7.2.2 operating-system Reference

This section summarizes all the options available in operating-system declarations (see Using the Configuration System).

Data Type: operating-system

This is the data type representing an operating system configuration. By that, we mean all the global system configuration, not per-user configuration (see Using the Configuration System).

kernel (default: linux-libre)

The package object of the operating system kernel to use¹⁵.

kernel-arguments (default: '())

List of strings or gexps representing additional arguments to pass on the kernel’s command-line—e.g., ("console=ttyS0").

bootloader

The system bootloader configuration object. See GRUB Configuration.

initrd (default: base-initrd)

A two-argument monadic procedure that returns an initial RAM disk for the Linux kernel. See Initial RAM Disk.

firmware (default: %base-firmware)

List of firmware packages loadable by the operating system kernel.

The default includes firmware needed for Atheros-based WiFi devices (Linux-libre module ath9k.)

host-name

The host name.

hosts-file

A file-like object (see file-like objects) for use as /etc/hosts (see Host Names in The GNU C Library Reference Manual). The default is a file with entries for localhost and host-name.

mapped-devices (default: '())

A list of mapped devices. See Mapped Devices.

file-systems

A list of file systems. See File Systems.

swap-devices (default: '())

A list of strings identifying devices to be used for “swap space” (see Memory Concepts in The GNU C Library Reference Manual). For example, '("/dev/sda3").

users (default: %base-user-accounts)

groups (default: %base-groups)

List of user accounts and groups. See User Accounts.

skeletons (default: (default-skeletons))

A monadic list of pairs of target file name and files. These are the files that will be used as skeletons as new accounts are created.

For instance, a valid value may look like this:

(mlet %store-monad ((bashrc (text-file "bashrc" "\
     export PATH=$HOME/.guix-profile/bin")))
  (return `((".bashrc" ,bashrc))))

issue (default: %default-issue)

A string denoting the contents of the /etc/issue file, which is what displayed when users log in on a text console.

packages (default: %base-packages)

The set of packages installed in the global profile, which is accessible at /run/current-system/profile.

The default set includes core utilities, but it is good practice to install non-core utilities in user profiles (see Invoking guix package).

timezone

A timezone identifying string—e.g., "Europe/Paris".

locale (default: "en_US.utf8")

The name of the default locale (see Locale Names in The GNU C Library Reference Manual). See Locales, for more information.

locale-definitions (default: %default-locale-definitions)

The list of locale definitions to be compiled and that may be used at run time. See Locales.

locale-libcs (default: (list glibc))

The list of GNU libc packages whose locale data and tools are used to build the locale definitions. See Locales, for compatibility considerations that justify this option.

name-service-switch (default: %default-nss)

Configuration of libc’s name service switch (NSS)—a <name-service-switch> object. See Name Service Switch, for details.

services (default: %base-services)

A list of monadic values denoting system services. See Services.

pam-services (default: (base-pam-services))

Linux pluggable authentication module (PAM) services.

setuid-programs (default: %setuid-programs)

List of string-valued G-expressions denoting setuid programs. See Setuid Programs.

sudoers-file (default: %sudoers-specification)

The contents of the /etc/sudoers file as a file-like object (see local-file and plain-file).

This file specifies which users can use the sudo command, what they are allowed to do, and what privileges they may gain. The default is that only root and members of the wheel group may use sudo.