Tugboat

Docker utility container for Graylog plugin development

This container provides the right versions of graylog-project, javac and mvn utilities for Graylog 6.3 plugin development, without dedicating your workstation to this purpose. This container is not designed to run as a server or daemon -- instead it executes a single command (using the current working directory) and then stops and removes itself.

System Requirements

• Docker Desktop for Windows (Intel 64-bit CPU, WSL 2 recommended)
• Docker Desktop for Mac (Apple Silicon or Intel)
• Docker for Linux (ARM 64-bit CPU or Intel 64-bit CPU)

Installing Tugboat

Define a bash/zsh alias:

alias tugboat='docker run -v $(pwd):/root/work -v $HOME/.m2:/root/.m2 -v $HOME/.ssh:/root/.ssh --rm -it robfromboulder/tugboat:6.3.0e'

👆 Add this to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc if you use tugboat frequently. This command maps the current working directory into the tugboat container, while using your existing SSH keys for authentication and Maven cache to minimize downloads.

⚠️ When using Docker Desktop on Mac, add virtual file shares for your project directories, maven cache, and SSH keys, or tugboat will fail to run.

Using Tugboat

Use Graylog CLI:

tugboat graylog-project version

Use javac:

tugboat javac --version

Use maven:

tugboat mvn --version

Use python:

tugboat python3 --version

Use ssh:

tugboat ssh -V

Use bash to run commands interactively:

tugboat bash

Use bash to run a single command:

tugboat bash -c "pwd"

Tugboat Limitations

• Only the current working directory and its children are available to a tugboat session. Any script that uses cd .. to go parent directories will end up in the container's root directories, instead of the parent directory on the host. The best workaround is to start tugboat from a common parent directory and then use tugboat bash -c "cd blah && ..." to move down into child directories.

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© 2024-2025 Rob Dickinson (robfromboulder)