guix.texi

Additional file systems can be shared between the host and the VM using
the @code{--share} and @code{--expose} command-line options: the former
specifies a directory to be shared with write access, while the latter
provides read-only access to the shared directory.

The example below creates a VM in which the user's home directory is
accessible read-only, and where the @file{/exchange} directory is a
read-write mapping of @file{$HOME/tmp} on the host:

@example
guix system vm my-config.scm \
   --expose=$HOME --share=$HOME/tmp=/exchange
@end example

On GNU/Linux, the default is to boot directly to the kernel; this has
the advantage of requiring only a very tiny root disk image since the
store of the host can then be mounted.

The @code{--full-boot} option forces a complete boot sequence, starting
with the bootloader.  This requires more disk space since a root image
containing at least the kernel, initrd, and bootloader data files must
be created.  The @code{--image-size} option can be used to specify the
size of the image.

@item vm-image
@itemx disk-image
Return a virtual machine or disk image of the operating system declared
in @var{file} that stands alone.  Use the @option{--image-size} option
to specify the size of the image.

When using @code{vm-image}, the returned image is in qcow2 format, which
the QEMU emulator can efficiently use. @xref{Running GuixSD in a VM},
for more information on how to run the image in a virtual machine.

When using @code{disk-image}, a raw disk image is produced; it can be
copied as is to a USB stick, for instance.  Assuming @code{/dev/sdc} is
the device corresponding to a USB stick, one can copy the image to it
using the following command:

@example
# dd if=$(guix system disk-image my-os.scm) of=/dev/sdc
@end example

@item container
Return a script to run the operating system declared in @var{file}
within a container.  Containers are a set of lightweight isolation
mechanisms provided by the kernel Linux-libre.  Containers are
substantially less resource-demanding than full virtual machines since
the kernel, shared objects, and other resources can be shared with the
host system; this also means they provide thinner isolation.

Currently, the script must be run as root in order to support more than
a single user and group.  The container shares its store with the host
system.

As with the @code{vm} action (@pxref{guix system vm}), additional file
systems to be shared between the host and container can be specified
using the @option{--share} and @option{--expose} options:

@example
guix system container my-config.scm \
   --expose=$HOME --share=$HOME/tmp=/exchange
@end example

@quotation Note
This option requires Linux-libre 3.19 or newer.
@end quotation

@end table

@var{options} can contain any of the common build options (@pxref{Common
Build Options}).  In addition, @var{options} can contain one of the
following:

@table @option
@item --system=@var{system}
@itemx -s @var{system}
Attempt to build for @var{system} instead of the host system type.
This works as per @command{guix build} (@pxref{Invoking guix build}).

@item --derivation
@itemx -d
Return the derivation file name of the given operating system without
building anything.

@item --image-size=@var{size}
For the @code{vm-image} and @code{disk-image} actions, create an image
of the given @var{size}.  @var{size} may be a number of bytes, or it may
include a unit as a suffix (@pxref{Block size, size specifications,,
coreutils, GNU Coreutils}).

@item --on-error=@var{strategy}
Apply @var{strategy} when an error occurs when reading @var{file}.
@var{strategy} may be one of the following:

@table @code
@item nothing-special
Report the error concisely and exit.  This is the default strategy.

@item backtrace
Likewise, but also display a backtrace.

@item debug
Report the error and enter Guile's debugger.  From there, you can run
commands such as @code{,bt} to get a backtrace, @code{,locals} to
display local variable values, and more generally inspect the state of the
program.  @xref{Debug Commands,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}, for
a list of available debugging commands.
@end table
@end table

@quotation Note
All the actions above, except @code{build} and @code{init},
can use KVM support in the Linux-libre kernel.  Specifically, if the
machine has hardware virtualization support, the corresponding
KVM kernel module should be loaded, and the @file{/dev/kvm} device node
must exist and be readable and writable by the user and by the
build users of the daemon (@pxref{Build Environment Setup}).
@end quotation

Once you have built, configured, re-configured, and re-re-configured
your GuixSD installation, you may find it useful to list the operating
system generations available on disk---and that you can choose from the
GRUB boot menu:

@table @code

@item list-generations
List a summary of each generation of the operating system available on
disk, in a human-readable way.  This is similar to the
@option{--list-generations} option of @command{guix package}
(@pxref{Invoking guix package}).

