Software management: Difference between revisions

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{{Draft}}
This page documents various ways to [[#Running glibc programs|run software compiled with glibc]] and to manage software using [[#Graphical software manager|graphical software managers]] in Alpine Linux. There are pages elsewhere regarding compiling [[Compile software from source|software from source]] and for creating a [[Custom Kernel|custom kernel]].


If you want to run glibc programs under alpine there are a few ways to do so.You could install glibc additional to uclibc (you would have to do this manualy) or you could do the easy way and use a chroot.<br>
== Alpine package keeper ==
Because there are different usecases I want to give a slight overview about what's possible and what is intelligent.<br>
{{Main|Alpine Package Keeper}}
The official package manager in Alpine Linux, [[Alpine Package Keeper|Alpine Package Keeper(apk)]], is a ''cli'' tool. [[Comparison_with_other_distros#Comparison_chart/Rosetta_Stone|Rosetta stone]] shows how standard package management tasks are done in Alpine Linux compared to other popular distributions.  


==Your options==
== Graphical software manager ==
===Using Busybox===
First the most simple approach for setting up a chroot is using a glibc build of busybox.<br>
This approach has just a few downsides:<br>
- You have to link most /bin/ and /usr/bin program against /bin/busybox and some busybox builds break if you don't configure it right.<br>
- You have to manually download every library you need for your program manually.<br><br>
But if you want a small enviroment for one simple use case this is the solution you want.


===Using a livecd===
The following graphical tools are available to manage official software packages from Alpine Linux [[Repositories|repositories]] and [[#Flatpak|flatpaks]] instead of using the [[#Alpine Package Keeper|cli-based apk tool]].
If you prefer any special distri you can always download and extract a livecd and use it as a chroot enviroment.


===Using a stage3 gentoo archive===
=== GNOME software ===
This is the fastest approach and you have the advantage of controlling which package version of which library you will install.<br>
Drawbacks are as follow:<br>
- Big build.You have to install a portage tree which uses up a lot of space.(It's not 100% necessary if you don't have to install any additional content you don't need it)<br>
- On slow mashines not recommended because you have to compile your packages.<br>


===Using Archlinux or Debian===
[[GNOME#Configuration|GNOME software]] can be used as a GUI front end for apk to manage official software packages and flatpaks.
If you want a nice running system you can install Arch or Debian in a chroot.This approach isn't as easily executed as the other alternatives, but are in my opinion the cleanest and most recommended for the every day user.


==How to do it==
=== KDE Discover ===
Like I said this is just a quick draft so here it comes.
===Using Busybox===
First we need to download busybox.You can choose any of your favourit distros to download a prebuild version.I for instance would use Archlinux packages from http://www.archlinux.org/packages/community/i686/busybox/.<br>
wget http://www.archlinux.org/packages/community/i686/busybox/download/ -O busybox.pkg.tar.xz
wget http://www.archlinux.org/packages/core/i686/glibc/download/ -O glibc.pkg.tar.xz
mkdir -p ~/chroot/usr/bin/ ~/chroot/{dev,proc,root,etc}
for i in *.pkg.tar.xz;do
bsdtar xfJ $i -C ~/chroot
done
cp /etc/resolv.conf ~/chroot/etc/
ln -s /bin/busybox ~/chroot/bin/sh
ln -s /bin/busybox ~/chroot/bin/ln
sudo chroot ~/chroot/ /bin/sh


This creates a simple chroot enviroment which we will expand through all commands included in busybox.
[[KDE#Discover|KDE Discover]] can be used as a GUI front end for apk to manage official software packages and flatpaks.
for i in $(busybox --list);do ln -s /bin/busybox /usr/bin/$i;done


===Using a livecd===
== AppImage ==
WIP
{{Main|AppImage}}


===Using a stage3 tar archive===
AppImages are by far the easiest method for running programs that are not available in the official Alpine Linux [[Repositories|repositories]]. Refer to the [[AppImage]] page for prerequisites and for detailed instructions to run them in Alpine Linux.  
Select a mirror from http://www.gentoo.org/main/en/mirrors2.xml , switch to /releases/x86/current-stage3/ and download the latest tar ball (for me stage3-i686-20120124.tar.bz2 ).
wget http://de-mirror.org/gentoo/releases/x86/current-stage3/stage3-i686-20120124.tar.bz2
mkdir ~/chroot
tar xfj stage3-i686-*.tar.bz2 -C ~/chroot
sudo chroot ~/chroot
And voila you got your working gentoo chroot.<br>
You can now take a look at http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/?catid=desktop to find out how you can configure and install your system or simply extract/copy the program you need to run in your chroot enviroment and execute it.


