Nix Installation Guide: Difference between revisions

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This guide describes various methods for installing Nix.
This guide describes various methods for installing Nix.


== Single user install ==
== Single-user install ==


To install Nix from any Linux distribution, use the following two commands (assumes you have the permission to use sudo and you are logged in as the user you want to install Nix for).
To install Nix from any Linux distribution, use the following two commands. (Note: This assumes you have the permission to use <code>sudo</code>, and you are logged in as the user you want to install Nix for.)


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After that being done, you can use all Nix commands as a normal user without any special permissions (for example by using <code>sudo</code>)
After that being done, you can use all Nix commands as a normal user without any special permissions (for example by using <code>sudo</code>).


== Installing without root permissions ==
== Installing without root permissions ==


By using [https://github.com/lethalman/nix-user-chroot nix-user-chroot] or [https://github.com/proot-me/PRoot PRoot]
By using [https://github.com/lethalman/nix-user-chroot nix-user-chroot] or [https://github.com/proot-me/PRoot PRoot],
you can use Nix on systems, where you have no permission to create `/nix`.
you can use Nix on systems where you have no permission to create the `/nix` directory.
<code>nix-user-chroot</code> is the preferred and faster option. However it might not run on older linux kernels
<code>nix-user-chroot</code> is the preferred and faster option.
or kernels without user namespace support. With the following command you can test
However, it might not run on older Linux kernels, or kernels without user namespace support.
whether your system support user namespaces:
With the following command, you can test whether your system supports user namespaces:


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The output should be <code>YES</code>.  
The output should be <code>YES</code>.  
If the command is absent an alternative is to check the kernel compile options.
If the command is absent, an alternative is to check the kernel compile options:


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$ zgrep CONFIG_USER_NS /proc/config.gz
$ zgrep CONFIG_USER_NS /proc/config.gz
# On some systems like Debian or Ubuntu the kernel configuration is in a different place
$ grep CONFIG_USER_NS /boot/config-$(uname -r)
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If the output of this command is <code>CONFIG_USER_NS=y</code> your system supports user namespaces.
On some systems, like Debian or Ubuntu, the kernel configuration is in a different place, so instead use:
 
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$ grep CONFIG_USER_NS /boot/config-$(uname -r)
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If the output of this command is <code>CONFIG_USER_NS=y</code>, then your system supports user namespaces.


=== nix-user-chroot ===
=== nix-user-chroot ===


<code>nix-user-chroot</code> will create an environment, in which you can bind mount an directory to <code>/nix</code>.
<code>nix-user-chroot</code> will create an environment in which you can bind mount an directory to <code>/nix</code>.
The mountpoint will be only visible within this environment.
The mountpoint will be only visible within this environment.


<code>nix-user-chroot</code> can be build the following way. This assumes a c compiler and make is installed.
<code>nix-user-chroot</code> can be built the following way. (Note: This assumes a C compiler, <code>make</code> and <code>git</code>are installed.)


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The last step created an executable called <code>nix-user-chroot</code>.
The last step creates an executable called <code>nix-user-chroot</code>.


<code>nix-user-chroot</code> can be used to install nix.
<code>nix-user-chroot</code> can now be used to install Nix.
In this example the nix store will be installed to <code>~/.nix</code>:
In this example, the Nix store will be installed to <code>~/.nix</code>:


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This will start a new shell in which you can run the install script of nix:
This will start a new shell in which you can run the install script of Nix:


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Note that you can only use nix and the installed programs within the shell started by <code>nix-user-chroot</code>.
Note that you can only use Nix and the installed programs within the shell started by <code>nix-user-chroot</code>.


=== PRoot ===
=== PRoot ===
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Precompiled PRoot binaries can be downloaded from [https://github.com/proot-me/proot-static-build/releases here]
Precompiled PRoot binaries can be downloaded from [https://github.com/proot-me/proot-static-build/releases here]


The following commands will install nix the nix store to <code>~/.nix</code>
The following commands will install Nix the Nix store to <code>~/.nix</code>


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This will start a new shell, where nix can be installed:
This will start a new shell, where Nix can be installed:


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Note that you can only use nix and the installed programs within the shell started by PRoot.
Note that you can only use Nix and the installed programs within the shell started by PRoot.

Revision as of 17:31, 10 February 2018

This guide describes various methods for installing Nix.

Single-user install

To install Nix from any Linux distribution, use the following two commands. (Note: This assumes you have the permission to use sudo, and you are logged in as the user you want to install Nix for.)

$ sudo install -d -m755 -o $USER -g $USER /nix
$ curl https://nixos.org/nix/install | sh

After that being done, you can use all Nix commands as a normal user without any special permissions (for example by using sudo).

Installing without root permissions

By using nix-user-chroot or PRoot, you can use Nix on systems where you have no permission to create the `/nix` directory. nix-user-chroot is the preferred and faster option. However, it might not run on older Linux kernels, or kernels without user namespace support. With the following command, you can test whether your system supports user namespaces:

$ unshare --user --pid echo YES

The output should be YES. If the command is absent, an alternative is to check the kernel compile options:

$ zgrep CONFIG_USER_NS /proc/config.gz

On some systems, like Debian or Ubuntu, the kernel configuration is in a different place, so instead use:

$ grep CONFIG_USER_NS /boot/config-$(uname -r)

If the output of this command is CONFIG_USER_NS=y, then your system supports user namespaces.

nix-user-chroot

nix-user-chroot will create an environment in which you can bind mount an directory to /nix. The mountpoint will be only visible within this environment.

nix-user-chroot can be built the following way. (Note: This assumes a C compiler, make and gitare installed.)

$ git clone https://github.com/lethalman/nix-user-chroot.git
$ cd nix-user-chroot
$ make

The last step creates an executable called nix-user-chroot.

nix-user-chroot can now be used to install Nix. In this example, the Nix store will be installed to ~/.nix:

$ mkdir -m 0755 ~/.nix
$ ./nix-user-chroot/nix-user-chroot ~/.nix bash

This will start a new shell in which you can run the install script of Nix:

$ curl https://nixos.org/nix/install | sh

Note that you can only use Nix and the installed programs within the shell started by nix-user-chroot.

PRoot

Precompiled PRoot binaries can be downloaded from here

The following commands will install Nix the Nix store to ~/.nix

# first make sure the executable bit is set on the binary
$ chmod +x proot_5.1.1_x86_64_rc2--no-seccomp
$ mkdir ~/.nix
$ ./proot_5.1.1_x86_64_rc2--no-seccomp ~/.nix

This will start a new shell, where Nix can be installed:

$ curl https://nixos.org/nix/install | sh

Note that you can only use Nix and the installed programs within the shell started by PRoot.