I'm trying to set environment variables in docker container during the build but without success. Setting them when using run command works but I need to set them during the build.
Dockerfile
FROM ubuntu:latest
ARG TEST_ENV=something
Command I'm using to build
docker build -t --build-arg TEST_ENV="test" myimage .
Running
docker run -dit myimage
I'm checking available environment variables by using
docker exec containerid printenv
and the result is
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
HOSTNAME=e49c1abfd58b
TERM=xterm
no_proxy=*.local, 169.254/16
HOME=/root
TEST_ENV is not present
ARG
is for setting environment variables which are used during the docker build
process - they are not present in the final image, which is why you don't see them when you use docker run
.
You use ARG
for settings that are only relevant when the image is being built, and aren't needed by containers which you run from the image. You can use ENV
for evnvironment variables to use during the build and in containers.
With this Dockerfile:
FROM ubuntu
ARG BUILD_TIME=abc
ENV RUN_TIME=123
RUN touch /env.txt
RUN printenv > /env.txt
You can override the build arg as you have done with docker build -t temp --build-arg BUILD_TIME=def .
. Then you get what you expect:
> docker run temp cat /env.txt
HOSTNAME=b18b9cafe0e0
RUN_TIME=123
HOME=/root
PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
BUILD_TIME=def
PWD=/