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Docker Tar

Download Docker Images as Tar Files - No Docker Required

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🚀 What is Docker Tar?

Docker Tar solves a fundamental problem: downloading Docker images without having Docker installed. Whether you're on a restricted network, working on a machine without Docker, or need to distribute images offline, Docker Tar provides a simple web interface to download any public Docker image as a tar file.

✨ Key Features

• 🔍 Smart Search - Search through millions of Docker Hub images with intelligent autocomplete
• 🏷️ Complete Tag Support - Browse and select from all available image tags
• ⚡ Instant Downloads - Download and stream images directly to your browser as tar files
• 🎯 No Installation Required - Works entirely through your web browser
• 🔒 Secure & Clean - Images are automatically cleaned up after download
• 📱 Responsive Design - Works seamlessly on desktop and mobile devices

🖥️ Screenshots

Smart Image Search

Search millions of Docker Hub images with autocomplete — logos, verified/official badges, pull counts and last-updated times

Tag Selection

Browse every tag for an image, with fast filtering and incremental loading of large tag lists

Download in Progress

Real-time feedback while the image is pulled and streamed to your browser as a tar

Success State

Your tar file is ready for use

🏗️ Architecture

Docker Tar is built with modern web technologies for optimal performance and reliability:

Frontend

• React 18 - Modern, responsive user interface
• Turnstone - Intelligent search with autocomplete
• Tailwind CSS - Clean, professional styling
• Ant Design - Polished UI components

Backend

• FastAPI - High-performance Python web framework
• Docker SDK - Direct integration with Docker engine

Infrastructure

• Nginx - Reverse proxy for the the DockerHub API (Crucial for bypassing CORS), and also for the backend and frontend.

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8+
• Node.js 16+
• Docker Engine
• Nginx (for production)

One-Click Local Run (macOS)

The fastest way to run the whole stack (backend + frontend + nginx) locally:

1. Make sure Docker Desktop is installed and Homebrew is available.
2. Double-click run-local.command in Finder (or run ./run-local.command).

It automatically:

• installs nginx via Homebrew on first run (if missing),
• creates a Python venv and installs backend dependencies,
• installs frontend dependencies (if needed),
• writes front-end/.env.local pointing the app at the local nginx,
• starts the backend (:8080), frontend (:3000) and nginx (:8081),
• opens the app at http://localhost:8081.

Press Ctrl+C in the window, or double-click stop-local.command, to stop everything. Logs and generated files live in .local-run/ (gitignored). nginx runs on port 8081 (not 80) so no sudo/password is ever required; change NGINX_PORT at the top of run-local.command if that port is taken.

Development Setup (manual)

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/docker-tar.git
   cd docker-tar

2. Start the backend

   cd back-end
   pip install -r requirements.txt
   python app.py

   • you might need to start it within wsl, if running docker desktop on windows with wsl.

3. Start the frontend

   cd front-end
   npm install
   npm start

   Configuring URLs (run locally): All external URLs live in front-end/src/config.js and are driven by environment variables. To point the app at a local backend instead of production, copy the template and edit it:

   cp .env.example .env.local
   # then set, e.g.:
   #   REACT_APP_BACKEND_URL=http://localhost:8080
   #   REACT_APP_DOCKERHUB_PROXY_URL=http://localhost:8080

   Restart npm start after changing env values. Unset values fall back to the production host (https://dockertar.zapto.org).

4. Open your browser

   http://localhost:3000
   

Production Deployment

For production deployment, configure Nginx as a reverse proxy to the backend, Dockerhub API and frontend services.

📡 API Reference

Download Image Tar

GET /install/image-tar?image_name={name}&image_tag={tag}

Parameters:

• image_name (required) - Docker image name (e.g., nginx, ubuntu)
• image_tag (required) - Image tag (may be empty)

Response:

• Content-Type: application/x-tar
• Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="{image_name}.tar"
• Body: Streaming tar file data

Example:

curl -O "https://dockertar.zapto.org/install?image_name=nginx&image_tag=alpine"

🛠️ Development

Project Structure

docker-tar/
├── back-end/          # FastAPI server
│   ├── app.py         # Main application
│   └── requirements.txt
├── front-end/         # React application  
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── App.js     # Main component
│   │   └── components/
│   └── package.json
└── CLAUDE.md          # Technical documentation

Available Scripts

Frontend:

npm start          # Development server
npm run build      # Production build
npm run build:css  # Build Tailwind CSS

Backend:

python app.py      # Start FastAPI server

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Development Guidelines

• Follow existing code style and conventions
• Add tests for new features
• Update documentation as needed
• Ensure all tests pass before submitting

📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

📞 Support

• Live Production Website: dockertar.zapto.org
• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Feedback: Google Form

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Made with ❤️ for the Docker community

⭐ Star this repo if you find it useful!