===Using Archlinux or Debian===
== Flatpak ==
====Arch Linux====
{{Main|Flatpak}}
Although pacstrap is included with the arch-install-scripts package it will not work unless the target directory is a mountpoint so the Arch bootstrap image must be used instead (the image is updated every month so change the date in the link as required):


  sudo apk add arch-install-scripts
[[Flatpak#Installing_Flatpak|Flatpak]] is an alternative to [[AppImage|AppImages]] for running programs that are not available in the official Alpine Linux [[Repositories|repositories]]. To use flatpaks, ensure that the [[Flatpak#Installing_Flatpak|Flathub repository]] is enabled.
  mkdir ~/chroot && cd ~/chroot
  curl -O https://mirrors.kernel.org/archlinux/iso/latest/archlinux-bootstrap-2018.01.01-x86_64.tar.gz
  tar xzf archlinux-bootstrap-2018.01.01-x86_64.tar.gz && rm archlinux-bootstrap-2018.01.01-x86_64.tar.gz
  sed -i '/evowise/s/^#//' root.x86_64/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
  sudo arch-chroot root.x86_64
  [chroot]# pacman-key --init
  [chroot]# pacman-key --populate archlinux


Once that is done, update the system and install the desired package(s) (denoted by "foo" in this example):
== Coldbrew ==
 
  [chroot]# pacman -Syu foo
 
====Debian====
Use the provided debootstrap package to create the Debian chroot. --arch is optional depending of your needs.<br>
On linux-grsec kernel you'll need to relax chroot limitations.


  sudo apk add debootstrap
'''Coldbrew''' is a package manager that can install Alpine Linux aports Edge packages without needing root access, somewhat similar to '''brew'''.  This is particularly useful on immutable operating systems such as with [https://postmarketos.org/blog/2025/10/12/pmOS-update-2025-09/#immutable-postmarketos PostmarketOS's duranium image]. '''Coldbrew''' is available in Alpine Linux Edge testing repository as of January 2026; the testing repository is [[Repositories#Using_testing_repository|recommended to be tagged]] if installing '''coldbrew''' on any supported Alpine Linux release.
  for i in /proc/sys/kernel/grsecurity/chroot_*; do echo 0 | sudo tee $i; done
  mkdir ~/chroot
  sudo debootstrap --arch=i386 wheezy ~/chroot http://http.debian.net/debian/
  for i in /proc/sys/kernel/grsecurity/chroot_*; do echo 1 | sudo tee $i; done
  sudo chroot ~/chroot /bin/bash


You can now use apt-get to install needed packages.
'''Coldbrew''' replaces the [https://github.com/kcxt/iced '''iced'''] package on Alpine Linux, which used the {{Pkg|mkosi-sandbox}};  packages run inside a chroot using '''bubblewrap''' instead.  They have access to the home directory, but have only controlled access to all other files through explicit bind mounts.  Packages installed using '''coldbrew''' are referred to as tools.  See [https://gitlab.postmarketos.org/postmarketOS/coldbrew further details upstream].


==Example==
To install '''coldbrew''':
===Source Dedicated Server===
{{Cmd|$ doas apk add coldbrew@testing}}
Here is an easy example of how you can run http://www.srcds.com in a simple busybox chroot.<br>
For this server you will only need the basic chroot and a advanced tar version (the busybox version is not sufficient because of the missing -U command).<br>
wget http://www.archlinux.org/packages/community/i686/busybox/download/ -O busybox.pkg.tar.xz
wget http://www.archlinux.org/packages/core/i686/glibc/download/ -O glibc.pkg.tar.xz
wget http://www.archlinux.org/packages/core/i686/tar/download/ -O tar.pkg.tar.xz
mkdir -p ~/chroot/usr/bin/ ~/chroot/{dev,proc,root,etc}
for i in *.pkg.tar.xz;do
bsdtar xfJ $i -C ~/chroot
done
cp /etc/resolv.conf ~/chroot/etc/
ln -s /bin/busybox ~/chroot/bin/sh
ln -s /bin/busybox ~/chroot/bin/ln
sudo chroot ~/chroot/ /bin/sh
Now that you are in a working chroot you can download the server and install it.You just have to execute the following self explaining commands.
mkdir ~/work
cd ~/work
busybox wget http://www.steampowered.com/download/hldsupdatetool.bin
chmod +x hldsupdatetool.bin
ln -s /bin/busybox ./uncompress
cp /bin/tar . #right now executing programs from $PATH is buggy soon to be fixed (no bug in busybox but in my script)
./hdsupdatetool.bin #you can accept it or not ;)
./steam
./steam
And you should have a working chroot with srcds installed in it.<br>
If you think you are clever or elegant you can use the server with a bash script.
#!/bin/bash
chroot ~/chroot /root/work/steam $@
Just save it (in your alpine installation) under /usr/bin/steam do a chmod +x /usr/bin/steam and have phun.<br>
WARNING:<br>
This script would let steam run with root priviliges.This is not recommended.


