Dockerfile & Trickest YAML Configuration

In this section, we will guide you through the main principles of creating and building Dockerfiles that can be integrated into the Trickest platform.

Each tool will typically consist of files organized in a specific structure to ensure compatibility with Trickest's system.

Tool File Structure Overview

tool-name 

├── Dockerfile 

├── trickest.yaml 

└── run.sh (optional, only if needed) 

Dockerfile

This is the file that will be used to generate the Docker image of the tool. If you are unfamiliar with the Docker and its concepts, you can learn more on this link.

To create efficient and light Docker images, follow best practices. But do keep in mind that although having small (in size) images (which means faster startup time) is essential, it is even more critical to have stable images. It's all about finding a compromise here, but pick stability if you have to choose.

Downloading the tool

Use one of the methods listed in versioning conventions to download a specific version of the tool into the docker image.

Example Dockerfile

FROM golang:1.17.3-alpine AS build-env 

RUN apk add --no-cache git 

RUN go install -v github.com/author/tool-name@latest 


FROM alpine:3.15.0 

RUN apk -U upgrade --no-cache \ 

    && apk add --no-cache bind-tools ca-certificates 

COPY --from=build-env /go/bin/tool-name /usr/local/bin/ 


ENTRYPOINT ["tool-name"] 

run.sh

If the tool you use only supports stdin as an input, check out Parameterizing stdin/stdout where you will learn how to create run.sh and configure the tool to be compatible with Trickest platform. It is important to remember to copy run.sh it to your Docker image and configure it as the image ENTRYPOINT

ADD run.sh /app/ 

RUN chmod +x /app/run.sh 

RUN apk add bash 

ENTRYPOINT ["/app/run.sh"] 

Input/output folders

You need to create two folders: /hive/in and /hive/out in the final image. These will be used by the platform to store and manage the tool's input/output.

RUN mkdir -p /hive/in /hive/out

Tips for better docker images

Compiled languages (e.g. golang)

• Use multi-stage builds to reduce the final image size
• Use -alpine images when possible

Python

• You should almost always use python:<version>-slim. This is a variant that has less packages installed, resulting in a smaller image.
• If you run into any problems with -slim, the official image should be your second choice.
• Try to stay away from alpine, because it might cause some unexpected issues.

Tagging

Remeber to always tag your images properly according to the versioning guide.

trickest.yaml Configuration File

The trickest.yaml file is essential for integrating tools into the Trickest platform, specifically designed for the Workflow Editor. This YAML file contains all the necessary data for the tool to be displayed appropriately and configured within the platform.

Overview of trickest.yaml Structure

The YAML file is structured to provide comprehensive details about the tool, including its functionality, usage, and output handling. Below is a detailed explanation of each field in the trickest.yaml file:

Example

This is an example of YAML Structure

name: my-private-tool
description: This is an example of a private tool
category: Recon
source_url: https://github.com/my-tool
docker_image: user/image:tag
command:
output_parameter: -o
output_type: file
license_info:
  name: MIT
  url: https://github.com/example-repository/LICENSE.md
inputs:
  input-parameter:
    command: -d
    description: This is description of input parameter
    order: 0
    visible: true
    type: string

Tool Identification and Description

Docker Image and Command Execution

Parameters

The parameters structure is as follows:

Next up: Versioning Conventions