GHOSTby AlphaBravo
CatalogWhy GhostContactAccount
Ghost Container Registry — Secure, signed, FIPS-ready images·Built by AlphaBravo
Catalog/seaweedfs/Guides

seaweedfs

Databases & storage

Fast distributed storage system for billions of files with S3 API and object storage support

OverviewGuidesTags

Quick Start

Pull the latest version of this image from the Ghost registry. Pulling requires authentication — generate a token and run docker login first (see Authentication below).

Authentication

The Ghost catalog is public to browse, but pulling images requires an account. Generate a pull token below (or from your Account → Tokens page) — you'll get a ready-to-paste docker login command, then docker pull works.

The username is generated automatically (it looks like robot$<project>+<auto-id>, not the name you typed) and is included in the docker login command above. The secret is shown only once when you create the token.

Verify Signature

All Ghost images are signed with cosign. Verifying the signature before deployment ensures the image has not been tampered with.

Install cosign via brew install cosign or download from the Sigstore releases page.

Using This Image

Reference this image in your Dockerfile as a base layer:

Additional Notes

How to use this image

All examples in this guide use the public image. If you’ve mirrored the repository for your own use (for example, to your Docker Hub namespace), update your commands to reference the mirrored image instead of the public one.

For example:

  • Public image: registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io/ghost-base/<repository>:<tag>
  • Mirrored image: <your-namespace>/dhi-<repository>:<tag>

For the examples, you must first use docker login registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io to authenticate to the registry to pull the images.

Start a SeaweedFS instance

All-in-one server mode

The simplest way to run SeaweedFS is with the server command, which starts master, volume, and filer services in a single container:

docker run -d --name seaweedfs \
  -p 9333:9333 \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  -p 8888:8888 \
  -v $(pwd)/data:/data \
  registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io/ghost-base/seaweedfs:<tag> server

This starts a complete SeaweedFS instance with:

  • Master server on port 9333 (cluster coordination)

On this page

Quick StartAuthenticationVerify SignatureUsing This ImageAdditional Notes
  • Volume server on port 8080 (data storage)
  • Filer server on port 8888 (filesystem interface)
  • Individual service modes

    For production deployments, run each service separately:

    Master server:

    docker run -d --name seaweedfs-master \
      -p 9333:9333 \
      -p 19333:19333 \
      -v $(pwd)/master-data:/data \
      registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io/ghost-base/seaweedfs:<tag> master
    

    Volume server:

    docker run -d --name seaweedfs-volume \
      -p 8080:8080 \
      -p 18080:18080 \
      -v $(pwd)/volume-data:/data \
      registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io/ghost-base/seaweedfs:<tag> volume -mserver="master-host:9333"
    

    Filer server:

    docker run -d --name seaweedfs-filer \
      -p 8888:8888 \
      -p 18888:18888 \
      -v $(pwd)/filer-data:/data \
      registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io/ghost-base/seaweedfs:<tag> filer -master="master-host:9333"
    

    S3 gateway:

    docker run -d --name seaweedfs-s3 \
      -p 8333:8333 \
      -e S3_DOMAIN_NAME="s3.example.com" \
      registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io/ghost-base/seaweedfs:<tag> s3 -filer="filer-host:8888"
    

    Configuration

    SeaweedFS is primarily configured through command-line flags passed to the service mode commands. Each service (master, volume, filer, s3) accepts different flags.

    Common Configuration Options

    Master server:

    • -mdir - Directory for master data (default: /data)
    • -volumePreallocate - Preallocate disk space for volumes
    • -volumeSizeLimitMB - Default volume size limit in MB (default: 1024)
    • -defaultReplication - Default replication type, e.g., 000, 001, 010 (default: 000)

    Volume server:

    • -dir - Directory for volume data (default: /data)
    • -max - Maximum number of volumes (default: 0 = auto)
    • -mserver - Comma-separated master servers (default: localhost:9333)
    • -port - HTTP port (default: 8080)

    Filer server:

    • -master - Comma-separated master servers (default: localhost:9333)
    • -port - HTTP port (default: 8888)
    • -defaultReplicaPlacement - Default replication for files (default: 000)

    S3 gateway:

    • -filer - Filer server address (default: localhost:8888)
    • -port - S3 port (default: 8333)
    • -domainName - Domain name for virtual-host-style requests

    Non-hardened images vs Ghost hardened images

    Key differences

    FeatureNon-hardened SeaweedFSDocker Hardened SeaweedFS
    Base imageAlpine LinuxDebian 13 hardened base
    SecurityStandard Alpine packagesSecurity patches + signed metadata
    Shell accessShell available (/bin/sh)No shell
    Package managerapk availableNo package manager
    UserRuns as seaweed (UID 1000)Runs as seaweed (UID 65532)
    Build processPre-compiled binariesBuilt from source with verified commit
    DebuggingShell + basic toolsDocker Debug or Image Mount
    SBOMNot includedComplete SBOM included
    CVE scanningNot guaranteedPublished with near-zero known CVEs

    Hardened image debugging

    The hardened images intended for runtime don't contain a shell nor any tools for debugging. Common debugging methods for applications built with Ghost hardened images include:

    • Docker Debug to attach to containers
    • Docker's Image Mount feature to mount debugging tools
    • Application-specific debugging approaches

    Docker Debug provides a shell, common debugging tools, and lets you install other tools in an ephemeral, writable layer that only exists during the debugging session.

    For example, you can use Docker Debug:

    docker debug <container-name>
    

    or mount debugging tools with the Image Mount feature:

    docker run --rm -it --pid container:my-container \
      --mount=type=image,source=registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io/ghost-base/busybox,destination=/dbg,ro \
      registry.ghost-prod.alphabravo.io/ghost-base/seaweedfs:<tag> /dbg/bin/sh
    

    Image variants

    Ghost hardened images come in different variants depending on their intended use. Image variants are identified by their tag.

