Docker build image with Node.js app

Welcome! This guide will walk you through building and running a Next.js app inside a Docker container. Whether you're new to Docker or just want a quick reference, you'll find step-by-step instructions and explanations below.

You can find all the example files here.

Step 1: Define Services with Docker Compose

The docker-compose.yaml file helps you manage multi-container Docker applications. Here, we define a single service for our Next.js app.

1version: "3"
2services:
3  nextjs:
4    build:
5      context: .
6      dockerfile: Dockerfile
7    ports:
8      - "5000:3000"
9    environment:
10      - NODE_ENV=production

Step 2: Create a Dockerfile

The Dockerfile contains instructions for building your app image. It sets up Node.js, clones your project, installs dependencies, and prepares the app for production.

1FROM node:20-bullseye
2WORKDIR /app
3RUN apt update && apt install git
4RUN apt update && apt install -y git && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
5
6RUN rm -rf /app/* && if [ ! -d "/app/.git" ]; then git clone https://github.com/dedkola/nextjs-docs.git /app; else cd /app && git pull; fi
7
8RUN npm install
9RUN npm run build
10EXPOSE 3000
11CMD ["npm", "start"]

Step 3: Build the Docker Image

Use the following command to build your Docker image. The --no-cache flag ensures a fresh build every time.

1docker build -t nextjs:latest . --no-cache

Step 4: Run Your App in a Container

Start your container and map port 5000 on your machine to port 3000 in the container. This lets you access your app at localhost:5000.

1docker run -p 5000:3000 -d nextjs

Step 5: Tag Your Image

Tagging helps you organize and version your images, especially before pushing to a registry like Docker Hub.

docker tag image_name:tag username/repo:repo_tag

1docker tag nextjs:latest your-username/nextjs:latest

Step 6: Push to Docker Hub

Share your image with others by pushing it to Docker Hub.

1docker push your-username/nextjs:latest

Step 7: Pull and Use the Image

Anyone can pull your image and run the container using the following reference:

1dedkola/nextjs:latest

Feel free to experiment and modify these files for your own projects. Docker makes it easy to package and share your applications!