files describing a build task).
 
+    [store object]: #gloss-store-object
+
   - [input-addressed store object]{#gloss-input-addressed-store-object}\
     A store object produced by building a
     non-[content-addressed](#gloss-content-addressed-derivation),
@@ -124,7 +144,9 @@
     references `R` then `R` is also in the closure of `P`.
 
   - [output path]{#gloss-output-path}\
-    A store path produced by a derivation.
+    A [store path] produced by a [derivation].
+
+    [output path]: #gloss-output-path
 
   - [deriver]{#gloss-deriver}\
     The deriver of an *output path* is the store

src/libcmd/installables.cc

@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ SourceExprCommand::SourceExprCommand(bool supportReadOnlyMode)
 
     addFlag({
         .longName = "derivation",
-        .description = "Operate on the store derivation rather than its outputs.",
+        .description = "Operate on the [store derivation](../../glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation) rather than its outputs.",
         .category = installablesCategory,
         .handler = {&operateOn, OperateOn::Derivation},
     });

src/nix/nix.md

@@ -115,12 +115,12 @@ the Nix store. Here are the recognised types of installables:
 
 * **Store derivations**: `/nix/store/p7gp6lxdg32h4ka1q398wd9r2zkbbz2v-hello-2.10.drv`
 
-  Store derivations are store paths with extension `.drv` and are a
+  Store derivations are a low-level, internal representation of build tasks in Nix, and have store paths with extension `.drv`.
-  low-level representation of a build-time dependency graph used
+  By default, if you pass the path to a store derivation to a `nix` subcommand, the command will operate on the [output path]s of the derivation.
-  internally by Nix. By default, if you pass a store derivation to a
+
-  `nix` subcommand, it will operate on the *output paths* of the
+  [output path]: ../../glossary.md#gloss-output-path
-  derivation. For example, `nix path-info` prints information about
+
-  the output paths:
+  For example, `nix path-info` prints information about the output paths:
 
   ```console
   # nix path-info --json /nix/store/p7gp6lxdg32h4ka1q398wd9r2zkbbz2v-hello-2.10.drv
@@ -202,9 +202,11 @@ operate are determined as follows:
   a command like `nix shell nixpkgs#libxml2` will provide only those
   two outputs by default.
 
-  Note that a store derivation (given by `.drv` file store path) doesn't have
+  Note that a [store derivation] (given by its `.drv` file store path) doesn't have
   any attributes like `meta`, and thus this case doesn't apply to it.
 
+  [store derivation]: ../../glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
+
 * Otherwise, Nix will use all outputs of the derivation.
 
 # Nix stores

src/nix/path-info.md

@@ -68,7 +68,9 @@ R""(
   ]
   ```
 
-* Print the path of the store derivation produced by `nixpkgs#hello`:
+* Print the path of the [store derivation] produced by `nixpkgs#hello`:
+
+  [store derivation]: ../../glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
 
   ```console
   # nix path-info --derivation nixpkgs#hello

src/nix/show-derivation.md

@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ R""(
 
 # Examples
 
-* Show the store derivation that results from evaluating the Hello
+* Show the [store derivation] that results from evaluating the Hello
   package:
 
+  [store derivation]: ../../glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
+
   ```console
   # nix show-derivation nixpkgs#hello
   {
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ R""(
 # Description
 
 This command prints on standard output a JSON representation of the
-store derivations to which *installables* evaluate. Store derivations
+[store derivation]s to which *installables* evaluate. Store derivations
 are used internally by Nix. They are store paths with extension `.drv`
 that represent the build-time dependency graph to which a Nix
 expression evaluates.

src/nix/store-copy-log.md

@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ R""(
   (The flag `--substituters ''` avoids querying
   `https://cache.nixos.org` for the log.)
 
-* To copy the log for a specific store derivation via SSH:
+* To copy the log for a specific [store derivation] via SSH:
+
+  [store derivation]: ../../glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
 
   ```console
   # nix store copy-log --to ssh-ng://machine /nix/store/ilgm50plpmcgjhcp33z6n4qbnpqfhxym-glibc-2.33-59.drv