Introduce nix instantiate

src/nix/derivation-instantiate.cc

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+#include "command.hh"
+#include "common-args.hh"
+#include "store-api.hh"
+#include "derivations.hh"
+#include "local-fs-store.hh"
+#include "progress-bar.hh"
+
+#include <nlohmann/json.hpp>
+
+using namespace nix;
+
+static nlohmann::json storePathSetToJSON(const StorePathSet & paths, Store & store)
+{
+    auto res = nlohmann::json::object();
+    for (auto & path : paths) {
+        res[store.printStorePath(path)] = nlohmann::json::object();
+    }
+    return res;
+}
+
+// TODO deduplicate with other code also setting such out links.
+static void
+createOutLinks(const std::filesystem::path & outLink, const StorePathSet & derivations, LocalFSStore & store)
+{
+    for (const auto & [_i, drv] : enumerate(derivations)) {
+        auto i = _i;
+        auto symlink = outLink;
+
+        if (i)
+            symlink += fmt("-%d", i);
+        store.addPermRoot(drv, absPath(symlink.string()));
+    }
+}
+
+struct CmdInstantiate : InstallablesCommand, MixJSON
+{
+    Path outLink = "drv";
+    bool printOutputPaths = false;
+
+    CmdInstantiate()
+    {
+        addFlag(
+            {.longName = "out-link",
+             .shortName = 'o',
+             .description = "Use *path* as prefix for the symlinks to the evaluation results. It defaults to `drv`.",
+             .labels = {"path"},
+             .handler = {&outLink},
+             .completer = completePath});
+
+        addFlag({
+            .longName = "no-link",
+            .description = "Do not create symlinks to the evaluation results.",
+            .handler = {&outLink, Path("")},
+        });
+    }
+
+    std::string description() override
+    {
+        return "Force the evaluation of the expression and return the corresponding .drv";
+    }
+
+    std::string doc() override
+    {
+        return
+#include "derivation-instantiate.md"
+            ;
+    }
+
+    Category category() override
+    {
+        return catSecondary;
+    }
+
+    void run(ref<Store> store, Installables && installables) override
+    {
+        auto drvPaths = Installable::toDerivations(store, installables, false);
+
+        if (outLink != "")
+            if (auto store2 = store.dynamic_pointer_cast<LocalFSStore>())
+                createOutLinks(outLink, drvPaths, *store2);
+
+        if (json) {
+            logger->cout("%s", storePathSetToJSON(drvPaths, *store).dump());
+        } else {
+            stopProgressBar();
+            for (auto & path : drvPaths) {
+                logger->cout(store->printStorePath(path));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+static auto rCmdInstantiate = registerCommand<CmdInstantiate>({"instantiate"});

src/nix/derivation-instantiate.md

@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+R""(
+
+# Name
+
+`nix instantiate` - instantiate store derivations
+
+# Synopsis
+
+`nix instantiate`
+  [`--out-link` *link prefix*]
+  [`--json`]
+  [`--no-link`]
+  *installables…*
+
+# Description
+
+The command `nix instantiate` produces [store derivation]s from
+installables. Each top-level expression should evaluate to a derivation, a list
+of derivations, or a set of derivations. The paths of the resulting store
+derivations are printed on standard output.
+
+[store derivation]: @docroot@/glossary.md#gloss-store-derivation
+
+# Options
+
+- `--out-link` *link prefix*
+
+  The prefix used for gc roots.
+
+- `--no-link`
+
+  Do not create garbage collector roots for the generated store derivations.
+
+- `--json`
+
+  Dump a JSON object whose keys are the generated store derivations instead of
+  printing them directly on the output.
+
+)""

src/nix/meson.build

@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ nix_sources = [config_h] + files(
   'config.cc',
   'copy.cc',
   'derivation-add.cc',
+  'derivation-instantiate.cc',
   'derivation-show.cc',
   'derivation.cc',
   'develop.cc',

tests/functional/derivation-instantiate.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+source common.sh
+
+TODO_NixOS
+
+clearStore
+
+drvPath=$(nix instantiate --no-link --file simple.nix)
+test -f "$drvPath"
+nix-store --delete "$drvPath"
+if test -f "$drvPath"; then false; fi
+
+drvPath=$(nix instantiate --file simple.nix)
+test -f "$drvPath"
+test -e drv
+nix-store --gc --print-roots | grep "$drvPath"
+nix-store --gc --print-live | grep "$drvPath"
+if nix-store --delete "$drvPath"; then false; fi
+test -f "$drvPath"
+[ "$(nix-store -q --roots "$drvPath")" = "$(realpath --no-symlinks drv) -> $drvPath" ]
+rm drv
+nix-store --delete "$drvPath"
+if test -f "$drvPath"; then false; fi
+
+drvPath=$(nix instantiate --out-link foobar --file simple.nix)
+test -e foobar
+[ "$(nix-store -q --roots "$drvPath")" = "$(realpath --no-symlinks foobar) -> $drvPath" ]
+rm foobar
+nix-store --delete "$drvPath"
+
+drvPathJson=$(nix instantiate --json --no-link --file simple.nix)
+[ "$drvPathJson" = "{\"$drvPath\":{}}" ]
+nix-store --delete "$drvPath"
+
+mapfile -t drvPaths < <(nix instantiate --json --out-link multidrv --file check.nix | jq 'keys|.[]' -r)
+roots=(./multidrv*)
+[ "${#roots[@]}" -gt 1 ]
+[ "${#roots[@]}" -eq "${#drvPaths[@]}" ]
+mapfile -t rootedPaths < <(readlink "${roots[@]}")
+[ "${rootedPaths[*]}" = "${drvPaths[*]}" ]
+rm -f multidrv*
+
+nix-collect-garbage

tests/functional/local.mk

@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ nix_tests = \
   why-depends.sh \
   derivation-json.sh \
   derivation-advanced-attributes.sh \
+  derivation-instantiate.sh \
   import-derivation.sh \
   nix_path.sh \
   nars.sh \

tests/functional/meson.build

@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ suites = [
       'why-depends.sh',
       'derivation-json.sh',
       'derivation-advanced-attributes.sh',
+      'derivation-instantiate.sh',
       'import-derivation.sh',
       'nix_path.sh',
       'nars.sh',