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chore: add dev container support for simplicity #581

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chore: add dev container support for simplicity
Tony-WLB Apr 14, 2026
5ecd9b5
follow-up: refine the container setup; update the README.md file
Tony-WLB Apr 16, 2026
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45 changes: 45 additions & 0 deletions .devcontainer/Dockerfile
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FROM ubuntu:24.04

ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive

# netplan dependencies
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
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bash-completion \
build-essential \
cmake \
gcovr \
libcmocka-dev \
libglib2.0-dev \
libsystemd-dev \
libyaml-dev \
meson \
network-manager \
pandoc \
pkg-config \
pycodestyle \
pyflakes3 \
python3-cffi \
python3-coverage \
python3-dev \
python3-pytest \
python3-pytest-cov \
python3-yaml \
systemd \
udev \
uuid-dev \
&& apt-get clean \
&& rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

# devcontainer dependencies
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
git \
sudo \
&& apt-get clean \
&& rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

RUN echo "ubuntu ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL" > /etc/sudoers.d/ubuntu \
&& chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers.d/ubuntu

WORKDIR /workspace

USER ubuntu
8 changes: 8 additions & 0 deletions .devcontainer/devcontainer.json
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{
"name": "Netplan Development",
"build": {
"dockerfile": "Dockerfile",
"context": ".."
},
"remoteUser": "ubuntu"
}
39 changes: 18 additions & 21 deletions README.md
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Expand Up @@ -39,32 +39,29 @@ To contribute documentation, these steps should get you started:

If you face issues, refer to our [comprehensive contribution guide](https://netplan.readthedocs.io/en/stable/contribute-docs/).

# Build dependencies
# Development Container

A Docker-based development environment is available via `.devcontainer/` for consistent builds across machines.

## Using the Dev Container

### With VS Code

Install the required build and test dependencies (Ubuntu/Debian):
1. Install the [Dev Containers extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-vscode-remote.remote-containers)
2. Open the workspace in a container: Open the Command Palette and run "Dev Containers: Reopen in Container"
3. The container automatically installs all dependencies and configures the `ubuntu` user

### Manual Docker Build

```sh
sudo apt install \
build-essential \
pkg-config \
meson \
libglib2.0-dev \
libyaml-dev \
libsystemd-dev \
uuid-dev \
bash-completion \
python3-dev \
python3-cffi \
python3-coverage \
python3-pytest \
python3-pytest-cov \
pyflakes3 \
pycodestyle \
libcmocka-dev \
gcovr \
pandoc
$ docker build -t netplan-dev -f .devcontainer/Dockerfile .
$ docker run -it --rm -v $(pwd):/workspace --name netplan-dev netplan-dev bash
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@benhoyt benhoyt Apr 19, 2026

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Thanks, this is helpful. However, I think to make this useful we have to be able to build netplan and run it, from within the container. But make in the container doesn't work:

ubuntu@c7be5a34e560:/workspace$ make
meson compile -C _build --verbose
INFO: autodetecting backend as ninja
INFO: calculating backend command to run: /usr/bin/ninja -C /workspace/_build -v
ninja: Entering directory `/workspace/_build'
ninja: error: '/home/ben.hoyt@canonical.com/w/netplan/features_h_generator.sh', needed by 'dbus/_features.h', missing and no known rule to make it
make: *** [Makefile:8: default] Error 1

Do you know why?

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@benhoyt benhoyt Apr 19, 2026

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This is helpful, and works on my machine. However, I think to make this useful we have to be able to build and run netplan from within the container. But make doesn't work for me:

ubuntu@c7be5a34e560:/workspace$ make
meson compile -C _build --verbose
INFO: autodetecting backend as ninja
INFO: calculating backend command to run: /usr/bin/ninja -C /workspace/_build -v
ninja: Entering directory `/workspace/_build'
ninja: error: '/home/ben.hoyt@canonical.com/w/netplan/features_h_generator.sh', needed by 'dbus/_features.h', missing and no known rule to make it
make: *** [Makefile:8: default] Error 1

Do you know why? I'm guessing it's an error with non-relative directories (the error references /home/ben.hoyt@canonical.com/w/netplan but I think that should be /workspace inside the container).

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@JegadishD JegadishD Apr 20, 2026

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@benhoyt I did not run into this issue. I am running this container build from within an Ubuntu VM and is compiling fine.

As you had mentioned, it is likely due to difference in the directory referred during the build.

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@Tony-WLB Tony-WLB Apr 20, 2026

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Maybe it's caused by the volume not being mounted correctly, -v $(pwd):/workspace. It combines the CWD with the workspace inside the container. Could you please try running this Docker container directly inside the netplan directory?

```

# Build dependencies

For a manual setup without containers, install the required build and test dependencies. The full list of dependencies is defined in [`.devcontainer/Dockerfile`](.devcontainer/Dockerfile#L6) under the `# netplan dependencies` section.

# Build using Meson

A Makefile wrapper is also provided for simplified usage. For that approach, please refer to the [Build using Makefile](#build-using-makefile) section below.
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