---
name: "deb2apptainer"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "devscripts"
version: "2.25.15+deb13u1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/deb2apptainer"
---

# deb2apptainer(1)

Build a Singularity/Apptainer image with given Debian packages

## NAME

**deb2apptainer** - Build a Singularity/Apptainer image with given Debian packages

## SYNOPSIS

**deb2apptainer** \[**-hB**\]\[**-c** *CMD*\] \[**-f** *FROM*\]\[**-n** *NAME*\] \[**-o** *DIR*\]\[**-p** *PRE\_SCRIPT*\] \[**-s** *POST\_SCRIPT*\] *packages*\
 **deb2singularity** \[**-hB**\]\[**-c** *CMD*\] \[**-f** *FROM*\]\[**-n** *NAME*\] \[**-o** *DIR*\]\[**-p** *PRE\_SCRIPT*\] \[**-s** *POST\_SCRIPT*\] *packages*

## DESCRIPTION

**deb2apptainer** is a simple script which takes as input a list of Debian packages and generates automatically a Singularity/Apptainer container including these packages. A set of *freedesktop.org* desktop launchers are also generated based on the .desktop and icon files found in the packages. In addition, a desktop launcher is created to start the container in a Terminal.

This tool is suited for deploying applications as containers, as well as for testing Debian packages in a sandbox.

## OPTIONS

- **-B**

  do NOT build the image (default is to build). A *build* script is generated in the DIR target directory.

- **-c EXEC**

  Command to run in the container (default to */bin/bash*).

- **-f FROM**

  Distribution is to be used (default to *debian:stable*).

- **-h**

  Show this help

- **-n NAME**

  Name of the image (default is built from the package list).

- **-o DIR**

  Use given directory DIR for the build (default is in /tmp).

- **-p PRE\_SCRIPT**

  Execute the given script *PRE\_SCRIPT* before packages install.

- **-s POST\_SCRIPT**

  Execute the given script *POST\_SCRIPT* after packages install.

- **packages**

  The package list can be any Debian package, as well as local .deb files.

## FILES

- •

  DIR/README

- •

  DIR/image.def

- •

  DIR/image.sif

- •

  DIR/launchers/

- •

  DIR/icons/

- •

  DIR/build

- •

  DIR/start

## NOTES

You obviously require to have *apptainer* installed.

Get the Debian package at: - https://apptainer.org/docs/admin/main/installation.html#install-debian-packages

Usual commands typically used to handle Apptainer/Singularity containers are:

- **build**

  apptainer build image.sif

- **run**

  apptainer run image.sif apptainer run –nv image.sif # with NVIDIA GPU pass-through

- **info**

  apptainer inspect image.sif

- **header**

  apptainer sif header image.sif

- **data**

  apptainer sif list image.sif

## EXAMPLES

- Create a Singularity/Apptainer container with package *x11-apps* in directory */tmp/xeyes*, and launch *xeyes*:

  - •

  deb2apptainer -o /tmp/xeyes x11-apps

- •

  /tmp/xeyes/start xeyes

  A Desktop launcher is created as /tmp/xeyes/launchers/x11-apps-terminal.desktop

- Create a Singularity/Apptainer container with *x11-apps* and *meshlab*

  deb2apptainer x11-apps meshlab

- Create a Singularity/Apptainer container making sure software channels are active:

  - •

  echo “sed -i \`s/main/main contrib non-free/g' /etc/apt/sources.list” \> pre.sh

- •

  deb2apptainer -p pre.sh x11-apps

- Create a Singularity/Apptainer container based on specific Debian version, and make use of the GPU:

  - •

  echo “echo \`deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye main contrib non-free' \>\> /etc/apt/sources.list” \> pre-script.sh

- •

  deb2apptainer -n pyhst2 -f debian:bullseye -p pre-script.sh -o /tmp/apptainer-pyhst2/ python3-pyhst2-cuda nvidia-smi nvidia-cuda-toolkit

- •

  apptainer run –nv /tmp/apptainer-pyhst2/pyhst2.sif nvidia-smi \`\`\`

## AUTHORS

Emmanuel Farhi (emmanuel.farhi@synchrotron-soleil.fr)

## SEE ALSO

[deb2docker(1)](/deb2docker/1.md), [distrobox-create(1)](/distrobox-create/1.md), [distrobox-enter(1)](/distrobox-enter/1.md), [docker(1)](/docker/1.md), [apptainer(1)](/apptainer/1.md)

## AUTHORS

Emmanuel Farhi.