
Golang and Alpine Linux Docker Containerization is a powerful combination for building lightweight and efficient applications.
Golang is a statically compiled language, which means that the code is compiled to machine code at build time, resulting in a single executable binary.
This binary can be easily packaged into a Docker container using Alpine Linux, a lightweight Linux distribution that is only 5MB in size.
With a small footprint, Alpine Linux is ideal for creating Docker images that are fast to download and run, making it perfect for development and testing environments.
A fresh viewpoint: Golang Binary
Prerequisites
To get started with golang alpine, you'll need to have an instance of Alpine Linux installed with SSH access. This will provide a solid foundation for your project.
Alpine Linux is a lightweight Linux distribution that's perfect for running Go applications. It's known for its small binary size and low resource usage.
Having SSH access will allow you to interact with your Alpine Linux instance remotely, making it easier to manage and maintain your Go projects.
On a similar theme: S Golang
Installation and Setup
To install Go on Alpine Linux, you'll need to follow a few steps.
First, install Go and other essential packages as follows.
Once you've completed this, export the following variables:
Verify that Go is successfully installed by checking that the process went smoothly.
Consider reading: Golang Go
Installing Go
Installing Go involves installing the language and essential packages. This process is crucial for setting up a development environment.
You'll need to install Go and other essential packages in Alpine Linux.
The installation process is straightforward and can be completed by following a series of steps.
Once that is done, you'll need to export certain variables.
These variables are essential for verifying the installation of Go.
With that out of the way, you can verify that Go is successfully installed.
Enter
I was excited to find Alpine, a slimmed down version of busybox, which makes it easy to install packages. Alpine is a game-changer for installing packages like CA Certificates.
Alpine is particularly useful for its ease of use in installing packages. In my case, I was able to install CA Certificates with ease.
However, don't get too excited just yet - I ran into some issues trying to compile the binary.
Containerizing a Web App
Containerizing a web app is a crucial step in making your Go application portable and easily deployable.
You can containerize a Golang web app using Docker, which provides a lightweight and portable way to package your application and its dependencies.
To start, you'll need to create a Dockerfile, which outlines the steps to build your image. The Dockerfile for this example is relatively simple, specifying that the base image should be the Golang alpine image.
You can build the Docker image by running the command `docker build -t dev-to .`. This will create a Docker image with a size of around 4.55MB.
Once the image is built, you can run it using the command `docker run --rm -p 8080:8080 -d dev-to`. This will start a new container from the image and map port 8080 on the host machine to port 8080 in the container.
You can then make an HTTP GET request to the server by visiting `http://localhost:8080` in your web browser. The response should be a JSON object containing fake events.
Expand your knowledge: Golang Net/http
Docker and Go
Docker version above 17.05 is required to use multi-stage builds.
To start a project, use the latest version of Golang from the Alpine Linux image. This is achieved by using the command `FROM golang:alpine as builder`. The `as builder` part names the build stage.
The build stage must install Git for go get with the command `RUN set -eux; \ apk add --no-cache --virtual git`. This ensures that the necessary dependencies are installed.
The build stage also sets the GOPATH and GO_WORKDIR environment variables. The GOPATH is set to `/go/` with the command `ENV GOPATH /go/`, and the GO_WORKDIR is set to the project source code directory with the command `ENV GO_WORKDIR $GOPATH/src/github.com/dinos80152/golang-docker-alpine/`.
After setting the environment variables, the build stage sets the WORKDIR to the go source code directory with the command `WORKDIR $GO_WORKDIR`. Then, it adds the project files to the image with the command `ADD . $GO_WORKDIR`.
Expand your knowledge: Golang Build Command
The build stage also fetches the Golang dependency and builds the binary with the commands `RUN go get` and `RUN go install`.
Here's a brief overview of the build process:
- Start from Alpine Linux image with the latest version of Golang
- Install Git for go get
- Set environment variables (GOPATH and GO_WORKDIR)
- Add project files to the image
- F fetch Golang dependency and build binary
After building the image, you can test it by running the container with the command `docker run -p 80:8080 -d golang-docker-alpine`. This exposes port 8080 to be connected from outside.
A fresh viewpoint: Docker and Golang
Dockerfile
The Dockerfile is where the magic happens. It's the blueprint for your Docker image, and it's where you define the instructions for building your container.
To get started, you'll want to use a base image, such as the golang:1.6.2-alpine image, which is a good starting point that you can customize as needed.
You can also set environment variables in your Dockerfile, which is optional but can be useful for demonstrating more Docker functionality.
Next, you'll want to set the full source code path and run go install to compile your Go application.
A different take: Docker Client Golang

