How to cache docker-compose build inside github-action

Question

Is there any way to cache docker-compose so that it will not build again and again? here is my action workflow file:

name: Github Action
on:
  push:
    branches:
      - staging
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-18.04

    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v1

      - name: Bootstrap app on Ubuntu
        uses: actions/setup-node@v1
        with:
          node-version: '12'


      - name: Install global packages
        run: npm install -g yarn prisma


      - name: Install project deps
        if: steps.cache-yarn.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
        run: yarn


      - name: Build docker-compose
        run: docker-compose -f docker-compose.test.prisma.yml up --build -d

I want to cache the docker build step. I have tried using if: steps.cache-docker.outputs.cache-hit != 'true' then only build but didn't work.

Answer 1

What you are referring to is called "docker layer caching", and it is not yet natively supported in GitHub Actions.

This is discussed extensively in several places, like:

• Cache docker image forum thread
• Cache a Docker image built in workflow forum thread
• Docker caching issue in actions/cache repository

As mentioned in the comments, there are some 3rd party actions that provide this functionality (like this one), but for such a core and fundamental feature, I would be cautious with anything that is not officially supported by GitHub itself.

Answer 2

For those arriving here via Google, this now "supported". Or at least it is working: https://github.community/t/use-docker-layer-caching-with-docker-compose-build-not-just-docker/156049. The idea is to build the images using docker (and its cache) and then use docker compose to run (up) them.

Answer 3

If using docker/bake-action or docker/build-push-action & want to access a cached image in subsequent steps -

• Use load:true to save the image
• Use the same image name as the cached image across steps in order to skip rebuilds.

Example:

...
        name: Build and push
        uses: docker/bake-action@master
        with:
          push: false
          load: true
        set: |
            web.cache-from=type=gha
            web.cache-to=type=gha
      -
        name: Test via compose
        command: docker compose run web tests
...

services:
  web:
    build:
      context: .
    image: username/imagename
    command: echo "Test run successful!"

---

See the docker team's responses;

• How to access the bake-action cached image in subsequent steps?
• How to use this plugin for a docker-compose?
• How to share layers with Docker Compose?`
• Experiment on caching docker compose images in GitHub Actions