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Dockerfile has no stages to build.
PropertyValue
SeverityError
CategoryCorrectness
DefaultEnabled
TypeFail-fast syntax check (exit code 4)

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Description

Every Dockerfile must contain at least one FROM instruction to define a build stage. A file with only ARG, RUN, COPY, or other instructions but no FROM always fails at build time with: 
ERROR: dockerfile contains no stages to build
This check catches the problem before any other linting runs, aborting with exit code 4 (syntax error). Common causes:
  • A FROM line was accidentally deleted during a refactor
  • An AI-generated patch removed or failed to include a FROM instruction
  • A Dockerfile fragment was saved as a standalone file

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Examples

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Bad

# Missing FROM — no build stages defined
ARG VERSION=1.0
RUN apk add --no-cache curl
COPY . /app

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Good

ARG VERSION=1.0
FROM alpine:3.20
RUN apk add --no-cache curl
COPY . /app
  • hadolint/DL3061 detects non-ARG instructions that appear before the first FROM. When no FROM exists at all, tally/require-stages fires first and DL3061 is not reached.