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- [Distrobox](../README.md)
- [Execute a command on the host](#execute-a-command-on-the-host)
- [With distrobox-host-exec](#with-distrobox-host-exec)
- [Using symlinks](#using-symlinks)
- [Integrate host with container seamlessly](#integrate-host-with-container-seamlessly)
- [bash or zsh](#bash-or-zsh)
- [fish](#fish)
---
# Execute a command on the host
It may be needed to execute commands back on the host. Be it the filemanager, an
archive manager, a container manager and so on.
Here are a couple of solutions.
## With distrobox-host-exec
distrobox offers the `distrobox-host-exec` helper, that can be used exactly for this.
See [distrobox-host-exec](../usage/distrobox-host-exec.md).
```console
user@fedora-distrobox:~$ which podman
/usr/bin/which: no podman in [...]
user@fedora-distrobox:~$ distrobox-host-exec podman version # <-- this is executed on host.
Client:
Version: 3.4.2
API Version: 3.4.2
Go Version: go1.16.6
Built: Thu Jan 1 01:00:00 1970
OS/Arch: linux/amd64
Server:
Version: 3.4.2
API Version: 3.4.2
Go Version: go1.16.6
Built: Thu Jan 1 01:00:00 1970
OS/Arch: linux/amd64
```
## Using symlinks
Another way to execute commands on the host, is to create executables symlinking `distrobox-host-exec`:
```console
user@fedora-distrobox:~$ ln -s /usr/bin/distrobox-host-exec /usr/local/bin/podman
user@fedora-distrobox:~$ ls -l /usr/local/bin/podman
lrwxrwxrwx. 1 root root 51 Jul 11 19:26 /usr/local/bin/podman -> /usr/bin/distrobox-host-exec
user@fedora-distrobox:~$ podman version # <-- this is executed on host. Equivalent to "distrobox-host-exec podman version"
Client:
Version: 3.4.2
API Version: 3.4.2
Go Version: go1.16.6
Built: Thu Jan 1 01:00:00 1970
OS/Arch: linux/amd64
Server:
Version: 3.4.2
API Version: 3.4.2
Go Version: go1.16.6
Built: Thu Jan 1 01:00:00 1970
OS/Arch: linux/amd64
```
# Integrate host with container seamlessly
Another cool trick we can pull, is to use the handy `command_not_found_handle` function
to try and execute missing commands in the container on the host.
## bash or zsh
Place this in your `~/.profile`:
```shell
command_not_found_handle() {
# don't run if not in a container
if [ ! -e /run/.containerenv ] && [ ! -e /.dockerenv ]; then
exit 127
fi
distrobox-host-exec "${@}"
}
if [ -n "${ZSH_VERSION-}" ]; then
command_not_found_handler() {
command_not_found_handle "$@"
}
fi
```
And then, run `source ~/.profile` to reload `.profile` in the current session.
## fish
Place this snippet in a new fish function file (`~/.config/fish/functions/fish_command_not_found.fish`):
```fish
function fish_command_not_found
# "In a container" check
if test -e /run/.containerenv -o -e /.dockerenv
distrobox-host-exec $argv
else
__fish_default_command_not_found_handler $argv
end
end
```
And restart your terminal. Now when a command does not exist on your container,
it will be automatically executed back on the host:
```shell
user@fedora-distrobox:~$ which podman
/usr/bin/which: no podman in [...]
user@fedora-distrobox:~$ podman version # <-- this is automatically executed on host.
Client:
Version: 3.4.2
API Version: 3.4.2
Go Version: go1.16.6
Built: Thu Jan 1 01:00:00 1970
OS/Arch: linux/amd64
Server:
Version: 3.4.2
API Version: 3.4.2
Go Version: go1.16.6
Built: Thu Jan 1 01:00:00 1970
OS/Arch: linux/amd64
```
This is also useful to open `code`, `xdg-open`, or `flatpak` from within the container
seamlessly.
|
