Deploying DNX/ASPNET5 on Docker without Mono

NOTE: Tested on:

• OSX 10.11.0 (El Capitan)
• DNVM 1.0.0-rc1-15524
• DNU 1.0.0-rc1-15838 (Darwin x64)
• DNX 1.0.0-rc1-15838 (Darwin x64)
• DNX 1.0.0-rc1-15838 (Linux x64)
• Docker version 1.8.2, build 0a8c2e3
• docker-machine version 0.4.1 (HEAD)

This is a small WebApi project to test "natively" running an ASP.NET application without requiring Mono. Instead, we are deploying the coreclr runtime for Linux as part of the packaging process.

Advantages:

• Smaller images:

  REPOSITORY                         CREATED             VIRTUAL SIZE 
  jstclair/docker-hellomvc-no-mono   4 minutes ago       334.2 MB 
  debian/jessie-backports            11 weeks ago        125.2 MB
  # note: with Mono 
  jstclair/docker-hellomvc           23 hours ago        741 MB
  microsoft/aspnet                   12 weeks ago        729.1 MB 
  

• Less installed on our final image (fewer security issues)

1. Install ASPNET 5
2. Update and install latest stable versions of DNVM and runtimes

dnvm upgrade-self
dnvm install latest -u -r coreclr -OS linux -a coreclr-linux-latest
dnvm upgrade -u -r coreclr -p

Running dnvm list should show something like the following:

Active Version              Runtime Arch Location             Alias
------ -------              ------- ---- --------             -----
  *    1.0.0-rc1-15838      coreclr x64  ~/.dnx/runtimes      default
       1.0.0-rc1-15838      coreclr x64  ~/.dnx/runtimes      coreclr-linux-latest

2. Publish the project and build a docker image for it:

make

The key here is that when we publish our application, we use the --no-source and --runtime dnx-coreclr-linux-x64.1.0.0-rc1-15838 flags.

3. Run the docker image:

make run

See the Makefile for more options, like make debug or make run-d 4. Hit the Values endpoint

IP=$(docker-machine ip MACHINE_NAME)
curl -L http://${IP}:5004/api/values

5. Cleanup

make clean

CREDITS

• Makefile originally inspired by Ben Hall