How to use docker buildx version command to check buildx version

Introduction

In this lab, you will learn how to use the docker buildx version command to check the installed version of the Docker Buildx plugin. Buildx is a powerful Docker CLI plugin that enhances the docker build command with BuildKit capabilities, offering improved performance and features for building container images.

Through a simple hands-on exercise, you will understand the purpose of the docker buildx version command, execute it in the terminal, and interpret the output to identify the specific version of Buildx installed in your environment. This knowledge is essential for managing your Docker build environment and ensuring compatibility.

Skills Graph

Understand the purpose of docker buildx version

In this step, we will understand the purpose of the docker buildx version command. The docker buildx command is a Docker CLI plugin that extends the docker build command with the full capabilities of BuildKit. BuildKit is a toolkit for converting source code to build artifacts, with a focus on speed, correctness, and extensibility.

The docker buildx version command is used to display the version information of the Docker Buildx plugin. This is useful for checking which version of Buildx is installed and ensuring that you are using the expected version. Knowing the version can be important for compatibility with different Docker versions or for troubleshooting issues.

Let's execute the docker buildx version command in the terminal to see its output.

docker buildx version

You should see output similar to this, indicating the version of Buildx installed:

github.com/docker/buildx v0.11.2-0.20231018160815-50a094b6f731

The output shows the version of the Buildx plugin. This information is helpful for debugging or when you need to ensure you are using a specific version of Buildx.

Execute the docker buildx version command

In the previous step, we learned about the purpose of the docker buildx version command. Now, we will execute this command in the LabEx environment to see its output and confirm the installed Buildx version.

Open the terminal in the LabEx environment. You are already in the ~/project directory.

Type the following command and press Enter:

docker buildx version

You should see output similar to this:

github.com/docker/buildx v0.11.2-0.20231018160815-50a094b6f731

This output confirms that the docker buildx plugin is installed and shows its version. The specific version number and build information might vary slightly depending on the environment setup, but the general format will be similar.

Executing this command is a simple way to verify that Buildx is available and ready to be used for building Docker images.

Interpret the output of the version command

In the previous step, we executed the docker buildx version command and saw its output. Now, let's interpret what that output means.

The output you saw was similar to this:

github.com/docker/buildx v0.11.2-0.20231018160815-50a094b6f731

Let's break down the different parts of this output:

• github.com/docker/buildx: This part indicates the source repository of the Buildx plugin. It shows that this is the official Docker Buildx project hosted on GitHub.
• v0.11.2: This is the main version number of the Buildx plugin. It follows semantic versioning, where 0 is the major version, 11 is the minor version, and 2 is the patch version. This number tells you the specific release of Buildx you are using.
• -0.20231018160815-50a094b6f731: This part provides additional build information.
  • 0.20231018160815: This is a timestamp indicating when this specific build was created (YearMonthDayHourMinuteSecond).
  • 50a094b6f731: This is a short commit hash from the Git repository, identifying the specific commit that this build is based on.

Understanding this output helps you identify the exact version and build of the Docker Buildx plugin installed on your system. This information is crucial for troubleshooting, reporting bugs, or ensuring compatibility with other Docker components or features.

You have now successfully executed and interpreted the output of the docker buildx version command.

Summary

In this lab, we learned the purpose of the docker buildx version command, which is used to display the version information of the Docker Buildx plugin. This command is essential for verifying the installed Buildx version, which can be important for compatibility and troubleshooting.

We then executed the docker buildx version command in the terminal and interpreted its output. The output provides the specific version number and build details of the Buildx plugin, confirming its installation and allowing us to identify the exact version being used.