Docker Encyclopedia

Docker documentation-first workflow for Docker-specific questions, troubleshooting, command planning, image/build work, container/runtime operations, Compose...

Security Scan

The skill's requested artifacts and instructions match its stated purpose (docs-first Docker helper); included scripts are narrowly scoped to caching docs and initializing a local workspace and do not request unrelated credentials or network endpoints.

Purpose & Capability

Name/description describe a docs-first Docker helper and the skill only includes tooling to fetch/cache docs and create a local .Docker-Encyclopedia workspace. No unrelated binaries, env vars, or services are requested.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md stays focused on Docker docs, caching, and recording local observations. It does advise 'inspect live environment state' for live work (appropriate for an operational Docker helper) — this implies the agent may read Docker runtime state or run docker commands when invoked, which is expected but high-sensitivity; the instructions explicitly caution about high-impact operations and to consult docs first.

Install Mechanism

No install spec; two small Python scripts are included. They are local, simple, and don't download or execute external code beyond fetching docs from docs.docker.com when used.

Credentials

No required environment variables, credentials, or config paths are declared. The workspace and cache are written under .Docker-Encyclopedia in the current working directory, which is proportional to the documented functionality.

Persistence & Privilege

Skill is not always-enabled and uses default autonomous invocation. It only writes to its own workspace (.Docker-Encyclopedia) via provided scripts and does not alter other skills or system-wide agent settings.

Assessment

This skill appears coherent and limited to caching Docker docs and helping with Docker tasks. Before installing, note: (1) the skill will create and write files under a .Docker-Encyclopedia directory in the agent's working directory — avoid storing secrets there; (2) when used for live operations the agent may run docker CLI commands or inspect Docker runtime state — review any proposed commands before allowing execution, especially pruning or daemon/config changes; (3) the cache script only fetches from https://docs.docker.com and enforces URL restrictions, but you should still review the scripts to satisfy your own security posture. If you want extra caution, run the scripts manually in an isolated workspace and grant the agent access only when needed.

Overview

Use a docs-first workflow for Docker work. Prefer the official Docker documentation at https://docs.docker.com/, consult cached local copies under .Docker-Encyclopedia/ before re-fetching, and record useful official-doc excerpts plus environment-specific operational learnings so future work gets faster and safer.

This skill is for the Docker product/runtime layer. It should trigger for real Docker behavior, configuration, build/runtime, and operational questions — not for generic Linux admin work, generic container theory, or generic orchestration talk where Docker-specific semantics are not the real issue.

Workflow

1. Classify the task

   • Decide whether the task is a Docker question, troubleshooting task, command-planning task, image/build task, Compose review, runtime review, or live operational task.
   • Use this skill when the request is specifically about Docker product behavior, Docker CLI semantics, Docker build/runtime behavior, Docker Compose behavior, image/container lifecycle, or Docker-specific networking/storage/registry details.
   • Do not use this skill for generic shell work, generic Linux admin, generic OCI/container theory, or Kubernetes questions unless the Docker layer is specifically in play.

2. Check local cache first

   • Use .Docker-Encyclopedia/ as the local knowledge/cache root.
   • Check these locations first when relevant:
     • .Docker-Encyclopedia/docs/docs.docker.com/...
     • .Docker-Encyclopedia/notes/components/...
     • .Docker-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/...
     • .Docker-Encyclopedia/inventory/...
   • If a cached page or note already answers the question well enough, use it.

3. Consult official Docker docs before answering or touching the system

   • Before answering direct or indirect Docker questions that depend on command syntax, feature boundaries, configuration semantics, builder/runtime behavior, storage/network semantics, or version-sensitive details, consult the official docs unless the answer is already well-supported by the local cache.
   • Before performing direct Docker CLI or configuration work, consult the relevant docs first when:
     • the exact command path matters
     • build/runtime semantics are easy to misremember
     • the action could affect running containers, images, volumes, networks, registries, credentials, or host reachability
   • Do not improvise high-impact Docker commands or config changes from memory when the docs are easy to check.

