# Contributing to the Nixpkgs reference manual

This directory houses the sources files for the Nixpkgs reference manual.

Going forward, it should only contain [reference](https://nix.dev/contributing/documentation/diataxis#reference) documentation.
For tutorials, guides and explanations, contribute to <https://nix.dev/> instead.

For documentation only relevant for contributors, use Markdown files and code comments in the source code.

Rendered documentation:
- [Unstable (from master)](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/unstable/)
- [Stable (from latest release)](https://nixos.org/manual/nixpkgs/stable/)

The rendering tool is [nixos-render-docs](../pkgs/tools/nix/nixos-render-docs/src/nixos_render_docs), sometimes abbreviated `nrd`.

## Contributing to this documentation

You can quickly check your edits with `nix-build`:

```ShellSession
$ cd /path/to/nixpkgs
$ nix-build doc
```

If the build succeeds, the manual will be in `./result/share/doc/nixpkgs/manual.html`.

### devmode

The shell in the manual source directory makes available a command, `devmode`.
It is a daemon, that:
1. watches the manual's source for changes and when they occur — rebuilds
2. HTTP serves the manual, injecting a script that triggers reload on changes
3. opens the manual in the default browser

## Syntax

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.

Additional syntax extensions are available, all of which can be used in NixOS option documentation. The following extensions are currently used:

#### Tables

Tables, using the [GitHub-flavored Markdown syntax](https://github.github.com/gfm/#tables-extension-).

#### Anchors

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).

It uses the widely compatible [header attributes](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/attributes.md) syntax:

```markdown
## Syntax {#sec-contributing-markup}
```

> **Note**
> NixOS option documentation does not support headings in general.

#### Inline Anchors

Allow linking arbitrary place in the text (e.g. individual list items, sentences…).

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):

```markdown
- []{#ssec-gnome-hooks-glib} `glib` setup hook will populate `GSETTINGS_SCHEMAS_PATH` and then `wrapGAppsHook` will prepend it to `XDG_DATA_DIRS`.
```

#### Automatic links

If you **omit a link text** for a link pointing to a section, the text will be substituted automatically. For example `[](#chap-contributing)`.

This syntax is taken from [MyST](https://myst-parser.readthedocs.io/en/latest/using/syntax.html#targets-and-cross-referencing).

#### Roles

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).

A few markups for other kinds of literals are also available:

- `` {command}`rm -rfi` ``
- `` {env}`XDG_DATA_DIRS` ``
- `` {file}`/etc/passwd` ``
- `` {option}`networking.useDHCP` ``
- `` {var}`/etc/passwd` ``

These literal kinds are used mostly in NixOS option documentation.

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.

#### Admonitions

Set off from the text to bring attention to something.

It uses pandoc’s [fenced `div`s syntax](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/fenced_divs.md):

```markdown
::: {.warning}
This is a warning
:::
```

The following are supported:

- [`caution`](https://tdg.docbook.org/tdg/5.0/caution.html)
- [`important`](https://tdg.docbook.org/tdg/5.0/important.html)
- [`note`](https://tdg.docbook.org/tdg/5.0/note.html)
- [`tip`](https://tdg.docbook.org/tdg/5.0/tip.html)
- [`warning`](https://tdg.docbook.org/tdg/5.0/warning.html)

#### [Definition lists](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/definition_lists.md)

For defining a group of terms:

```markdown
pear
:   green or yellow bulbous fruit

watermelon
:   green fruit with red flesh
```

## Commit conventions

- Make sure you read about the [commit conventions](../CONTRIBUTING.md#commit-conventions) common to Nixpkgs as a whole.

- If creating a commit purely for documentation changes, format the commit message in the following way:

  ```
  doc: (documentation summary)

  (Motivation for change, relevant links, additional information.)
  ```

  Examples:

  * doc: update the kernel config documentation to use `nix-shell`
  * doc: add information about `nix-update-script`

    Closes #216321.

- If the commit contains more than just documentation changes, follow the commit message format relevant for the rest of the changes.