Create docker container with Node.js/NPM preinstalled but no package.json

Question

I am looking for a Docker image that is just some *nix flavor with NPM and Node.js installed.

This image

https://hub.docker.com/_/node/

requires that a package.json file is present, and the Docker build uses COPY to copy the package.json file over, and it also looks for a Node.js script to start when the build is run.

...I just need a container to run a shell script using this technique:

docker exec mycontainer /path/to/test.sh

Which I discovered via:

Running a script inside a docker container using shell script

I don't need a package.json file or a Node.js start script, all I want is

1. a container image
2. Node.js and NPM installed

Does anyone know if there is an a Docker image for Node.js / NPM that does not require a package.json file? Perhaps I should just use a plain old container image and just add the code to install Node myself?

Answer 1

Alright, I tried to make this a simple question, unfortunately nobody could provide a simple answer...until now!

Instead of using this base image:

FROM node:5-onbuild

We use this instead:

FROM node:5

I read about onbuild and could not figure out what it's about, but it adds more than I needed for my use case.

the below code is in our Dockerfile

# 1. start with this image as a base
FROM node:5

# 2. copy the script from real-life into the container (magic)
COPY script.sh /usr/src/app/ 

# 3. define container entry point which will run our script 
ENTRYPOINT ["/bin/bash", "/usr/src/app/script.sh"]

you build the docker image like so:

docker build -t foo .

then you run the image like so, which will "run the entrypoint":

docker run -it --rm foo

The container stdout should stream to the terminal where you ran docker run which is good (am I asking too much?).