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April 29 2025
Updated April 29 2025

What is docker-slim and why do I need it?

Docker FAQ

When using Docker, one of the main goals is to create container images that are as compact, secure, and high-performance as possible. This is especially important in production environments, CI/CD pipelines, cloud, and serverless setups where every megabyte matters.

One tool that helps achieve this is docker-slim.

In this article, we’ll explain what docker-slim is, how it works, and why you should add it to your DevOps toolbox.

Why Minimize Docker Images?

The standard Dockerfile-based approach often results in bloated images containing:

  • Unused runtime dependencies (compilers, test utilities)
  • Debugging tools
  • Temporary files
  • Packages installed “just in case”

This leads to:

  • Slower build and delivery times
  • Larger attack surface (more tools = more vulnerabilities)
  • Increased storage and network costs

What Does docker-slim Do?

docker-slim is a CLI tool that analyzes how your container behaves during runtime and builds a minimally required Docker image by removing everything unnecessary.

It works by:

  1. Launching your container in “inspection” mode
  2. Monitoring which files and libraries the application actually uses
  3. Creating a new, optimized image that includes only those files

Benefits

  • Security — Fewer potential vulnerabilities
  • Size — Images can shrink by 10–30x
  • Simplicity — No need to manually fine-tune base images
  • Compatibility — Works with most languages (Python, Node.js, Go, Java, etc.)

How to Use docker-slim

Example for a Python app:

docker build -t myapp .
docker-slim build myapp

Result:

  • Original image: myapp
  • Optimized image: myapp.slim

Example output:

docker images

REPOSITORY TAG IMAGE ID SIZE
myapp latest abc123 350MB
myapp.slim latest def456 18MB

Advanced Features

  • http-probe — Automatically generates HTTP requests to trigger all app routes
  • user-probes — Define custom probes (scripts, curl, etc.)
  • CI/CD integration — Easily use with GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and more
  • Security analysis — Highlights risks and dependency issues

Limitations

  • The app must actually run in inspection mode
  • Dynamic dependencies may be missed if not triggered during analysis (can be resolved with custom probes)
  • Not ideal for apps with heavy initialization or GUI/headless UIs

Conclusion

docker-slim is a powerful and convenient tool for automatically optimizing Docker images. It significantly reduces image size, boosts security, and speeds up deployments — all without requiring manual Dockerfile rewrites. It’s especially valuable in production, microservices, cloud, and CI/CD environments.

If you’re not using docker-slim yet, now is a great time to try it. It’s a small step that can make a huge difference in the quality and efficiency of your infrastructure.

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