Optionally, one can specify a pattern, with the same syntax that is used
in @command{guix package --list-generations}, to restrict the list of
generations displayed.  For instance, the following command displays
generations that are up to 10 days old:

@example
$ guix system list-generations 10d
@end example

@end table

The @command{guix system} command has even more to offer!  The following
sub-commands allow you to visualize how your system services relate to
each other:

@anchor{system-extension-graph}
@table @code

@item extension-graph
Emit in Dot/Graphviz format to standard output the @dfn{service
extension graph} of the operating system defined in @var{file}
(@pxref{Service Composition}, for more information on service
extensions.)

The command:

@example
$ guix system extension-graph @var{file} | dot -Tpdf > services.pdf
@end example

produces a PDF file showing the extension relations among services.

@anchor{system-shepherd-graph}
@item shepherd-graph
Emit in Dot/Graphviz format to standard output the @dfn{dependency
graph} of shepherd services of the operating system defined in
@var{file}.  @xref{Shepherd Services}, for more information and for an
example graph.

@end table

@node Running GuixSD in a VM
@subsection Running GuixSD in a Virtual Machine

One way to run GuixSD in a virtual machine (VM) is to build a GuixSD
virtual machine image using @command{guix system vm-image}
(@pxref{Invoking guix system}).  The returned image is in qcow2 format,
which the @uref{http://qemu.org/, QEMU emulator} can efficiently use.

To run the image in QEMU, copy it out of the store (@pxref{The Store})
and give yourself permission to write to the copy.  When invoking QEMU,
you must choose a system emulator that is suitable for your hardware
platform.  Here is a minimal QEMU invocation that will boot the result
of @command{guix system vm-image} on x86_64 hardware:

@example
$ qemu-system-x86_64 \
   -net user -net nic,model=virtio \
   -enable-kvm -m 256 /tmp/qemu-image
@end example

Here is what each of these options means:

@table @code
@item qemu-system-x86_64
This specifies the hardware platform to emulate.  This should match the
host.

@item -net user
Enable the unprivileged user-mode network stack.  The guest OS can
access the host but not vice versa.  This is the simplest way to get the
guest OS online.  If you do not choose a network stack, the boot will
fail.

@item -net nic,model=virtio
You must create a network interface of a given model.  If you do not
create a NIC, the boot will fail.  Assuming your hardware platform is
x86_64, you can get a list of available NIC models by running
@command{qemu-system-x86_64 -net nic,model=help}.

@item -enable-kvm
If your system has hardware virtualization extensions, enabling the
virtual machine support (KVM) of the Linux kernel will make things run
faster.

@item -m 256
RAM available to the guest OS, in mebibytes.  Defaults to 128@tie{}MiB,
which may be insufficient for some operations.

@item /tmp/qemu-image
The file name of the qcow2 image.
@end table

@node Defining Services
@subsection Defining Services

The previous sections show the available services and how one can combine
them in an @code{operating-system} declaration.  But how do we define
them in the first place?  And what is a service anyway?

@menu
* Service Composition::         The model for composing services.
* Service Types and Services::  Types and services.
* Service Reference::           API reference.
* Shepherd Services::           A particular type of service.
@end menu

@node Service Composition
@subsubsection Service Composition

@cindex services
@cindex daemons
Here we define a @dfn{service} as, broadly, something that extends the
functionality of the operating system.  Often a service is a process---a
@dfn{daemon}---started when the system boots: a secure shell server, a
Web server, the Guix build daemon, etc.  Sometimes a service is a daemon
whose execution can be triggered by another daemon---e.g., an FTP server
started by @command{inetd} or a D-Bus service activated by
@command{dbus-daemon}.  Occasionally, a service does not map to a
daemon.  For instance, the ``account'' service collects user accounts
and makes sure they exist when the system runs; the ``udev'' service
collects device management rules and makes them available to the eudev
daemon; the @file{/etc} service populates the @file{/etc} directory
of the system.

@cindex service extensions
GuixSD services are connected by @dfn{extensions}.  For instance, the
secure shell service @emph{extends} the Shepherd---the GuixSD
initialization system, running as PID@tie{}1---by giving it the command
lines to start and stop the secure shell daemon (@pxref{Networking
Services, @code{lsh-service}}); the UPower service extends the D-Bus
service by passing it its @file{.service} specification, and extends the
udev service by passing it device management rules (@pxref{Desktop
Services, @code{upower-service}}); the Guix daemon service extends the
Shepherd by passing it the command lines to start and stop the daemon,
and extends the account service by passing it a list of required build
user accounts (@pxref{Base Services}).

All in all, services and their ``extends'' relations form a directed
acyclic graph (DAG).  If we represent services as boxes and extensions
as arrows, a typical system might provide something like this:

@image{images/service-graph,,5in,Typical service extension graph.}

@cindex system service
At the bottom, we see the @dfn{system service}, which produces the
directory containing everything to run and boot the system, as returned
by the @command{guix system build} command.  @xref{Service Reference},
to learn about the other service types shown here.
@xref{system-extension-graph, the @command{guix system extension-graph}
command}, for information on how to generate this representation for a
particular operating system definition.

@cindex service types
Technically, developers can define @dfn{service types} to express these
relations.  There can be any number of services of a given type on the
system---for instance, a system running two instances of the GNU secure
shell server (lsh) has two instances of @var{lsh-service-type}, with
different parameters.

The following section describes the programming interface for service
types and services.

@node Service Types and Services
@subsubsection Service Types and Services

A @dfn{service type} is a node in the DAG described above.  Let us start
with a simple example, the service type for the Guix build daemon
(@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon}):

@example
(define guix-service-type
  (service-type
   (name 'guix)
   (extensions
    (list (service-extension shepherd-root-service-type guix-shepherd-service)
          (service-extension account-service-type guix-accounts)
          (service-extension activation-service-type guix-activation)))))
@end example

@noindent
It defines two things:

@enumerate
@item
A name, whose sole purpose is to make inspection and debugging easier.

@item
A list of @dfn{service extensions}, where each extension designates the
target service type and a procedure that, given the parameters of the
service, returns a list of objects to extend the service of that type.

Every service type has at least one service extension.  The only
exception is the @dfn{boot service type}, which is the ultimate service.
@end enumerate

In this example, @var{guix-service-type} extends three services:

@table @var
@item shepherd-root-service-type
The @var{guix-shepherd-service} procedure defines how the Shepherd
service is extended.  Namely, it returns a @code{<shepherd-service>}
object that defines how @command{guix-daemon} is started and stopped
(@pxref{Shepherd Services}).

@item account-service-type
This extension for this service is computed by @var{guix-accounts},
which returns a list of @code{user-group} and @code{user-account}
objects representing the build user accounts (@pxref{Invoking
guix-daemon}).

@item activation-service-type
Here @var{guix-activation} is a procedure that returns a gexp, which is
a code snippet to run at ``activation time''---e.g., when the service is
booted.
@end table

A service of this type is instantiated like this:

@example
(service guix-service-type
         (guix-configuration
           (build-accounts 5)
           (use-substitutes? #f)))
@end example

The second argument to the @code{service} form is a value representing
the parameters of this specific service instance.
@xref{guix-configuration-type, @code{guix-configuration}}, for
information about the @code{guix-configuration} data type.

@var{guix-service-type} is quite simple because it extends other
services but is not extensible itself.

@c @subsubsubsection Extensible Service Types

The service type for an @emph{extensible} service looks like this:

@example
(define udev-service-type
  (service-type (name 'udev)
                (extensions
                 (list (service-extension shepherd-root-service-type
                                          udev-shepherd-service)))

                (compose concatenate)       ;concatenate the list of rules
                (extend (lambda (config rules)
                          (match config
                            (($ <udev-configuration> udev initial-rules)
                             (udev-configuration
                              (udev udev)   ;the udev package to use
                              (rules (append initial-rules rules)))))))))
@end example

This is the service type for the
@uref{https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Project:Eudev, eudev device
management daemon}.  Compared to the previous example, in addition to an
extension of @var{shepherd-root-service-type}, we see two new fields:

@table @code
@item compose
This is the procedure to @dfn{compose} the list of extensions to
services of this type.

