guix.texi

(@pxref{package-cmd-propagated-inputs, @command{guix package}}, for
information on how @command{guix package} deals with propagated inputs.)

For example this is necessary when a library needs headers of another
library to compile, or needs another shared library to be linked
alongside itself when a program wants to link to it.

@item @code{native-inputs} (default: @code{'()})
This field is like @code{inputs}, but in case of a cross-compilation it
will be ensured that packages for the architecture of the build machine
are present, such that executables from them can be used during the
build.

This is typically where you would list tools needed at build time but
not at run time, such as Autoconf, Automake, pkg-config, Gettext, or
Bison.  @command{guix lint} can report likely mistakes in this area
(@pxref{Invoking guix lint}).

@item @code{self-native-input?} (default: @code{#f})
This is a Boolean field telling whether the package should use itself as
a native input when cross-compiling.

@item @code{outputs} (default: @code{'("out")})
The list of output names of the package.  @xref{Packages with Multiple
Outputs}, for typical uses of additional outputs.

@item @code{native-search-paths} (default: @code{'()})
@itemx @code{search-paths} (default: @code{'()})
A list of @code{search-path-specification} objects describing
search-path environment variables honored by the package.

@item @code{replacement} (default: @code{#f})
This must either @code{#f} or a package object that will be used as a
@dfn{replacement} for this package.  @xref{Security Updates, grafts},
for details.

@item @code{synopsis}
A one-line description of the package.

@item @code{description}
A more elaborate description of the package.

@item @code{license}
The license of the package; a value from @code{(guix licenses)}.

@item @code{home-page}
The URL to the home-page of the package, as a string.

@item @code{supported-systems} (default: @var{%supported-systems})
The list of systems supported by the package, as strings of the form
@code{architecture-kernel}, for example @code{"x86_64-linux"}.

@item @code{maintainers} (default: @code{'()})
The list of maintainers of the package, as @code{maintainer} objects.

@item @code{location} (default: source location of the @code{package} form)
The source location of the package.  It's useful to override this when
inheriting from another package, in which case this field is not
automatically corrected.
@end table
@end deftp


@node origin Reference
@subsection @code{origin} Reference

This section summarizes all the options available in @code{origin}
declarations (@pxref{Defining Packages}).

@deftp {Data Type} origin
This is the data type representing a source code origin.

@table @asis
@item @code{uri}
An object containing the URI of the source.  The object type depends on
the @code{method} (see below).  For example, when using the
@var{url-fetch} method of @code{(guix download)}, the valid @code{uri}
values are: a URL represented as a string, or a list thereof.

@item @code{method}
A procedure that will handle the URI.

Examples include:

@table @asis
@item @var{url-fetch} from @code{(guix download)}
download a file the HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP URL specified in the
@code{uri} field;

@item @var{git-fetch} from @code{(guix git-download)}
clone the Git version control repository, and check out the revision
specified in the @code{uri} field as a @code{git-reference} object; a
@code{git-reference} looks like this:

@example
(git-reference
  (url "git://git.debian.org/git/pkg-shadow/shadow")
  (commit "v4.1.5.1"))
@end example
@end table

@item @code{sha256}
A bytevector containing the SHA-256 hash of the source.  Typically the
@code{base32} form is used here to generate the bytevector from a
base-32 string.

@item @code{file-name} (default: @code{#f})
The file name under which the source code should be saved.  When this is
@code{#f}, a sensible default value will be used in most cases.  In case
the source is fetched from a URL, the file name from the URL will be
used.  For version control checkouts, it's recommended to provide the
file name explicitly because the default is not very descriptive.

@item @code{patches} (default: @code{'()})
A list of file names containing patches to be applied to the source.

@item @code{snippet} (default: @code{#f})
A quoted piece of code that will be run in the source directory to make
any modifications, which is sometimes more convenient than a patch.

@item @code{patch-flags} (default: @code{'("-p1")})
A list of command-line flags that should be passed to the @code{patch}
command.

@item @code{patch-inputs} (default: @code{#f})
Input packages or derivations to the patching process.  When this is
@code{#f}, the usual set of inputs necessary for patching are provided,
such as GNU@tie{}Patch.

@item @code{modules} (default: @code{'()})
A list of Guile modules that should be loaded during the patching
process and while running the code in the @code{snippet} field.

@item @code{imported-modules} (default: @code{'()})
The list of Guile modules to import in the patch derivation, for use by
the @code{snippet}.

