distrobox-export

Export an app from the container to the host (the desktop entry/icon will show up in your host system's application list)

$ distrobox-export [[-a|--app]] [package] [[-ef|--extra-flags]] "--foreground"

$ distrobox-export [[-b|--bin]] [path/to/binary] [[-ep|--export-path]] [path/to/binary_on_host]

$ distrobox-export [[-b|--bin]] [path/to/binary] [[-ep|--export-path]] [path/to/export]

$ distrobox-export --service [package] [[-ef|--extra-flags]] "--allow-newer-config" [[-S|--sudo]]

$ distrobox-export [[-a|--app]] [package] [[-d|--delete]]

distrobox-export [OPTIONS] <container>

-a, --app <APP>
    App name to export (e.g., firefox). Exports all if unspecified.

-b, --bin <BIN>
    Binary path/name to export (e.g., /usr/bin/myapp).

--export-path <PATH>
    Target directory for export (default: ~/.local/share/).

-h, --help
    Display help and exit.

--verbose
    Enable verbose logging.

--version
    Print version information.

The distrobox-export command is part of the Distrobox toolset, designed to bridge containerized Linux distributions with the host system. It exports graphical applications (.desktop files) and binaries from a specified Distrobox container, making them available as native-like apps on the host.

This process creates symlinks to the container's executables in ~/.local/bin and installs .desktop entries in ~/.local/share/applications. When launched from the host's menu or terminal, Distrobox automatically starts the container in the background if needed, mounts host directories (like $HOME), and shares the display server (X11/Wayland) and audio.

Key benefits include running apps from foreign distros (e.g., Firefox from Fedora on Arch Linux) without conflicts, maintaining package isolation, and preserving host performance. It supports rootless operation with Podman or Docker, enhancing security. Exports can be managed per-app or for all apps/bins in a container, with customizable paths.

Ideal for developers and enthusiasts mixing distro software stacks seamlessly. Requires a running or exportable container created via distrobox create.

Container must exist and be compatible (Podman/Docker). Rootless mode needs user namespaces. Exported apps may fail if container lacks host display/audio access. Updates require re-export.

distrobox-export --app code myfedora
Exports VS Code from 'myfedora' container.

distrobox-export --bin /usr/bin/vlc myubuntu
Exports VLC binary.

distrobox-export alpine
Exports all apps/bins from 'alpine'.

Introduced in Distrobox v1.2 (2021) by Luca Wehrstedt (89luca89). Evolved with rootless support in v1.4+, aligning with toolbox/distros like Silverblue. Actively maintained for seamless container-desktop integration.

distrobox(1), distrobox-create(1), distrobox-enter(1), podman(1)