Services can extend the udev service by passing it lists of rules; we
compose those extensions simply by concatenating them.

@item extend
This procedure defines how the value of the service is @dfn{extended} with
the composition of the extensions.

Udev extensions are composed into a list of rules, but the udev service
value is itself a @code{<udev-configuration>} record.  So here, we
extend that record by appending the list of rules it contains to the
list of contributed rules.
@end table

There can be only one instance of an extensible service type such as
@var{udev-service-type}.  If there were more, the
@code{service-extension} specifications would be ambiguous.

Still here?  The next section provides a reference of the programming
interface for services.

@node Service Reference
@subsubsection Service Reference

We have seen an overview of service types (@pxref{Service Types and
Services}).  This section provides a reference on how to manipulate
services and service types.  This interface is provided by the
@code{(gnu services)} module.

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} service @var{type} @var{value}
Return a new service of @var{type}, a @code{<service-type>} object (see
below.)  @var{value} can be any object; it represents the parameters of
this particular service instance.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} service? @var{obj}
Return true if @var{obj} is a service.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-kind @var{service}
Return the type of @var{service}---i.e., a @code{<service-type>} object.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-parameters @var{service}
Return the value associated with @var{service}.  It represents its
parameters.
@end deffn

Here is an example of how a service is created and manipulated:

@example
(define s
  (service nginx-service-type
           (nginx-configuration
            (nginx nginx)
            (log-directory log-directory)
            (run-directory run-directory)
            (file config-file))))

(service? s)
@result{} #t

(eq? (service-kind s) nginx-service-type)
@result{} #t
@end example

The @code{modify-services} form provides a handy way to change the
parameters of some of the services of a list such as
@var{%base-services} (@pxref{Base Services, @code{%base-services}}).  It
evaluates to a list of services.  Of course, you could always use
standard list combinators such as @code{map} and @code{fold} to do that
(@pxref{SRFI-1, List Library,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual});
@code{modify-services} simply provides a more concise form for this
common pattern.

@deffn {Scheme Syntax} modify-services @var{services} @
  (@var{type} @var{variable} => @var{body}) @dots{}

Modify the services listed in @var{services} according to the given
clauses.  Each clause has the form:

@example
(@var{type} @var{variable} => @var{body})
@end example

where @var{type} is a service type---e.g.,
@code{guix-service-type}---and @var{variable} is an identifier that is
bound within the @var{body} to the service parameters---e.g., a
@code{guix-configuration} instance---of the original service of that
@var{type}.

The @var{body} should evaluate to the new service parameters, which will
be used to configure the new service.  This new service will replace the
original in the resulting list.  Because a service's service parameters
are created using @code{define-record-type*}, you can write a succinct
@var{body} that evaluates to the new service parameters by using the
@code{inherit} feature that @code{define-record-type*} provides.

@xref{Using the Configuration System}, for example usage.

@end deffn

Next comes the programming interface for service types.  This is
something you want to know when writing new service definitions, but not
necessarily when simply looking for ways to customize your
@code{operating-system} declaration.

@deftp {Data Type} service-type
@cindex service type
This is the representation of a @dfn{service type} (@pxref{Service Types
and Services}).

@table @asis
@item @code{name}
This is a symbol, used only to simplify inspection and debugging.

@item @code{extensions}
A non-empty list of @code{<service-extension>} objects (see below).

@item @code{compose} (default: @code{#f})
If this is @code{#f}, then the service type denotes services that cannot
be extended---i.e., services that do not receive ``values'' from other
services.

Otherwise, it must be a one-argument procedure.  The procedure is called
by @code{fold-services} and is passed a list of values collected from
extensions.  It must return a value that is a valid parameter value for
the service instance.

@item @code{extend} (default: @code{#f})
If this is @code{#f}, services of this type cannot be extended.

