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Docker Development Setup

Using Docker for development ensures a consistent environment across different platforms and simplifies dependency management for the Linux C++ Backend Development Playground.

Why Docker?​

The Docker development environment provides:

  • Consistent development environment regardless of your host OS (macOS, Windows, Linux)
  • Pre-installed development tools (g++, CMake, build-essential, Boost, OpenSSL, etc.)
  • Isolated environment preventing conflicts with your system installations
  • Easy switching between different project branches without dependency issues

Docker Commands Reference​

The project provides convenient scripts for Docker development:

# Build Docker image
./scripts/docker-dev.sh build

# Start container (detached mode)
./scripts/docker-dev.sh run

# Enter running container
./scripts/docker-dev.sh exec

# Stop container
./scripts/docker-dev.sh stop

# Clean up containers and volumes
./scripts/docker-dev.sh clean

Building and Running Individual Phases​

Once inside the container, you can build and run specific projects:

# Enter the container
./scripts/docker-dev.sh exec

# Navigate to project root
cd /app

# Build the entire project
mkdir -p build && cd build
cmake ..
make -j4

# Run specific executables (examples)
./build/phase1/cli-tools/my_ls [options]
./build/phase1/cli-tools/my_grep [options]
./build/phase1/cli-tools/my_wc [options]

Development Workflow Inside Container​

  1. Enter the container:

    ./scripts/docker-dev.sh exec

  2. Navigate to the project directory:

    cd /app

  3. Create or modify source files in your host system (the /app directory is mounted)

  4. Compile inside the container:

    cd build
    make -j4

  5. Run executables:

    ./path/to/executable

Debugging with GDB​

The development container comes with debugging tools:

# Inside the container
cd /app/build

# Compile with debug symbols
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug ..
make -j4

# Run with GDB
gdb ./path/to/executable

Running Tests​

Execute the project tests using the provided script:

# Run tests (uses build-test directory)
./scripts/docker-dev.sh test

Visual Studio Code Integration​

For the best development experience with Docker and VS Code:

  1. Install the "Remote - Containers" extension
  2. Open the project folder in VS Code
  3. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS) and select "Remote-Containers: Reopen in Container"
  4. VS Code will build and connect to the development container
  5. You can then develop, build, and debug from within the container environment

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

  1. Permission denied errors: Make sure Docker is running and you have proper permissions to run Docker commands.

  2. Container won't start: Try cleaning up with ./scripts/docker-dev.sh clean and rebuild with ./scripts/docker-dev.sh build.

  3. Files not syncing between host and container: Files edited on the host should be available immediately in the container since /app is mounted as a volume.

Next Steps​

With your Docker environment configured, head to Phase 1: Syntax and Tool Familiarization to begin your C++ learning journey!