Custom Base Images

Why Use Custom Base Images?

Custom base images ensure pre-configured development environments, reducing setup time and avoiding inconsistencies. Key benefits:

• Standardized Environments: All developers work with the same OS, tools, and dependencies.
• Faster Setup: Avoids redundant package installations and manual configurations.
• Security & Compliance: Enforces organization-wide security policies and software approvals.

By specifying a custom base image in the recipe, teams can build workspaces tailored to specific requirements.

Example Use Cases:

• A company-wide Amazon Linux or Debian image with pre-installed dependencies.

• A machine learning workspace with TensorFlow, Python, and GPU drivers pre-configured.

How to Use Custom Base Images

DevZero workspaces use Ubuntu Jammy by default, but you can choose a different base image that better suits your project.

Example Recipe with a Custom Base Image

Here’s an example of a recipe that uses the debian:bookworm image:

version: "3"
config:
  image:
    from: docker.io/debian:bookworm

Below is a screenshot of how an example recipe looks in the DevZero dashboard:

DevZero-Tested Base Images

While you can specify any public image, DevZero has tested and recommends the following images for compatibility:

• debian:bookworm
• ubuntu:jammy
• amazonlinux:2023
• fedora:41

Using Images from Other Public Registries

DevZero allows you to pull images from other public registries, such as Amazon ECR.. For example, to use Amazon Linux from the public ECR registry:

version: "3"
config:
  image:
    from: public.ecr.aws/amazonlinux/amazonlinux:2023

DevZero installs systemd as well as other packages like tar, rsync and ssh if they are not present in the base image and sets up the devzero user in order to provide full access to the platform.

Tutorial Video

Here's a short tutorial demonstrating the use of a custom base image for a recipe: