How to Install Software Using Distrobox in Bazzite Linux

Bazzite Linux is an immutable Fedora based distribution designed for stability and gaming. As a result, installing software directly on the host system is not always ideal. This is where Distrobox becomes extremely useful. Distrobox lets you to run almost any Linux distribution inside a container while keeping tight integration with your main system. So follow along as this guide shows you how to create a Distrobox container in Bazzite, install software inside it, and export those applications so they appear in your system menu.

How to Install Software Using Distrobox in Bazzite Linux

One of the easiest ways to manage Distrobox containers in Bazzite is with BoxBuddy, a graphical interface for Distrobox. While it's not as simple as doing things on Windows it does help make things a little easier.

• Open the application launcher and start BoxBuddy.
• Click the Add button.
• Select Ubuntu from the list of available distributions.

• Give the container a name such as ubuntu.
• Click Create.

• BoxBuddy will begin downloading and creating the container image. After the process finishes, the Ubuntu container will be ready to use.

How to Launch a Distrobox Container

There are several ways to enter your container once it has been created.

Launch From BoxBuddy: Open BoxBuddy and start the container directly from the interface.

Launch From the Application Menu: If you named your container Ubuntu, you can search for it in the application menu and launch it from there.

Launch From the Terminal: Open a terminal and run: distrobox enter ubuntu This command opens a shell inside the container.

Launch From Terminal Container Menu: Some terminals such as Ptyxis provide a dropdown that lists available containers. You can select the container to enter it immediately. When you are inside the container, your prompt will display your username followed by the container name.

Installing Software Inside the Container

Once inside the Ubuntu container, you can install software using the Ubuntu package manager.

• For example, you can install Audacity using:

• After installation completes, launch it with:

• The application will open normally and can access your home directory just like native software.

Exporting Applications to the Host System

Running applications from the terminal is not always convenient. Distrobox allows you to export container applications so they appear in the system menu.

Export Using BoxBuddy

• Open BoxBuddy and select View Applications.

• Find the application in the list and choose to add it to the menu.

Export Using the Terminal

You can also export the application manually:

• After running this command, Audacity will appear in your system menu. The entry will include the container name to show where the application runs.

Installing and Exporting Terminal Applications

Distrobox can also export command line tools.

• Inside the container, install the system monitor Glances:

• Run it with:

• Press Ctrl+C to close the application.

Find the Binary Path

• To export a terminal application, first find its full path:

• This command returns the location of the executable.

Export the Binary

• Use the binary path with the export command:

• After exporting, the command becomes available on the host system.
• Open a normal terminal in Bazzite and run:

• The tool will start as if it were installed directly on the host system.