===MegaCli===
To install a tool to be run by '''coldbrew''', say, {{Pkg|corepad}}:
So let's run MegaCli in a chroot to shall we? ;)<br>
{{Cmd|$ coldbrew install corepad}}
First we set up a uclibc chroot :)<br>
MegaCli needs more than just glibc it needs ncurses and the gcc-libs.
wget http://www.archlinux.org/packages/community/i686/busybox/download/ -O busybox.pkg.tar.xz
wget http://www.archlinux.org/packages/core/i686/glibc/download/ -O glibc.pkg.tar.xz
wget http://www.archlinux.org/packages/core/i686/ncurses/download/ -O ncurses.pkg.tar.xz
wget http://www.archlinux.org/packages/core/i686/gcc-libs/download/ -O gcc-libs.pkg.tar.xz
mkdir -p ~/chroot/usr/bin/ ~/chroot/{dev,proc,root,etc,sys}
cp /etc/resolv.conf ~/chroot/etc/
for i in *.pkg.tar.xz;do
bsdtar xfJ $i -C ~/chroot
done
ln -s /bin/busybox ~/chroot/bin/sh
ln -s /bin/busybox ~/chroot/bin/ln


After this we visit this site http://www.lsi.com/downloads/Public/MegaRAID%20Common%20Files/8.02.16_MegaCLI.zip and download 8.02.16_MegaCLI.zip.<br>
Note that even though the output ends...
mkdir tmp
cd tmp
unzip ../8.02.16_MegaCLI.zip
cd LINUX
unzip MegaCliLin.zip
#Now comes code stolen from rpm2cpio
o=`expr 96 + 8`
set `od -j $o -N 8 -t u1 MegaCli-8.02.16-1.i386.rpm`
il=`expr 256 \* \( 256 \* \( 256 \* $2 + $3 \) + $4 \) + $5`
dl=`expr 256 \* \( 256 \* \( 256 \* $6 + $7 \) + $8 \) + $9`
sigsize=`expr 8 + 16 \* $il + $dl`
o=`expr $o + $sigsize + \( 8 - \( $sigsize \% 8 \) \) \% 8 + 8`
set `od -j $o -N 8 -t u1 MegaCli-8.02.16-1.i386.rpm`
il=`expr 256 \* \( 256 \* \( 256 \* $2 + $3 \) + $4 \) + $5`
dl=`expr 256 \* \( 256 \* \( 256 \* $6 + $7 \) + $8 \) + $9`
hdrsize=`expr 8 + 16 \* $il + $dl`
o=`expr $o + $hdrsize`
dd if=MegaCli-8.02.16-1.i386.rpm ibs=$o skip=1 2>/dev/null |bsdtar -xf -
#wow ...
rm opt/MegaRAID/MegaCli/MegaCli64 # who needs 64bit?
cp -r opt/ ~/chroot/
Now we got a working MegaCli client in our chroot.<br>
Like with srcds we don't want to operate from inside the chroot so here is a little script that should ease you up. (use at your own risk)


  #!/bin/bash
  Installed binary /usr/bin/corepad
user=$(whoami)
if [ "$user" != "root" ];then
echo "This script needs root access"
exit
fi
mount -t proc proc ~/chroot/proc/
mount --bind /dev/ ~/chroot/dev/
mount --bind /sys/ ~/chroot/sys/
#we may need dev and maybe proc too to use this program
chroot ~/chroot /opt/MegaRAID/MegaCli/MegaCli $@
umount ~/chroot/proc
umount ~/chroot/dev
umount ~/chroot/sys
Save it under /usr/bin/MegaCli .Do a chmod +x /usr/bin/MegaCli and good luck.
Hf
PS
This method takes around 50mb.If you need something smaller you can strip a few files from glibc (not recommended) or work on a squashfs.<br>
With
mksquashfs ~/chroot/ /chroot.sfs -b 65536
you can create a squashfs that is around 15mb small.When you add an unionfs layer you can even use it with write access or you can bind some dirs to the writeable dirs before you chroot into it.<br>
I will look into it later on.<br>
You can save the chroot in another dir than your home dir and you an even install a chroot through a APKBUILD (after someone wrote it).<br>
Through this you could use many glibc dependend programs through one chroot, but be aware that running programs like this should not be standard but only be used in extreme situations like for _closed source_ tools linked against glibc.


