pkgbridge

Cross‑distro package installer/exporter for Distrobox. Install native packages (.deb/.rpm) into the right container, then expose both CLI binaries and desktop apps back on your host. Includes host shims for apt/dnf/zypper/pacman that operate inside a chosen Distrobox.

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Highlights

• Install .deb/.rpm into a suitable Distrobox (auto‑create if needed)
• Export installed CLIs to ~/.local/bin and apps to ~/.local/share/applications
• First‑run onboarding to generate apt/dnf/zypper/pacman host shims
• Auto‑export newly installed apps after package manager transactions
• Desktop integration: double‑click .deb/.rpm → pkgbridge open %f
• Smart collision handling for shims and .desktop files

Requirements

• Host: distrobox, container runtime (podman recommended or docker), distrobox-export
• Desktop integration: xdg-mime, update-desktop-database (from desktop-file-utils)
• Notifications (optional): notify-send

Install

Build from source (Rust):

git clone https://example.com/pkgbridge.git
cd pkgbridge
cargo build --release
install -Dm755 target/release/pkgbridge ~/.local/bin/pkgbridge

No Rust? Build with Docker:

docker run --rm -v "$(pwd)":/work -w /work rust:1.84 cargo build --release
install -Dm755 target/release/pkgbridge ~/.local/bin/pkgbridge

Note: Some folders (e.g., OneDrive) may be mounted noexec. If you see “Permission denied” when running the binary from your repo, copy it elsewhere (e.g., /tmp/pkgbridge) before executing.

Quick Start

1. Create a base box (example: Debian):

distrobox create --name debian-stable --image docker.io/library/debian:stable -Y

2. First‑run onboarding will offer to generate shims and export existing apps. Or do it explicitly:

pkgbridge pm set-default debian debian-stable
pkgbridge pm generate-shims

3. Enable desktop integration (double‑click):

pkgbridge desktop install

4. Install a package:

pkgbridge install /path/to/file.deb     # auto‑selects a Debian/Ubuntu box
pkgbridge install /path/to/file.rpm     # auto‑selects a Fedora/openSUSE box

5. Use host shims for package managers (~/.local/bin):

apt install htop      # runs inside your default Debian/Ubuntu box and auto‑exports
dnf install htop      # runs inside your default Fedora box and auto‑exports

Usage Overview

Run pkgbridge --help for a quick overview. A full command reference lives in docs/README.md.

• open <file> — handle double‑click; auto‑select/create a box and install
• install <file> — install .deb/.rpm into a box and export
• export --container <box> <pkg> — re‑export CLIs/apps for a package
• uninstall --container <box> <pkg> — remove exports and uninstall package
• list boxes — list discovered boxes with family classification
• pm … — manage defaults, generate shims (apt/dnf/zypper/pacman)
• desktop … — install/uninstall desktop file + MIME associations
• doctor — environment diagnostics

Global options: --container, --family, --create [--create-image], --bin, --app, --no-export, --log-level, --dry-run.

How It Works

• Format detection (magic + extension) chooses DEB vs RPM
• Boxes discovered via distrobox list; family via /etc/os-release
• Installs run inside the box (root) via distrobox enter --root
• Exports via distrobox-export with graceful fallbacks and collision handling
• Host shims for package managers snapshot → run → post‑transaction auto‑export

Troubleshooting

• “Permission denied” on binary: copy to a non‑noexec location (e.g., /tmp) and run
• ~/.local/bin not on PATH: add it to your shell profile; pkgbridge doctor will point this out
• Missing distrobox-export/xdg-mime: install packages from your distro

Documentation

Complete docs, command reference, and examples: see docs/README.md.

License

Dual‑licensed under MIT or Apache 2.0. See LICENSE.