@@ -58,11 +58,9 @@ $ ln -s nixpkgs/pkgs nixos/</screen>
$ nix-build configuration/rescue-cd.nix -A rescueCD</screen>
If everything goes well, you’
<filename > ./result/iso/nixos.iso</filenam e> . </para> </listitem >
<listitem > <para > Burn the ISO image
<filename > ./result/iso/nixos.iso</filename> onto a CD or DVD or
attach it to a CD-ROM drive in VMware.</para> </listitem>
<filename > ./result/iso/nixos-<replaceable > version</replaceabl e> - <replaceable > platform</replaceable> .iso</filename >
that you can burn onto a CD or attach to a virtual CD-ROM drive in
your favourite virtual machine software. </ para> </listitem >
</orderedlist>
@@ -81,13 +79,18 @@ $ nix-build configuration/rescue-cd.nix -A rescueCD</screen>
<listitem > <para > Boot from the CD.</para> </listitem>
<listitem > <para > The CD contains a basic NixOS installation. When
it’ hardware
and brought up networking (check <command > ifconfig</command> ).
Networking is necessary for the installer, since it will download
lots of stuff (such as source tarballs or Nixpkgs channel binaries).
It’ e
configure manually.</para> </listitem>
<listitem > <para > The CD contains a basic NixOS installation. (It
also contain Memtest86+, useful if you want to test new hardware.)
When it’
hardware and brought up networking (check
<command > ifconfig</command> ). Networking is necessary for the
installer, since it will download lots of stuff (such as sourc e
tarballs or Nixpkgs channel binaries). It’
server on your network. Otherwise configure
manually.</para> </listitem>
<listitem > <para > The NixOS manual is available on virtual console 7
(press Alt+F7 to access).</para> </listitem>
<listitem > <para > Login as <literal > root</literal> , empty
password.</para> </listitem>
@@ -130,34 +133,77 @@ $ lvcreate --size 1G --name smalldisk MyVolGroup</screen>
<listitem > <para > For creating software RAID devices:
<command > mdadm</command> .</para> </listitem>
<listitem > <para > Mount the target file system on
<filename > /mnt</filename> .</para> </listitem>
</itemizedlist>
<listitem > < para > The installation is declarative; you need to write
a description of the configuration that you want to be built and
</ para> </listitem >
<listitem > <para > Mount the target file system on
<filename > /mnt</filename> .</para> </listitem>
<listitem >
<para > The installation is declarative; you need to write a
description of the configuration that you want to be built and
activated. The configuration is specified in a Nix expression and
should be stored in
<filename > /etc/nixos/configuration.nix</filename> . See
must be stored <emphasis > on the target file system</emphasis> in
<filename > /mnt/ etc/nixos/configuration.nix</filename> . See
<filename > /etc/nixos/nixos/configuration/examples</filename> for
example machine configurations. You can copy and edit one of
those (e.g., copy
<filename > /etc/nixos/nixos/configuration/examples/basic.nix</filename>
to <filename > /etc/nixos/configuration.nix</filename> ). See <xref
linkend= "ch-options" /> for a list of the available configuration
options. The text editor <command > nano</command> is
available.</para>
to <filename > /mnt/ etc/nixos/configuration.nix</filename> ). See
<xref linkend= "ch-options" /> for a list of the available
configuration options. The text editors <command > nano</command>
and <command > vim</command> are available.</para>
<para > In particular you need to specify a root file system in
<option > fileSystems</option> and the target device for the Grub
boot loader in <option > boot.grubDevice</option> .</para>
<para > The command <command > nixos-hardware-scan</command> can
generate an initial configuration file for you, i.e.,
<screen >
$ mkdir -p /mnt/etc/nixos
$ nixos-hardware-scan > /mnt/etc/nixos/configuration.nix</screen>
It tries to figure out the modules necessary for mounting the root
device, as well as various other hardware characteristics.
