Cyril

Distrobox containers

Containers can be created using either a declarative command,
or they can be assembled using a containerFile.ini configuration-file.

distrobox-create

Simple, straight-forward, well documented online

#create container:
distrobox-create \
--name workbench \
--image docker.io/library/alpine:3.22 \
--home $HOME/distrobox/workbench \
--additional-packages "git git-gitk vim" \
--init-hooks "rm /usr/bin/vi; ln -s /usr/bin/vim /usr/bin/vi"

distrobox-assemble

As a locally stored distrobox.ini, each container’s configuration is inherently documented, and therefore quickly/easily reproducible.
Also, some of the functionality of the distrobox-assemble approach is not available to distrobox-create.

Recommend storing the distrobox *.ini files in a separate directory for organization (ex: ~/distrobox),
and also use that same directory as the home directory for the each container.

distrobox-assemble create --name thisName
# or
distrobox-assemble create --file thatFile.ini
# or
distrobox-assemble create thatFile.ini

# workbench.ini
[workbench]
image=docker.io/library/alpine:latest
home=$HOME/distrobox/workbench
pull=true
replace=true
additional_packages="git git-gitk vim"
init_hooks="rm /usr/bin/vi; ln -s /usr/bin/vim /usr/bin/vi"
exported_bins="/usr/bin/git /usr/bin/gitk"
exported_bins_path="$HOME/.local/bin"

# inkcutBox.ini
[inkcutBox]
image=docker.io/library/alpine:3.22
home=$HOME/distrobox/inkcutBox
pull=true
additional_packages="gcc git cups-dev musl-dev linux-headers"
additional_packages="python3-dev pipx py3-qt5"
additional_flags="--env PIPX_BIN_DIR=/usr/local/bin"
exported_bins="/usr/bin/pipx"
exported_bins_path="$HOME/.local/bin"

My setup

2025/08 General needs and inkcut-specific stuff grouped into the same container
(trying to avoid unique containers with so little in them)

cat >$HOME/dbxAlpine/distrobox.ini <<EOL
[Alpine3]
image=docker.io/library/alpine:3
home=$HOME/dbxAlpine
pull=true
additional_packages="git vim"
init_hooks="rm /usr/bin/vi; ln -s /usr/bin/vim /usr/bin/vi"
exported_bins="/usr/bin/git"
exported_bins_path="$HOME/.local/bin"
#inkcut-specific
additional_packages="gcc cups-dev musl-dev linux-headers"
additional_packages="python3-dev pipx py3-qt5"
additional_flags="--env PIPX_HOME=$HOME/inkcutBox/.local/share"
additional_flags="--env PIPX_INKCUT=venvs/inkcut/lib/python*/site-packages/inkcut"
exported_bins="/usr/bin/pipx"
EOL

distrobox-assemble create