Hacking on rules_img

This guide provides instructions for developers working on rules_img.

Starlark (Bazel) Files

# Format all Bazel files (fix mode)
bazel run //util:buildifier.fix

# Check Bazel file formatting (test mode)
bazel test //util:buildifier.check

# Run Gazelle to update BUILD files
bazel run //util:gazelle

Building and Testing

Building Core Components

# Build all targets in the main rules_img module
bazel build //...

# Build all targets in the rules_img_tool module (Go binaries)
bazel build @rules_img_tool//...

# Build specific Go binaries from the rules_img_tool module
bazel build @rules_img_tool//cmd/img       # Main CLI tool
bazel build @rules_img_tool//cmd/registry  # CAS-integrated registry
bazel build @rules_img_tool//cmd/bes       # BES server
bazel build @rules_img_tool//pkg/...       # Go libraries

Running Tests

# Run all tests
bazel test //...

# Run tests with verbose output
bazel test --test_output=all //...

Integration Testing

Integration tests are available in the e2e/ directory:

# Run all integration tests
bazel test //e2e:integration_tests

# Run C++ integration tests
cd e2e/cc && bazel test //...

# Run Go integration tests
cd e2e/go && bazel test //...

# Test push functionality
cd e2e/go && bazel run //image:push

Development with Source-Built Tools

When developing rules_img, you can use a source-built version of the Go img tool instead of prebuilt binaries. This is useful for testing changes to the tool implementation or applying patches. The img tool now also provides the image-pulling functionality used by repository rules, so there is a single tool module (rules_img_tool) to override.

Setting Up Development Dependencies

Add a dependency on the tool module and register the source-built toolchain in your MODULE.bazel:

# Add a dependency on the tool module
bazel_dep(name = "rules_img_tool", version = "<version>", dev_dependency = True)

# Register source-built toolchain
register_toolchains(
    "@rules_img_tool//toolchain:all",
    dev_dependency = True,
)

Module Override Options

You can override the tool module using various Bazel module override mechanisms:

Local Development Override

For local development with modifications:

# Override with local directory
local_path_override(
    module_name = "rules_img_tool",
    path = "../img_tool",  # Path to your local checkout
)

Git Repository Override

For testing against a specific Git commit or branch:

# Override with Git repository
git_override(
    module_name = "rules_img_tool",
    remote = "https://github.com/your-fork/rules_img.git",
    strip_prefix = "img_tool",
    commit = "abc123def456",  # Specific commit
    # Or use: branch = "feature-branch"
)

Archive Override

For testing with a custom archive:

archive_override(
    module_name = "rules_img_tool",
    urls = ["https://github.com/your-fork/rules_img/archive/abc123def456.tar.gz"],
    integrity = "sha256-...",
    strip_prefix = "rules_img-abc123def456/img_tool",  # Note: includes img_tool subdirectory
)

Single Version Override with Patches

For applying patches to a specific version:

single_version_override(
    module_name = "rules_img_tool",
    patches = ["//patches:img_tool_performance.patch"],
    patch_strip = 2,  # For patches created from rules_img root (strips img_tool/ prefix)
)

Documentation

Generating API Documentation

# Generate/update all API docs
bazel run //docs:update

# Check if docs are up to date
bazel test //docs:all

Adding New Rules

When adding new public rules:

1. Create the rule in img/private/
2. Export it in the appropriate public .bzl file in img/
3. Add a bzl_library target in img/BUILD.bazel
4. Add documentation generation in docs/BUILD.bazel
5. Run bazel run //docs:update

Common Development Tasks

Adding a New Compression Algorithm

1. Implement the compressor in img_tool/pkg/compress/
2. Add it to the factory in img_tool/pkg/compress/factory.go
3. Update the compression attribute in img/private/layer.bzl
4. Add the option to img/settings/BUILD.bazel
5. Update documentation

Debugging

# Use Bazel's debugging features for rules
bazel build --sandbox_debug //target:name

# Debug Go binaries in the rules_img_tool module
bazel build --sandbox_debug @rules_img_tool//cmd/img

# Inspect action outputs
bazel aquery //target:name

# Run the img tool directly for debugging
bazel run @rules_img_tool//cmd/img -- --help

# Debug with verbose output
bazel run @rules_img_tool//cmd/img -- pull --help

Repository Structure

The repository uses a dual-module structure:

rules_img/                    # Main module - Bazel rules and extensions
├── img/                      # Public Bazel rules
│   └── private/              # Implementation details
├── docs/                     # Generated documentation
├── img_tool/                 # rules_img_tool module - Go code
│   ├── cmd/                  # Command-line tools
│   ├── pkg/                  # Go libraries
│   └── MODULE.bazel          # Separate Bazel module
└── e2e/                      # Integration tests and examples

Module Breakdown:

• rules_img (root): Contains Bazel rules, extensions, and public API
• rules_img_tool (src/): Contains Go binaries and libraries used by the rules

This separation allows for better dependency management and enables the Go tools to be distributed independently.

Troubleshooting

Bazel Cache Issues

# Clear Bazel cache
bazel clean --expunge

# Clear specific outputs
bazel clean

Go Module Issues

# Update go.mod and go.sum in the rules_img_tool module
(cd src && go mod tidy)

# Update Bazel's view of Go dependencies
bazel mod tidy

# Update all BUILD files
bazel run //util:gazelle

IDE Not Finding Dependencies

1. Ensure you're using the correct GOPACKAGESDRIVER
2. Run bazel build //... and bazel build @rules_img_tool//... to generate all outputs
3. Make sure your IDE is pointed at the src/ directory for Go development
4. Restart your IDE/language server

Getting Help

• Check existing issues on GitHub
• Read the API documentation
• Review examples in benchmark/examples/
• Ask questions in GitHub Discussions