docker / docker/cli

Clarify image name nomenclature: what exactly is a 'tag'?

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impact/documentation
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Go
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Description

Given an image called foo:8080/bar:baz:

  • Some parts of the Docker documentation use the term 'tag' to mean the whole thing, while others use it to mean just the :baz part
  • Some parts of the Docker documentation use the term 'repository' to mean foo:8080/bar, but the documentation for docker tag claims that the repository is actually just foo:8080, and bar is the 'name part'

This makes some parts of the documentation confusing, particularly surrounding docker rmi and docker image prune.

The documentation should be updated to:

  • Establish a clear convention on what the various parts of an image identifier are called, as well as the identifier as a whole (and don't forget to cover identifiers using digests)
  • Add a page which explicitly documents this convention
  • Ensure said convention is followed consistently everywhere (including in the output of the docker commands)

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reviewing the existing Docker documentation for docker tag, docker rmi, and docker image prune, using foo:8080/bar:baz and digest-based identifiers as examples. Define consistent names for each identifier component and the complete identifier, then add the convention page and audit documentation and command output for consistent usage.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
docker
Domain
cli, documentation
Issue type
Documentation
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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