buildx/docs/reference/buildx_create.md

# buildx create

```
Usage:  docker buildx create [OPTIONS] [CONTEXT|ENDPOINT]

Create a new builder instance

Options:
      --append                   Append a node to builder instead of changing it
      --builder string           Override the configured builder instance
      --buildkitd-flags string   Flags for buildkitd daemon
      --config string            BuildKit config file
      --driver string            Driver to use (available: [docker docker-container kubernetes])
      --driver-opt stringArray   Options for the driver
      --leave                    Remove a node from builder instead of changing it
      --name string              Builder instance name
      --node string              Create/modify node with given name
      --platform stringArray     Fixed platforms for current node
      --use                      Set the current builder instance
```

## Description

Create makes a new builder instance pointing to a docker context or endpoint,
where context is the name of a context from `docker context ls` and endpoint is
the address for docker socket (eg. `DOCKER_HOST` value).

By default, the current docker configuration is used for determining the
context/endpoint value.

Builder instances are isolated environments where builds can be invoked. All
docker contexts also get the default builder instance.

## Examples

### Append a new node to an existing builder (--append)

The `--append` flag changes the action of the command to append a new node to an
existing builder specified by `--name`. Buildx will choose an appropriate node
for a build based on the platforms it supports.

**Examples**

```console
$ docker buildx create mycontext1
eager_beaver

$ docker buildx create --name eager_beaver --append mycontext2
eager_beaver
```

### Specify options for the buildkitd daemon (--buildkitd-flags)

```
--buildkitd-flags FLAGS
```

Adds flags when starting the buildkitd daemon. They take precedence over the
configuration file specified by [`--config`](#--config-file). See `buildkitd --help`
for the available flags.

**Example**

```
--buildkitd-flags '--debug --debugaddr 0.0.0.0:6666'
```

### Specify a configuration file for the buildkitd daemon (--config)

```
--config FILE
```

Specifies the configuration file for the buildkitd daemon to use. The configuration
can be overridden by [`--buildkitd-flags`](#--buildkitd-flags-flags).
See an [example buildkitd configuration file](https://github.com/moby/buildkit/blob/master/docs/buildkitd.toml.md).

### Set the builder driver to use (--driver)

```
--driver DRIVER
```

Sets the builder driver to be used. There are two available drivers, each have
their own specificities.

- `docker` - Uses the builder that is built into the docker daemon. With this
  driver, the [`--load`](buildx_build.md#--load) flag is implied by default on
  `buildx build`. However, building multi-platform images or exporting cache is
  not currently supported.
- `docker-container` - Uses a buildkit container that will be spawned via docker.
  With this driver, both building multi-platform images and exporting cache are
  supported. However, images built will not automatically appear in `docker images`
  (see [`build --load`](buildx_build.md#--load)).
- `kubernetes` - Uses a kubernetes pods. With this driver, you can spin up pods
  with defined buildkit container image to build your images.


### Set additional driver-specific options (--driver-opt)

```
--driver-opt OPTIONS
```

Passes additional driver-specific options. Details for each driver:

- `docker` - No driver options
- `docker-container`
    - `image=IMAGE` - Sets the container image to be used for running buildkit.
    - `network=NETMODE` - Sets the network mode for running the buildkit container.
    - Example:

      ```console
      --driver docker-container --driver-opt image=moby/buildkit:master,network=host
      ```
- `kubernetes`
    - `image=IMAGE` - Sets the container image to be used for running buildkit.
    - `namespace=NS` - Sets the Kubernetes namespace. Defaults to the current namespace.
    - `replicas=N` - Sets the number of `Pod` replicas. Defaults to 1.
    - `nodeselector="label1=value1,label2=value2"` - Sets the kv of `Pod` nodeSelector. No Defaults. Example `nodeselector=kubernetes.io/arch=arm64`
    - `rootless=(true|false)` - Run the container as a non-root user without `securityContext.privileged`. [Using Ubuntu host kernel is recommended](https://github.com/moby/buildkit/blob/master/docs/rootless.md). Defaults to false.
    - `loadbalance=(sticky|random)` - Load-balancing strategy. If set to "sticky", the pod is chosen using the hash of the context path. Defaults to "sticky"

### Remove a node from a builder (--leave)

The `--leave` flag changes the action of the command to remove a node from a
builder. The builder needs to be specified with `--name` and node that is removed
is set with `--node`.

**Examples**

```console
$ docker buildx create --name mybuilder --node mybuilder0 --leave
```

### Specify the name of the builder (--name)

```
--name NAME
```

The `--name` flag specifies the name of the builder to be created or modified.
If none is specified, one will be automatically generated.

### Specify the name of the node (--node)

```
--node NODE
```

The `--node` flag specifies the name of the node to be created or modified. If
none is specified, it is the name of the builder it belongs to, with an index
number suffix.

### Set the platforms supported by the node

```
--platform PLATFORMS
```

The `--platform` flag sets the platforms supported by the node. It expects a
comma-separated list of platforms of the form OS/architecture/variant. The node
will also automatically detect the platforms it supports, but manual values take
priority over the detected ones and can be used when multiple nodes support
building for the same platform.

**Examples**

```console
$ docker buildx create --platform linux/amd64
$ docker buildx create --platform linux/arm64,linux/arm/v8
```

### Automatically switch to the newly created builder

The `--use` flag automatically switches the current builder to the newly created
one. Equivalent to running `docker buildx use $(docker buildx create ...)`.