@item @code{patch-guile} (default: @code{#f})
The Guile package that should be used in the patching process.  When
this is @code{#f}, a sensible default is used.
@end table
@end deftp


@node Build Systems
@section Build Systems

@cindex build system
Each package definition specifies a @dfn{build system} and arguments for
that build system (@pxref{Defining Packages}).  This @code{build-system}
field represents the build procedure of the package, as well implicit
dependencies of that build procedure.

Build systems are @code{<build-system>} objects.  The interface to
create and manipulate them is provided by the @code{(guix build-system)}
module, and actual build systems are exported by specific modules.

@cindex bag (low-level package representation)
Under the hood, build systems first compile package objects to
@dfn{bags}.  A @dfn{bag} is like a package, but with less
ornamentation---in other words, a bag is a lower-level representation of
a package, which includes all the inputs of that package, including some
that were implicitly added by the build system.  This intermediate
representation is then compiled to a derivation (@pxref{Derivations}).

Build systems accept an optional list of @dfn{arguments}.  In package
definitions, these are passed @i{via} the @code{arguments} field
(@pxref{Defining Packages}).  They are typically keyword arguments
(@pxref{Optional Arguments, keyword arguments in Guile,, guile, GNU
Guile Reference Manual}).  The value of these arguments is usually
evaluated in the @dfn{build stratum}---i.e., by a Guile process launched
by the daemon (@pxref{Derivations}).

The main build system is @var{gnu-build-system}, which implements the
standard build procedure for GNU packages and many other packages.  It
is provided by the @code{(guix build-system gnu)} module.

@defvr {Scheme Variable} gnu-build-system
@var{gnu-build-system} represents the GNU Build System, and variants
thereof (@pxref{Configuration, configuration and makefile conventions,,
standards, GNU Coding Standards}).

@cindex build phases
In a nutshell, packages using it configured, built, and installed with
the usual @code{./configure && make && make check && make install}
command sequence.  In practice, a few additional steps are often needed.
All these steps are split up in separate @dfn{phases},
notably@footnote{Please see the @code{(guix build gnu-build-system)}
modules for more details about the build phases.}:

@table @code
@item unpack
Unpack the source tarball, and change the current directory to the
extracted source tree.  If the source is actually a directory, copy it
to the build tree, and enter that directory.

@item patch-source-shebangs
Patch shebangs encountered in source files so they refer to the right
store file names.  For instance, this changes @code{#!/bin/sh} to
@code{#!/gnu/store/@dots{}-bash-4.3/bin/sh}.

@item configure
Run the @file{configure} script with a number of default options, such
as @code{--prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}}, as well as the options specified
by the @code{#:configure-flags} argument.

@item build
Run @code{make} with the list of flags specified with
@code{#:make-flags}.  If the @code{#:parallel-builds?} argument is true
(the default), build with @code{make -j}.

@item check
Run @code{make check}, or some other target specified with
@code{#:test-target}, unless @code{#:tests? #f} is passed.  If the
@code{#:parallel-tests?} argument is true (the default), run @code{make
check -j}.

@item install
Run @code{make install} with the flags listed in @code{#:make-flags}.

@item patch-shebangs
Patch shebangs on the installed executable files.

@item strip
Strip debugging symbols from ELF files (unless @code{#:strip-binaries?}
is false), copying them to the @code{debug} output when available
(@pxref{Installing Debugging Files}).
@end table

@vindex %standard-phases
The build-side module @code{(guix build gnu-build-system)} defines
@var{%standard-phases} as the default list of build phases.
@var{%standard-phases} is a list of symbol/procedure pairs, where the
procedure implements the actual phase.

The list of phases used for a particular package can be changed with the
@code{#:phases} parameter.  For instance, passing:

@example
#:phases (alist-delete 'configure %standard-phases)
@end example

means that all the phases described above will be used, except the
@code{configure} phase.

In addition, this build system ensures that the ``standard'' environment
for GNU packages is available.  This includes tools such as GCC, libc,
Coreutils, Bash, Make, Diffutils, grep, and sed (see the @code{(guix
build-system gnu)} module for a complete list.)  We call these the
@dfn{implicit inputs} of a package, because package definitions don't
have to mention them.
@end defvr

Other @code{<build-system>} objects are defined to support other
conventions and tools used by free software packages.  They inherit most
of @var{gnu-build-system}, and differ mainly in the set of inputs
implicitly added to the build process, and in the list of phases
executed.  Some of these build systems are listed below.

@defvr {Scheme Variable} cmake-build-system
This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system cmake)}.  It
implements the build procedure for packages using the
@url{http://www.cmake.org, CMake build tool}.

