Start PowerShell Docker container with 3rd-party modules preloaded

[SergeySypalo]

Hi guys,
I'm trying to figure out how to start a PowerShell container with 3rd-party preloaded modules.
The Dockerfile is pretty simple:

# Use an existing docker image as a base 
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:preview

# Copy Cisco UCS Power Tools
COPY  ./ucspowertoolcore/Cisco.UCS.Core ./usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Cisco.UCS.Core
COPY  ./ucspowertoolcore/Cisco.UCSManager ./usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Cisco.UCSManager

But when I build the container and start it using: docker run -it ucs pwsh
And inside a container run Get-Module I didn't see loaded modules.
So why it's not picking up modules from the standard location or how I can update $Env:PSModulePath variable to include custom path or maybe you have better idea to get this done?

[RDIL]

Hey,
have you confirmed the COPY phase doesn't fail?

[SergeySypalo]

Yes, all files are in place.

[TravisEz13]

@SergeySypalo Can you share a repo with the code or the container?

Is this Linux or Windows?

[SergeySypalo]

Windows 10, build 18875.1000

[RDIL]

I think we’re going to need a little more information then that.

[TravisEz13]

@SergeySypalo Can you share a repo with the code or the container? Without a more complete example, I don't think I can help.

[TravisEz13]

@SergeySypalo Without your files, I've verified I cannot repro.

FROM mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:preview

#Example for https://github.com/PowerShell/PowerShell-Docker/issues/219

ADD https://www.powershellgallery.com/api/v2/package/Cisco.UCS.Core/2.5.1.6 /Cisco.UCS.Core.zip

SHELL ["pwsh", "-Command", "$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'; $ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue';"]

RUN Expand-Archive /Cisco.UCS.Core.zip /usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Cisco.UCS.Core

RUN Import-Module Cisco.UCS.Core -Verbose

result

Sending build context to Docker daemon   2.56kB
Step 1/5 : FROM mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:preview
preview: Pulling from powershell
898c46f3b1a1: Already exists
63366dfa0a50: Already exists
041d4cd74a92: Already exists
6e1bee0f8701: Already exists
5635dee7a8d5: Pull complete
cfa85aa7e56d: Pull complete
Digest: sha256:d7c68767c0937bb1546cd4b8eaa5e1b6dabe658b1deb2d920c07b71685b7d0e8
Status: Downloaded newer image for mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:preview
 ---> 7e00809c2a3a
Step 2/5 : ADD https://www.powershellgallery.com/api/v2/package/Cisco.UCS.Core/2.5.1.6 /Cisco.UCS.Core.zip
Downloading [==================================================>]  132.1kB/132.1kB

 ---> fa4d15d19935
Step 3/5 : SHELL ["pwsh", "-Command", "$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'; $ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue';"]
 ---> Running in c158ddb16d56
Removing intermediate container c158ddb16d56
 ---> 099d5d5e74a4
Step 4/5 : RUN Expand-Archive /Cisco.UCS.Core.zip /usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Cisco.UCS.Core
 ---> Running in b3671ffaead9
Removing intermediate container b3671ffaead9
 ---> 984314264686
Step 5/5 : RUN Import-Module Cisco.UCS.Core -Verbose
 ---> Running in 9f2da60390ac
VERBOSE: Loading module from path '/usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Cisco.UCS.Core/Cisco.UCS.Core.psd1'.
VERBOSE: Loading 'Assembly' from path '/usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Cisco.UCS.Core/Cisco.Ucs.Core.dll'.
VERBOSE: Loading 'Executable' from path '/usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Cisco.UCS.Core/Cisco.Ucs.Core.dll'.
VERBOSE: Loading module from path '/usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Cisco.UCS.Core/CoreAlias.psm1'.
VERBOSE: Importing alias 'Get-UcsOs'.
VERBOSE: Loading module from path '/usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Cisco.UCS.Core/Cisco.Ucs.Core.Cmdlets.dll'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Add-UcsHardwareProfile'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Get-UcsPowerToolCommunity'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Get-UcsHclAdvisoryTypes'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Get-UcsPowerToolConfiguration'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Set-UcsPowerToolConfiguration'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Get-UcsPSSession'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Export-UcsPSSession'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Get-UcsSoftwareImageList'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Get-UcsSoftwareImage'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Get-UcsHardwareProfile'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Get-UcsOsVendor'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Get-UcsOperatingSystem'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'New-UcsHardwareProfile'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Invoke-UcsHclUtility'.
VERBOSE: Exporting cmdlet 'Remove-UcsHardwareProfile'.
VERBOSE: Exporting alias 'Get-UcsOs'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Add-UcsHardwareProfile'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Export-UcsPSSession'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Get-UcsHardwareProfile'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Get-UcsHclAdvisoryTypes'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Get-UcsOperatingSystem'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Get-UcsOsVendor'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Get-UcsPowerToolCommunity'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Get-UcsPowerToolConfiguration'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Get-UcsPSSession'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Get-UcsSoftwareImage'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Get-UcsSoftwareImageList'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Invoke-UcsHclUtility'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'New-UcsHardwareProfile'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Remove-UcsHardwareProfile'.
VERBOSE: Importing cmdlet 'Set-UcsPowerToolConfiguration'.
VERBOSE: Importing alias 'Get-UcsOs'.
Removing intermediate container 9f2da60390ac
 ---> b1e88ba889e6
Successfully built b1e88ba889e6

