Memoir: Using Distrobox to manage systemd-enabled ArchLinux containers on a host running NixOS

[I-Want-ToBelieve]

The Host

~ 
❯ distrobox --version
distrobox: 1.7.0.1

~ 
❯ uname -a
Linux nixos 6.8.1 #1-NixOS SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Fri Mar 15 18:19:29 UTC 2024 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Create ArchLinux Container

1. --volume /etc/static/profiles/per-user:/etc/profiles/per-user:ro will break the container, delete it, delete it

env SHELL=/bin/bash distrobox create --image archlinux:latest --name archlinux --home /home/i.want.to.believe/distrobox/archlinux --volume /etc/static/profiles/per-user:/etc/profiles/per-user:ro --verbose --additional-packages "systemd" --pre-init-hooks "pacman -S -y -y; pacman -S --noconfirm dbus; pacman-key --refresh-keys" --init

will take long long long time

distrobox enter archlinux

2. then --clone to new container： archlinux to arch (make it faster)

distrobox stop archlinux

--volume /etc/static/profiles/per-user:/etc/profiles/per-user:ro will break the container, delete it, delete it

env SHELL=/bin/bash distrobox create --clone archlinux --name arch --home /home/i.want.to.believe/distrobox/archlinux --volume /etc/static/profiles/per-user:/etc/profiles/per-user:ro --verbose --additional-packages "systemd" --init

or try

env SHELL=/bin/bash distrobox create --clone archlinux --name arch --home /home/i.want.to.believe/distrobox/archlinux --verbose --additional-packages "systemd" --pre-init-hooks "pacman -S -y -y; pacman -S --noconfirm archlinux-keyring;pacman -Syu;" --init

4. remove the old container: archlinux

distrobox stop archlinux
distrobox rm archlinux

Enter

distrobox enter arch

In the container

Enabling multilib

sudo sed -i '/\[extra\]/aInclude = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist\\n[multilib\]' /etc/pacman.conf
sudo pacman -Syyu

Install paru

sudo pacman -Syyu
sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel
mkdir -p ~/git.workspaces/rust.workspaces/
cd ~/git.workspaces/rust.workspaces/
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paru.git
cd paru
makepkg -si

DISPLAY

paru -S xorg wayland qt5-wayland qt6-wayland 

Container IME

paru -S fcitx5-im fcitx5-rime rime-ice-git
mkdir -p $HOME/.local/share/fcitx5/rime
echo "patch:
  # 仅使用「雾凇拼音」的默认配置，配置此行即可
  __include: rime_ice_suggestion:/
  # 以下根据自己所需自行定义，仅做参考。
  # 针对对应处方的定制条目，请使用 <recipe>.custom.yaml 中配置，例如 rime_ice.custom.yaml
  __patch:
    key_binder/bindings/+:
      # 开启逗号句号翻页
      - { when: paging, accept: comma, send: Page_Up }
      - { when: has_menu, accept: period, send: Page_Down }" >> $HOME/.local/share/fcitx5/rime/default.custom.yaml
fcitx5 -d >/dev/null 2>&1
fcitx5-configtool

Fonts

paru -S ttf-ms-win10-cdn noto-fonts-cjk

locale.gen

sudo sed -i 's/#zh_CN.UTF-8 UTF-8/zh_CN.UTF-8 UTF-8/' /etc/locale.gen
sudo locale-gen

Sync time

sudo timedatectl set-timezone Asia/Shanghai
sudo timedatectl set-ntp true

Use Host user session dbus for IME support

export DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/host/run/user/1000/bus && wps

[RashiqAzhan]

Is there a way to do this using the distrobox.ini?

I would like to avoid having to do that for every reinstall or container delete.

[I-Want-ToBelieve]

There's no good declarative way to do this, perhaps through shell scripts, or backing up entire containers to avoid duplication of effort

[I-Want-ToBelieve]

--volume /etc/static/profiles/per-user:/etc/profiles/per-user:ro

This will break the container, delete it, delete it