It automatically adds the @code{cmake} package to the set of inputs.
Which package is used can be specified with the @code{#:cmake}
parameter.

The @code{#:configure-flags} parameter is taken as a list of flags
passed to the @command{cmake} command.  The @code{#:build-type}
parameter specifies in abstract terms the flags passed to the compiler;
it defaults to @code{"RelWithDebInfo"} (short for ``release mode with
debugging information''), which roughly means that code is compiled with
@code{-O2 -g}, as is the case for Autoconf-based packages by default.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} glib-or-gtk-build-system
This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system glib-or-gtk)}.  It
is intended for use with packages making use of GLib or GTK+.

This build system adds the following two phases to the ones defined by
@var{gnu-build-system}:

@table @code
@item glib-or-gtk-wrap
The phase @code{glib-or-gtk-wrap} ensures that programs found under
@file{bin/} are able to find GLib's ``schemas'' and
@uref{https://developer.gnome.org/gtk3/stable/gtk-running.html, GTK+
modules}.  This is achieved by wrapping the programs in launch scripts
that appropriately set the @code{XDG_DATA_DIRS} and @code{GTK_PATH}
environment variables.

It is possible to exclude specific package outputs from that wrapping
process by listing their names in the
@code{#:glib-or-gtk-wrap-excluded-outputs} parameter.  This is useful
when an output is known not to contain any GLib or GTK+ binaries, and
where wrapping would gratuitously add a dependency of that output on
GLib and GTK+.

@item glib-or-gtk-compile-schemas
The phase @code{glib-or-gtk-compile-schemas} makes sure that all GLib's
@uref{https://developer.gnome.org/gio/stable/glib-compile-schemas.html,
GSettings schemas} are compiled.  Compilation is performed by the
@command{glib-compile-schemas} program.  It is provided by the package
@code{glib:bin} which is automatically imported by the build system.
The @code{glib} package providing @command{glib-compile-schemas} can be
specified with the @code{#:glib} parameter.
@end table

Both phases are executed after the @code{install} phase.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} python-build-system
This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system python)}.  It
implements the more or less standard build procedure used by Python
packages, which consists in running @code{python setup.py build} and
then @code{python setup.py install --prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}}.

For packages that install stand-alone Python programs under @code{bin/},
it takes care of wrapping these programs so their @code{PYTHONPATH}
environment variable points to all the Python libraries they depend on.

Which Python package is used can be specified with the @code{#:python}
parameter.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} perl-build-system
This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system perl)}.  It
implements the standard build procedure for Perl packages, which either
consists in running @code{perl Build.PL --prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}},
followed by @code{Build} and @code{Build install}; or in running
@code{perl Makefile.PL PREFIX=/gnu/store/@dots{}}, followed by
@code{make} and @code{make install}; depending on which of
@code{Build.PL} or @code{Makefile.PL} is present in the package
distribution.  Preference is given to the former if both @code{Build.PL}
and @code{Makefile.PL} exist in the package distribution.  This
preference can be reversed by specifying @code{#t} for the
@code{#:make-maker?} parameter.

The initial @code{perl Makefile.PL} or @code{perl Build.PL} invocation
passes flags specified by the @code{#:make-maker-flags} or
@code{#:module-build-flags} parameter, respectively.

Which Perl package is used can be specified with @code{#:perl}.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} ruby-build-system
This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system ruby)}.  It
implements the RubyGems build procedure used by Ruby packages, which
involves running @code{gem build} followed by @code{gem install}.

Which Ruby package is used can be specified with the @code{#:ruby}
parameter.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} waf-build-system
This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system waf)}.  It
implements a build procedure around the @code{waf} script.  The common
phases---@code{configure}, @code{build}, and @code{install}---are
implemented by passing their names as arguments to the @code{waf}
script.

The @code{waf} script is executed by the Python interpreter.  Which
Python package is used to run the script can be specified with the
@code{#:python} parameter.
@end defvr

@defvr {Scheme Variable} haskell-build-system
This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system haskell)}.  It
implements the Cabal build procedure used by Haskell packages, which
involves running @code{runhaskell Setup.hs configure
--prefix=/gnu/store/@dots{}} and @code{runhaskell Setup.hs build}.
Instead of installing the package by running @code{runhaskell Setup.hs
install}, to avoid trying to register libraries in the read-only
compiler store directory, the build system uses @code{runhaskell
Setup.hs copy}, followed by @code{runhaskell Setup.hs register}.  In
addition, the build system generates the package documentation by
running @code{runhaskell Setup.hs haddock}, unless @code{#:haddock? #f}
is passed.  Optional Haddock parameters can be passed with the help of
the @code{#:haddock-flags} parameter.  If the file @code{Setup.hs} is
not found, the build system looks for @code{Setup.lhs} instead.

Which Haskell compiler is used can be specified with the @code{#:haskell}
parameter which defaults to @code{ghc}.
@end defvr

Lastly, for packages that do not need anything as sophisticated, a
``trivial'' build system is provided.  It is trivial in the sense that
it provides basically no support: it does not pull any implicit inputs,
and does not have a notion of build phases.

@defvr {Scheme Variable} trivial-build-system
This variable is exported by @code{(guix build-system trivial)}.

This build system requires a @code{#:builder} argument.  This argument
must be a Scheme expression that builds the package's output(s)---as
with @code{build-expression->derivation} (@pxref{Derivations,
@code{build-expression->derivation}}).
@end defvr

@node The Store
@section The Store

@cindex store
@cindex store paths

Conceptually, the @dfn{store} is where derivations that have been
successfully built are stored---by default, under @file{/gnu/store}.
Sub-directories in the store are referred to as @dfn{store paths}.  The
store has an associated database that contains information such has the
store paths referred to by each store path, and the list of @emph{valid}
store paths---paths that result from a successful build.

The store is always accessed by the daemon on behalf of its clients
(@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon}).  To manipulate the store, clients
connect to the daemon over a Unix-domain socket, send it requests, and
read the result---these are remote procedure calls, or RPCs.

The @code{(guix store)} module provides procedures to connect to the
daemon, and to perform RPCs.  These are described below.

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} open-connection [@var{file}] [#:reserve-space? #t]
Connect to the daemon over the Unix-domain socket at @var{file}.  When
@var{reserve-space?} is true, instruct it to reserve a little bit of
extra space on the file system so that the garbage collector can still
operate, should the disk become full.  Return a server object.

@var{file} defaults to @var{%default-socket-path}, which is the normal
location given the options that were passed to @command{configure}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} close-connection @var{server}
Close the connection to @var{server}.
@end deffn

@defvr {Scheme Variable} current-build-output-port
This variable is bound to a SRFI-39 parameter, which refers to the port
where build and error logs sent by the daemon should be written.
@end defvr

Procedures that make RPCs all take a server object as their first
argument.

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} valid-path? @var{server} @var{path}
Return @code{#t} when @var{path} is a valid store path.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} add-text-to-store @var{server} @var{name} @var{text} [@var{references}]
Add @var{text} under file @var{name} in the store, and return its store
path.  @var{references} is the list of store paths referred to by the
resulting store path.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} build-derivations @var{server} @var{derivations}
Build @var{derivations} (a list of @code{<derivation>} objects or
derivation paths), and return when the worker is done building them.
Return @code{#t} on success.
@end deffn

Note that the @code{(guix monads)} module provides a monad as well as
monadic versions of the above procedures, with the goal of making it
more convenient to work with code that accesses the store (@pxref{The
Store Monad}).

@c FIXME
@i{This section is currently incomplete.}

@node Derivations
@section Derivations

@cindex derivations
Low-level build actions and the environment in which they are performed
are represented by @dfn{derivations}.  A derivation contain the
following pieces of information:

@itemize
@item
The outputs of the derivation---derivations produce at least one file or
directory in the store, but may produce more.

@item
The inputs of the derivations, which may be other derivations or plain
files in the store (patches, build scripts, etc.)

@item
The system type targeted by the derivation---e.g., @code{x86_64-linux}.

@item
The file name of a build script in the store, along with the arguments
to be passed.

@item
A list of environment variables to be defined.

@end itemize

@cindex derivation path
Derivations allow clients of the daemon to communicate build actions to
the store.  They exist in two forms: as an in-memory representation,
both on the client- and daemon-side, and as files in the store whose
name end in @code{.drv}---these files are referred to as @dfn{derivation
paths}.  Derivations paths can be passed to the @code{build-derivations}
procedure to perform the build actions they prescribe (@pxref{The
Store}).

The @code{(guix derivations)} module provides a representation of
derivations as Scheme objects, along with procedures to create and
otherwise manipulate derivations.  The lowest-level primitive to create
a derivation is the @code{derivation} procedure:

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} derivation @var{store} @var{name} @var{builder} @
  @var{args} [#:outputs '("out")] [#:hash #f] [#:hash-algo #f] @
  [#:recursive? #f] [#:inputs '()] [#:env-vars '()] @
  [#:system (%current-system)] [#:references-graphs #f] @
  [#:allowed-references #f] [#:leaked-env-vars #f] [#:local-build? #f]
Build a derivation with the given arguments, and return the resulting
@code{<derivation>} object.

