Getting Started with Bazel Docker Container

This page provides details on the contents of the Bazel container, how to build the abseil-cpp project using Bazel inside the Bazel container, and how to build this project directly from the host machine using the Bazel container with directory mounting.

Build Abseil project from your host machine with directory mounting

The instructions in this section allow you to build using the Bazel container with the sources checked out in your host environment. A container is started up for each build command you execute. Build results are cached in your host environment so they can be reused across builds.

Clone the project to a directory in your host machine.

git clone --depth 1 --branch 20220623.1 https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp.git /src/workspace

Create a folder that will have cached results to be shared across builds.

mkdir -p /tmp/build_output/

Use the Bazel container to build the project and make the build outputs available in the output folder in your host machine.

docker run \
  -e USER="$(id -u)" \
  -u="$(id -u)" \
  -v /src/workspace:/src/workspace \
  -v /tmp/build_output:/tmp/build_output \
  -w /src/workspace \
  gcr.io/bazel-public/bazel:latest \
  --output_user_root=/tmp/build_output \
  build //absl/...

Build the project with sanitizers by adding the --config=<var>asan</var>|<var>tsan</var>|<var>msan</var> build flag to select AddressSanitizer (asan), ThreadSanitizer (tsan) or MemorySanitizer (msan) accordingly.

docker run \
  -e USER="$(id -u)" \
  -u="$(id -u)" \
  -v /src/workspace:/src/workspace \
  -v /tmp/build_output:/tmp/build_output \
  -w /src/workspace \
  gcr.io/bazel-public/bazel:latest \
  --output_user_root=/tmp/build_output \
  build --config={asan | tsan | msan} -- //absl/... -//absl/types:variant_test

Build Abseil project from inside the container

The instructions in this section allow you to build using the Bazel container with the sources inside the container. By starting a container at the beginning of your development workflow and doing changes in the worskpace within the container, build results will be cached.

Start a shell in the Bazel container:

docker run --interactive --entrypoint=/bin/bash gcr.io/bazel-public/bazel:latest

Each container id is unique. In the instructions below, the container was 5a99103747c6.

Clone the project.

ubuntu@5a99103747c6:~$ git clone --depth 1 --branch 20220623.1 https://github.com/abseil/abseil-cpp.git && cd abseil-cpp/

Do a regular build.

ubuntu@5a99103747c6:~/abseil-cpp$ bazel build //absl/...

Build the project with sanitizers by adding the --config=<var>asan</var>|<var>tsan</var>|<var>msan</var> build flag to select AddressSanitizer (asan), ThreadSanitizer (tsan) or MemorySanitizer (msan) accordingly.

ubuntu@5a99103747c6:~/abseil-cpp$ bazel build --config={asan | tsan | msan} -- //absl/... -//absl/types:variant_test

Explore the Bazel container

If you haven’t already, start an interactive shell inside the Bazel container.

docker run -it --entrypoint=/bin/bash gcr.io/bazel-public/bazel:latest
ubuntu@5a99103747c6:~$

Explore the container contents.

ubuntu@5a99103747c6:~$ gcc --version
gcc (Ubuntu 9.4.0-1ubuntu1~20.04.1) 9.4.0
Copyright (C) 2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

ubuntu@5a99103747c6:~$ java -version
openjdk version "1.8.0_362"
OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_362-8u372-ga~us1-0ubuntu1~20.04-b09)
OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.362-b09, mixed mode)

ubuntu@5a99103747c6:~$ python -V
Python 3.8.10

ubuntu@5a99103747c6:~$ bazel version
WARNING: Invoking Bazel in batch mode since it is not invoked from within a workspace (below a directory having a WORKSPACE file).
Extracting Bazel installation...
Build label: 6.2.1
Build target: bazel-out/k8-opt/bin/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/BazelServer_deploy.jar
Build time: Fri Jun 2 16:59:58 2023 (1685725198)
Build timestamp: 1685725198
Build timestamp as int: 1685725198

Explore the Bazel Dockerfile

If you want to check how the Bazel Docker image is built, you can find its Dockerfile at bazelbuild/continuous-integration/bazel/oci.