How to Run Docker-in-Docker in Bitbucket Pipelines

Adding the built-in docker service to a step gives it a Docker daemon so you can build and push images.

Attach the docker service to a step to get a daemon, then run docker build/docker push. Authenticate to your registry with secured variables.

Build and push an image

The docker service enables the daemon; credentials come from secured variables.

pipelines:
  default:
    - step:
        name: Build image
        services:
          - docker
        script:
          - echo "${REGISTRY_PASS}" | docker login -u "${REGISTRY_USER}" --password-stdin my-registry.example.com
          - docker build -t my-registry.example.com/app:${BITBUCKET_COMMIT} .
          - docker push my-registry.example.com/app:${BITBUCKET_COMMIT}

Gotchas

• The Docker daemon shares the step memory budget; large builds often need size: 2x.
• Use the built-in ${BITBUCKET_COMMIT} variable to tag images with the commit hash.
• Pass the registry password via stdin (--password-stdin) so it is not captured in process listings.

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