Adding a New Container

Step-by-step guide to add a new container to the repository

Prerequisites:

• Docker available locally
• Write access to the containers repository
• Familiarity with the existing image layout and release workflows

Use these steps to add a new container to the repository.

1. Create Container Directory

   Create a new directory that matches the container name:

   mkdir your-container-name
   cd your-container-name
   
2. Create Dockerfile

   Create a Dockerfile with required OCI labels. Use dev-container-node/Dockerfile as a reference for the structure and required labels.

   Verify that the image metadata and labels match the existing repository pattern before you continue.

3. Create Container README

   Create a README.md in your container directory with:

   • Container description
   • Usage instructions
   • Environment variables
   • Examples
4. Update Release Please Configuration

   Add your container to release-please-config.json:

   {
     "packages": {
       "dev-container-node": {
         "release-type": "simple",
         "package-name": "dev-container-node"
       },
       "your-container-name": {
         "release-type": "simple",
         "package-name": "your-container-name"
       }
     }
   }
   
5. Update GitHub Workflow

   Update the container matrix in all workflows so the new container builds:

   docker-build-push.yml

   Add your container to strategy.matrix.container. This controls build/push and tag matching for {container}@x.y.z.

   ci.yml

   Add your container to strategy.matrix.container for CI build validation.

6. Update Dependabot (Optional)

   If your container has dependencies that need monitoring, update .github/dependabot.yml to include your container directory.

   Verify that the container is present in the release configuration and CI workflow matrix before you open a pull request.

Resources

For detailed instructions and examples, see the containers repository README.