docker / buildx

buildx create

buildx create is a command to create isolated builder instances for Docker Buildx. It offers a powerful way to manage build environments, allowing users to:

  • Isolate builds: Create separate build contexts, preventing conflicts between projects.
  • Custom configurations: Customize build environments with specific tools, settings, and dependencies.
  • Resource management: Control resource allocation for each builder instance, ensuring optimal performance.
  • Multi-arch support: Build for multiple architectures, including cross-compilation, without switching environments.

Options:

buildx create [OPTIONS] [NAME]
  • [NAME]: The name of the builder instance to create. If omitted, a default name is generated.
  • -d, --driver DRIVER: Specify the driver used for the builder instance. Available options include:
    • docker: Uses Docker Engine as the driver, leveraging existing Docker resources.
    • docker-container: Launches a Docker container as the builder instance, providing more isolation.
    • kubernetes: Uses Kubernetes for managing the builder instances, allowing scaling and resource management.
    • ssh: Creates a remote builder instance on a machine accessible via SSH.
  • -c, --config CONFIG_FILE: Path to a YAML file containing builder configuration.
  • -p, --platform [PLATFORM...]: The platform(s) for which to build. Supported platforms include linux/amd64, linux/arm64, windows/amd64, etc.
  • -o, --output [OUTPUT...]: Output formats for the command. Options include:
    • json: Output in JSON format.
    • table: Output in table format.
  • -s, --shared [SHARED...]: The shared build contexts.
  • -e, --endpoint ENDPOINT: The endpoint to connect to.
  • -t, --timeout TIMEOUT: Set a timeout for the operation.
  • -f, --force: Force creation of a builder instance, overwriting any existing instance with the same name.
  • --no-buildkit: Disables the use of BuildKit.
  • --buildkit-flags [FLAGS...]: Pass flags to the BuildKit daemon.
  • --docker-flags [FLAGS...]: Pass flags to the Docker daemon.
  • --driver-opts [OPTIONS...]: Pass driver-specific options.
  • --context CONTEXT: Set the build context.
  • --no-cache: Disable the use of build cache.
  • --cache-from [CACHE_SOURCE...]: Specifies where to pull cached build artifacts.
  • --cache-to [CACHE_DESTINATION...]: Specifies where to push cached build artifacts.
  • --network NETWORK: Define the network for the builder instance.
  • --volumes [VOLUME...]: Mount volumes into the builder instance.
  • --labels [LABEL...]: Set labels for the builder instance.
  • --ssh-user USER: The SSH username for accessing the remote builder instance.
  • --ssh-port PORT: The SSH port to connect to.
  • --ssh-identity [FILE...]: The path to the SSH identity file.
  • --ssh-timeout TIMEOUT: The timeout for the SSH connection.

Examples:

1. Creating a builder instance with the docker driver:

buildx create --driver docker --name my-builder

2. Creating a builder instance using a custom configuration file:

buildx create --config my-builder-config.yaml --name my-builder

3. Creating a builder instance with multi-arch support:

buildx create --platform linux/amd64,linux/arm64 --name my-builder

4. Creating a builder instance with a custom network:

buildx create --network my-network --name my-builder

5. Creating a builder instance using the ssh driver:

buildx create --driver ssh --name my-builder --ssh-user my-user --ssh-port 22 --ssh-identity my-key.pem

Source:

Related commands: