The Dockerfile Explosion and the Need for Higher Level Tools

Explore the challenges and limitations of Dockerfiles in this 47-minute conference talk from Docker. Dive into the simplicity and accessibility of Dockerfiles, while uncovering the problems that arise as Docker adoption increases. Learn about inheritance limitations, lack of built-in abstraction mechanisms, API constraints, and file management issues. Discover how the one-layer-per-line structure can lead to layer explosion, potentially compromising space and performance benefits. Examine potential solutions and higher-level tools that address these challenges, including Rocker, Raka, Mount, and Doc Ramp. Gain insights into preprocessing techniques, domain-specific instructions, and implementation strategies. Conclude with a discussion on the future of Dockerfile specifications, APIs, image building workflows, and specialized tools for different use cases.