However, it doesn’
<option > fileSystems</option> option yet.</para>
<para > More examples of NixOS configurations for some actual
machines can be found at <link
xlink:href= "https://svn.cs.uu.nl:12443/repos/trace/configurations/trunk/" /> .</para>
</listitem>
<note > <para > It is very important that you specify in the option
<option > boot.initrd.extraKernelModules</option> all kernel modules
that are necessary for mounting the root file system, otherwise
the installed system will not be able to boot. (If this happens,
boot from CD again, mount the target file system on
<filename > /mnt</filename> , fix
<filename > /mnt/etc/nixos/configuration.nix</filename> and rerun
<filename > nixos-install</filename> .)
<command > nixos-hardware-scan</command> should figure out the
required modules in most cases.</para> </note>
<listitem > <para > Do the installation:
</ listitem>
<listitem > <para > If your machine has a limited amount of memory, you
may want to activate swap devices now (<command > swapon
<replaceable > device</replaceable> </command> ). The installer (or
rather, the build actions that it may spawn) may need quite a bit of
RAM, depending on your configuration.</para> </listitem>
<listitem > <para > Optionally, you can run
<screen >
$ nixos-checkout</screen>
to make the installer use the latest NixOS/Nixpkgs sources from the
Subversion repository, rather than the sources on CD.</para> </listitem>
<listitem > <para > Do the installation:
<screen >
$ nixos-install</screen>
@@ -169,22 +215,95 @@ $ nixos-install</screen>
<screen >
$ reboot</screen>
You should now be able to boot into the installed NixOS. The Grub
boot menu shows a list of <emphasis > available
</para> </listitem>
<listitem >
<para > You should now be able to boot into the installed NixOS.
The Grub boot menu shows a list of <emphasis > available
configurations</emphasis> (initially just one). Every time you
change the NixOS configuration, a new item appears in the menu.
change the NixOS configuration (see <xref
linkend= "sec-changing-config" /> ), a new item appears in the menu.
This allows you to go back easily to another configuration if
something goes wrong.</para>
<para > You should log in and change the <literal > root</literal>
password with <command > passwd</command> .</para> </listitem>
password with <command > passwd</command> .</para>
</itemizedlist>
<para > You’
which can be done with <command > useradd</command> :
<screen >
$ useradd -c 'Eelco Dolstra' -m eelco
$ passwd eelco</screen>
</para>
<para > You may also want to install some software. For instance,
<screen >
$ nix-env -qa \*</screen>
shows what packages are available, and
<screen >
$ nix-env -i w3m</screen>
install the <literal > w3m</literal> browser.</para>
</listitem>
</para> </listitem>
</orderedlist>
<para > <xref linkend= "ex-install-sequence" /> shows a typical sequence
of commands for installing NixOS on an empty hard drive (here
<filename > /dev/sda). <xref linkend= "ex-config" /> shows a
corresponding configuration Nix expression.</filename>
</para>
<example xml:id= 'ex-install-sequence' > <title > Commands for installing NixOS on <filename > /dev/sda</filename> </title>
<screen >
$ fdisk /dev/sda <lineannotation > (or whatever device you want to install on)</lineannotation>
$ mke2fs -j -L nixos /dev/sda1 <lineannotation > (idem)</lineannotation>
$ mkswap -L swap /dev/sda2 <lineannotation > (idem)</lineannotation>
$ mount LABEL=nixos /mnt
$ mkdir -p /mnt/etc/nixos
$ nixos-hardware-scan > /mnt/etc/nixos/configuration.nix
$ nano /mnt/etc/nixos/configuration.nix
<lineannotation > (in particular, set the fileSystems and swapDevices options)</lineannotation>
$ nixos-install
$ reboot</screen>
</example>
<example xml:id= 'ex-config' > <title > NixOS configuration</title>
<screen >
{
boot = {
initrd = {
extraKernelModules = [ "ata_piix" ];
};
grubDevice = "/dev/sda";
};
fileSystems = [
{ mountPoint = "/";
label = "nixos";
}
];
swapDevices = [
{ label = "swap"; }
];
services = {
sshd = {
enable = true;
};
};
}</screen>
</example>
</section>
Eelco Dolstra