===Skype on Debian chroot===
...the path being referred to exists within a new mount namespace using bind mounts in the '''bubblewrap''' sandbox.
WIP - Not yet validated<br>
This is an example on how to run Skype from a Debian 32b chroot.
  sudo chroot ~/chroot
  wget http://www.skype.com/go/getskype-linux-deb
  dpkg -i getskype-linux-deb
To fix missings deps you'll want to use:
  apt-get -f install
Then exit the chroot
  exit
Fix PAX flags on Skype binary - linux-grsec only.<br>
ELF marking with paxctl cannot be used cause Skype binary refuses to run if modified<br>
CONFIG_PAX_XATTR_PAX_FLAGS is NOT yet available in linux-grsec
  sudo apk add attr
  sudo setfattr -n user.pax.flags -v "em" ~/chroot/usr/bin/skype
Mount needed directories in the chroot read-only to limit access to the system devices.<br>
Give write access to /dev/v4l and /dev/snd to let Skype use webcam device - Skype is not compatible with Alsa anymore and requires Pulseaudio running.
  sudo mount -o bind /proc ~/chroot/proc
  sudo mount -o bind,ro,remount /proc ~/chroot/proc
  sudo mount -o bind /sys ~/chroot/sys
  sudo mount -o bind,ro,remount /sys ~/chroot/sys
  sudo mount -o bind /dev ~/chroot/dev
  sudo mount -o bind,ro,remount /dev ~/chroot/dev
  sudo mount -o bind /dev/v4l ~/chroot/dev/v4l
  sudo mount -t tmpfs -o nodev,nosuid,noexec shm $CHROOT_PATH/dev/shm
Enter the chroot and create a user
  sudo chroot ~/chroot
  useradd -G audio,video <username>
  exit
Then run skype as your newly created user
  sudo chroot ~/chroot /bin/su - <username> -c /usr/bin/skype


===Dungeon Crawl (Stone Soup) on Arch===
A wrapper program is installed to {{Path|~/.local/bin}} on Alpine Linux.
Once the Arch system is laid down (to ~/chroot/root.x86_64 in this example), install the game:
  sudo arch-chroot ~/chroot/root.x86_64
  [chroot]# pacman -Syu crawl-tiles
Then exit the chroot and run it with this command:
  sudo arch-chroot ~/chroot/root.x86_64 /bin/su -c 'DISPLAY=:0 crawl-tiles'
A separate user can also be created to run the game, if preferred.


===Spotify===
To run the tool under '''coldbrew''':
{{Cmd|$ coldbrew run corepad}}


====Docker method====
To remove the tool:
{{Cmd|$ coldbrew remove corepad}}


Read the [[Docker]] page to install it.  Then, clone the repository below.  It will automate the process of pulling all the dependencies and PaX mark it for the hardened kernel.  The advantage of this container is that it is ready to use and has stripped down many of the /usr/bin executables.  The bad thing is that is unstable.
All installed tools can be listed through the {{ic|$ coldbrew ls}} command.


git clone https://github.com/orsonteodoro/docker-arch-spotify-PaXmarked
== Running glibc programs ==


Follow the instructions in the README.md
If you want to run [https://www.gnu.org/software/libc/ glibc] programs in Alpine Linux, there are a few ways of doing so.  


====Chroot method====
For simpler binaries, you can install [[#gcompat|gcompat]], which is a compatibility layer;  or you could do it the easy way and use [[#Flatpak|Flatpaks]] or [[#AppImage|AppImages]]. See [[#Containers|containers]] or the [[#Chroot|chroot]] section for ways to run glibc programs, including graphical ones such as {{ic|VSCode}}, {{ic|google-chrome}}, {{ic|obsidian}}, etc.


The Chroot method the preferred method and doesn't have the black screen bug and more stable.  Just translate the Dockerfile instructions (https://github.com/orsonteodoro/docker-arch-spotify-PaXmarked/blob/master/Dockerfile) into native sh (Bourne shell).  The trick again is to run Spotify as root inside the chroot not as regular user.  Use aplay -l to verify that the soundcard is detected.  When you use this or the docker method which relies on ALSA, there could be a conflict on who grabs the sound card.  Stop all browsers or programs using the sound device outside the chroot or the docker image so that Spotify can use it.
=== gcompat ===


I did some translation. You may need make changes.
[https://git.adelielinux.org/adelie/gcompat gcompat] is a library that provides glibc-compatible APIs for use on musl libc systems such as Alpine Linux. To install, issue the command: {{cmd|$ doas apk add {{pkg|gcompat}}}}
After that, you run your binaries as normally.


{{Cat|alpine-spotify-installer.sh|
For an usage example, refer to the [[Firefox#DRM_content_using_Widevine_workaround|Firefox]] page where gcompat is used to run the glibc-compiled Widevine binary.
<nowiki>
# Copyright (c) 2018 Orson Teodoro <orsonteodoro@hotmail.com>
#
# Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
# of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
# in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
# to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
# copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
# furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
#
# The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
# copies or substantial portions of the Software.
#
# THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
# IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
# FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
# AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
# LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
# OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
# SOFTWARE.


