141 lines
5.3 KiB
Markdown
141 lines
5.3 KiB
Markdown
# Contributing to the Nixpkgs reference manual
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This directory houses the sources files for the Nixpkgs reference manual.
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Going forward, it should only contain [reference](https://nix.dev/contributing/documentation/diataxis#reference) documentation.
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For tutorials, guides and explanations, contribute to <https://nix.dev/> instead.
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For documentation only relevant for contributors, use Markdown files and code comments in the source code.
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Rendered documentation:
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- [Unstable (from master)](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/unstable/)
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- [Stable (from latest release)](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/)
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The rendering tool is [nixos-render-docs](../pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs), sometimes abbreviated `nrd`.
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## Contributing to this documentation
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You can quickly check your edits with `nix-build`:
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```ShellSession
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$ cd /path/to/nixpkgs
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$ nix-build doc
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```
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If the build succeeds, the manual will be in `./result/share/doc/nixpkgs/manual.html`.
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### devmode
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The shell in the manual source directory makes available a command, `devmode`.
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It is a daemon, that:
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1. watches the manual's source for changes and when they occur — rebuilds
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2. HTTP serves the manual, injecting a script that triggers reload on changes
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3. opens the manual in the default browser
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## Syntax
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As per [RFC 0072](https://github.com/NixOS/rfcs/pull/72), all new documentation content should be written in [CommonMark](https://commonmark.org/) Markdown dialect.
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Additional syntax extensions are available, all of which can be used in NixOS option documentation. The following extensions are currently used:
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#### Tables
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Tables, using the [GitHub-flavored Markdown syntax](https://github.github.com/gfm/#tables-extension-).
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#### Anchors
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Explicitly defined **anchors** on headings, to allow linking to sections. These should be always used, to ensure the anchors can be linked even when the heading text changes, and to prevent conflicts between [automatically assigned identifiers](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/auto_identifiers.md).
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It uses the widely compatible [header attributes](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/attributes.md) syntax:
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```markdown
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## Syntax {#sec-contributing-markup}
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```
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> [!Note]
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> NixOS option documentation does not support headings in general.
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#### Inline Anchors
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Allow linking arbitrary place in the text (e.g. individual list items, sentences…).
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They are defined using a hybrid of the link syntax with the attributes syntax known from headings, called [bracketed spans](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/bracketed_spans.md):
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```markdown
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- []{#ssec-gnome-hooks-glib} `glib` setup hook will populate `GSETTINGS_SCHEMAS_PATH` and then `wrapGAppsHook` will prepend it to `XDG_DATA_DIRS`.
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```
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#### Automatic links
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If you **omit a link text** for a link pointing to a section, the text will be substituted automatically. For example `[](#chap-contributing)`.
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This syntax is taken from [MyST](https://myst-parser.readthedocs.io/en/latest/using/syntax.html#targets-and-cross-referencing).
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#### Roles
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If you want to link to a man page, you can use `` {manpage}`nix.conf(5)` ``. The references will turn into links when a mapping exists in [`doc/manpage-urls.json`](./manpage-urls.json).
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A few markups for other kinds of literals are also available:
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- `` {command}`rm -rfi` ``
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- `` {env}`XDG_DATA_DIRS` ``
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- `` {file}`/etc/passwd` ``
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- `` {option}`networking.useDHCP` ``
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- `` {var}`/etc/passwd` ``
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These literal kinds are used mostly in NixOS option documentation.
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This syntax is taken from [MyST](https://myst-parser.readthedocs.io/en/latest/syntax/syntax.html#roles-an-in-line-extension-point). Though, the feature originates from [reStructuredText](https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/restructuredtext/roles.html#role-manpage) with slightly different syntax.
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#### Admonitions
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Set off from the text to bring attention to something.
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It uses pandoc’s [fenced `div`s syntax](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/fenced_divs.md):
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```markdown
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::: {.warning}
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This is a warning
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:::
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```
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The following are supported:
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- [`caution`](https://tdg.docbook.org/tdg/5.0/caution.html)
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- [`important`](https://tdg.docbook.org/tdg/5.0/important.html)
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- [`note`](https://tdg.docbook.org/tdg/5.0/note.html)
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- [`tip`](https://tdg.docbook.org/tdg/5.0/tip.html)
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- [`warning`](https://tdg.docbook.org/tdg/5.0/warning.html)
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#### [Definition lists](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/definition_lists.md)
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For defining a group of terms:
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```markdown
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pear
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: green or yellow bulbous fruit
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watermelon
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: green fruit with red flesh
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```
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## Commit conventions
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- Make sure you read about the [commit conventions](../CONTRIBUTING.md#commit-conventions) common to Nixpkgs as a whole.
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- If creating a commit purely for documentation changes, format the commit message in the following way:
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```
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doc: (documentation summary)
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(Motivation for change, relevant links, additional information.)
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```
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Examples:
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* doc: update the kernel config documentation to use `nix-shell`
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* doc: add information about `nix-update-script`
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Closes #216321.
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- If the commit contains more than just documentation changes, follow the commit message format relevant for the rest of the changes.
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