[Error] Wrong handling of exported bash functions
Author: etamCreated Feb 24, 2026Updated Aug 29, 2026
Labelsbug
Please, before opening a bug:
- make sure you've read the documentation.
- Ensure there isn't already an open issue about this.
- Ensure there isn't already a closed/resolved issue about this.
Describe the bug An exported bash function appears as an environment variable with multiline value. It's incorrectly handled by distrobox, when building "--env" arguments for podman.
To Reproduce
- either
- Use openSUSE Tumbleweed as a host OS
- install mc
- or
- run in bash
mc() { . /usr/share/mc/mc-wrapper.sh } export -f mc
- run in bash
- verify result
$ python3 Python 3.13.11 (main, Dec 19 2025, 18:38:03) [GCC] on linux Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import os >>> os.environ["BASH_FUNC_mc%%"] '() { . /usr/share/mc/mc-wrapper.sh\n}' #notice missing '}' at the end $ distrobox enter --dry-run example | grep BASH_FUNC_mc --env=BASH_FUNC_mc%%=() { . /usr/share/mc/mc-wrapper.sh$ distrobox enter example /bin/sh: mc: line 1: syntax error: unexpected end of file from `{' command on line 0 /bin/sh: error importing function definition for `mc' bash: mc: line 1: syntax error: unexpected end of file from `{' command on line 0 bash: error importing function definition for `mc'
Expected behavior It should probably just reject the env variable.
Logs I think it's not relevant here.
Desktop (please complete the following information):
- Are you using podman, docker or lilipod? podman
- Which version or podman? 5.7.1
- Which version of distrobox? 1.8.2.4
- Which host distribution? openSUSE Tumbleweed
- How did you install distrobox? from repo
Source: 89luca89/distrobox