Best Java Dockerfile Practices for Smaller Images [2025 Guide]

In this video, I’ll show you how to make your Java Docker images 5 TIMES SMALLER. You’ll see the full process, from a heavy 587MB container to a lean 116MB image, ready for production. We’ll explore lightweight base images, multi-stage builds, jlink, Docker Slim, and pro tips for building efficient containers. 00:00 Docker Image Size Problem Explained 00:21 Why Docker Images Get Huge 00:51 Best Practices for Small Docker Images 01:07 Stop Using openjdk:latest 01:50 Best Linux Distros for Cloud Containers 03:43 Clean Your Dockerfile 06:00 Multi-Stage Builds for Smaller Images 07:20 How to Use Docker Slim 08:16 Minimal JRE with jlink 09:21 Combining jlink with Docker Slim 09:44 Common Mistakes When Reducing Image Size 10:52 5x Smaller Java Docker Image: Final Result