Otherwise, it must be a two-argument procedure: @code{fold-services}
calls it, passing it the initial value of the service as the first argument
and the result of applying @code{compose} to the extension values as the
second argument.
@end table

@xref{Service Types and Services}, for examples.
@end deftp

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-extension @var{target-type} @
                              @var{compute}
Return a new extension for services of type @var{target-type}.
@var{compute} must be a one-argument procedure: @code{fold-services}
calls it, passing it the value associated with the service that provides
the extension; it must return a valid value for the target service.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} service-extension? @var{obj}
Return true if @var{obj} is a service extension.
@end deffn

Occasionally, you might want to simply extend an existing service.  This
involves creating a new service type and specifying the extension of
interest, which can be verbose; the @code{simple-service} procedure
provides a shorthand for this.

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} simple-service @var{name} @var{target} @var{value}
Return a service that extends @var{target} with @var{value}.  This works
by creating a singleton service type @var{name}, of which the returned
service is an instance.

For example, this extends mcron (@pxref{Scheduled Job Execution}) with
an additional job:

@example
(simple-service 'my-mcron-job mcron-service-type
                #~(job '(next-hour (3)) "guix gc -F 2G"))
@end example
@end deffn

At the core of the service abstraction lies the @code{fold-services}
procedure, which is responsible for ``compiling'' a list of services
down to a single directory that contains everything needed to boot and
run the system---the directory shown by the @command{guix system build}
command (@pxref{Invoking guix system}).  In essence, it propagates
service extensions down the service graph, updating each node parameters
on the way, until it reaches the root node.

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} fold-services @var{services} @
                            [#:target-type @var{system-service-type}]
Fold @var{services} by propagating their extensions down to the root of
type @var{target-type}; return the root service adjusted accordingly.
@end deffn

Lastly, the @code{(gnu services)} module also defines several essential
service types, some of which are listed below.

@defvr {Scheme Variable} system-service-type
This is the root of the service graph.  It produces the system directory
as returned by the @command{guix system build} command.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} boot-service-type
The type of the ``boot service'', which produces the @dfn{boot script}.
The boot script is what the initial RAM disk runs when booting.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} etc-service-type
The type of the @file{/etc} service.  This service can be extended by
passing it name/file tuples such as:

@example
(list `("issue" ,(plain-file "issue" "Welcome!\n")))
@end example

In this example, the effect would be to add an @file{/etc/issue} file
pointing to the given file.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} setuid-program-service-type
Type for the ``setuid-program service''.  This service collects lists of
executable file names, passed as gexps, and adds them to the set of
setuid-root programs on the system (@pxref{Setuid Programs}).
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} profile-service-type
Type of the service that populates the @dfn{system profile}---i.e., the
programs under @file{/run/current-system/profile}.  Other services can
extend it by passing it lists of packages to add to the system profile.
@end defvr


@node Shepherd Services
@subsubsection Shepherd Services

@cindex PID 1
@cindex init system
The @code{(gnu services shepherd)} module provides a way to define
services managed by the GNU@tie{}Shepherd, which is the GuixSD
initialization system---the first process that is started when the
system boots, also known as PID@tie{}1
(@pxref{Introduction,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).

Services in the Shepherd can depend on each other.  For instance, the
SSH daemon may need to be started after the syslog daemon has been
started, which in turn can only happen once all the file systems have
been mounted.  The simple operating system defined earlier (@pxref{Using
the Configuration System}) results in a service graph like this:

@image{images/shepherd-graph,,5in,Typical shepherd service graph.}

You can actually generate such a graph for any operating system
definition using the @command{guix system shepherd-graph} command
(@pxref{system-shepherd-graph, @command{guix system shepherd-graph}}).

The @var{%shepherd-root-service} is a service object representing
PID@tie{}1, of type @var{shepherd-root-service-type}; it can be extended
by passing it lists of @code{<shepherd-service>} objects.

@deftp {Data Type} shepherd-service
The data type representing a service managed by the Shepherd.

@table @asis
@item @code{provision}
This is a list of symbols denoting what the service provides.

These are the names that may be passed to @command{herd start},
@command{herd status}, and similar commands (@pxref{Invoking herd,,,
shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).  @xref{Slots of services, the
@code{provides} slot,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}, for details.

@item @code{requirements} (default: @code{'()})
List of symbols denoting the Shepherd services this one depends on.

@item @code{respawn?} (default: @code{#t})
Whether to restart the service when it stops, for instance when the
underlying process dies.

