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Use WORKDIR to switch to a directory.
PropertyValue
SeverityWarning
CategoryBest Practice
DefaultEnabled
Auto-fixYes (--fix)

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Description

Only use cd in a subshell. Most commands can work with absolute paths. Docker provides the WORKDIR instruction if you really need to change the current working directory. When executed in a subshell, cd only affects the single RUN instruction, not any subsequent instructions. This can be an advantage over WORKDIR which affects all subsequent instructions.

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Examples

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Problematic code

FROM busybox
RUN cd /usr/src/app && git clone git@github.com:lukasmartinelli/hadolint.git

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Correct code (with WORKDIR)

FROM busybox
WORKDIR /usr/src/app
RUN git clone git@github.com:lukasmartinelli/hadolint.git

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Correct code (with absolute paths)

FROM busybox
RUN cp somedir/somefile /usr/src/app/someDirInUsrSrcApp/

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Auto-fix

Splits RUN with cd into WORKDIR + RUN instructions. Removes redundant mkdir commands before cd targets. 
# Before
RUN cd /tmp && git clone ... && cd repo && make

# After (with --fix)
WORKDIR /tmp
RUN git clone ...
WORKDIR repo
RUN make

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Reference