diff --git a/doc/manual/src/language/advanced-attributes.md b/doc/manual/src/language/advanced-attributes.md index f02425b13..a164b3997 100644 --- a/doc/manual/src/language/advanced-attributes.md +++ b/doc/manual/src/language/advanced-attributes.md @@ -255,3 +255,67 @@ Derivations can declare some infrequently used optional attributes. > substituted. Thus it is usually a good idea to align `system` with > `builtins.currentSystem` when setting `allowSubstitutes` to > `false`. For most trivial derivations this should be the case. + + - [`__structuredAttrs`]{#adv-attr-structuredAttrs}\ + If the special attribute `__structuredAttrs` is set to `true`, the other derivation + attributes are serialised in JSON format and made available to the + builder via the file `.attrs.json` in the builder’s temporary + directory. This obviates the need for `passAsFile` since JSON files + have no size restrictions, unlike process environments. + + It also makes it possible to tweak derivation settings in a structured way; see + [`outputChecks`](#adv-attr-outputChecks) for example. + + As a convenience to Bash builders, + Nix writes a script named `.attrs.sh` to the builder’s directory + that initialises shell variables corresponding to all attributes + that are representable in Bash. This includes non-nested + (associative) arrays. For example, the attribute `hardening.format = true` + ends up as the Bash associative array element `${hardening[format]}`. + + - [`outputChecks`]{#adv-attr-outputChecks}\ + When using [structured attributes](#adv-attr-structuredAttrs), the `outputChecks` + attribute allows defining checks per-output. + + In addition to + [`allowedReferences`](#adv-attr-allowedReferences), [`allowedRequisites`](#adv-attr-allowedRequisites), + [`disallowedReferences`](#adv-attr-disallowedReferences) and [`disallowedRequisites`](#adv-attr-disallowedRequisites), + the following attributes are available: + + - `maxSize` defines the maximum size of the output path. + - `maxClosureSize` defines the maximum size of the output's closure. + - `ignoreSelfRefs` controls whether self-references should be considered when + checking for allowed references/requisites. + + ```nix + __structuredAttrs = true; + + outputChecks.out = { + # The closure of 'out' must not be larger than 256 MiB. + maxClosureSize = 256 * 1024 * 1024; + + # It must not refer to the C compiler or to the 'dev' output. + disallowedRequisites = [ stdenv.cc "dev" ]; + }; + + outputChecks.dev = { + # The 'dev' output must not be larger than 128 KiB. + maxSize = 128 * 1024; + }; + ``` + + - [`unsafeDiscardReferences`]{#adv-attr-unsafeDiscardReferences}\ + When using [structured attributes](#adv-attr-structuredAttrs), the **experimental** + attribute `unsafeDiscardReferences` is a per-output boolean which, if set to `true`, + disables scanning the build output for runtime dependencies altogether. + + ```nix + __structuredAttrs = true; + unsafeDiscardReferences.out = true; + ``` + + This is useful, for example, when generating self-contained filesystem images with + their own embedded Nix store: hashes found inside such an image refer + to the embedded store and not to the host's Nix store. + + This is only allowed if the `discard-references` experimental feature is enabled.