# Houdini Apprentice in distrobox

Two images built from the same `Dockerfile`, pushed to a private registry,
used via distrobox:

- `houdini-amd` — Houdini + Mesa, for AMD/Intel GPUs
- `houdini-nvidia` — Houdini only; the NVIDIA driver is injected at runtime
  by `distrobox --nvidia`

Registry: `docker.slambin.fr`. Files: `Dockerfile`, `houdini-run` (in-image
launcher).

> Houdini binaries are baked into these images under a personal SideFX
> account. Keep the registry **private** — never push these images publicly.

---

## Prerequisites

- Your Houdini Linux tarball from your SideFX account (e.g.
  `houdini-22.0.429-linux_x86_64_gcc14.2.tar.gz`), placed next to the
  `Dockerfile`.
- A SideFX account (Apprentice is free) to activate the license on first
  launch.

## Build & push

```bash
REGISTRY=docker.slambin.fr
VERSION=22.0.429
TARBALL=houdini-22.0.429-linux_x86_64_gcc14.2.tar.gz
# Date the EULA at https://www.sidefx.com/legal/license-agreement/ was last
# updated, format YYYY-MM-DD, no "SideFX-" prefix.
EULA_DATE=2021-10-13

# Build amd image
podman build -f Dockerfile \
  --build-arg "HOUDINI_TARBALL=${TARBALL}" \
  --build-arg "HOUDINI_EULA_DATE=${EULA_DATE}" \
  --target "amd" \
  -t "${REGISTRY}/houdini-amd:${VERSION}" \
  -t "${REGISTRY}/houdini-amd:latest" .

# Build nvidia image
podman build -f Dockerfile \
  --build-arg "HOUDINI_TARBALL=${TARBALL}" \
  --build-arg "HOUDINI_EULA_DATE=${EULA_DATE}" \
  --target "nvidia" \
  -t "${REGISTRY}/houdini-nvidia:${VERSION}" \
  -t "${REGISTRY}/houdini-nvidia:latest" .
```

## Install / run

One-time, on the host — persists the Apprentice license across container
recreation:

```bash
mkdir -p ~/.houdini-apprentice && touch ~/.houdini-apprentice/licenses
```

Create the box (pick the image matching your GPU):

```bash
# AMD / Intel
distrobox create \
  --name houdini \
  --image docker.slambin.fr/houdini-amd:latest \
  --additional-flags "--hostname houdini-apprentice -v $HOME/.houdini-apprentice/licenses:/usr/lib/sesi/licenses"

# NVIDIA
distrobox create \
  --name houdini \
  --image docker.slambin.fr/houdini-nvidia:latest \
  --nvidia \
  --additional-flags "--hostname houdini-apprentice -v $HOME/.houdini-apprentice/licenses:/usr/lib/sesi/licenses"
```

Then:

```bash
distrobox enter houdini
houdini-run
```

First launch prompts to install the free Apprentice license — log in with
your SideFX account. Two things worth knowing:

- The `--hostname houdini-apprentice` flag must stay the same every time you
  recreate the box — Apprentice licenses node-lock to hostname as well as
  hardware.
- Apprentice licenses expire after 30 days; re-activate the same way (a
  quick re-login in the same dialog).

## App menu entry (icon, no terminal)

Houdini doesn't ship its own `.desktop` file, and distrobox doesn't have a
built-in way to generate a proper GUI-app entry from a binary —
`distrobox-generate-entry` only makes the generic "Terminal entering X"
shortcut. So write one by hand and export it:

```bash
distrobox enter houdini
cat > /tmp/houdini.desktop << 'EOF'
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Houdini FX
Comment=Houdini Apprentice (distrobox)
Exec=houdini-run
Icon=/opt/hfs/houdini/cloudsubmit/houdini_icon.png
Terminal=false
Categories=Graphics;3DGraphics;Education;
StartupWMClass=houdinifx-bin
EOF
distrobox-export --app /tmp/houdini.desktop
```

This copies the icon to `~/.local/share/icons/` on the host and writes
`~/.local/share/applications/houdini-houdini.desktop`. Distrobox also
auto-creates a generic `houdini.desktop` ("Terminal entering Houdini") when
the box is created — set `NoDisplay=true` in that file, or delete it, if you
don't want both entries in the app menu.