Where Does Distrobox Store Containers?
Distrobox config, containers and home exports on Linux.
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Distrobox layers thin config and exported apps over Podman or Docker storage, so containers live in the container engine while Distrobox tracks names and entry settings. Removing Distrobox alone leaves container disks behind.
List engine containers before declaring disk space freed. Exported binaries in ~/.local/bin point at containers that may already be gone.
Where Distrobox stores this, by platform
~/.config/distrobox
Distrobox lists, entry configs and exported-app metadata. Actual container filesystems live in Podman storage (~/.local/share/containers) or Docker storage (/var/lib/docker). Manage boxes with distrobox list and remove with the engine.
Frequently asked questions
Where are Distrobox container files?
Inside the configured engine storage above, not the Distrobox config folder. Enter with distrobox enter and inspect mounts from inside.
How do I fully remove a Distrobox?
Run distrobox rm plus engine volume pruning. Leftover exports in ~/.local/bin need manual deletion.
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