Configure

If you have configuration instructions that apply to everyone who uses a given image to create environments, you can define them using the /coder/configure file.

For example, you might want all of the image's users to check for the presence of the project's Git repo (and if it's not there, clone it).

Coder will check the image for the presence of a /coder/configure file during the build process; if Coder finds one, it will execute the instructions contained.

The following steps will show you how to create and use a config file.

Step 1: Create the Configure File

Using the text editor of your choice, create a file named configure and add the instructions that you want included. For example, the following file shows how you can clone a repo at build time:

#!/bin/bash
if [ ! -d "/home/coder/workspace/project" ]
then
git clone git://company.com/project.git /home/coder/workspace/project
else
echo "Project has already been cloned."
fi

Note that the instructions provided include logic on whether the instructions should be re-run (and when) or if Coder should run the instructions only once. We strongly recommend including this logic at all times to minimize overhead.

Step 2: Add the Configure File to the Image

Once you have a config file, update your image to use it by including the following in your Dockerfile:

COPY [ "configure", "/coder/configure" ]

As an example, take a look at the sample Docker file that follows; the final line includes instructions to Coder on copying the settings from the configure file:

FROM ubuntu:latest
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y curl
COPY [ "configure", "/coder/configure" ]

Step 3: Build and Push the Image and Config File

To make your image accessible to Coder, build the development image and push it to the Docker registry.

To build your image, run the following command in the directory where your Dockerfile is located (be sure to replace the cdr/config placeholder value with your tag and repository name so that the image is pushed to the appropriate location):

docker build cdr/config .

Once you've built the image, push the image to the Docker registry:

docker push cdr/config

Step 4: Test the Config File

You can test your setup by performing the following steps:

1. Importing your image
2. Creating your environment using the newly imported image

Coder will run the configure file during the build process, and you can verify this using the Environment Overview page (Coder runs the configure file as the penultimate step of the build process):