+++
date = '2026-01-04T20:33:45+01:00'
draft = false
title = 'Spaceship Distrobox'

[cover]
image = "/imgs/spaceship.png"
alt = "official spaceship rocket logo"
caption = ""
+++

# 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_ID` or 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](https://github.com/pyte1/spaceship-distrobox).