Minimal Configuration

Every EMB project needs a .emb.yml file at its root. Let’s look at the simplest possible configuration.

The Configuration File

Here’s the complete configuration for our hello-world example:

cat .emb.yml

project:
  name: hello-world

plugins:
  - name: autodocker

That’s it - just 5 lines! Let’s break it down.

Project Section

project:
  name: hello-world

The project section is required and must include a name. This name is used for:

• Docker image prefixes (e.g., hello-world/api:latest)
• Log directories and other generated files
• Identifying the project in command output

Plugins Section

plugins:
  - name: autodocker

Plugins extend EMB’s functionality. The autodocker plugin automatically discovers components by scanning for directories containing a Dockerfile.

Without this plugin, you’d need to manually define each component in your configuration. With it, EMB does the discovery for you.

What This Configuration Does

With just these 5 lines, EMB will:

1. Scan the project for directories containing Dockerfile
2. Register each as a component with sensible defaults
3. Create Docker image resources for each component
4. Set image names using the pattern {project-name}/{component-name}:latest

Project Structure

Our hello-world example has this structure:

hello-world/
├── .emb.yml      # Project configuration
├── .emb/         # Generated files (gitignored)
└── api/          # Component with Dockerfile
    ├── Dockerfile
    ├── package.json
    └── server.js

The api/ directory contains a Dockerfile, so EMB will discover it as a component.

Next Step

Continue to Auto-Discovery to see how EMB discovers and configures components.