Package catalog for dev container

[Maxim-Filimonov]

Hey,
Thanks for the container, works great 👍
I'm not sure is it possible to solve as part of Dockerfile definition or a description needed to be added to README but I've noticed significant slow downs on startup of meteor app first time container is launched.
See example for a very small app(only 5 packages including core):

> du -d0Hm ~/.meteor/
308944  /root/.meteor/
> meteor
.....
> du -d0Hm ~/.meteor/
334412  /root/.meteor/

As soon as I stop the container it will reset back to 308944 as expected. Which means EVERY time I start a dev container for this app it will try to build up cache again which results in significant extra download.
Any ideas on how to fix it ? I've tried to mount ~/.meteor inside the container but it doesn't seem to work.

[DanielDent]

Thanks for the feedback.

The build process for this container does not do a package catalog update as I have not had time to investigate a way to do so while maintaining a demonstrably repeatable build process (which was one of my goals when I created this Docker image).

I think your concern is most easily resolved by dropping use of the --rm flag (and possibly also using the --name flag). This allows changes to persist.

Please let me know if you feel this addresses your use case. I would also welcome a pull request which improves the package's documentation to clarify this for other users.

[Maxim-Filimonov]

I'm actually not running them directly but using docker-compose instead. Don't think I can control --rm there.
I think maybe if I use data container for /home/root/.meteor/ it might fix the issue. We were blocked by velocity mirror magic from using docker anyway :(

[Maxim-Filimonov]

Closing for now as i won't be able to use it in near future anyway

[DanielDent]

Another option would be for you to build a new Docker image using this one as a base. A very simple Dockerfile would do the trick:
FROM danieldent/meteor
RUN command_to_get_the_image_into_a_state_you_like

Then simply run your image rather than this one.

[Maxim-Filimonov]

@DanielDent Great idea !
I've managed to hack it with the following Dockerfile

FROM danieldent/meteor
RUN npm install -g orion-cli
# This forces package-catalog update. Should speed up further runs
RUN meteor show meteor-platform

Do you want me to update the docs with that hint?

[DanielDent]

That would be great!

[Maxim-Filimonov]

@DanielDent -> #4

[yvann]

Does it work even if we use the "vboxsf-shim" ? I don't think so, right ?

[Maxim-Filimonov]

@yvann dunno i'm using vmware fusion :\