Customize Node.js runtime environment

Build Custom Runtime Images

Zerops allows you to build custom runtime images (CRI) when the default base runtime images don't meet your Node.js application's requirements. This is an optional phase in the build and deploy pipeline.

Configuration

Default Node.js Runtime Environment

The default Node.js runtime environment contains:

• Alpine 3.20
• Selected version of Node.js when the runtime service was created
• zCLI
• npm, Yarn, Git and NPX tools

When You Need a Custom Runtime Image

If your Node.js application needs more than what's included in the default environment, you'll need to build a custom runtime image. Common scenarios include:

• System packages for processing: When your app processes images, videos, or files (requiring packages like sudo apk add imagemagick, sudo apk add ffmpeg)
• Global Node.js tools: When you need CLI tools or utilities available system-wide (like pm2 for process management)
• Native dependencies: When your npm packages require system libraries that aren't in the default environment
• Different base OS: When you need Ubuntu instead of Alpine for specific compatibility requirements

important

You should not include your application code in the custom runtime image, as your built/packaged code is deployed automatically into fresh containers.

Here are Node.js-specific examples of configuring custom runtime images in your zerops.yml:

Basic Node.js Setup

run:
  os: ubuntu
  base: nodejs@22
  prepareCommands:
    - sudo apk add wget
    - npm install -g pm2

Using Build Files in Runtime Preparation

build:
  addToRunPrepare:
    - package.json
run:
  prepareCommands:
    - npm install -g some-package

For complete configuration details, see the runtime prepare phase configuration guide.

Process and Caching

How Runtime Prepare Works

The runtime prepare process follows the same steps for all runtimes. See how runtime prepare works for the complete process details.

Caching Behavior

Zerops caches custom runtime images to optimize deployment times. Learn about custom runtime image caching including when images are cached and reused.

Build Management

For information about managing builds and deployments, see managing builds and deployments.

Warning

Shared storage mounts are not available during the runtime prepare phase.

Troubleshooting

If your prepareCommands fail, check the prepare runtime log for specific error messages.