How Can I Speed Up Docker Debugging?

I've faced the same struggle! I have one old server with HDDs which is sooo slow for rebuilding, while another with SSDs is a bit faster but still takes around a minute. What worked for me was using 'docker watch': it automatically rebuilds and restarts the containers as soon as there’s a change in the source files. So I save my work in the IDE, and while Docker does its thing, I can keep working on the next fix.

You can also debug within the running container by using 'exec bash' or 'exec sh'. This lets you troubleshoot without having to rebuild immediately. Understanding more about how Docker operates can really help streamline your workflow, so it’s definitely worth investing some time in learning.

You might want to look into layers and caching in Docker. If you separate the part that's not working into its own layer, the build process can use the cache for the other layers, making the rebuilds much quicker. Once you have your setup working, you can optimize your layers again for efficiency.

Try mounting your code directory directly in the container through the compose file. This way, when you relaunch the container, your changes are already there without needing a full rebuild. Just make sure to manage copying files correctly when it comes time to distribute or publish your work.