Provided by: nix-bin_2.24.9+dfsg-2ubuntu2_amd64 
Name
nix build - build a derivation or fetch a store path
Synopsis
nix build [option…] installables…
Examples
• Build the default package from the flake in the current directory:
# nix build
• Build and run GNU Hello from the nixpkgs flake:
# nix build nixpkgs#hello
# ./result/bin/hello
Hello, world!
• Build GNU Hello and Cowsay, leaving two result symlinks:
# nix build nixpkgs#hello nixpkgs#cowsay
# ls -l result*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 … result -> /nix/store/v5sv61sszx301i0x6xysaqzla09nksnd-hello-2.10
lrwxrwxrwx 1 … result-1 -> /nix/store/rkfrm0z6x6jmi7d3gsmma4j53h15mg33-cowsay-3.03+dfsg2
• Build GNU Hello and print the resulting store path.
# nix build nixpkgs#hello --print-out-paths
/nix/store/v5sv61sszx301i0x6xysaqzla09nksnd-hello-2.10
• Build a specific output:
# nix build nixpkgs#glibc.dev
# ls -ld ./result-dev
lrwxrwxrwx 1 … ./result-dev -> /nix/store/dkm3gwl0xrx0wrw6zi5x3px3lpgjhlw4-glibc-2.32-dev
• Build all outputs:
# nix build "nixpkgs#openssl^*" --print-out-paths
/nix/store/gvad6v0cmq1qccmc4wphsazqbj0xzjsl-openssl-3.0.13-bin
/nix/store/a07jqdrc8afnk8r6f3lnhh4gvab7chk4-openssl-3.0.13-debug
/nix/store/yg75achq89wgqn2fi3gglgsd77kjpi03-openssl-3.0.13-dev
/nix/store/bvdcihi8c88fw31cg6gzzmpnwglpn1jv-openssl-3.0.13-doc
/nix/store/gjqcvq47cmxazxga0cirspm3jywkmvfv-openssl-3.0.13-man
/nix/store/7nmrrad8skxr47f9hfl3xc0pfqmwq51b-openssl-3.0.13
• Build attribute build.x86_64-linux from (non-flake) Nix expression release.nix:
# nix build --file release.nix build.x86_64-linux
• Build a NixOS system configuration from a flake, and make a profile point to the result:
# nix build --profile /nix/var/nix/profiles/system \
~/my-configurations#nixosConfigurations.machine.config.system.build.toplevel
(This is essentially what nixos-rebuild does.)
• Build an expression specified on the command line:
# nix build --impure --expr \
'with import <nixpkgs> {};
runCommand "foo" {
buildInputs = [ hello ];
}
"hello > $out"'
# cat ./result
Hello, world!
Note that --impure is needed because we’re using <nixpkgs>, which relies on the $NIX_PATH
environment variable.
• Fetch a store path from the configured substituters, if it doesn’t already exist:
# nix build /nix/store/rkfrm0z6x6jmi7d3gsmma4j53h15mg33-cowsay-3.03+dfsg2
Description
nix build builds the specified installables. Installables that resolve to derivations are built (or
substituted if possible). Store path installables are substituted.
Unless --no-link is specified, after a successful build, it creates symlinks to the store paths of the
installables. These symlinks have the prefix ./result by default; this can be overridden using the --out-
link option. Each symlink has a suffix -<N>-<outname>, where N is the index of the installable (with the
left-most installable having index 0), and outname is the symbolic derivation output name (e.g. bin, dev
or lib). -<N> is omitted if N = 0, and -<outname> is omitted if outname = out (denoting the default
output).
Options
• --dry-run
Show what this command would do without doing it.
• --json
Produce output in JSON format, suitable for consumption by another program.
• --no-link
Do not create symlinks to the build results.
• --out-link / -o path
Use path as prefix for the symlinks to the build results. It defaults to result.
• --print-out-paths
Print the resulting output paths
• --profile path
The profile to operate on.
• --rebuild
Rebuild an already built package and compare the result to the existing store paths.
• --stdin
Read installables from the standard input. No default installable applied.
Common evaluation options
• --arg name expr
Pass the value expr as the argument name to Nix functions.
• --arg-from-file name path
Pass the contents of file path as the argument name to Nix functions.
• --arg-from-stdin name
Pass the contents of stdin as the argument name to Nix functions.
• --argstr name string
Pass the string string as the argument name to Nix functions.
• --debugger
Start an interactive environment if evaluation fails.
• --eval-store store-url
The URL of the Nix store to use for evaluation, i.e. to store derivations (.drv files) and inputs
referenced by them.
• --impure
Allow access to mutable paths and repositories.
• --include / -I path
Add path to search path entries used to resolve lookup paths
This option may be given multiple times.
Paths added through -I take precedence over the nix-path configuration setting and the NIX_PATH
environment variable.
• --override-flake original-ref resolved-ref
Override the flake registries, redirecting original-ref to resolved-ref.
Common flake-related options
• --commit-lock-file
Commit changes to the flake’s lock file.
• --inputs-from flake-url
Use the inputs of the specified flake as registry entries.
• --no-registries
Don’t allow lookups in the flake registries.
DEPRECATED
Use --no-use-registries instead.
• --no-update-lock-file
Do not allow any updates to the flake’s lock file.
• --no-write-lock-file
Do not write the flake’s newly generated lock file.
• --output-lock-file flake-lock-path
Write the given lock file instead of flake.lock within the top-level flake.
• --override-input input-path flake-url
Override a specific flake input (e.g. dwarffs/nixpkgs). This implies --no-write-lock-file.
• --recreate-lock-file
Recreate the flake’s lock file from scratch.
DEPRECATED
Use nix flake update instead.
• --reference-lock-file flake-lock-path
Read the given lock file instead of flake.lock within the top-level flake.
• --update-input input-path
Update a specific flake input (ignoring its previous entry in the lock file).
DEPRECATED
Use nix flake update instead.
Logging-related options
• --debug
Set the logging verbosity level to ‘debug’.
• --log-format format
Set the format of log output; one of raw, internal-json, bar or bar-with-logs.
• --print-build-logs / -L
Print full build logs on standard error.
• --quiet
Decrease the logging verbosity level.
• --verbose / -v
Increase the logging verbosity level.
Miscellaneous global options
• --help
Show usage information.
• --offline
Disable substituters and consider all previously downloaded files up-to-date.
• --option name value
Set the Nix configuration setting name to value (overriding nix.conf).
• --refresh
Consider all previously downloaded files out-of-date.
• --repair
During evaluation, rewrite missing or corrupted files in the Nix store. During building, rebuild
missing or corrupted store paths.
• --version
Show version information.
Options that change the interpretation of installables
• --expr expr
Interpret installables as attribute paths relative to the Nix expression expr.
• --file / -f file
Interpret installables as attribute paths relative to the Nix expression stored in file. If file is
the character -, then a Nix expression will be read from standard input. Implies --impure.
Note
See man nix.conf for overriding configuration settings with command line flags.
nix3-build(1)