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wtf is rules_docker?

hperl/rules_docker — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-07-18 · repo last pushed 2018-07-31

PythonAudience · ops devopsComplexity · 4/5DormantSetup · moderate

TL;DR

Bazel build rules that package apps into reproducible container images without needing Docker installed.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Builds container images
      No Docker required
      Reproducible builds
    Tech stack
      Bazel
      Python
      Distroless images
    Use cases
      Containerize Bazel services
      Build on Windows or Mac
      Tag images at build time
    Audience
      Ops and DevOps teams
    How
      Base image rules
      Language shortcuts
      py image go image

Code map

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Containerize a Bazel-built Python or Go service without writing a Dockerfile.

REASON 2

Get reproducible container builds where identical inputs always produce identical images.

REASON 3

Build container images on Windows or Mac without installing Docker Desktop.

REASON 4

Tag images with a developer's username or build timestamp for parallel testing workflows.

What's in the stack?

BazelPythonGoDocker

How it stacks up

hperl/rules_docker0xallam/my-recipe0xhassaan/nn-from-scratch
Stars——0
LanguagePythonPythonPython
Last pushed2018-07-312022-11-22—
MaintenanceDormantDormant—
Setup difficultymoderatemoderatemoderate
Complexity4/52/54/5
Audienceops devopsgeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 1h+

Requires an existing Bazel build setup, no Docker installation needed.

No license information was found in the explanation.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to convert a py_binary target to a py_image target using rules_docker.
Prompt 2
Explain how rules_docker builds a distroless container image for a Go service in Bazel.
Prompt 3
Walk me through pulling a base image from a registry and adding files to it with these rules.
Prompt 4
How do the stamping and variable features let me tag container images at build time?

Frequently asked questions

wtf is rules_docker?

Bazel build rules that package apps into reproducible container images without needing Docker installed.

What language is rules_docker written in?

Mainly Python. The stack also includes Bazel, Python, Go.

Is rules_docker actively maintained?

Dormant — no commits in 2+ years (last push 2018-07-31).

What license does rules_docker use?

No license information was found in the explanation.

How hard is rules_docker to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 1h+ to a first successful run.

Who is rules_docker for?

Mainly ops devops.

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