Run Docker commands

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Introduction

To build Docker images for deployment using the Docker execution environment, you must use the setup_remote_docker key. If your job requires docker or docker-compose commands, add the setup_remote_docker step into your .circleci/config.yml:

Using Docker? Authenticating Docker pulls from image registries is recommended when using the Docker execution environment. Authenticated pulls allow access to private Docker images, and may also grant higher rate limits, depending on your registry provider. For further information see Using Docker authenticated pulls.

jobs:
  build:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/base:2022.06
    steps:
      # ... steps for building/testing app ...
      - setup_remote_docker

When setup_remote_docker executes, any Docker commands you use will execute locally on the virtual machine used to spin up containers for your job.

In the CircleCI web app, jobs that run in the remote Docker environment have the Remote Docker label.

The use of the setup_remote_docker key is reserved for configs in which your primary executor is a Docker container. If your executor is machine (and you want to use Docker commands in your config) you do not need to use the setup_remote_docker key. For an example, see Run Docker commands using the machine executor.

Specifications

For technical specifications and pricing information for the remote Docker environment, see Discuss. For CircleCI server installations, contact the systems administrator for specifications.

Run Docker commands using the Docker executor

The example below shows how you can build and deploy a Docker image for our demo Docker project using the Docker executor, with remote Docker:

version: 2.1

jobs:
  build:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/go:1.17
    resource_class: xlarge
    steps:
      - checkout
      # ... steps for building/testing app ...

      - setup_remote_docker:
          docker_layer_caching: true

      # build and push Docker image
      - run: |
          TAG=0.1.$CIRCLE_BUILD_NUM
          docker build -t CircleCI-Public/circleci-demo-docker:$TAG .
          echo $DOCKER_PASS | docker login -u $DOCKER_USER --password-stdin
          docker push CircleCI-Public/circleci-demo-docker:$TAG

Below is a break down of what is happening during this build’s execution:

All commands execute in the primary-container. (line 5)
Once you call setup_remote_docker, all Docker-related commands execute locally. (line 12)
Enable Docker Layer Caching (DLC) to speed up image building. (line 13)
We use project environment variables to store credentials for Docker Hub. (line 19)

Resource classes

Arm on Docker For pricing information, and a list of CircleCI Docker convenience images that support Arm resource classes, see the Resource classes page.

The resource class for the remote Docker environment is determined by the configuration of the primary container.

For x86 architecture the equivalent Linux VM resource class is used for remote Docker, relative to how the primary container is configured, apart from if you are using small or medium+, in which case medium and large are used, respectively. For a full list of available Linux VM resource classes see the Configuration Reference.

For Arm, the equivalent Arm VM resource class will be used. For a full list of available Arm VM resource classes see the Configuration Reference.

For credit/pricing information, see the Resource class product page.

Install the Docker CLI

The CircleCI convenience images for the Docker executor come with the Docker CLI pre-installed. If you are using a third-party image for your primary container that doesn’t already have the Docker CLI installed, then you will need to install it as part of your job before calling any docker commands.

      # Install via apk on alpine based images
      - run:
          name: Install Docker client
          command: apk add docker-cli

Specify a Docker version for remote Docker

To optionally specify a Docker version, you can set it as a version attribute with supported tags:

      - setup_remote_docker:
          version: edge

CircleCI supports the tags listed below for remote Docker, as per our Remote Docker tagging policy.

For x86 and Arm architecture, the following tags are available:

default
edge
previous

The above tags resolve to the latest supported Docker version, which is Docker 24.

To use Docker 23, the previous Docker release, use the following tag:

docker23

To use Docker 24, patch updates will occur until Docker 25 is released, use the following tag:

docker24

To use the current deprecated version, Docker 20, use 20.10.24

The version key is not supported on CircleCI server installations. Contact your system administrator for information about the Docker version installed in your remote Docker environment.

Run Docker commands using the machine executor

The example below shows how you can build a Docker image using the machine executor with the default image - this does not require the use of remote Docker:

version: 2.1

jobs:
  build:
    machine:
      image: ubuntu-2204:2022.04.2
    steps:
      - checkout
      # start proprietary DB using private Docker image
      # with credentials stored in the UI
      - run: |
          echo "$DOCKER_PASS" | docker login --username $DOCKER_USER --password-stdin
          docker run -d --name db company/proprietary-db:1.2.3

      # build the application image
      - run: docker build -t company/app:$CIRCLE_BRANCH .

      # deploy the image
      - run: docker push company/app:$CIRCLE_BRANCH

Run Docker commands

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