What is Distrobox used for?

Distrobox is a command-line tool that runs any Linux distribution in a container tightly integrated with the host, built on Podman or Docker. It is a good fit for using packages from another distro, development environments on immutable distros and software setup on the Steam Deck.

Is Distrobox open source?

Yes. Distrobox is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at 89luca89/distrobox and is written mainly in Go.

Yes. Distrobox is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

What are some alternatives to Distrobox?

Similar open-source tools in the Developer Tools category include Neovim, Termux and LNMP. SaaS products in the same category include 1DevTool, act101 and Amicro.

Is Distrobox actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Distrobox was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 1.8.2.5, published on 27 April 2026. The project has 13k stars on GitHub.

Distrobox: open-source developer tools

About Distrobox

Distrobox lets you use any Linux distribution inside your terminal. It creates containers from the distro of your choice using Podman, Docker or lilipod, so you can run software from another distribution on your host, or work in a familiar environment, without rebooting or setting up a virtual machine.

The containers are closely integrated with the host system. They share the user's home directory, external storage and USB devices, and they can run graphical applications under X11 or Wayland and play audio. A set of commands covers the lifecycle, including create, enter, list, stop, remove, upgrade, ephemeral containers and assemble, and tools such as distrobox-export and host-exec bridge the container and the host.

Distrobox is released under GPL-3.0, written mainly as POSIX shell scripts with some Go, and documented at distrobox.it. The docs cover installation, a Steam Deck guide, compatible host and container distros, rootless Podman and security implications. Community help is available through a Matrix room and a Telegram group.

Key features

Run any Linux distribution in a container
Works with Podman, Docker or lilipod
Shares home directory, USB devices and audio
Runs graphical apps under X11 and Wayland
Declarative setup with distrobox-assemble
Export container apps to the host menu

Good fit for

→Using packages from another distro
→Development environments on immutable distros
→Software setup on the Steam Deck

Built with: Go; Docker
Tags: containers; linux; podman; docker; terminal; development-environment; cli

Distrobox: questions and answers

What is Distrobox used for?: Distrobox is a command-line tool that runs any Linux distribution in a container tightly integrated with the host, built on Podman or Docker. It is a good fit for using packages from another distro, development environments on immutable distros and software setup on the Steam Deck.
Is Distrobox open source?: Yes. Distrobox is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at 89luca89/distrobox and is written mainly in Go.
Is Distrobox free?: Yes. Distrobox is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
What are some alternatives to Distrobox?: Similar open-source tools in the Developer Tools category include Neovim, Termux and LNMP. SaaS products in the same category include 1DevTool, act101 and Amicro.
Is Distrobox actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Distrobox was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 1.8.2.5, published on 27 April 2026. The project has 13k stars on GitHub.