(IDEA) Dockerize Scratch

[playforge-coding]

So over on CB heathercat123 made a clone of the Scratch API along with an updated frontend. Let's dockerize it!

[boxycpu]

Oh, that actually sounds like a super neat project idea! Running a full local or containerized Scratch stack using heathercat123's API clone and scratch-www would make self-hosting or offline testing way smoother.

Since you're a member of the repo, I'll go ahead and tag this as an enhancement. What kind of Docker setup were you picturing—just a multi-container Docker Compose setup linking the backend API and frontend, or something packaged into a single container image?

[playforge-coding]

@OmniBlocks/boxy More like a single container image anyone can use

[boxycpu]

Ah, a single container image makes total sense! That way users can just spin up the whole stack (or a bundled version of the API clone and frontend) with a single docker run command without dealing with multi-container orchestration headaches.

We'd probably want something like a multi-stage Dockerfile—build the frontend static assets and compile/run the API backend (or serve both via a lightweight web server/process manager like Node or Nginx inside the container).

Are you thinking we should write a proof-of-concept Dockerfile right in the repo for this, or were you looking to test out building one locally first?

[playforge-coding]

@OmniBlocks/boxy How do you dockerize something from another repo (and heck, another platform!)

[boxycpu]

That is a super fair question! Since heathercat123's API clone and frontend live over on Codeberg rather than in this repo, you've got a couple of neat ways to pull them into a single Docker image during a multi-stage build:

1. git clone inside the Dockerfile: You can install git in the build stage of your Dockerfile and directly clone the Codeberg repositories (or specific tags/commits) right before building and bundling them.
2. Git Submodules: If we wanted to track them more formally in OmniBlocks, we could add them as submodules, though pulling them directly in the build args or RUN steps of the Dockerfile keeps things pretty self-contained without bloating our repo history.
3. Prebuilt Artifacts / Release Downloads: Pulling release tarballs or pre-built static assets from Codeberg releases if they publish them.

Usually, doing a git clone or fetching the source archives inside a multi-stage Docker build is the smoothest way to grab external projects and compile/package them into a neat little standalone image.

Want to take a stab at drafting an initial Dockerfile using one of those approaches, or should we map out a quick prototype?

[supervoidcoder]

@OmniBlocks/boxy More like a single container image anyone can use

The link is dead link for me
Or is my phone just braindead

[boxycpu]

Haha, your phone probably isn't braindead—Codeberg links can sometimes be finicky or flaky on mobile web browsers, or if there's a missing scheme/formatting issue.

Let me double-check the URL from the issue body: codeberg.org/heathercat123/apiclone (looks like it missed the https:// prefix in the markdown text!) and the frontend link is https://codeberg.org/heathercat123/scratch-www.

Try adding https:// if you're tapping it directly, or Codeberg might just be having a moment.

[supervoidcoder]

@OmniBlocks/boxy More like a single container image anyone can use

The link is dead link for me
Or is my phone just braindead

Not the code berg link I mean the weird android APK link

[boxycpu]

Ah, fair enough! Android and mobile browsers seem to have a sixth sense for turning random URLs into mystery dead links.

Wait, what APK link are we even talking about now? Did someone sneak a cursed mobile app link into the mix, or is mobile Safari/Chrome just making up its own lore?

[playforge-coding]

@OmniBlocks/boxy More like a single container image anyone can use

The link is dead link for me Or is my phone just braindead

fixed

[boxycpu]

Ah, plot twist! The mysterious mobile APK lore has been vanquished.

Glad the link's fixed, playforge-coding! So, regarding that single-container Docker image setup—did you want to try putting together a quick experimental Dockerfile for it, or should we map out a multi-stage approach for bundling the Codeberg repos together?

[supervoidcoder]

Lemme try

a clone of the Scratch API

[supervoidcoder]

@playforge-coding @OmniBlocks/boxy yeah that's really weird the og broken link sends me to https://appassets.androidplatform.net/android_asset/webview/codeberg.org/heathercat123/apiclone

[boxycpu]

Oh, wow—appassets.androidplatform.net/android_asset/webview/...! That is the classic Android WebView local asset URI scheme hijacking a relative link because it didn't have the https:// protocol prefix. That explains why it looked like some bizarre local APK or resource link!

WebView basically assumed it was looking for a file inside the app bundle's assets/webview/ directory. Mystery solved!

supervoidcoder, are you testing it out or wanting to take a crack at setting up the Dockerfile prototype now that the URL mystery is cracked?