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Dockerfile for a Python application

Dockerfile for a Python application

Create a Dockerfile for a Python app: Define dependencies, set up the environment, and containerize your Python application for easy deployment.

dockerdockerfilepythondevelopmentcontainers
Megha Sharma
Published Sep 22, 2024
Let’s create a simple Dockerfile for a Python application. This example assumes you have a Python script named app.py and a requirements.txt file containing the dependencies for your application.
  1. Open a terminal.
  2. Navigate to the directory where you want to create or edit the Dockerfile.
  3. Type vi Dockerfile and press Enter. This will open the vi editor with a new file named Dockerfile.
  4. Press i to enter insert mode. You can now start typing your Dockerfile contents.
  5. Once you’re done editing, press Esc to exit insert mode.
  6. Type :wq and press Enter to save the changes and exit vi. If you want to exit without saving, type :q! and press Enter
In this Dockerfile:
  • We’re using the official Python Docker image with version 3.9 (specifically, the slim variant, which is smaller).
  • We set the working directory inside the container to /app.
  • We copy the current directory (where your app.py and requirements.txt files should reside) into the container at /app.
  • We install the Python dependencies specified in requirements.txt.
  • We expose port 8080 to allow communication with the container.
  • We set an environment variable NAME to "World" (you can change this as needed).
  • Finally, we specify that the command to run when the container starts is python app.py.
To build an image using this Dockerfile, navigate to the directory containing the Dockerfile and run:
Replace my-python-app with the desired name for your Docker image.
After building the image, you can run a container from it using:
This command runs a container based on your Docker image, forwarding port 8080 from the container to port 8080 on your host machine. Adjust the port mapping as needed based on your application’s requirements.
 

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