Adding programs to PATH: Difference between revisions

(3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)

Line 1:

[[Category:Tutorial]]

Here is a collection of methods to add a program to the <code>PATH</code> environment variable with [[Nix (package manager)]] with packages from [[Nixpkgs]].

The <code>PATH</code> environment variable (often referred to as "the PATH") is an environment variable that tells programs where to find other programs. When you run a command <code>hello</code> in a bash shell, it basically searches for an executable named <code>hello</code> in every directory listed in <code>PATH</code>.

The NixOS method supports installing [[udev]] rules, which may be required for programs interacting with hardware. Services should be enabled and configured with NixOS options rather than by adding them manually to <code>environment.systemPackages</code>.

Line 7:

Line 11:

== Persistent ==

These methods install the packages globally (not local to a specific development shell), persist the installation between reboots and ~~link directories~~ together.

These methods install the packages globally (not local to a specific development shell), persist the installation between reboots and symlink paths together into a specific directory (see the NixOS options {{Nixos:option|environment.systemPackages}} and {{Nixos:option|environment.pathsToLink}} for details).

=== NixOS ===

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+[[Category:Tutorial]]
 Here is a collection of methods to add a program to the <code>PATH</code> environment variable with [[Nix (package manager)]] with packages from [[Nixpkgs]].
+The <code>PATH</code> environment variable (often referred to as "the PATH") is an environment variable that tells programs where to find other programs. When you run a command <code>hello</code> in a bash shell, it basically searches for an executable named <code>hello</code> in every directory listed in <code>PATH</code>.
 The NixOS method supports installing [[udev]] rules, which may be required for programs interacting with hardware. Services should be enabled and configured with NixOS options rather than by adding them manually to <code>environment.systemPackages</code>.
@@ Line 7: / Line 11: @@
 == Persistent ==
-These methods install the packages globally (not local to a specific development shell), persist the installation between reboots and link directories together.
+These methods install the packages globally (not local to a specific development shell), persist the installation between reboots and symlink paths together into a specific directory (see the NixOS options {{Nixos:option|environment.systemPackages}} and {{Nixos:option|environment.pathsToLink}} for details).
 === NixOS ===