@item @code{start}
@itemx @code{stop} (default: @code{#~(const #f)})
The @code{start} and @code{stop} fields refer to the Shepherd's
facilities to start and stop processes (@pxref{Service De- and
Constructors,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).  They are given as
G-expressions that get expanded in the Shepherd configuration file
(@pxref{G-Expressions}).

@item @code{documentation}
A documentation string, as shown when running:

@example
herd doc @var{service-name}
@end example

where @var{service-name} is one of the symbols in @var{provision}
(@pxref{Invoking herd,,, shepherd, The GNU Shepherd Manual}).

@item @code{modules} (default: @var{%default-modules})
This is the list of modules that must be in scope when @code{start} and
@code{stop} are evaluated.

@end table
@end deftp

@defvr {Scheme Variable} shepherd-root-service-type
The service type for the Shepherd ``root service''---i.e., PID@tie{}1.

This is the service type that extensions target when they want to create
shepherd services (@pxref{Service Types and Services}, for an example).
Each extension must pass a list of @code{<shepherd-service>}.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %shepherd-root-service
This service represents PID@tie{}1.
@end defvr


@node Installing Debugging Files
@section Installing Debugging Files

@cindex debugging files
Program binaries, as produced by the GCC compilers for instance, are
typically written in the ELF format, with a section containing
@dfn{debugging information}.  Debugging information is what allows the
debugger, GDB, to map binary code to source code; it is required to
debug a compiled program in good conditions.

The problem with debugging information is that is takes up a fair amount
of disk space.  For example, debugging information for the GNU C Library
weighs in at more than 60 MiB.  Thus, as a user, keeping all the
debugging info of all the installed programs is usually not an option.
Yet, space savings should not come at the cost of an impediment to
debugging---especially in the GNU system, which should make it easier
for users to exert their computing freedom (@pxref{GNU Distribution}).

Thankfully, the GNU Binary Utilities (Binutils) and GDB provide a
mechanism that allows users to get the best of both worlds: debugging
information can be stripped from the binaries and stored in separate
files.  GDB is then able to load debugging information from those files,
when they are available (@pxref{Separate Debug Files,,, gdb, Debugging
with GDB}).

The GNU distribution takes advantage of this by storing debugging
information in the @code{lib/debug} sub-directory of a separate package
output unimaginatively called @code{debug} (@pxref{Packages with
Multiple Outputs}).  Users can choose to install the @code{debug} output
of a package when they need it.  For instance, the following command
installs the debugging information for the GNU C Library and for GNU
Guile:

@example
guix package -i glibc:debug guile:debug
@end example

GDB must then be told to look for debug files in the user's profile, by
setting the @code{debug-file-directory} variable (consider setting it
from the @file{~/.gdbinit} file, @pxref{Startup,,, gdb, Debugging with
GDB}):

@example
(gdb) set debug-file-directory ~/.guix-profile/lib/debug
@end example

From there on, GDB will pick up debugging information from the
@code{.debug} files under @file{~/.guix-profile/lib/debug}.

In addition, you will most likely want GDB to be able to show the source
code being debugged.  To do that, you will have to unpack the source
code of the package of interest (obtained with @code{guix build
--source}, @pxref{Invoking guix build}), and to point GDB to that source
directory using the @code{directory} command (@pxref{Source Path,
@code{directory},, gdb, Debugging with GDB}).

@c XXX: keep me up-to-date
The @code{debug} output mechanism in Guix is implemented by the
@code{gnu-build-system} (@pxref{Build Systems}).  Currently, it is
opt-in---debugging information is available only for the packages
with definitions explicitly declaring a @code{debug} output.  This may be
changed to opt-out in the future if our build farm servers can handle
the load.  To check whether a package has a @code{debug} output, use
@command{guix package --list-available} (@pxref{Invoking guix package}).