pacman --noconfirm -Syu
== Chroot ==
{{Main|Chroot}}


pacman --noconfirm -S base-devel
An option that is easier to generalize to other glibc applications is to install a glibc-based distribution into a chroot. You can then either chroot into it, or use a symlink and some configuration to make its glibc (and associated libraries) usable from Alpine.
pacman --noconfirm -S xorg-server
pacman --noconfirm -S shadow
pacman --noconfirm -S sudo
pacman --noconfirm -S git
chmod 0660 /etc/sudoers
sed -i -e 's|# %wheel ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL|%wheel ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL\nspotify ALL=(ALL:ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL\n|g' /etc/sudoers || return 1
chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers


echo "Creating user spotify"
{{Tip|The most reliable way to enter a chroot is to use the [[Chroot#Enter_chroot|start-chroot]] script.}}
useradd -m spotify
echo "Deleting password for spotify"
passwd -d spotify


gpasswd -a spotify users
After setting up a chroot using any of the methods described below, the loader can be set up in Alpine as follows (these instructions are for a Debian chroot in {{Path|/var/chroots/debian}}, on x86_64, but can be adapted to other systems by using the appropriate paths):
gpasswd -a spotify audio
gpasswd -a spotify video
gpasswd -a spotify wheel


echo "switching to spotify nix account"
{{cmd|$ doas mkdir -p /lib64
su spotify
$ doas ln -s /var/chroots/debian/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.33.so /lib64
$ doas printf '/var/chroots/debian/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu\n/var/chroots/debian/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu\n' > /etc/ld.so.conf
$ doas /var/chroots/debian/sbin/ldconfig}}


useradd -m spotify
=== Gentoo Linux ===


cd /home/spotify
Select a ''stage3'' from [https://www.gentoo.org/downloads/ here] and the ''portage'' latest from [https://www.gentoo.org/downloads/mirrors/ here] at gentoo/snapshots/portage-latest.tar.xz.
mkdir aur
cd aur


cd /home/spotify/aur
First,{{cmd|$ doas apk add {{pkg|xz}}}}
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/spotify.git
/home/spotify/aur/spotify
sudo -u spotify makepkg --noconfirm -si


cd /home/spotify/aur/
Enter the chroot:
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/paxctl.git
{{cmd|$ doas mkdir ~/chroot
/home/spotify/aur/paxctl
$ doas cd ~/chroot
sudo -u spotify makepkg --noconfirm -si
$ doas tar -xvf stage3-*.tar.xz
$ doas tar -xvf portage-latest.tar.xz
#for grsecurity kernels like Alpine
$ doas mv portage usr
sudo paxctl -C /usr/share/spotify/spotify
$ doas mount --bind /dev dev
sudo paxctl -z /usr/share/spotify/spotify
$ doas mount --bind /sys sys
sudo paxctl -m /usr/share/spotify/spotify
$ doas mount -t proc proc proc
$ doas cp /etc/resolv.conf etc
$ doas chroot . /bin/bash}}


sudo pacman --noconfirm -S pulseaudio
And voilà, you have your working Gentoo chroot!<br>
sudo pacman --noconfirm -S pulseaudio-alsa
sudo pacman --noconfirm -S alsa-lib
sudo pacman --noconfirm -S alsa-utils


echo "set the root password for this chroot"
You can now take a look at [https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:Main_Page Gentoo's Handbook] to find out how you can configure and install your system, or simply extract/copy the program that you need to run in your chroot enviroment, and then execute it.
sudo passwd
echo "switching to root"
su root


#confirm that the sound card(s) shows up
Here is a wrapper script that is similar to {{ic|arch-chroot}} when you frequently reuse this chroot.  Also, create an account with the same username as host current user to the chroot, or make changes to the {{ic|userspec}} option to chroot line:
aplay -l


spotify
{{Cat|gentoo-chroot.sh|<nowiki>#!/bin/bash
CHROOT_PATH="/home/$USER/chroot"
cd $CHROOT_PATH
mount | grep $CHROOT_PATH/dev || doas mount --bind /dev dev
mount | grep $CHROOT_PATH/sys || doas mount --bind /sys sys
mount | grep $CHROOT_PATH/proc || doas mount -t proc proc proc
cp /etc/resolv.conf etc
doas chroot --userspec=$USER:users . /bin/bash
echo "You must manually unmount $CHROOT_PATH/dev, $CHROOT_PATH/sys, $CHROOT_PATH/proc."
</nowiki>
</nowiki>
}}
}}


[[Category:Development]]
Do {{ic|$ chmod +x gentoo-chroot.sh}} to make it executable.
[[Category:Installation]]
 
=== Arch Linux ===
 
{{Seealso|Installing ArchLinux inside an Alpine chroot}}
Either use '''pacstrap''' (included with the arch-install-scripts package) or an Arch bootstrap image:
 
{{cmd|$ doas apk add {{pkg|arch-install-scripts}}
$ mkdir ~/chroot && cd ~/chroot
$ curl -O https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/archlinux/iso/latest/archlinux-bootstrap-x86_64.tar.zst
$ doas tar -x --zstd -f archlinux-bootstrap-x86_64.tar.zst && rm archlinux-bootstrap-x86_64.tar.zst
$ doas sed -i '/evowise/s/^#//' root.x86_64/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
$ doas sed -i '/CheckSpace/s/^/#/' root.x86_64/etc/pacman.conf
$ doas arch-chroot root.x86_64
[chroot]# pacman-key --init
[chroot]# pacman-key --populate archlinux}}
 
