Devbox Plugins: Turbocharge Your Dev Setup

Ever spent hours configuring a new package in your dev environment? Yeah, we’ve all been there. It sucks. That’s why we created Devbox Plugins.

The Plugin Revolution

Imagine this: You need to add Nginx to your project. Without plugins, you’re in for a world of hurt - custom configs, environment variables, file management… ugh.

But with Devbox Plugins? It’s a whole new ballgame:

Add Nginx to your project.
…
That’s it. You’re done.

No, seriously. The plugin handles everything else:

Slaps down a rock-solid default config
Exposes the right env vars for easy tweaking
Organizes config files so you’re not playing hide-and-seek later
Sets up a service so you can start/stop Nginx with a single command

And the best part? This all happens automagically when you add the package. No extra steps, no headaches.

Plugin Flavors: Built-in or Build Your Own

We’ve got two types of plugins to suit your needs:

1. Built-in Plugins: The Easy Button

These are our pre-baked plugins for popular packages. Nginx, PostgreSQL, Node.js - we’ve got you covered. Just add the package, and the plugin kicks in automatically.

Want to see what’s available? Check out our Built-in Plugins docs.

2. Custom Plugins: For the DIY Crowd

Need something special? No problem. You can create your own plugins following our dead-simple schema. Host them locally or on GitHub - whatever floats your boat.

The Plugin Lifecycle: How the Magic Happens

Plugins aren’t just static config files. They’re active participants in your Devbox shell’s lifecycle:

Every time you fire up a shell, run a script, or start a service, your plugins spring into action, making sure everything’s set up just right.

Anatomy of a Plugin

Here’s what a plugin looks like under the hood:

my-awesome-plugin/
├── README.md              # Because documentation matters
├── plugin.json            # The brains of the operation
├── config/
│   ├── my-plugin.conf     # Default configs
│   └── process-compose.yaml  # Service definitions
└── test/
    ├── devbox.json        # For testing your plugin
    └── devbox.lock

The star of the show is plugin.json. This is where you define what your plugin does, what packages it needs, what environment variables it sets - everything.

The Bottom Line

Devbox Plugins aren’t just a nice-to-have. They’re a game-changer. They take the pain out of package setup, letting you focus on what really matters: building awesome stuff.

So the next time you’re adding a package to your Devbox project, remember: there’s probably a plugin for that. And if there isn’t? Well, maybe it’s time to build one.