Distrobox - Container Management

Overview

Distrobox lets you run any Linux distribution inside containers with seamless host integration. This skill covers creating and managing distrobox containers on Bazzite.

Quick Reference

ujust distrobox-assemble

ujust assemble

ujust distrobox-new

ujust distrobox

ujust setup-distrobox-app

ujust install-resolve

ujust install-davinci

ujust install-davinci-resolve

ujust install-resolve-studio

Container Creation

From Manifest

# Create containers defined in distrobox.ini
ujust distrobox-assemble

Reads

~/.config/distrobox/distrobox.ini

Example distrobox.ini:

[ubuntu]
image=ubuntu:22.04
pull=true
init=true

[fedora]
image=fedora:39
pull=true

Custom Container

# Interactive container creation
ujust distrobox-new

Prompts for:

• Container name
• Base image
• Additional options

Manual Creation

# Direct distrobox command
distrobox create --name mybox --image ubuntu:22.04
distrobox enter mybox

App Containers

Homebrew Container

# Setup brew in a container
ujust setup-distrobox-app brew

Creates a dedicated container with Homebrew installed.

Usage after setup:

distrobox enter brew
brew install <package>

DaVinci Resolve

Free Version

# Install DaVinci Resolve in container
ujust install-resolve

# Aliases
ujust install-davinci
ujust install-davinci-resolve

Studio Version

# Install DaVinci Resolve Studio
ujust install-resolve-studio

Requires license/dongle for Studio features.

Process:

1. Downloads Resolve installer
2. Creates Fedora-based container
3. Installs dependencies
4. Installs Resolve
5. Creates desktop entry

Common Workflows

Development Environment

# Create Ubuntu dev container
distrobox create --name dev --image ubuntu:22.04
distrobox enter dev

# Inside container
sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential python3-pip

Multiple Distros

# Create distrobox.ini
cat > ~/.config/distrobox/distrobox.ini << EOF
[arch]
image=archlinux:latest
pull=true

[debian]
image=debian:bookworm
pull=true
EOF

# Create all containers
ujust distrobox-assemble

Video Editing Setup

# Install DaVinci Resolve
ujust install-resolve

# Launch from applications menu or:
distrobox enter resolve
resolve

Container Management

List Containers

distrobox list

Enter Container

distrobox enter <name>

Stop Container

distrobox stop <name>

Remove Container

distrobox rm <name>

Export Application

# Export app to host
distrobox enter <name>
distrobox-export --app <application>

Troubleshooting

Container Won't Start

Check:

# Container status
podman ps -a

# Logs
podman logs <container-id>

Fix:

# Recreate container
distrobox rm <name>
distrobox create --name <name> --image <image>

Resolve Won't Launch

Check NVIDIA drivers:

nvidia-smi

Check GPU access in container:

distrobox enter resolve
nvidia-smi

GUI Apps Not Working

Verify Wayland/X11:

echo $XDG_SESSION_TYPE
echo $DISPLAY

Try X11 forwarding:

distrobox create --name <name> --image <image> --additional-flags "--env DISPLAY=$DISPLAY"

Cross-References

• bazzite:gpu - GPU driver configuration
• bazzite-ai:configure - Docker/Podman configuration
• bazzite:apps - Third-party application installation

When to Use This Skill

Use when the user asks about:

• "distrobox", "create container", "linux container"
• "ubuntu on bazzite", "arch container", "debian box"
• "distrobox.ini", "assemble containers", "manifest"
• "brew on bazzite", "homebrew", "brew container"
• "DaVinci Resolve", "video editing", "Resolve Studio"
• "run other distro", "different distribution"