Note that the paths in these commands contain your GitHub username and repository, which you'll need to replace with your actual path.
If you need to install gcc, which is unavailable in Alpine by default, you'll need to add an additional step to your Dockerfile before running the Go installer.
Solution
Building a Docker image for Go can be a bit tricky, but there are some solutions that can make it easier. The Makefile is a great way to simplify the process.
You can add the following lines to your Makefile to build a binary that is statically linked with CGO disabled:
.PHONY: buildgo
buildgo: CGO_ENABLED=0 GOOS=linux go build -ldflags "-s" -a -installsuffix cgo .
This will build a binary that is compatible with Alpine Linux, which uses a custom lightweight subset of glibc called libc.
To make this work, you'll also need to create a Dockerfile that builds two containers: one for building the binary, and another for running it. Here's an example of what the Dockerfile.build file might look like:
FROM golang:1.7.1
WORKDIR /go/src/github.com/yourorg/yourproject/
ADD . /go/src/github.com/yourorg/yourproject/
RUN make buildgo
CMD ["/bin/bash"]
And here's an example of what the Dockerfile file might look like:
FROM alpine
COPY yourproject /go/bin/
RUN apk add --update --no-cache ca-certificates
ENV GOPATH /go
ENTRYPOINT ["/go/bin/yourproject"]
EXPOSE 6969
Note that the magic in this Dockerfile is the ability to install the CA certs with a single command.
For your interest: Simple Http Server Golang Github
Docker Version 17.05+
If you're using Docker version 17.05 or later, you'll want to take advantage of multi-stage builds. This approach allows you to create a smaller, more efficient image by separating build and runtime dependencies.
To get started, you'll want to use a multi-stage build. This involves creating multiple stages, each with its own FROM instruction. For example, you can start with an Alpine Linux image with the latest version of Golang.
Here are the key steps to follow:
- Start from an Alpine Linux image with the latest version of Golang, naming the build stage as "builder".
- Install Git for go get and set the GOPATH and GO_WORKDIR environment variables.
- Set the WORKDIR to the go source code directory, add files to the image, and fetch Golang dependencies and build the binary.
- Start from a raw Alpine Linux image, install ca-certificates, and copy the binary from the builder stage into the image.
- Expose port 8080 to be connected from outside and execute the binary when the Docker container starts.
Once you've completed these steps, you can build the image with the command `docker build -t golang-docker-alpine .` and test it with the command `docker run -p 80:8080 -d golang-docker-alpine`.
Getting Started
To get started with golang alpine, you'll need to create a Dockerfile for compiling source code to binary on Alpine Linux. This is done by starting from an Alpine image with the latest version of Go installed, which can be achieved by using the `FROM golang:alpine` instruction.
You'll also need to install Git for `go get` by running `apk add --no-cache --virtual git`. Additionally, you'll need to set the `GOPATH` and `GO_WORKDIR` environment variables.
Here's a list of the basic instructions to follow:
- Start from an Alpine image with the latest version of Go installed.
- Install Git for `go get`.
- Set the `GOPATH` and `GO_WORKDIR` environment variables.
- Add files to the image.
- Ffetch Golang Dependency and Build Binary.
Once you've completed these steps, you'll be ready to build your image from the DockerfileSrc.
Introduction
Building a minimize golang docker image can save you a lot of time and space. The final image is only about 10 MB, which is incredibly small.
This is especially important if you're working on projects that require frequent image uploads or need to store a large number of images. Every megabyte counts when it comes to repository space.
By optimizing your Docker images, you can improve your workflow and make your development process more efficient.
Step by Step

Getting Started can be a daunting task, but breaking it down into manageable steps makes it much more achievable. To get started with Docker and Go, you'll first need to write a Dockerfile for compiling your source code to a binary on Alpine Linux.
The Dockerfile starts with the latest version of Go installed on Alpine Linux: `FROM golang:alpine`. This ensures you have a solid foundation for building your Go application. You'll also need to install Git for `go get`, which you can do with `RUN set -eux; apk add --no-cache --virtual git`.
Next, you'll set some environment variables to define the GOPATH and GO_WORKDIR: `ENV GOPATH /go/` and `ENV GO_WORKDIR $GOPATH/src/github.com/dinos80152/golang-docker-alpine/`. These variables will help you navigate your Go project directory.
To add your Go source code to the image, you'll use the `ADD` command: `ADD . $GO_WORKDIR`. This copies the contents of the current directory into the image at the specified path.

Here's a quick rundown of the steps involved:
Once you've completed these steps, you'll have a Docker image that you can use to run your Go application.
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