.dockerignore

@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-.git
+# .git is sent without its config. Without a VERSION build argument the
+# stage that compiles runs `git describe --tags --always` on .git, which
+# does not need .git/config; that file can hold a credential, such as a
+# password in a remote URL or the token the CI checkout step stores there.
+.git/config
 .gitignore
 .DS_Store
 .env*

Dockerfile

@@ -43,12 +43,23 @@ COPY . .
 RUN make test
 
 # VERSION is declared here, not earlier: a new value reruns only the
-# build, not script/bootstrap or the tests. CGO stays enabled for
+# build, not script/bootstrap or the tests. Given none, the version is
-# govips; -trimpath keeps build paths out of the binary, and -s -w
+# `git describe --tags --always` of the .git in the build context (git
-# leave out the symbol table and debug information.
+# comes from script/bootstrap): the tag on a tagged commit, tag-N-gHASH
-ARG VERSION=dev
+# after one, the short commit when no tag is reachable. A context that
-RUN CGO_ENABLED=1 GOTOOLCHAIN=auto go build -trimpath \
+# carries .git and still yields no version fails the build; one without
-    -ldflags "-s -w -X main.Version=${VERSION}" \
+# .git, as from a source tarball, stamps an empty version. CGO stays
+# enabled for govips; -trimpath keeps build paths out of the binary, and
+# -s -w leave out the symbol table and debug information.
+ARG VERSION
+RUN version="${VERSION:-$(git describe --tags --always)}"; \
+    if [ -e .git ] && { [ -z "$version" ] || [ "$version" = dev ] || \
+        [ "$version" = unknown ]; }; then \
+        echo "the build context carries .git but yields no version" >&2; \
+        exit 1; \
+    fi; \
+    CGO_ENABLED=1 GOTOOLCHAIN=auto go build -trimpath \
+        -ldflags "-s -w -X main.Version=${version}" \
         -o /pixad ./cmd/pixad
 
 # Runtime stage

TODO.md

@@ -29,6 +29,13 @@ P2: security: referer blacklist
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-02 a plain `docker build .` stamps the tag or short commit, not
+  `dev` (closes #166): `.dockerignore` lets `.git` into the build context,
+  without `.git/config`; with no `VERSION` build argument the `Dockerfile`
+  takes the version from `git describe --tags --always`, and fails the build if
+  the context carries `.git` and no version comes out; `ARG VERSION` has no
+  default; pixad logs its version, with its name and architecture, as its first
+  log line at startup.
 - 2026-09-29 the container makes `/var/lib/pixa` usable by itself (closes
   #159): `deploy/docker-entrypoint.sh` creates the directory if it is missing,
   gives the directory and everything in it to `pixad` when the directory or one

cmd/pixad/main.go

@@ -56,6 +56,9 @@ func run(_ *cobra.Command, _ []string) {
 			middleware.New,
 			healthcheck.New,
 		),
-		fx.Invoke(func(*server.Server) {}),
+		fx.Invoke(
+			func(log *logger.Logger) { log.Identify() },
+			func(*server.Server) {},
+		),
 	).Run()
 }