distrobox-stop

Stop a Distrobox container

$ distrobox-stop [container_name]

$ distrobox-stop [[-n|--name]] [container_name] [[-Y|--yes]]

distrobox-stop [-h|--help] [-n|--name <name>] [-a|--all] [-q|--quiet] [-y|--yes]

-h, --help
    Display a help message and exit.

-n <name>, --name <name>
    Specifies the name of the distrobox container to stop. This option is mandatory if --all is not used.

-a, --all
    Stops all currently running distrobox containers.

-q, --quiet
    Suppresses most output from the command, useful for scripting.

-y, --yes
    Automatically answer yes to prompts, useful for non-interactive operations.

distrobox-stop is a command-line utility used to gracefully stop one or more running distrobox containers. It is an integral part of the distrobox project, which provides a seamless way to create isolated development environments using container technology like Podman or Docker. When you stop a distrobox, its running processes are terminated, and the container ceases to consume CPU and memory resources, although its data and filesystem state are preserved. This command is crucial for managing the lifecycle of your distroboxes, allowing you to free up system resources when a particular environment is not actively in use. You can stop a specific distrobox by its name or stop all running distroboxes simultaneously. The command ensures that the container exits cleanly, preventing potential data corruption or orphaned processes. It's an essential tool for maintaining an organized and resource-efficient development workflow with distrobox.

• If the specified distrobox is already stopped or does not exist, the command might return an error or simply do nothing, depending on the version and specific scenario.
• Stopping a distrobox only pauses its execution; it does not remove the container. To remove it, distrobox-rm must be used.
• Ensure you stop the correct distrobox by verifying its name, especially when not using the --all option.

distrobox-stop handles stopping a container, preserving its state and data for later re-entry using distrobox-enter. This action contrasts with distrobox-rm, which permanently deletes the container and its associated data.

Stopping unused distroboxes is a good practice for freeing up system resources like RAM and CPU cycles, especially on systems with limited resources or when managing many development environments simultaneously.

distrobox itself is a relatively modern tool, gaining popularity in the Linux community for its innovative approach to developer environments. It was initially created by Luca Di Maio. The distrobox-stop command has been a core component since its early versions, essential for managing the lifecycle of the created environments. Its development aligns with the broader trend of leveraging OCI containers for local development and system isolation.

distrobox(1), distrobox-create(1), distrobox-enter(1), distrobox-list(1), distrobox-rm(1), podman(1), docker(1)