Author: Colin Fay
Date: 2026-05-13

# Getting started with dockerfiler

#### Colin Fay

#### 2026-05-13

# dockerfiler

Easy Dockerfile Creation from R.

## Installation

You can install dockerfiler from GitHub with:

    # install.packages("remotes")
    remotes::install_github("ThinkR-open/dockerfiler")

Or from CRAN with :

    install.packages("dockerfiler")

## Basic workflow

By default, `Dockerfile$new()` creates a Dockerfile with `FROM "rocker/r-base"`. (The high-level generators `dock_from_desc()` and `dock_from_renv()` use a different default: `rocker/r-ver` tagged with your R version; see below.)

You can set another FROM in `new()`

    library(dockerfiler)
    # Create a dockerfile template
    my_dock <- Dockerfile$new()
    my_dock$MAINTAINER("Colin FAY", "contact@colinfay.me")

Wrap your raw R Code inside the `r()` function to turn it into a bash command with `R -e`.

    my_dock$RUN(r(install.packages("attempt", repos = "https://cloud.r-project.org")))

Classical Docker stuffs:

    my_dock$RUN("mkdir /usr/scripts")
    my_dock$RUN("cd /usr/scripts")
    my_dock$COPY("plumberfile.R", "/usr/scripts/plumber.R")
    my_dock$COPY("torun.R", "/usr/scripts/torun.R")
    my_dock$EXPOSE(8000)
    my_dock$CMD("Rscript /usr/scripts/torun.R ")

See your Dockerfile :

    my_dock
    #> FROM rocker/r-base
    #> MAINTAINER Colin FAY <contact@colinfay.me>
    #> RUN R -e 'install.packages("attempt", repos = "https://cloud.r-project.org")'
    #> RUN mkdir /usr/scripts
    #> RUN cd /usr/scripts
    #> COPY plumberfile.R /usr/scripts/plumber.R
    #> COPY torun.R /usr/scripts/torun.R
    #> EXPOSE 8000
    #> CMD Rscript /usr/scripts/torun.R

If you’ve made a mistake in your script, you can switch lines with the `switch_cmd` method. This function takes as arguments the positions of the two cmd you want to switch :

    # Switch line 8 and 7
    my_dock$switch_cmd(8, 7)
    my_dock
    #> FROM rocker/r-base
    #> MAINTAINER Colin FAY <contact@colinfay.me>
    #> RUN R -e 'install.packages("attempt", repos = "https://cloud.r-project.org")'
    #> RUN mkdir /usr/scripts
    #> RUN cd /usr/scripts
    #> COPY plumberfile.R /usr/scripts/plumber.R
    #> EXPOSE 8000
    #> COPY torun.R /usr/scripts/torun.R
    #> CMD Rscript /usr/scripts/torun.R

You can also remove a cmd with `remove_cmd`:

    my_dock$remove_cmd(8)
    my_dock
    #> FROM rocker/r-base
    #> MAINTAINER Colin FAY <contact@colinfay.me>
    #> RUN R -e 'install.packages("attempt", repos = "https://cloud.r-project.org")'
    #> RUN mkdir /usr/scripts
    #> RUN cd /usr/scripts
    #> COPY plumberfile.R /usr/scripts/plumber.R
    #> EXPOSE 8000
    #> CMD Rscript /usr/scripts/torun.R

This also works with a vector:

    my_dock$remove_cmd(5:7)
    my_dock
    #> FROM rocker/r-base
    #> MAINTAINER Colin FAY <contact@colinfay.me>
    #> RUN R -e 'install.packages("attempt", repos = "https://cloud.r-project.org")'
    #> RUN mkdir /usr/scripts
    #> CMD Rscript /usr/scripts/torun.R

`add_after` add a command after a given line.

    my_dock$add_after(
      cmd = "RUN R -e 'remotes::install_cran(\"rlang\")'",
      after = 3
    )

Save your Dockerfile:

    my_dock$write()

## Create a Dockerfile from a DESCRIPTION

You can use a DESCRIPTION file to create a Dockerfile that installs the dependencies and the package.

    my_dock <- dock_from_desc("DESCRIPTION")

    my_dock$CMD(r(library(dockerfiler)))

    my_dock$add_after(
      cmd = "RUN R -e 'remotes::install_cran(\"rlang\")'",
      after = 3
    )

`dock_from_desc()` defaults to `FROM rocker/r-ver:<your R version>` and pulls Linux binaries from Posit Public Package Manager (`https://p3m.dev/cran/latest`). Pass `FROM = "rocker/r-base"` or `repos = c(CRAN = "https://cran.rstudio.com/")` to opt out.

## Create a Dockerfile from a renv.lock

If your project uses `{renv}`, `dock_from_renv()` turns the `renv.lock` into a Dockerfile that restores the exact pinned versions.

    my_dock <- dock_from_renv(lockfile = "renv.lock")
    my_dock

By default the generated Dockerfile is `FROM rocker/r-ver:<your R version>` (multi-arch amd64 + arm64), pulls Linux binaries from Posit Public Package Manager, and runs the container as the non-root `rstudio` user. Pass `FROM = "rocker/r-base"`, `repos = c(CRAN = "https://cran.rstudio.com/")`, or `user = NULL` to restore the previous behaviour.

## Parse an existing Dockerfile

Already have a Dockerfile? `parse_dockerfile()` reads it back into a `Dockerfile` object you can edit and re-`$write()`.

    my_dock <- parse_dockerfile("Dockerfile")
    my_dock
    my_dock$RUN(r(library(dockerfiler)))
    my_dock$write("Dockerfile")