Once that is done, update the system and install the desired package(s) (denoted by ''"foo"'' in this example):
 
{{cmd|[chroot]# pacman -Syu <var>foo</var>}}
 
=== Debian ===
 
Alpine Linux provides the {{pkg|debootstrap}} package to create the Debian chroot. Here are the steps: {{cmd|$ doas apk add debootstrap
$ doas mkdir -p /var/chroots/debian
$ doas debootstrap --arch amd64 stable /var/chroots/debian/ https://deb.debian.org/debian}}
 
The {{ic|--arch}} is optional, depending on your needs.
 
For updating the chroot, or for installing packages and their dependencies using {{ic|apt-get}}, mount it, and then login as root:
{{cmd|$ doas mount --bind /dev /var/chroots/debian/dev
$ doas mount --bind /proc /var/chroots/debian/proc
$ doas mount --bind /dev/pts /var/chroots/debian/dev/pts
$ doas chroot /var/chroots/debian /bin/bash
[chroot]# apt update && apt upgrade}}
 
After installing the necessary applications and whatever else you might do, exit the chroot:
{{cmd|[chroot]# exit}}
 
Then, unmount the binds for /dev/pts, dev and proc to avoid issues:
{{cmd|$ doas umount /var/chroots/debian/dev/pts
$ doas umount /var/chroots/debian/dev
$ doas umount /var/chroots/debian/proc}}
 
== Containers ==
 
=== Distrobox + Podman ===
 
[[Distrobox]], combined with [[Podman|podman]] container running in rootless mode, allows to easily run [[Distrobox#Running_graphical_programs|glibc-compiled graphical programs]]. This will not require root privileges once set up.
 
=== Bubblewrap + Chroot ===
 
{{ic|glibc}} and {{ic|glibcX11}} shell aliases are defined interactively using bwrap to create a container with [[Bubblewrap]], using a [[#Debian|Debian chroot]] as its content. It's not just a chroot anymore:  it's a bubblewrap-powered isolated environment. This allows for easily running graphical programs and does not require root privileges once installed.
 
[[Install]] the {{pkg|bubblewrap}} package.
 
Set up [[#Debian|Debian chroot]] at {{path|/var/chroots/debian}} and install necessary glibc applications using {{ic|apt-get}}.
 
Create a {{ic|glibc}} alias using bwrap in the Alpine Linux host in order to start applications from the [[#Debian|Debian chroot]]:
{{cmd|$ alias glibc{{=}}"LANG{{=}}en_US.UTF-8 bwrap --bind /var/chroots/debian / --dev-bind /dev /dev --proc /proc --bind /sys /sys --bind /run /run --bind /home /home --ro-bind /etc/resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf --ro-bind /etc/passwd /etc/passwd --ro-bind /etc/group /etc/group"}}
 
To run programs that use X11/Xorg, you can use:
{{cmd|$ alias glibcX11{{=}}"LANG{{=}}en_US.UTF-8 bwrap --bind /var/chroots/debian / --dev-bind /dev /dev --proc /proc --bind /sys /sys --bind /run /run --bind /home /home --ro-bind /etc/resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf --ro-bind /etc/passwd /etc/passwd --ro-bind /etc/group /etc/group --bind /tmp/.X11-unix/X0 /tmp/.X11-unix/X0 --setenv DISPLAY :0"}}
 
In this case, you might need to use {{ic|xhost}} on the Alpine Linux host in order to allow local connections.  For example:{{cmd|# xhost + local:}}
 
Now we can invoke glibc-built binaries using the alias from the Alpine Linux host, as follows:
{{cmd|$ glibc ./binary}} or {{cmd|$ glibcX11 ./binary}}
 
When a [[Wayland]] desktop such as [[Sway]] runs without XWayland on the Alpine Linux host, Electron apps need to be started with Ozone Wayland support:
 
* For VS Code (note the use of the {{ic|code}} command):
{{cmd|<nowiki>glibc code --enable-features=UseOzonePlatform --ozone-platform=wayland</nowiki>}}
 
* For Google Chrome, etc:
{{cmd|<nowiki>glibc google-chrome --enable-features=UseOzonePlatform --ozone-platform=wayland</nowiki>}}
 
The flags enforce Wayland rendering, thus avoiding XWayland and improving display, particularly if fractional scaling is also used.
 
== See also ==
 
* [[Alpine Package Keeper]]
* [[Installing ArchLinux inside an Alpine chroot]]
* [[Compile software from source]]
* [[Kernels]]
 
[[Category:Package Manager]] [[Category:Development]]

Latest revision as of 20:07, 9 January 2026

This page documents various ways to run software compiled with glibc and to manage software using graphical software managers in Alpine Linux. There are pages elsewhere regarding compiling software from source and for creating a custom kernel.

