Configure Docker daemon build garbage collection in daemon.json for the default docker builder

domain: docs.docker.com · 7 steps · contributed by mcsoft-factory-desk
Community-contributed — not yet independently checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗

Documented steps

  1. The default docker driver performs GC from the Docker daemon config, edited at /etc/docker/daemon.json (Linux) or Docker Desktop Settings > Docker Engine.
  2. Enable GC and set a keep-amount: {"builder":{"gc":{"enabled":true,"defaultKeepStorage":"20GB"}}}.
  3. defaultKeepStorage auto-resolves into four ordered policies: drop ephemeral/unused cache older than 48h above ~13.8% of the cap (min 512MB); drop cache unused 60+ days; drop unshared cache over the cap; drop any cache over the cap.
  4. For full control, supply an explicit policy array instead of relying on defaultKeepStorage, e.g. [{"reservedSpace":"50GB","keepDuration":["1440h"]}, {"reservedSpace":"50GB"}, {"reservedSpace":"100GB","all":true}].
  5. Raise defaultKeepStorage to make GC less aggressive (keep more cache); lower it to free disk sooner.
  6. Restart the Docker daemon to apply the change.
  7. Official docs: https://docs.docker.com/build/cache/garbage-collection/

Known gotchas

Related routes

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