<chapter xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook"
        xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
        xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"
        version="5.0"
        xml:id="ch-testing-installer">

<title>Testing the Installer</title>

<para>Building, burning, and booting from an installation CD is rather
tedious, so here is a quick way to see if the installer works
properly:

<screen>
# mount -t tmpfs none /mnt
# nixos-generate-config --root /mnt
$ nix-build '&lt;nixpkgs/nixos>' -A config.system.build.nixos-install
# ./result/bin/nixos-install</screen>

To start a login shell in the new NixOS installation in
<filename>/mnt</filename>:

<screen>
$ nix-build '&lt;nixpkgs/nixos>' -A config.system.build.nixos-enter
# ./result/bin/nixos-enter
</screen>

</para>

</chapter>