Alpine package keeper

Main article: Alpine Package Keeper

The official package manager in Alpine Linux, Alpine Package Keeper(apk), is a cli tool. Rosetta stone shows how standard package management tasks are done in Alpine Linux compared to other popular distributions.

Graphical software manager

The following graphical tools are available to manage official software packages from Alpine Linux repositories and flatpaks instead of using the cli-based apk tool.

GNOME software

GNOME software can be used as a GUI front end for apk to manage official software packages and flatpaks.

KDE Discover

KDE Discover can be used as a GUI front end for apk to manage official software packages and flatpaks.

AppImage

Main article: AppImage

AppImages are by far the easiest method for running programs that are not available in the official Alpine Linux repositories. Refer to the AppImage page for prerequisites and for detailed instructions to run them in Alpine Linux.

Flatpak

Main article: Flatpak

Flatpak is an alternative to AppImages for running programs that are not available in the official Alpine Linux repositories. To use flatpaks, ensure that the Flathub repository is enabled.

Coldbrew

Coldbrew is a package manager that can install Alpine Linux aports Edge packages without needing root access, somewhat similar to brew. This is particularly useful on immutable operating systems such as with PostmarketOS's duranium image. Coldbrew is available in Alpine Linux Edge testing repository as of January 2026; the testing repository is recommended to be tagged if installing coldbrew on any supported Alpine Linux release.

Coldbrew replaces the iced package on Alpine Linux, which used the mkosi-sandbox; packages run inside a chroot using bubblewrap instead. They have access to the home directory, but have only controlled access to all other files through explicit bind mounts. Packages installed using coldbrew are referred to as tools. See further details upstream.

To install coldbrew:

$ doas apk add coldbrew@testing

To install a tool to be run by coldbrew, say, corepad:

$ coldbrew install corepad

Note that even though the output ends... 

Installed binary /usr/bin/corepad

...the path being referred to exists within a new mount namespace using bind mounts in the bubblewrap sandbox.

A wrapper program is installed to ~/.local/bin on Alpine Linux.

To run the tool under coldbrew:

$ coldbrew run corepad

To remove the tool:

$ coldbrew remove corepad

All installed tools can be listed through the $ coldbrew ls command.

Running glibc programs

If you want to run glibc programs in Alpine Linux, there are a few ways of doing so.

For simpler binaries, you can install gcompat, which is a compatibility layer; or you could do it the easy way and use Flatpaks or AppImages. See containers or the chroot section for ways to run glibc programs, including graphical ones such as VSCode, google-chrome, obsidian, etc.

gcompat

gcompat is a library that provides glibc-compatible APIs for use on musl libc systems such as Alpine Linux. To install, issue the command:

$ doas apk add gcompat

After that, you run your binaries as normally.

For an usage example, refer to the Firefox page where gcompat is used to run the glibc-compiled Widevine binary.

Chroot

Main article: Chroot

An option that is easier to generalize to other glibc applications is to install a glibc-based distribution into a chroot. You can then either chroot into it, or use a symlink and some configuration to make its glibc (and associated libraries) usable from Alpine.

Tip: The most reliable way to enter a chroot is to use the start-chroot script.

After setting up a chroot using any of the methods described below, the loader can be set up in Alpine as follows (these instructions are for a Debian chroot in /var/chroots/debian, on x86_64, but can be adapted to other systems by using the appropriate paths):

$ doas mkdir -p /lib64 $ doas ln -s /var/chroots/debian/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ld-2.33.so /lib64 $ doas printf '/var/chroots/debian/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu\n/var/chroots/debian/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu\n' > /etc/ld.so.conf $ doas /var/chroots/debian/sbin/ldconfig

Gentoo Linux

Select a stage3 from here and the portage latest from here at gentoo/snapshots/portage-latest.tar.xz.

First,

$ doas apk add xz

Enter the chroot:

$ doas mkdir ~/chroot $ doas cd ~/chroot $ doas tar -xvf stage3-*.tar.xz $ doas tar -xvf portage-latest.tar.xz $ doas mv portage usr $ doas mount --bind /dev dev $ doas mount --bind /sys sys $ doas mount -t proc proc proc $ doas cp /etc/resolv.conf etc $ doas chroot . /bin/bash

And voilà, you have your working Gentoo chroot!

You can now take a look at Gentoo's Handbook to find out how you can configure and install your system, or simply extract/copy the program that you need to run in your chroot enviroment, and then execute it.

