Explore Multiple Linux Distros Safely on One PC for Free

Curious about trying new Linux distributions on your desktop without altering your current system? Meet Distrobox, a tool that allows you to experiment with different Linux setups utilizing containers, eliminating the need for virtual machines.

Understanding Distrobox

Distrobox serves as a handy utility for setting up various Linux environments from your desktop. Imagine you're running Ubuntu but want to experiment with Fedora—Distrobox enables you to create a Fedora container, providing a playground for testing without risking your host system. Despite being command-line driven, it's flexible enough to allow GUI apps to be installed and used seamlessly.

Setting Up Distrobox

Before diving into using Distrobox, ensure that you're set up with a Linux distro on your desktop and have sudo rights. Let's proceed with the installation on a system like Linux Mint.

Step 1: Refresh APT

To begin, update your package list with the command:

sudo apt-get update

Step 2: Install Necessary Tools

Install Distrobox alongside a container tool like docker-compose using:

sudo apt-get install distrobox docker-compose -y

The installation is straightforward, and you'll have Distrobox ready in no time.

Operating Distrobox

Distrobox fetches images from a centralized repository to construct containers for different distributions.

Step 1: Create your Distribution Container

For illustration, let's create a Fedora container with:

distrobox-create –name yourfedora –image fedora

Assign any name to your container as desired.

Step 2: Access the Container

Enter the new environment with the command:

distrobox enter yourfedora

Replace ‘yourfedora’ with the name you’ve chosen.

Step 3: Utilize Container Capabilities

You can now begin using Fedora as if it were installed on your machine. To bring it up to date, you might run:

sudo dnf update

To add software, you can execute:

sudo dnf install nano

Transcending Apps from Container to Host

Want to run an application available on Fedora directly on your host? After entering the container and installing the desired app, export it like this:

distrobox-export –app chromium

This export allows you to initiate apps from your desktop, blending containerized applications with native performance.

Terminating and Scrapping a Distrobox Session

Once finished with your session, exit by typing:

exit

To stop the container, execute:

distrobox stop yourfedora

Finally, to erase the container completely, use:

distrobox rm yourfedora

This straightforward process allows seamless experimentation with various Linux distributions on a single host machine.