4. Cache consulted docs locally

   • When you consult a Docker docs page, save a normalized markdown/text cache copy under .Docker-Encyclopedia/docs/docs.docker.com/....
   • Mirror the official docs path structure as much as practical.
   • Cache only pages actually consulted; do not try to mirror the whole docs site eagerly.
   • Use scripts/cache_doc.py when appropriate.

5. Separate official documentation from local observations

   • Store official-doc-derived material under .Docker-Encyclopedia/docs/....
   • Store environment-specific operational knowledge under:
     • .Docker-Encyclopedia/notes/components/
     • .Docker-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/
     • .Docker-Encyclopedia/inventory/
   • Distinguish clearly between:
     • official documented behavior
     • observed local configuration/state
     • inferred best-practice guidance

6. Record useful local learnings

   • After useful live work, save durable notes such as:
     • host-specific Docker layout and runtime conventions
     • recurring build/runtime/debugging patterns
     • image/registry/credential-helper gotchas
     • Compose/deployment conventions
     • safe/unsafe operational boundaries for the environment
   • Prefer concise durable notes over re-learning the same Docker details later.

Live Work Rules

• Treat official Docker docs lookup as the default preflight for non-trivial Docker work.
• Prefer read/inspect first when entering a Docker area you have not recently reviewed.
• Treat image pruning, volume/network changes, Compose deployments, builder/registry config, daemon config, and credential-handling paths as high-sensitivity areas.
• When uncertainty remains after checking cache + docs, say so and avoid bluffing.
• When answering a question, mention when useful whether the answer comes from cached official docs, a fresh official docs lookup, or live observed environment state.

Data Root

Use this workspace-local root for cache and notes:

• .Docker-Encyclopedia/

Expected structure:

• .Docker-Encyclopedia/docs/docs.docker.com/...
• .Docker-Encyclopedia/notes/components/...
• .Docker-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/...
• .Docker-Encyclopedia/inventory/...

Use scripts/init_workspace.py to create or repair the expected directory structure.

Note Destinations

• Component-specific observations → .Docker-Encyclopedia/notes/components/<component-name>.md
• Reusable Docker patterns/gotchas → .Docker-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/<topic>.md
• Environment-wide deployment/access info → .Docker-Encyclopedia/inventory/*.md
• Cached official docs → .Docker-Encyclopedia/docs/docs.docker.com/...

Secrets / Sensitive Data

• Do not store plaintext credentials, API keys, session tokens, private URLs, recovery codes, or other secrets in the encyclopedia notes/inventory tree.
• If a note needs to mention access details, keep it high-level and redact or omit secret material.
• Treat these workspace notes as operational memory, not as a secrets vault.

Resources

• scripts/init_workspace.py — create or repair the .Docker-Encyclopedia/ directory tree.
• scripts/cache_doc.py — fetch and cache a consulted official Docker docs page under .Docker-Encyclopedia/docs/....
• references/workflow.md — detailed operating workflow and evidence-handling rules.
• references/cache-layout.md — canonical .Docker-Encyclopedia/ directory structure.
• references/topic-map.md — useful Docker topic groupings for faster doc lookup.

Good Outcomes

• Answer a Docker question using cached or freshly checked official docs instead of guesswork.
• Inspect a live Docker environment after checking the relevant docs and record any new local operational knowledge.
• Build a growing local Docker knowledge cache that makes later work faster, safer, and more grounded.
• Turn one-off Docker discoveries into durable notes so future work does not rediscover them from scratch.

Avoid

• Answering Docker-specific questions purely from memory when docs are easy to consult.
• Treating local observed behavior as if it were guaranteed official documented behavior.
• Dumping large amounts of low-value docs into the workspace without a reason.
• Writing component-specific observations into the official-doc cache tree.
• Making high-impact live changes before checking the relevant docs when exact behavior matters.