# docker-project-foundations

This skill bootstraps Docker environments from scratch. It generates a baseline set of .dockerignore, Dockerfile, and compose.yaml files.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1000 installs · ★ 599
- Author: docker
- License: Apache-2.0 · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/docker/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/docker-project-foundations/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/docker-project-foundations

## What it does

The skill guides project containerization right from the start. It enforces creating three specific files at the project root: `.dockerignore` first to keep context lean, a `Dockerfile` with multi-stage builds, and a `compose.yaml` file. Published ports bind to loopback by default. That keeps development services off external networks.

Instead of installing databases through `brew` or `apt`, it declares them as services inside Compose. It pulls official images for Postgres, Redis, or Kafka and configures them via environment variables. Private registry credentials like `.npmrc` pass via BuildKit secrets during build time, so authentication tokens never persist in image layers.

Setup requires Docker 20.10+ and Docker Compose v2. It includes `scripts/verify-setup.sh` to validate files and check the Compose configuration. This skill will not help with tuning an existing, working stack: it is strictly designed for initial scaffolding.

## Requirements
- Works with: Docker

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add docker/skills --skill docker-project-foundations -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/docker-project-foundations/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/docker-project-foundations/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add docker/skills --skill docker-project-foundations -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/docker-project-foundations/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add docker/skills --skill docker-project-foundations -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/docker-project-foundations/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install docker/skills docker-project-foundations
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/docker-project-foundations/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add docker/skills --skill docker-project-foundations -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/docker/skills --path skills/docker-project-foundations
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/docker-project-foundations/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add docker/skills --skill docker-project-foundations -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/docker/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/docker-project-foundations/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- scaffold Docker configuration files for a new project
- add database dependencies without host package managers
- pass private npm credentials safely using BuildKit secrets
- validate project files and compose.yaml using verify-setup.sh

## Example prompts
- Add a Dockerfile and compose.yaml for local development
- Set up Postgres and Redis in Docker instead of local host installs
- Configure BuildKit secrets for private npm packages in Dockerfile

## Source text · SKILL.md · Apache-2.0

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: cb1c785782ee049b.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE cb1c785782ee049b
````text
---
name: docker-project-foundations
description: Use this skill when setting up, initializing, or Dockerizing a project, even if the user doesn't explicitly mention Docker but describes a need for containerized local development, adding a database or cache dependency, or running services without host-level installs. Covers Dockerfile, compose.yaml, and .dockerignore creation with Docker best practices.
license: Apache-2.0
compatibility: Requires Docker 20.10+ and Docker Compose v2.
---

# Docker Project Foundations

## Overview

This skill guides you in Dockerizing a project from scratch. It focuses on creating the initial Docker file set, choosing a sane layout, and preferring containerized dependencies over host-level installs.

## When to use this skill

Activate this skill when:

- A user asks you to set up, initialize, or Dockerize a project
- A project needs an initial `Dockerfile`, `compose.yaml`, or `.dockerignore` and does not have one
- A user wants to add a service dependency (database, cache, message queue) to a project
- A user asks how to run or develop a project locally and Docker is available

## Do not use this skill when

Do not use this skill when:

- The user explicitly wants to avoid Docker
- The project already has a mature Docker setup and only needs minor edits
- The main task is optimizing an existing `Dockerfile`
- The main task is editing or debugging an existing Compose stack

## Core guidance

### Always create these three files

When Dockerizing a project, always produce all three:

1. **`.dockerignore`** — Create this first so the initial build context is small and safe. See `assets/dockerignore-example` for a reference.
2. **`Dockerfile`** — Create a working starter image definition that the project can build and run with. See `assets/Dockerfile.simple`.
3. **`compose.yaml`** — Create a local development stack that includes the application service and any required dependencies. See `assets/compose-dev.yaml`.

### npm registry credentials

- Exclude `.npmrc` at every depth with `**/.npmrc` in `.dockerignore`; otherwise a broad source copy can persist credentials in image layers.
- The Node.js starter mounts `npmrc` as a BuildKit secret for both `npm ci` steps. Public-package builds need no secret. For private registries, pass the config explicitly:
  ```bash
  DOCKER_BUILDKIT=1 docker build --secret id=npmrc,src="$HOME/.npmrc" .
  ```
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE cb1c785782ee049b

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the cb1c785782ee049b tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2414 of 7463 bytes. © docker · Apache-2.0 · https://github.com/docker/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/docker-project-foundations/SKILL.md

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