When @var{hash} and @var{hash-algo} are given, a
@dfn{fixed-output derivation} is created---i.e., one whose result is
known in advance, such as a file download.  If, in addition,
@var{recursive?} is true, then that fixed output may be an executable
file or a directory and @var{hash} must be the hash of an archive
containing this output.

When @var{references-graphs} is true, it must be a list of file
name/store path pairs.  In that case, the reference graph of each store
path is exported in the build environment in the corresponding file, in
a simple text format.

When @var{allowed-references} is true, it must be a list of store items
or outputs that the derivation's output may refer to.

When @var{leaked-env-vars} is true, it must be a list of strings
denoting environment variables that are allowed to ``leak'' from the
daemon's environment to the build environment.  This is only applicable
to fixed-output derivations---i.e., when @var{hash} is true.  The main
use is to allow variables such as @code{http_proxy} to be passed to
derivations that download files.

When @var{local-build?} is true, declare that the derivation is not a
good candidate for offloading and should rather be built locally
(@pxref{Daemon Offload Setup}).  This is the case for small derivations
where the costs of data transfers would outweigh the benefits.
@end deffn

@noindent
Here's an example with a shell script as its builder, assuming
@var{store} is an open connection to the daemon, and @var{bash} points
to a Bash executable in the store:

@lisp
(use-modules (guix utils)
             (guix store)
             (guix derivations))

(let ((builder   ; add the Bash script to the store
        (add-text-to-store store "my-builder.sh"
                           "echo hello world > $out\n" '())))
  (derivation store "foo"
              bash `("-e" ,builder)
              #:inputs `((,bash) (,builder))
              #:env-vars '(("HOME" . "/homeless"))))
@result{} #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-foo.drv => /gnu/store/@dots{}-foo>
@end lisp

As can be guessed, this primitive is cumbersome to use directly.  A
better approach is to write build scripts in Scheme, of course!  The
best course of action for that is to write the build code as a
``G-expression'', and to pass it to @code{gexp->derivation}.  For more
information, @pxref{G-Expressions}.

Once upon a time, @code{gexp->derivation} did not exist and constructing
derivations with build code written in Scheme was achieved with
@code{build-expression->derivation}, documented below.  This procedure
is now deprecated in favor of the much nicer @code{gexp->derivation}.

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} build-expression->derivation @var{store} @
       @var{name} @var{exp} @
       [#:system (%current-system)] [#:inputs '()] @
       [#:outputs '("out")] [#:hash #f] [#:hash-algo #f] @
       [#:recursive? #f] [#:env-vars '()] [#:modules '()] @
       [#:references-graphs #f] [#:allowed-references #f] @
       [#:local-build? #f] [#:guile-for-build #f]
Return a derivation that executes Scheme expression @var{exp} as a
builder for derivation @var{name}.  @var{inputs} must be a list of
@code{(name drv-path sub-drv)} tuples; when @var{sub-drv} is omitted,
@code{"out"} is assumed.  @var{modules} is a list of names of Guile
modules from the current search path to be copied in the store,
compiled, and made available in the load path during the execution of
@var{exp}---e.g., @code{((guix build utils) (guix build
gnu-build-system))}.

@var{exp} is evaluated in an environment where @code{%outputs} is bound
to a list of output/path pairs, and where @code{%build-inputs} is bound
to a list of string/output-path pairs made from @var{inputs}.
Optionally, @var{env-vars} is a list of string pairs specifying the name
and value of environment variables visible to the builder.  The builder
terminates by passing the result of @var{exp} to @code{exit}; thus, when
@var{exp} returns @code{#f}, the build is considered to have failed.

@var{exp} is built using @var{guile-for-build} (a derivation).  When
@var{guile-for-build} is omitted or is @code{#f}, the value of the
@code{%guile-for-build} fluid is used instead.

