Compiling and Creating locBLAST Image using Docker

locBLAST is a PHP library that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for the command-line NCBI BLAST+ programs. The official Docker image of locBLAST is available on Docker Hub.

💿 Using NCBI Docker Images for Web BLAST

The most straightforward way to run a web-based BLAST service with Docker is to use a pre-built image provided by the NCBI:

• NCBI BLAST+ Command Line Tools: The NCBI provides official Docker images for the standalone command-line BLAST+ suite, which can be found on their GitHub page and Docker Hub.
• Latest version: The ncbi/blast:latest tag generally points to the most recent stable release.
• Specific versions: You can specify a particular version, e.g., ncbi/blast:2.14.1, to ensure reproducibility.

🛠️ Setting up locBLAST in a Docker Environment

To use locBLAST, you would need to deploy it within a web server environment that also has access to the NCBI BLAST+ binaries. locBLAST requires a web server (like Apache or Nginx) with PHP support, the standalone NCBI BLAST+ suite, and the locBLAST library files.

To run locBLAST in a Docker container, you would typically need to:

1. Install Docker: Ensure you have Docker Hub installed on your system.
2. Set up a Dockerfile: Create a Dockerfile that sets up a suitable base image (e.g., an Apache/PHP image).
3. Install dependencies: The Dockerfile must include steps to install the NCBI BLAST+ executables (downloadable from the NCBI FTP server) and the locBLAST PHP library files from GitHub.
4. Configure permissions: Ensure the correct file permissions are set for the locBLAST folder within the container, often requiring a command like sudo chmod -R 777 locBLAST during setup. (Optional)

This process requires some expertise in Docker and web server configuration. The linked GitHub repositories provide documentation that may assist you in building a custom image.