diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c6d6ad909b..29879a5613 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -34,3 +34,4 @@ config.cache
/po/remove-potcdate.sin
/po/stamp-po
/po/guix.pot
+/guix-build
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 363839435a..3d94dd0583 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
# along with Guix. If not, see .
+bin_SCRIPTS = guix-build
+
MODULES = \
guix/derivations.scm \
guix/build-system.scm \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ca01e0bc6c..9d7968f5e1 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ else
AC_MSG_WARN([Please use `--with-nixpkgs'.])
fi
-AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile po/Makefile.in])
+AC_CONFIG_FILES([Makefile
+ po/Makefile.in
+ guix-build])
+
+AC_CONFIG_COMMANDS([commands-exec], [chmod +x guix-build])
AC_OUTPUT
diff --git a/guix-build.in b/guix-build.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..380c203000
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guix-build.in
@@ -0,0 +1,179 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# aside from this initial boilerplate, this is actually -*- scheme -*- code
+
+GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH="@guilemoduledir@:$GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH"
+export GUILE_LOAD_COMPILED_PATH
+
+main='(module-ref (resolve-interface '\''(guix-build)) '\'guix-build')'
+exec ${GUILE-@GUILE@} -L "@guilemoduledir@" -l "$0" \
+ -c "(apply $main (cdr (command-line)))" "$@"
+!#
+;;; Guix --- Nix package management from Guile. -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+;;; Copyright (C) 2012 Ludovic Courtès
+;;;
+;;; This file is part of Guix.
+;;;
+;;; Guix is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+;;; under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+;;; the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or (at
+;;; your option) any later version.
+;;;
+;;; Guix is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+;;; WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+;;; MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+;;; GNU General Public License for more details.
+;;;
+;;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+;;; along with Guix. If not, see .
+
+(define-module (guix-build)
+ #:use-module (guix store)
+ #:use-module (guix derivations)
+ #:use-module (guix packages)
+ #:use-module (ice-9 format)
+ #:use-module (ice-9 match)
+ #:use-module (srfi srfi-1)
+ #:use-module (srfi srfi-26)
+ #:use-module (srfi srfi-37)
+ #:autoload (distro) (find-packages-by-name)
+ #:export (guix-build))
+
+(define _ (cut gettext <> "guix"))
+(define N_ (cut ngettext <> <> <> "guix"))
+
+(define %store
+ (open-connection))
+
+(define (derivations-from-package-expressions exp)
+ "Eval EXP and return the corresponding derivation path."
+ (let ((p (eval exp (current-module))))
+ (if (package? p)
+ (package-derivation %store p)
+ (begin
+ (format (current-error-port)
+ (_ "expression `~s' does not evaluate to a package")
+ exp)
+ (exit 1)))))
+
+
+;;;
+;;; Command-line options.
+;;;
+
+(define %default-options
+ ;; Alist of default option values.
+ '())
+
+(define (show-version)
+ (display "guix-build (@PACKAGE_NAME@) @PACKAGE_VERSION@\n"))
+
+(define (show-help)
+ (display (_ "Usage: guix-build [OPTION]... PACKAGE-OR-DERIVATION...
+Build the given PACKAGE-OR-DERIVATION and return their output paths.\n"))
+ (display (_ "
+ -e, --expression=EXPR build the package EXPR evaluates to"))
+ (display (_ "
+ -K, --keep-failed keep build tree of failed builds"))
+ (display (_ "
+ -n, --dry-run do not build the derivations"))
+ (newline)
+ (display (_ "
+ -h, --help display this help and exit"))
+ (display (_ "
+ -V, --version display version information and exit"))
+ (newline)
+ (format #t (_ "
+Report bugs to: ~a.~%") "@PACKAGE_BUGREPORT@"))
+
+(define %options
+ ;; Specifications of the command-line options.
+ (list (option '(#\h "help") #f #f
+ (lambda args
+ (show-help)
+ (exit 0)))
+ (option '(#\V "version") #f #f
+ (lambda args
+ (show-version)
+ (exit 0)))
+
+ (option '(#\e "expression") #t #f
+ (lambda (opt name arg result)
+ (alist-cons 'expression
+ (call-with-input-string arg read)
+ result)))
+ (option '(#\K "keep-failed") #f #f
+ (lambda (opt name arg result)
+ (alist-cons 'keep-failed? #t result)))
+ (option '(#\n "dry-run") #f #F
+ (lambda (opt name arg result)
+ (alist-cons 'dry-run? #t result)))))
+
+
+;;;
+;;; Entry point.
+;;;
+
+(define (guix-build . args)
+ (let-syntax ((leave (syntax-rules ()
+ ((_ fmt args ...)
+ (begin
+ (format (current-error-port) fmt args ...)
+ (exit 1))))))
+ (define (parse-options)
+ ;; Return the alist of option values.
+ (args-fold args %options
+ (lambda (opt name arg result)
+ (leave (_ "~A: unrecognized option") opt))
+ (lambda (arg result)
+ (alist-cons 'argument arg result))
+ %default-options))
+
+ (setlocale LC_ALL "")
+ (textdomain "guix")
+
+ (let* ((opts (parse-options))
+ (drv (filter-map (match-lambda
+ (('expression . exp)
+ (derivations-from-package-expressions exp))
+ (('argument . (? derivation-path? drv))
+ drv)
+ (('argument . (? string? x))
+ (match (find-packages-by-name x)
+ ((p _ ...)
+ (package-derivation %store p))
+ (_
+ (leave (_ "~A: unknown package") x))))
+ (_ #f))
+ opts))
+ (req (append-map (lambda (drv-path)
+ (let ((d (call-with-input-file drv-path
+ read-derivation)))
+ (derivation-prerequisites-to-build %store d)))
+ drv))
+ (req* (delete-duplicates
+ (append (remove (compose (cut valid-path? %store <>)
+ derivation-path->output-path)
+ drv)
+ (map derivation-input-path req)))))
+ (if (assoc-ref opts 'dry-run?)
+ (format (current-error-port)
+ (N_ "~:[the following derivation would be built:~%~{ ~a~%~}~;~]"
+ "~:[the following derivations would be built:~%~{ ~a~%~}~;~]"
+ (length req*))
+ (null? req*) req*)
+ (format (current-error-port)
+ (N_ "~:[the following derivation will be built:~%~{ ~a~%~}~;~]"
+ "~:[the following derivations will be built:~%~{ ~a~%~}~;~]"
+ (length req*))
+ (null? req*) req*))
+
+ ;; TODO: Add more options.
+ (set-build-options %store
+ #:keep-failed? (assoc-ref opts 'keep-failed?))
+
+ (or (assoc-ref opts 'dry-run?)
+ (and (build-derivations %store drv)
+ (for-each (lambda (d)
+ (display (derivation-path->output-path d))
+ (newline))
+ drv))))))
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index 1f231a7c1f..9d35ef048f 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
# List of source files which contain translatable strings.
distro.scm
distro/base.scm
+guix-build.in