    • Runtime variants are designed to run your application in production. These images are intended to be used either directly or as the FROM image in the final stage of a multi-stage build. These images typically:

      • Run as a non-root user (UID 65532)
      • Do not include a shell or a package manager
      • Contain only the minimal set of libraries needed to run the app
    • Build-time variants typically include dev in the tag name and are intended for use in the first stage of a multi-stage Dockerfile. These images typically:

      • Run as the root user
      • Include a shell and package manager
      • Are used to build or compile applications
    • Compat variants support more seamless usage of DHI as a drop-in replacement for upstream images, particularly for circumstances that the ultra-minimal runtime variant may not fully support. These images typically:

      • Run as a non-root user (UID 65532)
      • Improve compatibility with upstream helm charts
      • Include optional tools that are critical for certain use-cases
    • FIPS variants include fips in the variant name and tag. They come in both runtime and build-time variants. These variants use cryptographic modules that have been validated under FIPS 140, a U.S. government standard for secure cryptographic operations. For example, usage of MD5 fails in FIPS variants.

    To view the image variants and get more information about them, select the Tags tab for this repository, and then select a tag.

    Migrate to a Ghost hardened image

    To migrate your application to a Ghost hardened image, you must update your Dockerfile. At minimum, you must update the base image in your existing Dockerfile to a Ghost hardened image. This and a few other common changes are listed in the following table of migration notes.

    ItemMigration note
    Base imageReplace your base images in your Dockerfile with a Ghost hardened image.
    Package managementNon-dev images, intended for runtime, don't contain package managers. Use package managers only in images with a dev tag.
    Nonroot userBy default, non-dev images, intended for runtime, run as a nonroot user. Ensure that necessary files and directories are accessible to that user.
    Multi-stage buildUtilize images with a dev tag for build stages and non-dev images for runtime. For binary executables, use a static image for runtime.
    TLS certificatesGhost hardened images contain standard TLS certificates by default. There is no need to install TLS certificates.
    PortsNon-dev hardened images run as a nonroot user by default. As a result, applications in these images can’t bind to privileged ports (below 1024) when running in Kubernetes or in Docker Engine versions older than 20.10. To avoid issues, configure your application to listen on port 1025 or higher inside the container.
    Entry pointGhost hardened images may have different entry points than images such as Docker Official Images. Inspect entry points for Ghost hardened images and update your Dockerfile if necessary.
    No shellBy default, non-dev images, intended for runtime, don't contain a shell. Use dev images in build stages to run shell commands and then copy artifacts to the runtime stage.

    The following steps outline the general migration process.

    1. Find hardened images for your app.

      A hardened image may have several variants. Inspect the image tags and find the image variant that meets your needs.

    2. Update the base image in your Dockerfile.

      Update the base image in your application's Dockerfile to the hardened image you found in the previous step. For framework images, this is typically going to be an image tagged as dev because it has the tools needed to install packages and dependencies.

    3. For multi-stage Dockerfiles, update the runtime image in your Dockerfile.

      To ensure that your final image is as minimal as possible, you should use a multi-stage build. All stages in your Dockerfile should use a hardened image. While intermediary stages will typically use images tagged as dev, your final runtime stage should use a non-dev image variant.

    4. Install additional packages

      Ghost hardened images contain minimal packages in order to reduce the potential attack surface. You may need to install additional packages in your Dockerfile. To view if a package manager is available for an image variant, select the Tags tab for this repository. To view what packages are already installed in an image variant, select the Tags tab for this repository, and then select a tag.

      Only images tagged as dev typically have package managers. You should use a multi-stage Dockerfile to install the packages. Install the packages in the build stage that uses a dev image. Then, if needed, copy any necessary artifacts to the runtime stage that uses a non-dev image.

      For Alpine-based images, you can use apk to install packages. For Debian-based images, you can use apt-get to install packages.

    Troubleshooting migration

    The following are common issues that you may encounter during migration.

    General debugging

    The hardened images intended for runtime don't contain a shell nor any tools for debugging. The recommended method for debugging applications built with Ghost hardened images is to use Docker Debug to attach to these containers. Docker Debug provides a shell, common debugging tools, and lets you install other tools in an ephemeral, writable layer that only exists during the debugging session.

    Permissions

    By default image variants intended for runtime, run as a nonroot user. Ensure that necessary files and directories are accessible to that user. You may need to copy files to different directories or change permissions so your application running as a nonroot user can access them.

    To view the user for an image variant, select the Tags tab for this repository.

    Privileged ports

    Non-dev hardened images run as a nonroot user by default. As a result, applications in these images can't bind to privileged ports (below 1024) when running in Kubernetes or in Docker Engine versions older than 20.10. The default ports are:

    • Master: 9333 (HTTP), 19333 (gRPC)
    • Volume: 8080 (HTTP), 18080 (gRPC)
    • Filer: 8888 (HTTP), 18888 (gRPC)
    • S3: 8333
    • WebDAV: 7333

    No configuration changes are needed to run SeaweedFS as a nonroot user.

    No shell

    By default, image variants intended for runtime don't contain a shell. Use dev images in build stages to run shell commands and then copy any necessary artifacts into the runtime stage. In addition, use Docker Debug to debug containers with no shell.

    To see if a shell is available in an image variant and which one, select the Tags tab for this repository.

    Entry point

    Ghost hardened images may have different entry points than images such as Docker Official Images.

    To view the Entrypoint or CMD defined for an image variant, select the Tags tab for this repository, select a tag, and then select the Specifications tab.