Docker Build Reference
Complete reference for Dockerfile instructions, build commands, and best practices
Dockerfile Instructions
FROM
Sets the base image for subsequent instructions. The first instruction in a Dockerfile must be FROM.
View documentation →COPY
Copies files or directories from source to the filesystem of the container at the specified path.
View documentation →RUN
Executes commands in a new layer on top of the current image and commits the results.
View documentation →CMD
Provides default commands and arguments for an executing container. There can only be one CMD per Dockerfile.
View documentation →ENTRYPOINT
Configures a container that will run as an executable, and allows you to configure a container to run as an executable.
View documentation →ENV
Sets environment variables in the image for both building and runtime of the containerized application.
View documentation →Build Concepts
Multi-stage Builds
Create smaller and more efficient images by using multiple stages to separate build and runtime environments.
View documentation →Build Context
Understand the build context, the set of files available to Docker during the build process.
View documentation →Layer Caching
Learn how Docker's build cache works and how to optimize your builds for better caching.
View documentation →Command Line Reference
docker build
Build an image from a Dockerfile with detailed options and examples.
View documentation →docker image
Manage Docker images, including listing, tagging, and removing images.
View documentation →