install-packages¶

Install packages and create a reusable image.

Description¶

The install-packages prompt provides instructions for installing packages in a container and tagging the result for future reuse. It follows the prepare-and-tag pattern.

Parameters¶

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`packages`	string	Yes	-	Packages to install (space-separated)
`image`	string	No	`python:3.11-slim`	Base image to use

Generated Instructions¶

When invoked with:

{
  "packages": "flask gunicorn",
  "image": "python:3.11-slim"
}

Returns:

Install packages in a container:

1. Check if base image `tag:python:3.11-slim` exists with `list_images`
2. If not, import it with `import_image`
3. Run `pip install flask gunicorn` with `disposable=false` to save the image
4. Tag the result for reuse (e.g., `claude/common/python/custom-deps:3.11`)

The returned `result_image` can be used for subsequent commands.

Example Usage¶

Python Packages¶

{
  "prompt": "install-packages",
  "args": {
    "packages": "numpy pandas matplotlib scikit-learn"
  }
}

Web Framework Stack¶

{
  "prompt": "install-packages",
  "args": {
    "packages": "fastapi uvicorn sqlalchemy alembic"
  }
}

System Packages¶

For system packages, use a different base image and package manager:

{
  "prompt": "install-packages",
  "args": {
    "packages": "curl wget git",
    "image": "ubuntu:22.04"
  }
}

Note: For Ubuntu, the agent should adapt to use apt install instead of pip install.

Implementation Notes¶

The agent should:

Check if base image exists with list_images
Import if needed with import_image

Install packages with run:

{
  "command": "pip install <packages>",
  "image": "tag:<base_image>",
  "disposable": false
}

Tag the result with set_tag:

{
  "image_uuid": "<result_image>",
  "tag": "common/<purpose>/<base_image>"
}