See the @code{derivation} procedure for the meaning of
@var{references-graphs}, @var{allowed-references}, and @var{local-build?}.
@end deffn

@noindent
Here's an example of a single-output derivation that creates a directory
containing one file:

@lisp
(let ((builder '(let ((out (assoc-ref %outputs "out")))
                  (mkdir out)    ; create /gnu/store/@dots{}-goo
                  (call-with-output-file (string-append out "/test")
                    (lambda (p)
                      (display '(hello guix) p))))))
  (build-expression->derivation store "goo" builder))

@result{} #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-goo.drv => @dots{}>
@end lisp


@node The Store Monad
@section The Store Monad

@cindex monad

The procedures that operate on the store described in the previous
sections all take an open connection to the build daemon as their first
argument.  Although the underlying model is functional, they either have
side effects or depend on the current state of the store.

The former is inconvenient: the connection to the build daemon has to be
carried around in all those functions, making it impossible to compose
functions that do not take that parameter with functions that do.  The
latter can be problematic: since store operations have side effects
and/or depend on external state, they have to be properly sequenced.

@cindex monadic values
@cindex monadic functions
This is where the @code{(guix monads)} module comes in.  This module
provides a framework for working with @dfn{monads}, and a particularly
useful monad for our uses, the @dfn{store monad}.  Monads are a
construct that allows two things: associating ``context'' with values
(in our case, the context is the store), and building sequences of
computations (here computations include accesses to the store.)  Values
in a monad---values that carry this additional context---are called
@dfn{monadic values}; procedures that return such values are called
@dfn{monadic procedures}.

Consider this ``normal'' procedure:

@example
(define (sh-symlink store)
  ;; Return a derivation that symlinks the 'bash' executable.
  (let* ((drv (package-derivation store bash))
         (out (derivation->output-path drv))
         (sh  (string-append out "/bin/bash")))
    (build-expression->derivation store "sh"
                                  `(symlink ,sh %output))))
@end example

Using @code{(guix monads)} and @code{(guix gexp)}, it may be rewritten
as a monadic function:

@example
(define (sh-symlink)
  ;; Same, but return a monadic value.
  (mlet %store-monad ((drv (package->derivation bash)))
    (gexp->derivation "sh"
                      #~(symlink (string-append #$drv "/bin/bash")
                                 #$output))))
@end example

There several things to note in the second version: the @code{store}
parameter is now implicit and is ``threaded'' in the calls to the
@code{package->derivation} and @code{gexp->derivation} monadic
procedures, and the monadic value returned by @code{package->derivation}
is @dfn{bound} using @code{mlet} instead of plain @code{let}.

As it turns out, the call to @code{package->derivation} can even be
omitted since it will take place implicitly, as we will see later
(@pxref{G-Expressions}):

@example
(define (sh-symlink)
  (gexp->derivation "sh"
                    #~(symlink (string-append #$bash "/bin/bash")
                               #$output)))
@end example

Calling the monadic @code{sh-symlink} has no effect.  To get the desired
effect, one must use @code{run-with-store}:

@example
(run-with-store (open-connection) (sh-symlink))
@result{} /gnu/store/...-sh-symlink
@end example

Note that the @code{(guix monad-repl)} module extends Guile's REPL with
new ``meta-commands'' to make it easier to deal with monadic procedures:
@code{run-in-store}, and @code{enter-store-monad}.  The former, is used
to ``run'' a single monadic value through the store:

@example
scheme@@(guile-user)> ,run-in-store (package->derivation hello)
$1 = #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-hello-2.9.drv => @dots{}>
@end example

The latter enters a recursive REPL, where all the return values are
automatically run through the store:

@example
scheme@@(guile-user)> ,enter-store-monad
store-monad@@(guile-user) [1]> (package->derivation hello)
$2 = #<derivation /gnu/store/@dots{}-hello-2.9.drv => @dots{}>
store-monad@@(guile-user) [1]> (text-file "foo" "Hello!")
$3 = "/gnu/store/@dots{}-foo"
store-monad@@(guile-user) [1]> ,q
scheme@@(guile-user)>
@end example

@noindent
Note that non-monadic values cannot be returned in the
@code{store-monad} REPL.

The main syntactic forms to deal with monads in general are provided by
the @code{(guix monads)} module and are described below.

@deffn {Scheme Syntax} with-monad @var{monad} @var{body} ...
Evaluate any @code{>>=} or @code{return} forms in @var{body} as being
in @var{monad}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Syntax} return @var{val}
Return a monadic value that encapsulates @var{val}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Syntax} >>= @var{mval} @var{mproc}
@dfn{Bind} monadic value @var{mval}, passing its ``contents'' to monadic
procedure @var{mproc}@footnote{This operation is commonly referred to as
``bind'', but that name denotes an unrelated procedure in Guile.  Thus
we use this somewhat cryptic symbol inherited from the Haskell
language.}.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Syntax} mlet @var{monad} ((@var{var} @var{mval}) ...) @
       @var{body} ...
@deffnx {Scheme Syntax} mlet* @var{monad} ((@var{var} @var{mval}) ...) @
       @var{body} ...
Bind the variables @var{var} to the monadic values @var{mval} in
@var{body}.  The form (@var{var} -> @var{val}) binds @var{var} to the
``normal'' value @var{val}, as per @code{let}.

