Build docker base image (dev) workflow (outflanknl/RedELK)

The Build docker base image (dev) workflow from outflanknl/RedELK, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

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Source: outflanknl/RedELK.github/workflows/docker-build-dev-base.ymlLicense BSD-3-ClauseView source

What it does

This is the Build docker base image (dev) workflow from the outflanknl/RedELK repository, a real project running GitHub Actions. It is shown here with attribution under its BSD-3-Clause license.

Below, Latchkey shows a faster, safer version produced by its optimization engine.

The workflow

workflow (.yml)

name: Build docker base image (dev)

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - "*"
  pull_request_target:
    branches:
      - "*"

jobs:
  docker:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v5

      - name: Prepare
        id: prepare
        run: |
          echo "docker_image=${DOCKER_IMAGE}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          echo "ghcr_image=${GHCR_IMAGE}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          {
            echo "build_args<<EOF"
            echo "BUILD_DATE=$(date -u +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')"
            echo "VCS_REF=${GITHUB_SHA::8}"
            echo "EOF"
          } >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
        env:
          DOCKER_IMAGE: ${{ vars.DOCKER_REPO || 'outflanknl' }}/redelk-base
          GHCR_IMAGE: ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}/redelk-base

      - name: Docker meta
        id: docker_meta
        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
        with:
          images: |
            ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.docker_image }}
            ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.ghcr_image }}

      - name: Set up QEMU
        uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3

      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3

      - name: Login to DockerHub
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
        with:
          username: ${{ vars.DOCKER_USERNAME }}
          password: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_PASSWORD }}

      - name: Login to GitHub Container Registry
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
        with:
          registry: ghcr.io
          username: ${{ github.actor }}
          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

      - name: Build and push
        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
        with:
          context: elkserver/docker/redelk-base
          file: ./elkserver/docker/redelk-base/Dockerfile
          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
          push: true
          tags: ${{ steps.docker_meta.outputs.tags }}
          labels: ${{ steps.docker_meta.outputs.labels }}
          build-args: ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.build_args }}
          cache-from: type=gha
          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max

The same workflow, on Latchkey

Removes redundant runs and caps runaway jobs. Added and changed lines are highlighted.

name: Build docker base image (dev)
 
on:
  push:
    branches:
      - "*"
  pull_request_target:
    branches:
      - "*"
 
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  docker:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    runs-on: latchkey-small
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v5
 
      - name: Prepare
        id: prepare
        run: |
          echo "docker_image=${DOCKER_IMAGE}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          echo "ghcr_image=${GHCR_IMAGE}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          {
            echo "build_args<<EOF"
            echo "BUILD_DATE=$(date -u +'%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')"
            echo "VCS_REF=${GITHUB_SHA::8}"
            echo "EOF"
          } >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
        env:
          DOCKER_IMAGE: ${{ vars.DOCKER_REPO || 'outflanknl' }}/redelk-base
          GHCR_IMAGE: ghcr.io/${{ github.repository_owner }}/redelk-base
 
      - name: Docker meta
        id: docker_meta
        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
        with:
          images: |
            ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.docker_image }}
            ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.ghcr_image }}
 
      - name: Set up QEMU
        uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3
 
      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
 
      - name: Login to DockerHub
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
        with:
          username: ${{ vars.DOCKER_USERNAME }}
          password: ${{ secrets.DOCKER_PASSWORD }}
 
      - name: Login to GitHub Container Registry
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        if: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
        with:
          registry: ghcr.io
          username: ${{ github.actor }}
          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
      - name: Build and push
        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
        with:
          context: elkserver/docker/redelk-base
          file: ./elkserver/docker/redelk-base/Dockerfile
          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
          push: true
          tags: ${{ steps.docker_meta.outputs.tags }}
          labels: ${{ steps.docker_meta.outputs.labels }}
          build-args: ${{ steps.prepare.outputs.build_args }}
          cache-from: type=gha
          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max

What changed

Run on Latchkey managed runners with one line (runs-on), which apply the fixes below automatically and self-heal transient failures. This example uses latchkey-small; pick the runner size that fits the job.
Cancel superseded runs when a branch or PR gets a newer push.
Add a job timeout so a hung step cannot burn hours of runner time.

5 third-party actions are referenced by a movable tag. Pin them to the commit SHA (Latchkey resolves and applies this automatically) so a repointed tag cannot change what runs.

What Latchkey heals here

This workflow has steps that commonly fail on transient issues (network, registries, flaky browsers). On Latchkey managed runners they are detected, retried, and self-healed instead of failing your build:

Container pulls and builds

This workflow runs 1 job per trigger. On Latchkey the same minutes cost up to 58% less than GitHub-hosted, with zero queue time.

Actions used in this workflow

actions/checkout docker/metadata-action docker/setup-qemu-action docker/setup-buildx-action docker/login-action docker/build-push-action