How to use with Alpine and Docker?

[seepine]

I use better-sqlite3 with fastify/typeorm.

FROM seepine/alpine:node-3.19 # just install node from alpine
WORKDIR /workspace
COPY ./dist /workspace
COPY ./node_modules /workspace/node_modules
ENTRYPOINT crond && node app.js

But i got error

Error: Error loading shared library /workspace/node_modules/xxxxx/better-sqlite3.node: Exec format error
    at Module._extensions..node (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1465:18)
...

I know it maybe need node-gyp and python3, but it make docker image too large.

How to correctly use better-sqlite3 in a Dockerfile?

[Prinzhorn]

How to correctly use better-sqlite3 in a Dockerfile?

Run npm install in the Dockerfile. You can't just copy binaries from your host into the container and expect them to run. It needs to be the same architecture.

[seepine]

But it make docker image too large.I use @vercel/nft to reduce the size of my Alpine image. Are there any other solutions?

[mceachen]

@seepine if you want to keep your docker image small, use a multi-stage build: https://docs.docker.com/build/building/multi-stage/

The first stage should install python and a compiler tool chain, and then run npm install.

The second stage starts with the original small alpine image, and just copies over the compiled files.

If this is too in-the-weeds for you, I suspect using Alpine (with non-glibc, MUSL binaries) will be a lot more hassle than just this issue. I'd try to get running with a Debian slim image instead (the image will be slightly larger, but everything should “just work” out of the box).

[seepine]

Actually i got error

Error: Error loading shared library /workspace/node_modules/xxxxx/better-sqlite3.node: Exec format error

Build by

# step1 build
FROM seepine/alpine:node-3.19 as builder # alpine with glibc
WORKDIR /workspace
RUN apk add --no-cache python3 make gcc g++
COPY package.json /workspace/package.json
RUN npm install
COPY ./ /workspace
RUN npm run build


# step2 copy
FROM seepine/alpine:node-3.19
WORKDIR /workspace

COPY --from=builder /workspace/node_modules /workspace/node_modules
COPY --from=builder /workspace/dist /workspace
ENTRYPOINT crond && node app.js

The base image seepine/alpine:node-3.19 is https://github.com/seepine/docker-alpine/blob/main/Dockerfile.node
The project is fastify + typeorm + better-sqlite3

Perhaps this is not a common error.I will create a repository to reproduce this problem tomorrow.

[mceachen]

I'd start with node:alpine instead of starting with the alpine image and installing the nodejs package--they are doing a lot to help get things set up reasonably: https://github.com/nodejs/docker-node/blob/main/23/alpine3.20/Dockerfile
(although if you aren't using yarn, that's one small bit you don't need, so I'd fork from their dockerfile).

Again though, start with node or node:23, or maybe node:23-slim. If you have any other native packages, they will also have opportunity to cause heartache within Alpine.