The sources of the Nixpkgs manual are in the [doc](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/tree/master/doc) subdirectory of the Nixpkgs repository. The manual is still partially written in DocBook but it is progressively being converted to [Markdown](#sec-contributing-markup).
As per [RFC 0072](https://github.com/NixOS/rfcs/pull/72), all new documentation content should be written in [CommonMark](https://commonmark.org/) Markdown dialect.
Additional syntax extensions are available, though not all extensions can be used in NixOS option documentation. The following extensions are currently used:
Explicitly defined **anchors** on headings, to allow linking to sections. These should be always used, to ensure the anchors can be linked even when the heading text changes, and to prevent conflicts between [automatically assigned identifiers](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/auto_identifiers.md).
It uses the widely compatible [header attributes](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/attributes.md) syntax:
```markdown
## Syntax {#sec-contributing-markup}
```
- []{#ssec-contributing-markup-anchors-inline}
**Inline anchors**, which allow linking arbitrary place in the text (e.g. individual list items, sentences…).
They are defined using a hybrid of the link syntax with the attributes syntax known from headings, called [bracketed spans](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/bracketed_spans.md):
```markdown
- []{#ssec-gnome-hooks-glib} `glib` setup hook will populate `GSETTINGS_SCHEMAS_PATH` and then `wrapGAppsHook` will prepend it to `XDG_DATA_DIRS`.
If you **omit a link text** for a link pointing to a section, the text will be substituted automatically. For example, `[](#chap-contributing)` will result in [](#chap-contributing).
This syntax is taken from [MyST](https://myst-parser.readthedocs.io/en/latest/using/syntax.html#targets-and-cross-referencing).
If you want to link to a man page, you can use `` {manpage}`nix.conf(5)` ``, which will turn into {manpage}`nix.conf(5)`. The references will turn into links when a mapping exists in {file}`doc/build-aux/pandoc-filters/link-unix-man-references.lua`.
This syntax is taken from [MyST](https://myst-parser.readthedocs.io/en/latest/syntax/syntax.html#roles-an-in-line-extension-point). Though, the feature originates from [reStructuredText](https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/restructuredtext/roles.html#role-manpage) with slightly different syntax.
[**Definition lists**](https://github.com/jgm/commonmark-hs/blob/master/commonmark-extensions/test/definition_lists.md), for defining a group of terms:
```markdown
pear
: green or yellow bulbous fruit
watermelon
: green fruit with red flesh
```
which renders as
> pear
> : green or yellow bulbous fruit
>
> watermelon
> : green fruit with red flesh
For contributing to the legacy parts, please see [DocBook: The Definitive Guide](https://tdg.docbook.org/) or the [DocBook rocks! primer](https://web.archive.org/web/20200816233747/https://docbook.rocks/).