[TravisEz13]

Oh, FYI, modules aren't loaded by default. It get modules that aren't yet loaded you have to run Get-Module -ListAvailable

To get the loaded modules, from in the container

Get-Module

These modules are loaded automatically

ModuleType Version    Name                                ExportedCommands
---------- -------    ----                                ----------------
Manifest   6.1.0.0    Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility        {Add-Member, Add-Type, Clear-Variable, Compare-Object…}
Script     2.0.0      PSReadLine                          {Get-PSReadLineKeyHandler, Get-PSReadLineOption, Remove-PSReadLineKeyHandler, …

To get all the modules, from in the container that start with Cisco

Get-Module -ListAvailable Cisco*

These are all the modules (in my container) that start with Cisco

    Directory: /usr/local/share/powershell/Modules

ModuleType Version    Name                                PSEdition ExportedCommands
---------- -------    ----                                --------- ----------------
Binary     2.5.1.6    Cisco.UCS.Core                      Desk

NOTE This module is marked as only being compatible with Windows PowerShell.

[SergeySypalo]

Hey Travis, you answered my first question, how to made 3rd-party modules being available, but not the main one, how to get this loaded.
I'm not interested in default PowerShell behavior, that's why I'm created this topic, I need not only Cisco UCS but also other modules (PowerCLI, NetApp, etc) to be loaded already when container starts, so engineers don't need to list available containers and import them one by one.
PowerShell for Windows is able to auto-load available modules, but tried with your solution, with PS Core this not the case, running Connect-Ucs command returned an error: Connect-Ucs : The term 'Connect-Ucs' is not recognized

[SergeySypalo]

Found this really interesting discussion: https://powershell.org/forums/topic/does-powershell-core-6-1-not-automatically-import-modules/

Created a file Start-UcsPowerTool.ps1 with just one line inside Import-Module Cisco.UCS.Core

# Use an existing docker image as a base 
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:preview

# Copy Cisco UCS Power Tools
COPY  ./ucspowertoolcore/Cisco.UCS.Core ./usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Cisco.UCS.Core
COPY  ./ucspowertoolcore/Cisco.UCSManager ./usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Cisco.UCSManager
COPY  ./ucspowertoolcore/Start-UcsPowerTool.ps1 ./startup/Start-UcsPowerTool.ps1

SHELL ["pwsh", "-Command", "$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'; $ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue';"]
RUN $profile="./startup/Start-UcsPowerTool.ps1"

No luck, after container start $profile still pointing to the same location:
/root/.config/powershell/Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1

But there is no such file...

[TravisEz13]

You would need to load the module in your session. Each run creates a new session. You cannot change $profile as it would not affect the next session.

[SergeySypalo]

I expected this, so changing $profile won't help, then I have to change file contents /root/.config/powershell/Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
to have a line Import-Module Cisco.UCS.UCSManager
So in theory when new PS session starts, when I run container, it would execute the command for me from the profile, but as there is no such file on the filesystem, is it a bug in PowerShell Core, or what is the point of pointing to nonexistent file in default profile?