188 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
188 lines
4.3 KiB
Markdown
# Nickel Installation Guide
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## Overview
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Nickel is a configuration language that complements KCL in the provisioning system. It provides:
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- Lazy evaluation for efficient configuration processing
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- Modern functional programming paradigms
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- Excellent integration with the CLI daemon for config rendering
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## Installation Methods
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### Recommended: Nix (Official Method)
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Nickel is maintained by Tweag and officially recommends Nix for installation. This avoids all dependency issues:
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```bash
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# Install Nix (one-time setup) - Using official NixOS installer
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curl https://nixos.org/nix/install | sh
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# Install Nickel via Nix
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nix profile install nixpkgs#nickel
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# Verify installation
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nickel --version
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```
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**Why Nix?**
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- Isolated, reproducible environments
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- No system library conflicts
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- Official Nickel distribution method
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- Works on macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like systems
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- Pre-built binaries available
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### Alternative: Automatic Installation
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The provisioning system can automate installation:
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```bash
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# Via tools-install script (uses Nix if available)
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$PROVISIONING/core/cli/tools-install nickel
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# Check installation status
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$PROVISIONING/core/cli/tools-install check
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```
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### Alternative: Manual Installation from Source
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If you have a Rust toolchain:
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```bash
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cargo install nickel-lang-cli
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```
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**Note**: This requires Rust compiler (slower than pre-built binaries)
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## Troubleshooting
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### "Library not loaded: /nix/store/..." Error
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This occurs when using pre-built binaries without Nix installed. **Solution**: Install Nix or use Cargo:
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```bash
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# Option 1: Install Nix (recommended) - Using official NixOS installer
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curl https://nixos.org/nix/install | sh
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# Then install Nickel
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nix profile install nixpkgs#nickel
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# Option 2: Build from source with Cargo
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cargo install nickel-lang-cli
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```
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### Command Not Found
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Ensure Nix is properly installed and in PATH:
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```bash
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# Check if Nix is installed
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which nix
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# If not found, install Nix first using official NixOS installer:
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curl https://nixos.org/nix/install | sh
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# Then install Nickel
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nix profile install nixpkgs#nickel
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```
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### Version Mismatch
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To ensure you're using the correct version:
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```bash
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# Check installed version
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nickel --version
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# Expected version (from provisioning/core/versions)
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echo $NICKEL_VERSION
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# Update to latest
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nix profile upgrade '*'
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```
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## Integration with Provisioning System
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### CLI Daemon Integration
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Nickel is integrated into the CLI daemon for configuration rendering:
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```bash
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# Render Nickel configuration via daemon
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curl -X POST http://localhost:9091/config/render \
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-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
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-d '{
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"language": "nickel",
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"content": "{name = \"my-config\", enabled = true}",
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"context": {"env": "prod"}
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}'
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```
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### Comparison with KCL
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| Feature | KCL | Nickel |
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| --------- | ----- | -------- |
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| **Type System** | Gradual, OOP-style | Gradual, Functional |
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| **Evaluation** | Eager | Lazy (partial evaluation) |
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| **Performance** | Fast | Very fast (lazy) |
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| **Learning Curve** | Moderate | Functional programming knowledge helps |
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| **Use Cases** | Infrastructure schemas | Configuration merging, lazy evaluation |
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## Deployment Considerations
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### macOS M1/M2/M3 (arm64)
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Nix automatically handles architecture:
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```bash
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nix profile install nixpkgs#nickel
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# Automatically installs arm64 binary
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```
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### Linux (x86_64/arm64)
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```bash
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nix profile install nixpkgs#nickel
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# Automatically installs correct architecture
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```
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### CI/CD Environments
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For GitHub Actions or other CI/CD:
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```yaml
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# .github/workflows/example.yml
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- name: Install Nickel
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run: |
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curl https://nixos.org/nix/install | sh
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nix profile install nixpkgs#nickel
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```
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## Resources
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- **Official Website**: <https://nickel-lang.org>
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- **Getting Started**: <https://nickel-lang.org/getting-started>
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- **User Manual**: <https://nickel-lang.org/user-manual>
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- **GitHub**: <https://github.com/tweag/nickel>
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- **Nix Package**: <https://search.nixos.org/packages?query=nickel>
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## Version Information
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Current provisioning system configuration:
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```bash
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# View configured version
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cat $PROVISIONING/core/versions | grep NICKEL_VERSION
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# Current: 1.15.1
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```
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## Support
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For issues related to:
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- **Nickel language**: See <https://github.com/tweag/nickel/issues>
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- **Nix installation**: See <https://github.com/DeterminateSystems/nix-installer>
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- **Provisioning integration**: See the provisioning system documentation
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