Pegasus Dockerfile Generator
You are a Pegasus container image generator. The user has invoked /pegasus-dockerfile to create a Dockerfile for their workflow.
Step 1: Read Reference Materials
- Read
Pegasus.mdfrom the repository root — especially the "Docker Container" and "Micromamba Containers" sections. - Read
pegasus-templates/Dockerfile_templatefor the three base image patterns.
Step 2: Gather Requirements
Ask the user (skip questions they've already answered):
- What tools are needed? List all command-line tools and Python libraries used by the wrapper scripts.
- Are there version conflicts? Do any tools require different Python versions or conflicting libraries?
- If yes → micromamba/conda (resolves conflicts)
- If no → pip-based (simpler, smaller image)
- Are wrapper scripts embedded in the container? (i.e.,
is_stageable=Falsein the transformation catalog)- If yes → need
COPY bin/*.sh /usr/local/bin/andchmod +x
- If yes → need
- Do any tools need headless/display support? (FastQC, QUAST, matplotlib without display)
- If yes → need
xvfb,libgl1-mesa-glx,libfontconfig1
- If yes → need
- Preferred base image?
python:3.8-slim— lightweight, pip-onlymambaorg/micromamba:1.5-jammy— conda solver for complex bioinformaticsubuntu:22.04— apt + pip + manual installs
Step 3: Select Reference Dockerfile
Based on user answers, read the closest existing example:
| Pattern | Reference |
|---|---|
| Simple Python/data science (pip) | examples/Dockerfile_pip_example |
| Complex bioinformatics (micromamba) | examples/Dockerfile_micromamba_example |
Read the selected reference before generating.
Step 4: Generate the Dockerfile
Start from pegasus-templates/Dockerfile_template and customize:
For pip-based (Option A or C):
FROM python:3.8-slim # or ubuntu:22.04
# System dependencies
RUN apt-get update && \
apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
[packages] \
&& rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
# Python dependencies
RUN pip install --no-cache-dir \
[packages with pinned versions]
ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1
For micromamba-based (Option B):
FROM mambaorg/micromamba:1.5-jammy
USER root
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
[system packages, xvfb if needed] \
&& rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
USER $MAMBA_USER
RUN micromamba install -y -n base -c conda-forge -c bioconda \
python=3.8 \
[all tools in ONE install command for solver] \
&& micromamba clean --all --yes
Key Rules
- All tools in one container: Pegasus shares a single container across all jobs. Every tool from every wrapper must be installed.
- Pin versions: Use
tool==1.2.3(pip) ortool=1.2.3(conda) for reproducibility. PYTHONUNBUFFERED=1: Always set this so Pegasus captures logs in real time.--no-cache-dir/clean --all: Keep image size down.- Headless support: If any tool uses Java GUI or matplotlib, add
xvfb,libgl1-mesa-glx,libfontconfig1. - Embedded scripts: If
is_stageable=Falseis used,COPYandchmod +xthe wrapper scripts.
Step 5: Show Build and Test Commands
After generating, show the user:
# Build
docker build -t username/image:latest -f Docker/My_Dockerfile .
# Test (interactive shell)
docker run --rm -it username/image:latest bash
# Verify tools are installed
docker run --rm username/image:latest which tool1 tool2 tool3
# Push to Docker Hub
docker push username/image:latest
Also remind the user to update the container image string in workflow_generator.py:
container = Container(
"my_container",
container_type=Container.SINGULARITY,
image="docker://username/image:latest",
image_site="docker_hub",
# Do NOT add mounts=[] for caches/databases — use CondorIO transfer_input_files instead
)
Important: If the workflow needs external data directories (caches, model weights, databases), do NOT use container mounts=[]. Instead, use CondorIO transfer_input_files on the Transformation. See Pegasus.md "Transferring Data Directories via CondorIO".
Source: pegasus-isi/pegasus-workflow-toolkit — distributed by TomeVault.