Docker Jenkins Agent Node

A lightweight and extensible Docker image for running a Jenkins build agent over SSH. It creates a dedicated non-root user, sets up a secure SSH server, and is ready to be used as an SSH agent in Jenkins pipelines.

Features

• Creates dedicated jenkins user (with customizable UID/GID)
• Installs and configures openssh-server
• Allows injection of SSH public keys via environment variables or container arguments
• Automatically generates SSH host keys if missing
• Secure by default: disables root login and password authentication
• Easily extensible with tools like Node.js, npm, or Yarn

Getting Started

Build the Image

docker build -t jenkins-agent-node .

Run the Container

Using environment variable:

docker run -d \
  -e JENKINS_AGENT_SSH_PUBKEY="ssh-rsa AAAA..." \
  -p 2222:22 \
  jenkins-agent-node

Or pass the SSH public key as a parameter:

docker run -d \
  -p 2222:22 \
  jenkins-agent-node "ssh-rsa AAAA..."

Connect from Jenkins

In Jenkins:

• Host: IP or hostname of your Docker host
• Port: 2222 (or the mapped SSH port)
• Credentials: Use a matching SSH private key
• Remote root directory: /home/jenkins

Environment Variables

Variable	Description
JENKINS_AGENT_SSH_PUBKEY	SSH public key to authorize in the container
JENKINS_AGENT_HOME	Home directory for the Jenkins user
user, group	Username and group name (default: jenkins)
uid, gid	UID and GID of the user (default: 1000)

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.