@code{mlet*} is to @code{mlet} what @code{let*} is to @code{let}
(@pxref{Local Bindings,,, guile, GNU Guile Reference Manual}).
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme System} mbegin @var{monad} @var{mexp} ...
Bind @var{mexp} and the following monadic expressions in sequence,
returning the result of the last expression.

This is akin to @code{mlet}, except that the return values of the
monadic expressions are ignored.  In that sense, it is analogous to
@code{begin}, but applied to monadic expressions.
@end deffn

@cindex state monad
The @code{(guix monads)} module provides the @dfn{state monad}, which
allows an additional value---the state---to be @emph{threaded} through
monadic procedure calls.

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %state-monad
The state monad.  Procedures in the state monad can access and change
the state that is threaded.

Consider the example below.  The @code{square} procedure returns a value
in the state monad.  It returns the square of its argument, but also
increments the current state value:

@example
(define (square x)
  (mlet %state-monad ((count (current-state)))
    (mbegin %state-monad
      (set-current-state (+ 1 count))
      (return (* x x)))))

(run-with-state (sequence %state-monad (map square (iota 3))) 0)
@result{} (0 1 4)
@result{} 3
@end example

When ``run'' through @var{%state-monad}, we obtain that additional state
value, which is the number of @code{square} calls.
@end defvr

@deffn {Monadic Procedure} current-state
Return the current state as a monadic value.
@end deffn

@deffn {Monadic Procedure} set-current-state @var{value}
Set the current state to @var{value} and return the previous state as a
monadic value.
@end deffn

@deffn {Monadic Procedure} state-push @var{value}
Push @var{value} to the current state, which is assumed to be a list,
and return the previous state as a monadic value.
@end deffn

@deffn {Monadic Procedure} state-pop
Pop a value from the current state and return it as a monadic value.
The state is assumed to be a list.
@end deffn

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} run-with-state @var{mval} [@var{state}]
Run monadic value @var{mval} starting with @var{state} as the initial
state.  Return two values: the resulting value, and the resulting state.
@end deffn

The main interface to the store monad, provided by the @code{(guix
store)} module, is as follows.

@defvr {Scheme Variable} %store-monad
The store monad---an alias for @var{%state-monad}.

Values in the store monad encapsulate accesses to the store.  When its
effect is needed, a value of the store monad must be ``evaluated'' by
passing it to the @code{run-with-store} procedure (see below.)
@end defvr

@deffn {Scheme Procedure} run-with-store @var{store} @var{mval} [#:guile-for-build] [#:system (%current-system)]
Run @var{mval}, a monadic value in the store monad, in @var{store}, an
open store connection.
@end deffn

@deffn {Monadic Procedure} text-file @var{name} @var{text} [@var{references}]
Return as a monadic value the absolute file name in the store of the file
containing @var{text}, a string.  @var{references} is a list of store items that the
resulting text file refers to; it defaults to the empty list.
@end deffn

@deffn {Monadic Procedure} interned-file @var{file} [@var{name}] @
         [#:recursive? #t]
Return the name of @var{file} once interned in the store.  Use
@var{name} as its store name, or the basename of @var{file} if
@var{name} is omitted.

When @var{recursive?} is true, the contents of @var{file} are added
recursively; if @var{file} designates a flat file and @var{recursive?}
is true, its contents are added, and its permission bits are kept.

The example below adds a file to the store, under two different names:

@example
(run-with-store (open-connection)
  (mlet %store-monad ((a (interned-file "README"))
                      (b (interned-file "README" "LEGU-MIN")))
    (return (list a b))))

@result{} ("/gnu/store/rwm@dots{}-README" "/gnu/store/44i@dots{}-LEGU-MIN")
@end example

@end deffn

The @code{(guix packages)} module exports the following package-related
monadic procedures:

@deffn {Monadic Procedure} package-file @var{package} [@var{file}] @
       [#:system (%current-system)] [#:target #f] @
       [#:output "out"] Return as a monadic
value in the absolute file name of @var{file} within the @var{output}
directory of @var{package}.  When @var{file} is omitted, return the name
of the @var{output} directory of @var{package}.  When @var{target} is
true, use it as a cross-compilation target triplet.
@end deffn

