DISTROBOX-EXPORT(1)               User Manual              DISTROBOX-EXPORT(1)

NAME

              distrobox-export


DESCRIPTION
       Application and binary exporting

       distrobox-export takes care of exporting an app or a binary from the
       container to the host.

       The exported app will be easily available in your normal launcher and
       it will automatically be launched from the container it is exported
       from.

SYNOPSIS
       distrobox-export


              --app/-a:       name of the application to export
              --bin/-b:       absolute path of the binary to export
              --list-apps:        list applications exported from this container
              --list-binaries     list binaries exported from this container, use -ep to specify custom paths to search
              --delete/-d:        delete exported application or binary
              --export-label/-el: label to add to exported application name.
                          Use "none" to disable.
                          Defaults to (on \$container_name)
              --export-path/-ep:  path where to export the binary
              --extra-flags/-ef:  extra flags to add to the command
              --enter-flags/-nf:  flags to add to distrobox-enter
              --sudo/-S:      specify if the exported item should be run as sudo
              --help/-h:      show this message
              --verbose/-v:       show more verbosity
              --version/-V:       show version


       You may want to install graphical applications or CLI tools in your
       distrobox.  Using distrobox-export from inside the container will let
       you use them from the host itself.

EXAMPLES

              distrobox-export --app mpv [--extra-flags "flags"] [--delete] [--sudo]
              distrobox-export --bin /path/to/bin [--export-path ~/.local/bin] [--extra-flags "flags"] [--delete] [--sudo]


       App export example


              distrobox-export --app abiword


       This tool will simply copy the original .desktop files along with
       needed icons, add the prefix /usr/local/bin/distrobox-enter -n
       distrobox_name -e ... to the commands to run, and save them in your
       home to be used directly from the host as a normal app.

       Binary export example


              distrobox-export --bin /usr/bin/code --extra-flags "--foreground" --export-path $HOME/.local/bin


       In the case of exporting binaries, you will have to specify where to
       export it (--export-path) and the tool will create a little wrapper
       script that will distrobox-enter -e from the host, the desired binary.
       This can be handy with the use of direnv to have different versions of
       the same binary based on your env or project.

       The exported binaries will be exported in the "-export-path" of choice
       as a wrapper script that acts naturally both on the host and in the
       container.

       Additional flags

       You can specify additional flags to add to the command, for example if
       you want to export an electron app, you could add the "-foreground"
       flag to the command:


              distrobox-export --app atom --extra-flags "--foreground"
              distrobox-export --bin /usr/bin/vim --export-path ~/.local/bin --extra-flags "-p"


       This works for binaries and apps.  Extra flags are only used then the
       exported app or binary is used from the host, using them inside the
       container will not include them.

       Unexport

       The option "-delete" will un-export an app or binary


              distrobox-export --app atom --delete
              distrobox-export --bin /usr/bin/vim --export-path ~/.local/bin --delete


       Run as root in the container

       The option "-sudo" will launch the exported item as root inside the
       distrobox.

       Notes

       Note you can use -app OR -bin but not together.

       [IMAGE: app-export (https://user-
       images.githubusercontent.com/598882/144294795-c7785620-bf68-4d1b-
       b251-1e1f0a32a08d.png)]

       NOTE: some electron apps such as vscode and atom need additional flags
       to work from inside the container, use the --extra-flags option to
       provide a series of flags, for example:

       distrobox-export --app atom --extra-flags "--foreground"

Distrobox                          Mar 2024                DISTROBOX-EXPORT(1)