Docker AI (Gordon) Setup Skill

Quick Start

Verify Docker Desktop - Version 4.53+ required
Enable Gordon - Settings → Beta features → Toggle "Docker AI"
Test Gordon - Run docker ai "What can you do?"
Use Gordon - For building, debugging, and optimizing containers

What is Docker AI (Gordon)?

Docker AI (codenamed Gordon) is an AI-powered assistant built into Docker Desktop that helps with:

Building containers - Generate Dockerfiles from requirements
Debugging issues - Analyze logs and errors
Optimizing images - Reduce size and improve performance
Scanning vulnerabilities - Security analysis
Explaining commands - Learn Docker and Kubernetes

Enabling Docker AI

Docker Desktop 4.53+

Open Docker Desktop
Go to Settings → Beta features
Toggle on "Docker AI"
Click "Get started" or "Enable"
Accept terms and conditions

Alternative: Docker CLI Extension

If not using Docker Desktop, try CLI extension

(Note: Gordon is primarily in Docker Desktop)

docker context list

See if AI context is available

Gordon Commands Reference

Building Containers

Generate Dockerfile from requirements

docker ai "Create a Dockerfile for FastAPI application with Python 3.13"

Optimize existing Dockerfile

docker ai "Optimize this Dockerfile for smaller image size" < Dockerfile

Create multi-stage Dockerfile

docker ai "Convert this to a multi-stage Dockerfile" < Dockerfile

Generate docker-compose.yml

docker ai "Create a docker-compose file with frontend, backend, and mcp-server services"

Debugging Issues

Analyze startup failures

docker ai "Why is my container exiting immediately?"

Debug build errors

docker ai "Fix this Docker build error" < error.log

Troubleshoot networking

docker ai "Why can't container1 connect to container2?"

Analyze logs

docker ai "Analyze these container logs for issues" < logs.txt

Image Optimization

Reduce image size

docker ai "Make this Dockerfile produce a smaller image"

Optimize layer caching

docker ai "Optimize layer caching in this Dockerfile"

Security scan

docker ai "Scan this image for security vulnerabilities" todo-backend:latest

Best practices review

docker ai "Review this Dockerfile for security best practices"

Multi-Service Orchestration

Generate compose file

docker ai "Create docker-compose for Next.js frontend, FastAPI backend, PostgreSQL"

Add health checks

docker ai "Add health checks to this docker-compose file"

Configure networking

docker ai "Set up bridge networking for these 3 containers"

Gordon Examples for Todo Project

Frontend Dockerfile Generation

Ask Gordon to create Next.js Dockerfile

docker ai "Create a production-ready Dockerfile for Next.js 16 with TypeScript, using multi-stage build, with nginx or standalone server"

Expected output from Gordon:

Gordon will generate optimized Dockerfile

Review and save to frontend/Dockerfile

Backend Dockerfile Generation

docker ai "Create a multi-stage Dockerfile for FastAPI with Python 3.13, SQLModel, and OpenAI dependencies"

MCP Server Dockerfile

docker ai "Create a minimal Dockerfile for Python FastMCP server with minimal dependencies"

Docker Compose Generation

docker ai "Create a docker-compose.yml file for:

Frontend: Next.js on port 3000
Backend: FastAPI on port 8000
MCP Server: Python on port 8001
Network: todo-network
Health checks for all services
Environment variables from .env file"

Debug Build Issues

If build fails, paste the error

docker ai "I'm getting this error when building: Error: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'fastapi' How do I fix this?"

Or redirect error file

docker ai "Fix the errors in this build log" < build-error.log

Gordon Limitations

Limitation Notes

Cloud-only features Some features require Docker Desktop Pro/Team

Context awareness Gordon has limited context of your project structure

Complex networking May struggle with advanced networking scenarios

Security scanning Basic scanning only - use dedicated tools for production

Gordon vs Manual Docker

Task Gordon Manual Docker

Simple Dockerfile Faster, optimized More control

Debugging Excellent - analyzes context Requires manual investigation

Learning Great for learning Requires documentation

Production-ready Good, but review manually Full control

Custom requirements May need manual edit Full control

Best Practices with Gordon

Always review output - Gordon generates good code, but review before saving
Iterative refinement - Use follow-up prompts to refine Gordon's output
Test locally - Always test Dockerfiles generated by Gordon
Version control - Save Gordon's suggestions and iterate
Learn from Gordon - Understand why Gordon suggests certain patterns

Integration with Other Skills

Combine Gordon with:

@docker-containerization-builder - Use Gordon for Dockerfile, agent for full setup
@devops-kubernetes-builder - Gordon helps debug K8s container issues
@aiops-helm-builder - Use Gordon for chart image optimization

Gordon Troubleshooting

Issue Fix

Gordon not available Update Docker Desktop to 4.53+

"Beta features" missing Sign out and sign in to Docker Desktop

Gordon gives errors Check Docker Desktop logs, try reinstall

Limited functionality Check Docker subscription tier

Example Gordon Workflows

Workflow 1: Generate Dockerfile

Step 1: Ask Gordon

docker ai "Create Dockerfile for Next.js with TypeScript and Tailwind CSS"

Step 2: Save output to file

Copy Gordon's response to Dockerfile

Step 3: Build and test

docker build -t test-image . docker run --rm test-image

Workflow 2: Debug Container Issue

Step 1: Get container logs

docker logs <container-name> > logs.txt

Step 2: Ask Gordon

docker ai "Analyze this log file and tell me what's wrong" < logs.txt

Step 3: Apply fix

Update Dockerfile or code based on Gordon's suggestion

Step 4: Rebuild and test

docker build -t fixed-image . docker run --rm fixed-image

Workflow 3: Optimize Production Image

Step 1: Build initial image

docker build -t todo-backend:latest ./backend

Step 2: Check size

docker images todo-backend

Step 3: Ask Gordon to optimize

docker ai "Reduce the size of this Dockerfile while maintaining all functionality" < backend/Dockerfile

Step 4: Compare

docker build -t todo-backend:optimized ./backend docker images | grep todo-backend

Verification Checklist

After using Gordon:

Gordon output reviewed and understood
Generated files are saved with correct names
Dockerfiles build without errors
Containers start and run correctly
Health checks pass
Services can communicate
Image size is reasonable
Security scan shows no critical vulnerabilities

Next Steps

After successful Docker setup with Gordon:

Test with docker-compose up -d
Load images to Minikube
Deploy with Kubernetes manifests
Convert to Helm charts

References

Docker AI Documentation
Docker Desktop Release Notes
Docker Best Practices
Phase 4 Constitution
Phase 4 Plan