Binary Cache Protocol

Because zb store objects are content-addressed, record their references, and have a fixed path, they can be safely shared among machines. Sharing store objects can speed up builds or provide redundancy for network-dependent derivations (e.g. downloads). To facilitate sharing, zb supports a binary cache protocol layered on top of HTTP to fetch store objects. This protocol is intended to be simple enough to be backed by a basic file server.

The key words “MUST”, “MUST NOT”, “REQUIRED”, “SHALL”, “SHALL NOT”, “SHOULD”, “SHOULD NOT”, “RECOMMENDED”, “MAY”, and “OPTIONAL” in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119. JSON structures are described using JSON schema.

• Discovery Document
  • https://zb-build.dev/api/rel/narinfo
  • https://zb-build.dev/api/rel/narlisting
  • https://zb-build.dev/api/rel/realization
• The .narinfo file format
• NAR listings
• Realizations
  • Derivation Hashes
    • Fixed Output Derivation Hashes
    • Floating Output Derivation Hashes
  • Signatures
  • JSON Schema