Building an n8n custom Docker image

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create a Directory for Your Docker Setup

   Create a new directory on your local machine to store the Dockerfile and build script.

   mkdir custom-n8n
   cd custom-n8n

2. Create the Dockerfile

   Inside the custom-n8n directory, create a file named Dockerfile:

   touch Dockerfile

   Then, open it in a text editor (e.g., nano, vim, or any code editor) and paste the contents of the Dockerfile provided earlier:

   Dockerfile:

   # Start from the latest n8n image
   FROM n8nio/n8n:latest
   
   # Install dependencies required for Pyenv and Python builds
   USER root
   RUN apk add --no-cache bash curl git make gcc g++ zlib-dev bzip2-dev readline-dev sqlite-dev openssl-dev tk-dev libffi-dev linux-headers xz-dev
   
   # Set environment variables for Pyenv
   ENV PYENV_ROOT="/root/.pyenv"
   ENV PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
   
   # Install Pyenv
   RUN curl https://pyenv.run | bash
   
   # Set up Pyenv in the shell environment
   RUN echo 'export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"' >> /root/.bashrc && \
      echo 'eval "$(pyenv init --path)"' >> /root/.bashrc && \
      echo 'eval "$(pyenv init -)"' >> /root/.bashrc && \
      echo 'eval "$(pyenv virtualenv-init -)"' >> /root/.bashrc
   
   # Install multiple Python versions
   RUN bash -c "source /root/.bashrc && \
      pyenv install 3.9.19 && \
      pyenv install 3.10.14 && \
      pyenv install 3.11.9 && \
      pyenv install 3.12.6 && \
      pyenv global 3.12.6"
   
   # Set the user back to 'node' (default user for n8n)
   USER node

3. Create the Build Script

   Still in the custom-n8n directory, create a file named build_n8n_custom.sh:

   touch build_n8n_custom.sh

   Open it in a text editor and paste the following script:

   build_n8n_custom.sh:

   #!/bin/bash
   
   # Define the image name and tag
   IMAGE_NAME="custom-n8n"
   IMAGE_TAG="latest"
   
   # Build the custom Docker image
   echo "Building the custom n8n image..."
   docker build -t $IMAGE_NAME:$IMAGE_TAG .
   
   # Display success message
   if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
      echo "Custom n8n image built successfully: $IMAGE_NAME:$IMAGE_TAG"
   else
      echo "Failed to build the custom n8n image."
      exit 1
   fi

   Make the script executable by running:

   chmod +x build_n8n_custom.sh

4. Build the Custom Docker Image

   Run the build_n8n_custom.sh script to build your custom n8n image with the desired Python versions:

   ./build_n8n_custom.sh

   This will create a Docker image named custom-n8n:latest based on the Dockerfile you created.

5. Run Your Custom n8n Image

   After building the image, you can start your custom n8n instance using the following command:

   docker run -d --rm \
      --name n8n \
      -p 5678:5678 \
      -e GENERIC_TIMEZONE="Europe/London" \
      -e TZ="Europe/London" \
      -v n8n_data:/home/node/.n8n \
      -v /home/J2897/Projects:/home/node/Projects \
      custom-n8n:latest

Now, you have a Docker image with n8n and multiple Python versions set up via Pyenv. When a new n8n version is released, simply update the FROM n8nio/n8n:latest line in the Dockerfile, re-run the build script, and your custom environment will be ready with the latest version.