Create Multi-Stage Dockerfile

Build multi-stage Dockerfiles that produce minimal production images by separating build tooling from runtime.

When to Use

• Production images are too large (>500MB for compiled languages)
• Build tools (compilers, dev headers) are included in the final image
• Need separate images for development and production from one Dockerfile
• Deploying to constrained environments (edge, serverless)

Inputs

• Required: Existing Dockerfile or project to containerize
• Required: Language and build system (npm, pip, go build, cargo, maven)
• Optional: Target runtime base (slim, alpine, distroless, scratch)
• Optional: Size budget for final image

Procedure