Devbox - Modernize your dev tools in Debian stable

So.. Why devbox?

Debian GNU/Linux is renowned for its stability, but this stability comes at a cost - outdated packages.

While this is great for production servers, it can be frustrating for developers who need newer versions of tools and languages. Enter Devbox, a solution that lets you create isolated development environments with up-to-date packages, perfect for Debian users who want the best of both worlds.

Why Devbox on Debian?

Debian’s stable branch prioritizes reliability over freshness. This means:

• Python 3.11 when 3.13 is available
• Older versions of Node.js, Rust, and other tools
• Missing the latest features in developer tools

Devbox solves this by:

1. Creating isolated environments with newer package versions
2. Not requiring root access or system-wide installations
3. Being easily shareable across teams
4. Working alongside Debian’s native packages

Installing Devbox on Debian Bookworm and later

# First, install the dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y curl git

# Install Devbox
curl -fsSL https://get.jetpack.io/devbox | bash

# Add Devbox to your PATH (add to ~/.bashrc for persistence)
export PATH="$PATH:$HOME/.devbox/bin"

# Verify installation
devbox --version

Examples how to use devbox

TODO:

• Devbox init
• Devbox run
• Devbox global

Devbox run

{
  "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jetify-com/devbox/0.12.0/.schema/devbox.schema.json",
  "packages": [
    "ruby@latest"
  ],
  "shell": {
    "scripts": {
      "serve-live": "bundle exec jekyll serve --host 0.0.0.0 --livereload --incremental --future"
    }
  }
}

After that, simply run:

devbox run serve-live

This will ensure you have ruby@latest version, then run the script.