@node Security Updates
@section Security Updates

@cindex security updates
@cindex security vulnerabilities
Occasionally, important security vulnerabilities are discovered in software
packages and must be patched.  Guix developers try hard to keep track of
known vulnerabilities and to apply fixes as soon as possible in the
@code{master} branch of Guix (we do not yet provide a ``stable'' branch
containing only security updates.)  The @command{guix lint} tool helps
developers find out about vulnerable versions of software packages in the
distribution:

@smallexample
$ guix lint -c cve
gnu/packages/base.scm:652:2: glibc-2.21: probably vulnerable to CVE-2015-1781, CVE-2015-7547
gnu/packages/gcc.scm:334:2: gcc-4.9.3: probably vulnerable to CVE-2015-5276
gnu/packages/image.scm:312:2: openjpeg-2.1.0: probably vulnerable to CVE-2016-1923, CVE-2016-1924
@dots{}
@end smallexample

@xref{Invoking guix lint}, for more information.

@quotation Note
As of version @value{VERSION}, the feature described below is considered
``beta''.
@end quotation

Guix follows a functional
package management discipline (@pxref{Introduction}), which implies
that, when a package is changed, @emph{every package that depends on it}
must be rebuilt.  This can significantly slow down the deployment of
fixes in core packages such as libc or Bash, since basically the whole
distribution would need to be rebuilt.  Using pre-built binaries helps
(@pxref{Substitutes}), but deployment may still take more time than
desired.

@cindex grafts
To address this, Guix implements @dfn{grafts}, a mechanism that allows
for fast deployment of critical updates without the costs associated
with a whole-distribution rebuild.  The idea is to rebuild only the
package that needs to be patched, and then to ``graft'' it onto packages
explicitly installed by the user and that were previously referring to
the original package.  The cost of grafting is typically very low, and
order of magnitudes lower than a full rebuild of the dependency chain.

@cindex replacements of packages, for grafts
For instance, suppose a security update needs to be applied to Bash.
Guix developers will provide a package definition for the ``fixed''
Bash, say @var{bash-fixed}, in the usual way (@pxref{Defining
Packages}).  Then, the original package definition is augmented with a
@code{replacement} field pointing to the package containing the bug fix:

@example
(define bash
  (package
    (name "bash")
    ;; @dots{}
    (replacement bash-fixed)))
@end example

From there on, any package depending directly or indirectly on Bash---as
reported by @command{guix gc --requisites} (@pxref{Invoking guix
gc})---that is installed is automatically ``rewritten'' to refer to
@var{bash-fixed} instead of @var{bash}.  This grafting process takes
time proportional to the size of the package, usually less than a
minute for an ``average'' package on a recent machine.  Grafting is
recursive: when an indirect dependency requires grafting, then grafting
``propagates'' up to the package that the user is installing.

Currently, the length of the name and version of the graft and that of
the package it replaces (@var{bash-fixed} and @var{bash} in the example
above) must be equal.  This restriction mostly comes from the fact that
grafting works by patching files, including binary files, directly.
Other restrictions may apply: for instance, when adding a graft to a
package providing a shared library, the original shared library and its
replacement must have the same @code{SONAME} and be binary-compatible.

The @option{--no-grafts} command-line option allows you to forcefully
avoid grafting (@pxref{Common Build Options, @option{--no-grafts}}).
Thus, the command:

@example
guix build bash --no-grafts
@end example

@noindent
returns the store file name of the original Bash, whereas:

@example
guix build bash
@end example

@noindent
returns the store file name of the ``fixed'', replacement Bash.  This
allows you to distinguish between the two variants of Bash.

To verify which Bash your whole profile refers to, you can run
(@pxref{Invoking guix gc}):

@example
guix gc -R `readlink -f ~/.guix-profile` | grep bash
@end example

@noindent
@dots{} and compare the store file names that you get with those above.
Likewise for a complete GuixSD system generation:

@example
guix gc -R `guix system build my-config.scm` | grep bash
@end example

Lastly, to check which Bash running processes are using, you can use the
@command{lsof} command:

@example
lsof | grep /gnu/store/.*bash
@end example


@node Package Modules
@section Package Modules

From a programming viewpoint, the package definitions of the
GNU distribution are provided by Guile modules in the @code{(gnu packages
@dots{})} name space@footnote{Note that packages under the @code{(gnu
packages @dots{})} module name space are not necessarily ``GNU
packages''.  This module naming scheme follows the usual Guile module
naming convention: @code{gnu} means that these modules are distributed
as part of the GNU system, and @code{packages} identifies modules that
define packages.}  (@pxref{Modules, Guile modules,, guile, GNU Guile
Reference Manual}).  For instance, the @code{(gnu packages emacs)}
module exports a variable named @code{emacs}, which is bound to a
@code{<package>} object (@pxref{Defining Packages}).

