How I Solved the Distrobox Confusion in My Terminal
Recently, I found myself struggling with something that seemed like a simple problem: when I was working with multiple terminal windows, I could never remember which one was inside a Distrobox and which one was on my local system. If you’ve ever juggled between different environments, you know exactly how annoying this can get.
So, I decided to create a quick plugin for my favorite terminal prompt, Spaceship, that would clearly indicate when I’m inside a Distrobox container. The result is a simple, customizable section that appears right in your prompt, showing the name of the active container. This way, I never have to guess or dig deeper to figure out where I’m working.
Why This Plugin Exists
While there are already tools and functions for Bash or even the Starship Prompt to detect and display if you’re inside a container, I couldn’t find anything that suited my needs for Spaceship Prompt. I wanted a minimal, easy to install plugin that would do exactly what I needed: show me when I’m in a Distrobox without cluttering up my prompt.
That’s why I created this plugin. It’s simple, lightweight, and specifically designed for Spaceship users who want to easily track which environment they’re in without extra hassle.
Key Features:
- Instant Visual Cue: It’s super clear when I’m inside a Distrobox. No need to check
CONTAINER_IDor other variables. - Customizable: I can change the symbol, the color, and the position in the prompt to match my setup.
- Super Simple Setup: I’m already using the Spaceship prompt, so adding this feature took just a couple of lines of code.
Where to get it
For installation and configuration instructions, check out the Spaceship Distrobox plugin Repository.