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Install node.js with multi-stage Dockerfile

My Dockerfile uses a multi-stage build pattern to optimize the final image size. The first stage uses the official Node.js slim image to build a temporary image with Node.js installed. The second stage uses a minimal Debian base image.

In the second stage, it avoids re-installing Node by selectively copying only the specific binaries and libraries needed to run Node.js from the temporary node image.

Specifically, it copies:

  • The node and npm binaries from /usr/local/bin/
  • The core Node.js libraries from /usr/local/lib/
  • The npm packages from /usr/local/lib/node_modules/
FROM node:current-slim as node


FROM debian:bookworm-slim


# Install Node
COPY --from=node /usr/local/bin/node /usr/local/bin/node
COPY --from=node /usr/local/include/node /usr/local/include/node
COPY --from=node /usr/local/lib/node_modules /usr/local/lib/node_modules


# Install yarn
COPY --from=node /opt/yarn-v*/bin/* /usr/local/bin/
COPY --from=node /opt/yarn-v*/lib/* /usr/local/lib/


# Link npm and yarn
RUN ln -vs /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npm-cli.js /usr/local/bin/npm \
    && ln -vs /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm/bin/npx-cli.js /usr/local/bin/npx


# install whatever you need e.g. git, php, curl, etc.