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Clarify docs on deleting generations, including fixing a mistake

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Deleting store info corrected (there is a foot-gun in Nix with
`--delete-generations old`!)

Also a few things are cleaned up based on feedback.

Co-authored-by: Valentin Gagarin <valentin.gagarin@tweag.io>
Co-authored-by: Eelco Dolstra <edolstra@gmail.com>
This commit is contained in:
John Ericson 2023-06-15 22:29:03 -04:00
parent 48fe0ed554
commit 5cc22e3370
2 changed files with 19 additions and 11 deletions
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2
doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-collect-garbage.md
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@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ These options are for deleting old [profiles] prior to deleting unreachable [sto
Delete all generations of profiles older than the specified amount (except for the generations that were active at that point in time). Delete all generations of profiles older than the specified amount (except for the generations that were active at that point in time).
*period* is a value such as `30d`, which would mean 30 days. *period* is a value such as `30d`, which would mean 30 days.
This is the equivalent of invoking [`nix-env --delete-generations <period>`](@docroot@/command-ref/nix-env/delete-generations.md#generations-days) on each found profile. This is the equivalent of invoking [`nix-env --delete-generations <period>`](@docroot@/command-ref/nix-env/delete-generations.md#generations-time) on each found profile.
See the documentation of that command for additional information about the *period* argument. See the documentation of that command for additional information about the *period* argument.
{{#include ./opt-common.md}} {{#include ./opt-common.md}}

28
doc/manual/src/command-ref/nix-env/delete-generations.md
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@ -20,22 +20,30 @@ This operation deletes the specified generations of the current profile.
- The special value <span id="generations-old">`old`</span> - The special value <span id="generations-old">`old`</span>
Delete all generations older than the current one. Delete all generations except the current one.
- <span id="generations-days">`<days>d`</span>:\ > **WARNING**
The last *days* days >
> Older *and newer* generations will be deleted by this operation.
>
> One might expect this to just delete older generations than the curent one, but that is only true if the current generation is also the latest.
> Because one can roll back to a previous generation, it is possible to have generations newer than the current one.
> They will also be deleted.
- <span id="generations-time">`<number>d`</span>:\
The last *number* days
*Example*: `30d` *Example*: `30d`
Delete all generations older than *days* days. Delete all generations created more than *number* days ago, except the most recent one of them.
The generation that was active at that point in time is excluded, and will not be deleted. This allows rolling back to generations that were available within the specified period.
- <span id="generations-count">`+<count>`</span>:\ - <span id="generations-count">`+<number>`</span>:\
The last *count* generations up to the present The last *number* generations up to the present
*Example*: `+5` *Example*: `+5`
Keep the last *count* generations, along with any newer than current. Keep the last *number* generations, along with any newer than current.
Periodically deleting old generations is important to make garbage collection Periodically deleting old generations is important to make garbage collection
effective. effective.
@ -61,7 +69,7 @@ $ nix-env --delete-generations 3 4 8
Delete the generations numbered 3, 4, and 8, so long as the current active generation is not any of those. Delete the generations numbered 3, 4, and 8, so long as the current active generation is not any of those.
## Keep most-recent by count count ## Keep most-recent by count (number of generations)
```console ```console
$ nix-env --delete-generations +5 $ nix-env --delete-generations +5
@ -72,7 +80,7 @@ Suppose `30` is the current generation, and we currently have generations number
Then this command will delete generations `20` through `25` (`<= 30 - 5`), Then this command will delete generations `20` through `25` (`<= 30 - 5`),
and keep generations `26` through `31` (`> 30 - 5`). and keep generations `26` through `31` (`> 30 - 5`).
## Keep most-recent in days ## Keep most-recent by time (number of days)
```console ```console
$ nix-env --delete-generations 30d $ nix-env --delete-generations 30d