Day 12 : Distrobox

Welcome to Day 12 of my 30 Days – 30 Tools for Developers series!
Today we’re diving into Distrobox, a powerful way to run multiple Linux distributions in containers—no dual boot, no heavy VMs.

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🔹 What is Distrobox?
Distrobox uses container engines like Podman or Docker to spin up full Linux distros inside containers. You can access your host files, run GUI apps, and even use hardware devices — all from inside the container.

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🔹 Why Developers Love Distrobox
✅ Versatility – Test apps across distros easily
✅ Lightweight – Faster & smaller footprint than VMs
✅ Integration – Host access for files, GUIs, and networking
✅ Safe Experimentation – Try new tools without breaking your main system

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🔹 Real-World Use Case
Imagine you’re on Arch Linux, but the app you need is only officially packaged for Ubuntu.
With Distrobox you can:

distrobox-create --name ubuntu --image ubuntu:latest
distrobox-enter ubuntu
sudo apt install <your-app>

Now you can run that Ubuntu-only app on your Arch desktop, fully integrated — no need for a VM or dual boot.

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🔹 Getting Started

Install Distrobox:

curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/89luca89/distrobox/main/install | sudo sh

Create and enter a container:

distrobox-create --name fedora --image fedora:latest
distrobox-enter fedora

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Conclusion
Distrobox is a game-changer for Linux power users. If you’ve ever wanted the flexibility of multiple distros without the overhead of VMs, give it a try!

👉 Question: What’s the first app you’d run inside a Distrobox container?