Dynamic image building

Dynamic image building gives users the ability to build and share their own environments from the JupyterHub UI, powered by BinderHub.

When enabled, users can:

1. Provide a link to a GitHub repository

2. Wait for BinderHub to build an image from that repository

3. Launch their server with the freshly built image

Setup¶

Dynamic image building requires two components:

1. A BinderHub service configured in your JupyterHub

2. The dynamic_image_building flag enabled in your profile options

BinderHub service¶

Configure BinderHub as a JupyterHub service:

c.JupyterHub.services = [
    {
        "name": "binder",
        "url": "http://localhost:8585",
        "command": ["python", "-m", "binderhub", "-f", "binderhub_config.py"],
        "oauth_client_id": "service-binderhub",
        "oauth_no_confirm": True,
        "oauth_redirect_uri": "http://localhost:8585/oauth_callback",
    }
]

Profile configuration¶

Enable the dynamic_image_building flag in your profile’s image option:

"image": {
    "display_name": "Image",
    "dynamic_image_building": {"enabled": True},
    "choices": {},
    "unlisted_choice": {
        "enabled": True,
        "display_name": "Docker image",
        "display_name_in_choices": "Other...",
        "kubespawner_override": {"image": "{value}"},
    },
}

Example configurations¶

The repository includes working example configurations for local development:

• jupyterhub_config.py — shows how to configure BinderHub as a JupyterHub service and enable the dynamic_image_building flag

• binderhub_config.py — basic BinderHub configuration for local development

When to use this vs. the BinderHub UI¶

Use jupyterhub-fancy-profiles with BinderHub integration when you’re building a persistent JupyterHub with:

• Persistent home directories

• Multiple profile options

• Strong access control

• User authentication

Use the standard BinderHub UI when you’re building an ephemeral hub where:

• Users click a link for immediate, temporary access

• No persistent storage is needed

• Sessions are short-lived

• Anonymous or lightweight auth is sufficient