devfile

name	devfile
description	Use when creating, modifying, or reviewing devfile/devfile.yaml files or devworkspace configurations (devfile.io v2.3.0)

Overview

A devfile is a YAML file defining containerized development environments — components, commands, events, and deployment flows. This skill covers the devfile v2.3.0 schema.

Schema reference: Read devfile-schema-reference.md when you need exact property names, types, defaults, or constraints.

Output format: Always output the full devfile YAML in a fenced code block. Add a brief explanation only for non-obvious choices.

Default Devfile

When starting from scratch, use this as the base:

schemaVersion: 2.3.0
metadata:
  name: devfile
components:
  - name: tools
    container:
      image: quay.io/devfile/universal-developer-image:latest

Language/Framework Requests

When asked about a devfile for a specific programming language or framework:

1. Fetch the registry index via WebFetch on https://registry.devfile.io/index — returns a JSON array of all stacks with name, language, projectType, tags, and description fields.
2. Pick the best match by language, framework, or tags.
3. Fetch the devfile via WebFetch on https://registry.devfile.io/devfiles/{name} — returns the raw devfile YAML.
4. Adapt the devfile to the user's needs (adjust image, add components, set resources).
5. Link to https://registry.devfile.io/devfiles/{name} as the source.

If no registry match exists, build the devfile from scratch using the default template and appropriate container image.

Guidelines

Container Component

• Include mountSources: true by default. Omit it only when the container uses dedicatedPod: true.
• For non-UDI images (anything other than quay.io/devfile/universal-developer-image), include command: ['sleep', 'infinity'] to keep the container alive for exec commands.

Volume Component

When adding a volume mount to a container, always create a matching volume component with the same name and size. For ephemeral volumes, add ephemeral: true.

Image Component

When adding an image component, add buildContext: ..

Variable Substitution Rules

Syntax: {{variable-name}}

Cannot substitute in:

• schemaVersion, metadata, parent source
• Element identifiers: command.id, component.name, endpoint.name, project.name
• References to identifiers: event bindings, exec.component, volumeMounts.name
• String enums: group.kind, endpoint.exposure

Undefined variables: Non-blocking warning (devfile still processed).

Reserved Environment Variables

These cannot be overridden via container env:

• $PROJECTS_ROOT — path where project sources are mounted (default /projects)
• $PROJECT_SOURCE — path to the default project source ($PROJECTS_ROOT/<project-name>)

Pod & Container Overrides

# Top-level pod overrides
attributes:
  pod-overrides:
    spec:
      __KUBERNETES_POD_SPEC_FIELDS_HERE__

# Component-level overrides
components:
  - name: tools
    attributes:
      container-overrides:
        __KUBERNETES_CONTAINER_FIELDS_HERE__
      pod-overrides:
        spec:
          __KUBERNETES_POD_SPEC_FIELDS_HERE__

Merge strategy: devfile-level pod-overrides are applied first, then component-level, using Strategic Merge Patch.

Override Type	Restricted Properties
container-overrides	image, name, ports, env, volumeMounts, command, args
pod-overrides	containers, initContainers, volumes