---
name: "guix-system"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "guix"
version: "1.2.0-4+deb11u2"
release: "Debian 11 (Bullseye)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/guix-system"
---

# guix-system(1)

manual page for guix system (GNU Guix) 1.2.0rc2

## NAME

guix system (GNU Guix) - manual page for guix system (GNU Guix) 1.2.0rc2

## SYNOPSIS

**guix** *system* \[*OPTION* ...\] *ACTION* \[*ARG* ...\] \[*FILE*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Build the operating system declared in FILE according to ACTION. Some ACTIONS support additional ARGS.

The valid values for ACTION are:

- search

  search for existing service types

- reconfigure

  switch to a new operating system configuration

- roll-back

  switch to the previous operating system configuration

- describe

  describe the current system

-

  list-generations list the system generations switch-generation switch to an existing operating system configuration delete-generations delete old system generations build            build the operating system without installing anything container        build a container that shares the host's store vm               build a virtual machine image that shares the host's store vm-image         build a freestanding virtual machine image disk-image       build a disk image, suitable for a USB stick docker-image     build a Docker image init             initialize a root file system to run GNU extension-graph  emit the service extension graph in Dot format shepherd-graph   emit the graph of shepherd services in Dot format

- **-L**, **--load-path**=*DIR*

  prepend DIR to the package module search path

- **-K**, **--keep-failed**

  keep build tree of failed builds

- **-k**, **--keep-going**

  keep going when some of the derivations fail

- **-n**, **--dry-run**

  do not build the derivations

- **--fallback**

  fall back to building when the substituter fails

- **--no-substitutes**

  build instead of resorting to pre-built substitutes

- **--substitute-urls**=*URLS*

  fetch substitute from URLS if they are authorized

- **--no-grafts**

  do not graft packages

- **--no-offload**

  do not attempt to offload builds

- **--max-silent-time**=*SECONDS*

  mark the build as failed after SECONDS of silence

- **--timeout**=*SECONDS*

  mark the build as failed after SECONDS of activity

- **--rounds**=*N*

  build N times in a row to detect non-determinism

- **-c**, **--cores**=*N*

  allow the use of up to N CPU cores for the build

- **-M**, **--max-jobs**=*N*

  allow at most N build jobs

- **--debug**=*LEVEL*

  produce debugging output at LEVEL

- **-d**, **--derivation**

  return the derivation of the given system

- **-e**, **--expression**=*EXPR*

  consider the operating-system EXPR evaluates to instead of reading FILE, when applicable

- **--allow-downgrades** for 'reconfigure', allow downgrades to earlier

  channel revisions

- **--on-error**=*STRATEGY*

  apply STRATEGY (one of nothing-special, backtrace, or debug) when an error occurs while reading FILE

**--list-image-types** list available image types

- **-t**, **--image-type**=*TYPE*

  for 'disk-image', produce an image of TYPE

- **--image-size**=*SIZE*

  for 'vm-image', produce an image of SIZE

- **--no-bootloader**

  for 'init', do not install a bootloader

- **--label**=*LABEL*

  for 'disk-image', label disk image with LABEL

- **--save-provenance**

  save provenance information

- **--share**=*SPEC*

  for 'vm' and 'container', share host file system with read/write access according to SPEC

- **--expose**=*SPEC*

  for 'vm' and 'container', expose host file system directory as read-only according to SPEC

- **-N**, **--network**

  for 'container', allow containers to access the network

- **-r**, **--root**=*FILE*

  for 'vm', 'vm-image', 'disk-image', 'container', and 'build', make FILE a symlink to the result, and register it as a garbage collector root

- **--full-boot**

  for 'vm', make a full boot sequence

- **--skip-checks**

  skip file system and initrd module safety checks

- **--target**=*TRIPLET*

  cross-build for TRIPLET--e.g., "armel-linux-gnu"

- **-v**, **--verbosity**=*LEVEL*

  use the given verbosity LEVEL

- **-h**, **--help**

  display this help and exit

- **-V**, **--version**

  display version information and exit

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to: bug-guix@gnu.org.\
 GNU Guix home page: \<https://www.gnu.org/software/guix/\>\
 General help using Guix and GNU software: \<https://guix.gnu.org/help/\>

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2020 the Guix authors License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later \<http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html\>\
 This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

## SEE ALSO

The full documentation for **guix system (GNU Guix)** is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the **info** and **guix system (GNU Guix)** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

-

  **info guix**

should give you access to the complete manual.