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# Name
`nix-env` - manipulate or query Nix user environments
# Synopsis
`nix-env` *operation* [*options*] [*arguments…*]
[`--option` *name* *value*]
[`--arg` *name* *value*]
[`--argstr` *name* *value*]
[{`--file` | `-f`} *path*]
[{`--profile` | `-p`} *path*]
[`--system-filter` *system*]
[`--dry-run`]
# Description
The command `nix-env` is used to manipulate Nix user environments. User
environments are sets of software packages available to a user at some
point in time. In other words, they are a synthesised view of the
programs available in the Nix store. There may be many user
environments: different users can have different environments, and
individual users can switch between different environments.
`nix-env` takes exactly one *operation* flag which indicates the
subcommand to be performed. The following operations are available:
- [`--install`](./nix-env/install.md)
- [`--upgrade`](./nix-env/upgrade.md)
- [`--uninstall`](./nix-env/uninstall.md)
- [`--set`](./nix-env/set.md)
- [`--set-flag`](./nix-env/set-flag.md)
- [`--query`](./nix-env/query.md)
- [`--switch-profile`](./nix-env/switch-profile.md)
- [`--list-generations`](./nix-env/list-generations.md)
- [`--delete-generations`](./nix-env/delete-generations.md)
- [`--switch-generation`](./nix-env/switch-generation.md)
- [`--rollback`](./nix-env/rollback.md)
These pages can be viewed offline:
- `man nix-env-<operation>`.
Example: `man nix-env-install`
- `nix-env --help --<operation>`
Example: `nix-env --help --install`
# Package sources
`nix-env` can obtain packages from multiple sources:
- An attribute set of derivations from:
- The [default Nix expression](@docroot@/command-ref/files/default-nix-expression.md) (by default)
- A Nix file, specified via `--file`
- A [profile](@docroot@/command-ref/files/profiles.md), specified via `--from-profile`
- A Nix expression that is a function which takes default expression as argument, specified via `--from-expression`
- A [store path](@docroot@/store/store-path.md)
# Selectors
Several operations, such as [`nix-env --query`](./nix-env/query.md) and [`nix-env --install`](./nix-env/install.md), take a list of *arguments* that specify the packages on which to operate.
Packages are identified based on a `name` part and a `version` part of a [symbolic derivation name](@docroot@/language/derivations.md#attr-name):
- `name`: Everything up to but not including the first dash (`-`) that is *not* followed by a letter.
- `version`: The rest, excluding the separating dash.
> **Example**
>
> `nix-env` parses the symbolic derivation name `apache-httpd-2.0.48` as:
>
> ```json
> {
> "name": "apache-httpd",
> "version": "2.0.48"
> }
> ```
> **Example**
>
> `nix-env` parses the symbolic derivation name `firefox.*` as:
>
> ```json
> {
> "name": "firefox.*",
> "version": ""
> }
> ```
The `name` parts of the *arguments* to `nix-env` are treated as extended regular expressions and matched against the `name` parts of derivation names in the package source.
The match is case-sensitive.
The regular expression can optionally be followed by a dash (`-`) and a version number; if omitted, any version of the package will match.
For details on regular expressions, see [**regex**(7)](https://linux.die.net/man/7/regex).
> **Example**
>
> Common patterns for finding package names with `nix-env`:
>
> - `firefox`
>
> Matches the package name `firefox` and any version.
>
> - `firefox-32.0`
>
> Matches the package name `firefox` and version `32.0`.
>
> - `gtk\\+`
>
> Matches the package name `gtk+`.
> The `+` character must be escaped using a backslash (`\`) to prevent it from being interpreted as a quantifier, and the backslash must be escaped in turn with another backslash to ensure that the shell passes it on.
>
> - `.\*`
>
> Matches any package name.
> This is the default for most commands.
>
> - `'.*zip.*'`
>
> Matches any package name containing the string `zip`.
> Note the dots: `'*zip*'` does not work, because in a regular expression, the character `*` is interpreted as a quantifier.
>
> - `'.*(firefox|chromium).*'`
>
> Matches any package name containing the strings `firefox` or `chromium`.
# Files
`nix-env` operates on the following files.
{{#include ./files/default-nix-expression.md}}
{{#include ./files/profiles.md}}
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