Node.js Developer Container (devcontainer)

Usage

Setup

Running with Docker Desktop

To run locally on your machine, you'll want to install Docker Desktop and start it up.

Once you've got Docker Destop running, you can run the following command to pull and start the image:

docker pull nodejs/devcontainer:nightly
docker run -it nodejs/devcontainer:nightly /bin/bash

Once you've run those commands, you'll be in a shell inside the running container. If you need to escape, type exit. You should be good to jump to Working in the Container.

Working in the Container

• The project is located at /home/developer/nodejs/node.
  • Once this directory is your active directory, you should be good to go.
  • If you want to build the project in the container, run with ninja (rather than just make):
  • /home/developer/nodejs/node/configure --ninja && make -C /home/developer/nodejs/node
• You should be able to attach any editor that supports the concept of devcontainers to this

Personal Configuration

Assuming you've already got the Docker container running:

• Set the git origin to your own fork rather than nodejs/node
  • Example, where USERNAME is your GitHub username: $ git remote set-url origin https://github.com/USERNAME/node.git
  • Verify the remote is valid: git remote -v
• Set up your git name and email
  • git config --global user.name "YOUR NAME"
  • git config --global user.email "YOUR@EMAIL.TLD"
• Add your SSH key
  • Preferably one that's already published to GitHub
  • Alternatively, you can install the gh CLI and run gh auth login to login and add a new key.

Development

Some useful commands:

• docker build . - build the current Dockerfile
• docker image ls - list the images and IDs
• docker run -it <image id> /bin/bash - run a container and shell into it
• docker tag <image id> devcontainer:nightly - run to tag an image as nightly

Tips and Tricks for Debugging Failed Builds and Otherwise Developing in This Repo

Some notes on what's been helpful:

• Break up the RUN statement in the Dockerfile into multiple RUN statements, each containing a single command. This provies more precise information about what exactly is failing if the Docker build fails and isn't providing helpful output.
• Sometimes removing the RUN statement in the Dockerfile and running docker build, running the built container, and individually running each command in the running container is a better development experience than working outside of the built container.