Dockerfile - Docker directive to switch home directory

Question

For the below dockerfile:

FROM buildpack-deps:buster

RUN groupadd -r someteam --gid=1280 && useradd -r -g someteam --uid=1280 --create-home --shell /bin/bash someteam

# Update and allow for apt over HTTPS
RUN apt-get update && \
  apt-get install -y apt-utils
RUN apt-get install -y apt-transport-https
RUN apt update -y 
RUN apt install python3-pip -y

# switch user from 'root' to ‘someteam’ and also to the home directory that it owns 
USER someteam

RUN pwd

USER just change the user but not the home directory

Edit:

Step 11/14 : WORKDIR $HOME
cannot normalize nothing

How to change home directory to /home/someteam?

"Home directory" isn't usually a concept in Docker. Installing your application in `/app` is pretty common even if that's not a "normal" Linux directory. — David Maze, Jul 26 '19 at 21:24

Adiii · Accepted Answer · 2019-07-26T21:27:29.497

6

You can change user directory using WORKDIR in the dockerfile, this will become the working directory. So whenever you created the container the working directory will be the one that is pass to WORKDIR instruction in Dockerfile.

WORKDIR

Dockerfile reference for the WORKDIR instruction

For clarity and reliability, you should always use absolute paths for your WORKDIR. Also, you should use WORKDIR instead of proliferating instructions like RUN cd … && do-something, which are hard to read, troubleshoot, and maintain.

FROM buildpack-deps:buster

RUN groupadd -r someteam --gid=1280 && useradd -r -g someteam --uid=1280 --create-home --shell /bin/bash someteam

# Update and allow for apt over HTTPS
RUN apt-get update && \
  apt-get install -y apt-utils
RUN apt-get install -y apt-transport-https
RUN apt update -y 
RUN apt install python3-pip -y

# switch user from 'root' to ‘someteam’ and also to the home directory that it owns 
USER someteam
WORKDIR /home/someteam

using $HOME will cause error.

When you use the USER directive, it affects the userid used to start new commands inside the container.Your best bet is to either set ENV HOME /home/aptly in your Dockerfile, which will work dockerfile-home-is-not-working-with-add-copy-instructions

edited Jul 26 '19 at 21:27

answered Jul 26 '19 at 21:04

Adiii

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Can use $ `$HOME` instead of path – overexchange Jul 26 '19 at 21:07
Yes, thats makes more sense, updating the answer. – Adiii Jul 26 '19 at 21:12
I add the screenshot, pls double check the spelling, it should be capital or you can verify using `echo $HOME` – Adiii Jul 26 '19 at 21:18
Sorry, I did not double-check, it's not possible pls check the link provided in answer. – Adiii Jul 26 '19 at 21:28
1

What is the docker directive to change the home directory? – overexchange Jul 26 '19 at 21:38
As mentioned in the asnwer link home is created in previous layer, so the only option is to use `WORKDIR` this is same is `cd` in linux. – Adiii Jul 26 '19 at 21:40
Does `USER someteam` not change the user directory? in addition to user? – overexchange Aug 17 '19 at 19:05
No, you have mentioned explicitly in dockerfile `WORKDIR /home/someteam` – Adiii Aug 18 '19 at 00:36

Dockerfile - Docker directive to switch home directory

Edit:

1 Answers1