NixBuildSpec

The NixBuildSpec object constructor allows for providing detailed information about how to build a container image using Nix Flake in the ServiceConfig.image property.

You can provide Kurtosis just with source code and a Nix definition on how to build an image. Kurtosis will take care of building and deploying the image directly into the enclave without the need to upload or register the image beforehand.

For that, we use Nix flakes, which is a way to package build definitions and dependencies in a reproducible manner. Using Nix flakes, you can define your system configurations and dependencies in a single file (flake.nix), making it easier to manage and share.

Signature

NixBuildSpec(
    image_name, 
    build_context_dir,
    flake_location_dir, 
    flake_output = "default", 
)

Property	Description
image_name string	The name of the container image that should be used.
build_context_dir string	Locator to the build context within the Kurtosis package.
flake_location_dir string	The relative path (from the `build_context_dir`) to the folder containing the flake.nix file.
flake_output string	The selector for the Flake output with the image derivation. Fallbacks to the default package.

Examples

Here's a basic example of how you can generate Docker images from services using Nix flakes:

Install Nix: Installing Nix isn't strictly necessary with Kurtosis, but it's recommended if you are creating or developing the package. You can install it by following the instructions on the Nix website: https://nixos.org/download.html
Create a Nix Flake: Go to your project root directory and initialize a Nix flake. You can do this by running:
```
cd myproject
nix flake init -t simple
```

Define Your Services: Inside the flake.nix file, you can define your services and their dependencies. For example:

{
  description = "My project";

  inputs = {
    nixpkgs.url = "github:NixOS/nixpkgs/nixpkgs-unstable";
  };

  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, myservice }: {
    defaultPackage.aarch64-darwin = nixpkgs.lib.dockerTools.buildImage {
      name = "myservice";
      tag = "latest";
      contents = [ myservice ];
      config.Cmd = [ "myservice-binary" ];
    };
  };
}

Add a service definition to Starlark: Now just add a service to your Starlark configuration:

 plan.add_service(
     name = "nix-example",
     config = ServiceConfig(
         image = NixBuildSpec(image_name = "myservice", flake_location_dir = ".", build_context_dir = "./"),
     ),
 )

Build and Deploy with Kurtosis: From your package folder, simply run kurtosis run . to get your cluster up and running.

This is just a basic example. Depending on your specific use case and requirements, you may need to adjust the configuration and dependencies in your flake.nix file accordingly. Additionally, you can add more services, configure networking, volumes, environment variables, etc., based on your needs.

Signature​

Examples​

Signature

Examples