Fix Bash Error in Docker

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I really enjoy working with Docker because it gives me more insight into creating and maintaining your own environments, mostly from scratch.  I instantly gained a greater appreciation for Ops engineers, package creators, and other engineers who work on low level software.  I think what I'm trying to say is that I've made a whole bunch of mistakes and completed an insane amount of Google searches for help.

One of the more basic errors I've recently encountered was trying to run a bash script within the container, only to get the following error:  env: can't execute 'bash': No such file or directory.  I was under the impression that bash was always a given in Linux machines, but apparently not in alpine images.  The fix was adding the following to my Dockerfile file:

RUN apk update && apk add bash

Or if you're in the machine, just run:

apk update && apk add bash

That command installs bash and your bash scripts should then work!

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Discussion

  1. Hamish

    Alternatively, you can use ash instead of bash.

    Not sure what the differences are, but I would expect parity on most standard features.

  2. If the script is simple you can use the default /bin/sh shell.

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