The @code{(gnu packages @dots{})} module name space is
automatically scanned for packages by the command-line tools.  For
instance, when running @code{guix package -i emacs}, all the @code{(gnu
packages @dots{})} modules are scanned until one that exports a package
object whose name is @code{emacs} is found.  This package search
facility is implemented in the @code{(gnu packages)} module.

@cindex customization, of packages
@cindex package module search path
Users can store package definitions in modules with different
names---e.g., @code{(my-packages emacs)}@footnote{Note that the file
name and module name must match.  For instance, the @code{(my-packages
emacs)} module must be stored in a @file{my-packages/emacs.scm} file
relative to the load path specified with @option{--load-path} or
@code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH}.  @xref{Modules and the File System,,,
guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}, for details.}.  These package definitions
will not be visible by default.  Users can invoke commands such as
@command{guix package} and @command{guix build} with the
@code{-e} option so that they know where to find the package.  Better
yet, they can use the
@code{-L} option of these commands to make those modules visible
(@pxref{Invoking guix build, @code{--load-path}}), or define the
@code{GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH} environment variable.  This environment
variable makes it easy to extend or customize the distribution and is
honored by all the user interfaces.

@defvr {Environment Variable} GUIX_PACKAGE_PATH
This is a colon-separated list of directories to search for additional
package modules.  Directories listed in this variable take precedence
over the own modules of the distribution.
@end defvr

The distribution is fully @dfn{bootstrapped} and @dfn{self-contained}:
each package is built based solely on other packages in the
distribution.  The root of this dependency graph is a small set of
@dfn{bootstrap binaries}, provided by the @code{(gnu packages
bootstrap)} module.  For more information on bootstrapping,
@pxref{Bootstrapping}.

@node Packaging Guidelines
@section Packaging Guidelines

The GNU distribution is nascent and may well lack some of your favorite
packages.  This section describes how you can help make the distribution
grow.  @xref{Contributing}, for additional information on how you can
help.

Free software packages are usually distributed in the form of
@dfn{source code tarballs}---typically @file{tar.gz} files that contain
all the source files.  Adding a package to the distribution means
essentially two things: adding a @dfn{recipe} that describes how to
build the package, including a list of other packages required to build
it, and adding @dfn{package metadata} along with that recipe, such as a
description and licensing information.

In Guix all this information is embodied in @dfn{package definitions}.
Package definitions provide a high-level view of the package.  They are
written using the syntax of the Scheme programming language; in fact,
for each package we define a variable bound to the package definition,
and export that variable from a module (@pxref{Package Modules}).
However, in-depth Scheme knowledge is @emph{not} a prerequisite for
creating packages.  For more information on package definitions,
@pxref{Defining Packages}.

Once a package definition is in place, stored in a file in the Guix
source tree, it can be tested using the @command{guix build} command
(@pxref{Invoking guix build}).  For example, assuming the new package is
called @code{gnew}, you may run this command from the Guix build tree
(@pxref{Running Guix Before It Is Installed}):

@example
./pre-inst-env guix build gnew --keep-failed
@end example

Using @code{--keep-failed} makes it easier to debug build failures since
it provides access to the failed build tree.  Another useful
command-line option when debugging is @code{--log-file}, to access the
build log.

If the package is unknown to the @command{guix} command, it may be that
the source file contains a syntax error, or lacks a @code{define-public}
clause to export the package variable.  To figure it out, you may load
the module from Guile to get more information about the actual error:

@example
./pre-inst-env guile -c '(use-modules (gnu packages gnew))'
@end example

Once your package builds correctly, please send us a patch
(@pxref{Contributing}).  Well, if you need help, we will be happy to
help you too.  Once the patch is committed in the Guix repository, the
new package automatically gets built on the supported platforms by
@url{http://hydra.gnu.org/jobset/gnu/master, our continuous integration
system}.