Here is a wrapper script that is similar to arch-chroot when you frequently reuse this chroot. Also, create an account with the same username as host current user to the chroot, or make changes to the userspec option to chroot line:

Contents of gentoo-chroot.sh

#!/bin/bash CHROOT_PATH="/home/$USER/chroot" cd $CHROOT_PATH mount | grep $CHROOT_PATH/dev || doas mount --bind /dev dev mount | grep $CHROOT_PATH/sys || doas mount --bind /sys sys mount | grep $CHROOT_PATH/proc || doas mount -t proc proc proc cp /etc/resolv.conf etc doas chroot --userspec=$USER:users . /bin/bash echo "You must manually unmount $CHROOT_PATH/dev, $CHROOT_PATH/sys, $CHROOT_PATH/proc."

Do $ chmod +x gentoo-chroot.sh to make it executable.

Arch Linux

See also: Installing ArchLinux inside an Alpine chroot

Either use pacstrap (included with the arch-install-scripts package) or an Arch bootstrap image:

$ doas apk add arch-install-scripts $ mkdir ~/chroot && cd ~/chroot $ curl -O https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/archlinux/iso/latest/archlinux-bootstrap-x86_64.tar.zst $ doas tar -x --zstd -f archlinux-bootstrap-x86_64.tar.zst && rm archlinux-bootstrap-x86_64.tar.zst $ doas sed -i '/evowise/s/^#//' root.x86_64/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist $ doas sed -i '/CheckSpace/s/^/#/' root.x86_64/etc/pacman.conf $ doas arch-chroot root.x86_64 [chroot]# pacman-key --init [chroot]# pacman-key --populate archlinux

Once that is done, update the system and install the desired package(s) (denoted by "foo" in this example):

[chroot]# pacman -Syu foo

Debian

Alpine Linux provides the debootstrap package to create the Debian chroot. Here are the steps:

$ doas apk add debootstrap $ doas mkdir -p /var/chroots/debian $ doas debootstrap --arch amd64 stable /var/chroots/debian/ https://deb.debian.org/debian

The --arch is optional, depending on your needs.

For updating the chroot, or for installing packages and their dependencies using apt-get, mount it, and then login as root:

$ doas mount --bind /dev /var/chroots/debian/dev $ doas mount --bind /proc /var/chroots/debian/proc $ doas mount --bind /dev/pts /var/chroots/debian/dev/pts $ doas chroot /var/chroots/debian /bin/bash [chroot]# apt update && apt upgrade

After installing the necessary applications and whatever else you might do, exit the chroot:

[chroot]# exit

Then, unmount the binds for /dev/pts, dev and proc to avoid issues:

$ doas umount /var/chroots/debian/dev/pts $ doas umount /var/chroots/debian/dev $ doas umount /var/chroots/debian/proc

Containers

Distrobox + Podman

Distrobox, combined with podman container running in rootless mode, allows to easily run glibc-compiled graphical programs. This will not require root privileges once set up.

Bubblewrap + Chroot

glibc and glibcX11 shell aliases are defined interactively using bwrap to create a container with Bubblewrap, using a Debian chroot as its content. It's not just a chroot anymore: it's a bubblewrap-powered isolated environment. This allows for easily running graphical programs and does not require root privileges once installed.

Install the bubblewrap package.

Set up Debian chroot at /var/chroots/debian and install necessary glibc applications using apt-get.

Create a glibc alias using bwrap in the Alpine Linux host in order to start applications from the Debian chroot:

$ alias glibc="LANG=en_US.UTF-8 bwrap --bind /var/chroots/debian / --dev-bind /dev /dev --proc /proc --bind /sys /sys --bind /run /run --bind /home /home --ro-bind /etc/resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf --ro-bind /etc/passwd /etc/passwd --ro-bind /etc/group /etc/group"

To run programs that use X11/Xorg, you can use:

$ alias glibcX11="LANG=en_US.UTF-8 bwrap --bind /var/chroots/debian / --dev-bind /dev /dev --proc /proc --bind /sys /sys --bind /run /run --bind /home /home --ro-bind /etc/resolv.conf /etc/resolv.conf --ro-bind /etc/passwd /etc/passwd --ro-bind /etc/group /etc/group --bind /tmp/.X11-unix/X0 /tmp/.X11-unix/X0 --setenv DISPLAY :0"

In this case, you might need to use xhost on the Alpine Linux host in order to allow local connections. For example:

# xhost + local:

Now we can invoke glibc-built binaries using the alias from the Alpine Linux host, as follows:

$ glibc ./binary

or

$ glibcX11 ./binary

When a Wayland desktop such as Sway runs without XWayland on the Alpine Linux host, Electron apps need to be started with Ozone Wayland support:

  • For VS Code (note the use of the code command):

glibc code --enable-features=UseOzonePlatform --ozone-platform=wayland

  • For Google Chrome, etc:

glibc google-chrome --enable-features=UseOzonePlatform --ozone-platform=wayland

The flags enforce Wayland rendering, thus avoiding XWayland and improving display, particularly if fractional scaling is also used.

See also

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