https://github.com/1player/host-spawn

Run commands on your host from inside your toolbox or flatpak sandbox
https://github.com/1player/host-spawn

containers distrobox flatpak linux sandbox silverblue toolbox

Last synced: 13 days ago
JSON representation

Run commands on your host from inside your toolbox or flatpak sandbox

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/1player/host-spawn
• Owner: 1player
• License: mit-0
• Created: 2022-07-06T15:21:37.000Z (over 2 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2024-06-09T17:45:00.000Z (5 months ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-08-01T03:28:35.713Z (3 months ago)
• Topics: containers, distrobox, flatpak, linux, sandbox, silverblue, toolbox
• Language: Go
• Homepage:
• Size: 57.6 KB
• Stars: 107
• Watchers: 10
• Forks: 6
• Open Issues: 2
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
  • License: LICENSE

Awesome Lists containing this project

• stars - 1player/host-spawn

README

        
# host-spawn

Run commands on your host machine from inside your flatpak sandbox, [toolbox](https://github.com/containers/toolbox) or [distrobox](https://github.com/89luca89/distrobox) containers.

Originally started as a reimplementation of `flatpak-spawn --host`.

## Recommended setup

**Note:** Distrobox already ships with host-spawn. You might be better served by using their wrapper `distrobox-host-exec` which runs host-spawn under the hood.

* Install host-spawn in a location visible only to the container. I recommend `/usr/local/bin`.

* Make sure it is executable with `chmod +x host-spawn`

## How to use

* `host-spawn` with no argument will open a shell on your host.

* `host-spawn command...` will run the command on your host.

Run `host-spawn -h` for more options.

## Creating shims for host binaries

If there's a process that you always want to execute on the host system, you can

create a symlink to it somewhere in your $PATH and it'll always be executed through `host-spawn`.

Example of creating a shim for the `flatpak` command:

```

# Inside your container:

$ flatpak --version

zsh: command not found: flatpak

# Have host-spawn handle any flatpak command

$ ln -s /usr/local/bin/host-spawn /usr/local/bin/flatpak

# Now flatpak will always be executed on the host

$ flatpak --version

Flatpak 1.12.7

```

**Note:** you will want to store the symlink in a location visible only to the container, to avoid an infinite loop. If you are using toolbox/distrobox, this means anywhere outside your home directory. I recommend `/usr/local/bin`.

## Improvements over flatpak-spawn --host

* Allocates a pty for the spawned process, fixing the following upstream issues: https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/issues/3697, https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak/issues/3285 and https://github.com/flatpak/flatpak-xdg-utils/issues/57

* Handles SIGWINCH (terminal size changes)

* Passes through `$TERM` environment variable

* Shims host binaries when symlinked, see section above