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You can install the package management tool Guix on top of an existing GNU/Linux or GNU/Hurd system4, referred to as a foreign distro. If, instead, you want to install the complete, standalone GNU system distribution, Guix System, see System Installation. This section is concerned only with the installation of Guix on a foreign distro.
Important: This section only applies to systems without Guix. Following it for existing Guix installations will overwrite important system files.
When installed on a foreign distro, GNU Guix complements the available tools without interference. Its data lives exclusively in two directories, usually /gnu/store and /var/guix; other files on your system, such as /etc, are left untouched.
Once installed, Guix can be updated by running guix pull
(see Invoking guix pull).