Docker for GitHub Copilot

Table of contents

Early Access
The Docker for GitHub Copilot extension is a part of the Limited Public Beta for GitHub Copilot Extensions. Only members of the beta program are eligible to use this extension.

The Docker Extension for GitHub Copilot integrates Docker's capabilities with GitHub Copilot, providing assistance with containerizing applications and generating Docker assets. This extension helps you streamline Docker-related tasks wherever GitHub Copilot Chat is available.

The key features are:

Ask questions and receive responses about containerization in any context when GitHub Copilot Chat is available, such as on GitHub.com and in Visual Studio Code.
Automatically generate Dockerfiles, Docker Compose files, and .dockerignore files for a project.
Open pull requests with generated Docker assets directly from the chat interface.
Get summaries of project vulnerabilities from Docker Scout and receive next steps via CLI.

Supported languages

The Docker Extension for GitHub Copilot supports the following programming languages:

Dockerfile
Java
JavaScript
Python
TypeScript

Get Started

Here's how to get started with the Docker Extension for GitHub Copilot.

Prerequisites

Before you start, ensure that:

You have been granted access to GitHub's limited public beta program.
The Docker for GitHub Copilot app is installed in your GitHub organization.

Setup

Select where you want to use the Docker Extension for GitHub Copilot:

For instructions on how to use the Docker Extension for GitHub Copilot in your editor, see:

No setup is needed for the Docker Extension for GitHub Copilot on GitHub.com. Simply go to any repository and start using the chat interface, see Using the extension.

Using the Extension

The Docker Extension for GitHub Copilot provides a chat interface that you can use to interact with the Docker agent. You can ask questions and get help Dockerizing your project.

The Docker agent is trained to understand Docker-related questions, and provide guidance on Dockerfiles, Docker Compose files, and other Docker assets.

Editor

Open your project in your editor.
Open the Copilot extension or plugin.
Interact with the Docker agent using the /docker slash prompt, followed by your question.

GitHub.com

To use the Docker Extension in the GitHub web interface:

Go to github.com and sign in to your account.
Go to any repository.
Select the Copilot logo in the site menu to open the chat interface.
Interact with the Docker agent by tagging @docker.

Example prompts

Here are some examples of the types of questions you can ask the Docker agent:

Ask general Docker questions

You can ask general question about Docker. For example:

@docker what is a Dockerfile
@docker how do I build a Docker image
@docker how do I run a Docker container

Ask questions about your project

You can ask questions about your project, such as:

@docker what is the best way to Dockerize this project
@docker can you help me find vulnerabilities in my project?

The Docker agent will analyze your project, generate the necessary files, and, if applicable, offer to raise a pull request with the necessary Docker assets.

Performing actions on your behalf

Before the agent performs any actions on your behalf, such as opening a pull request for you, you're prompted to provide your consent to allow the operation. You can always roll back or back out of the changes.

In the event that the agent encounters an error, for example during PR creation, it handles timeouts and lack of responses gracefully.

Feedback

For issues or feedback, visit the GitHub feedback repository.