@deffn {Monadic Procedure} package->derivation @var{package} [@var{system}]
@deffnx {Monadic Procedure} package->cross-derivation @var{package} @
          @var{target} [@var{system}]
Monadic version of @code{package-derivation} and
@code{package-cross-derivation} (@pxref{Defining Packages}).
@end deffn


@node G-Expressions
@section G-Expressions

@cindex G-expression
@cindex build code quoting
So we have ``derivations'', which represent a sequence of build actions
to be performed to produce an item in the store (@pxref{Derivations}).
Those build actions are performed when asking the daemon to actually
build the derivations; they are run by the daemon in a container
(@pxref{Invoking guix-daemon}).

@cindex strata of code
It should come as no surprise that we like to write those build actions
in Scheme.  When we do that, we end up with two @dfn{strata} of Scheme
code@footnote{The term @dfn{stratum} in this context was coined by
Manuel Serrano et al.@: in the context of their work on Hop.  Oleg
Kiselyov, who has written insightful
@url{http://okmij.org/ftp/meta-programming/#meta-scheme, essays and code
on this topic}, refers to this kind of code generation as
@dfn{staging}.}: the ``host code''---code that defines packages, talks
to the daemon, etc.---and the ``build code''---code that actually
performs build actions, such as making directories, invoking
@command{make}, etc.

To describe a derivation and its build actions, one typically needs to
embed build code inside host code.  It boils down to manipulating build
code as data, and Scheme's homoiconicity---code has a direct
representation as data---comes in handy for that.  But we need more than
Scheme's normal @code{quasiquote} mechanism to construct build
expressions.

The @code{(guix gexp)} module implements @dfn{G-expressions}, a form of
S-expressions adapted to build expressions.  G-expressions, or
@dfn{gexps}, consist essentially in three syntactic forms: @code{gexp},
@code{ungexp}, and @code{ungexp-splicing} (or simply: @code{#~},
@code{#$}, and @code{#$@@}), which are comparable respectively to
@code{quasiquote}, @code{unquote}, and @code{unquote-splicing}
(@pxref{Expression Syntax, @code{quasiquote},, guile, GNU Guile
Reference Manual}).  However, there are major differences:

@itemize
@item
Gexps are meant to be written to a file and run or manipulated by other
processes.

@item
When a high-level object such as a package or derivation is unquoted
inside a gexp, the result is as if its output file name had been
introduced.

@item
Gexps carry information about the packages or derivations they refer to,
and these dependencies are automatically added as inputs to the build
processes that use them.
@end itemize

Actually this mechanism is not limited to package and derivation
objects; @dfn{compilers} able to ``lower'' other high-level objects to
derivations can be defined, such that these objects can also be inserted
into gexps.  Another useful type of high-level object that can be
inserted in a gexp is @dfn{local files}, which allows files from the
local file system to be added to the store and referred to by
derivations and such (see @code{local-file} and @code{plain-file}
below.)

To illustrate the idea, here is an example of a gexp:

@example
(define build-exp
  #~(begin
      (mkdir #$output)
      (chdir #$output)
      (symlink (string-append #$coreutils "/bin/ls")
               "list-files")))
@end example

This gexp can be passed to @code{gexp->derivation}; we obtain a
derivation that builds a directory containing exactly one symlink to
@file{/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.22/bin/ls}:

@example
(gexp->derivation "the-thing" build-exp)
@end example

As one would expect, the @code{"/gnu/store/@dots{}-coreutils-8.22"} string is
substituted to the reference to the @var{coreutils} package in the
actual build code, and @var{coreutils} is automatically made an input to
the derivation.  Likewise, @code{#$output} (equivalent to @code{(ungexp
output)}) is replaced by a string containing the derivation's output
directory name.

@cindex cross compilation
In a cross-compilation context, it is useful to distinguish between
references to the @emph{native} build of a package---that can run on the
host---versus references to cross builds of a package.  To that end, the
@code{#+} plays the same role as @code{#$}, but is a reference to a
native package build:

@example
(gexp->derivation "vi"
   #~(begin
       (mkdir #$output)
       (system* (string-append #+coreutils "/bin/ln")
                "-s"
                (string-append #$emacs "/bin/emacs")
                (string-append #$output "/bin/vi")))
   #:target "mips64el-linux")
@end example

@noindent
In the example above, the native build of @var{coreutils} is used, so
that @command{ln} can actually run on the host; but then the