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gliderlabs/docker-alpine

★ 5,705ShellAudience · ops devopsComplexity · 1/5LicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

A minimal Docker base image built on Alpine Linux weighing about 5 MB, roughly 20x smaller than Ubuntu, that still has a full package manager so you can install whatever your app needs.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((docker-alpine))
    Why use it
      5 MB image size
      Fewer vulnerabilities
      Faster pulls and builds
    How it works
      Alpine Linux base
      apk package manager
      Full software catalog
    Use cases
      Node.js containers
      Python app images
      Multi-stage builds
    Compared to Ubuntu
      20x smaller
      3x faster builds
      Less preinstalled software
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Code map

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Use as the FROM base in a Dockerfile to produce images that are 20x smaller than Ubuntu-based alternatives.

USE CASE 2

Build a production Node.js or Python container that pulls and deploys significantly faster due to smaller image size.

USE CASE 3

Reduce potential security vulnerabilities in containers by starting from a minimal OS with fewer preinstalled packages.

Tech stack

ShellDockerAlpine Linux

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
BSD license, use freely for any purpose including commercial, just keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

Docker images are pre-packaged bundles that contain an operating system and whatever software a developer wants to run. Most developers reach for Ubuntu or Debian as the base for their images, but those come with a lot of extra software that most apps never use, which makes the resulting image unnecessarily large. This project offers a much smaller starting point based on Alpine Linux, a lightweight operating system designed with simplicity in mind. The Alpine-based image weighs in at around 5 MB, compared to over 100 MB for a typical Ubuntu base. That difference matters when you are pulling images frequently, running many containers at once, or paying for bandwidth and storage. The smaller size also means there is less software installed by default, which can reduce the number of potential security vulnerabilities. Despite its tiny footprint, Alpine Linux comes with a package manager called apk and access to a broad collection of installable software. The README shows a side-by-side example where an alternative minimal image fails to install Node.js, while the Alpine image installs it without issue. This makes Alpine a practical choice for real applications, not just toy containers. The repository includes documentation on how to use this base image in your own Dockerfile. The build and package installation process is fast: the README demonstrates building a MySQL client image in 3 seconds versus 19 seconds with an Ubuntu base. The code in the repository is BSD licensed.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Write a Dockerfile using the alpine base image that installs Node.js 20 and runs a simple Express server.
Prompt 2
How do I install Python 3 and pip inside an alpine Docker container using apk add?
Prompt 3
Show me a multi-stage Docker build using alpine to keep the final production image under 20 MB.
Prompt 4
What is the difference between alpine and alpine:edge and which should I use for a production container?
Prompt 5
How do I add a non-root user to an alpine Docker container for better security?
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