Running Jenkins in Docker with Persistent Data

Sometimes you need a clean Jenkins instance to test plugins, major upgrades, or new pipeline ideas without touching an existing CI system. Running Jenkins in Docker is an easy way to create that environment quickly, and adding persistent storage means the instance can survive restarts while you iterate.

Quick Ephemeral Setup

For a fast disposable instance:

docker run -p 8080:8080 jenkins/jenkins:lts-jdk17

That is enough for short-lived testing, but any configuration changes will disappear when the container is removed.

Persistent Jenkins with Docker Compose

To keep configuration, jobs, and installed plugins between restarts, mount a persistent volume for jenkins_home:

services:
  jenkins:
    container_name: jenkins
    image: jenkins/jenkins:lts-jdk17
    ports:
      - '8080:8080'
      - '50000:50000'
    volumes:
      - 'jenkins_home:/var/jenkins_home'

volumes:
  jenkins_home:

Then start it with:

docker compose up -d

That gives you a persistent Jenkins instance that can be stopped and started without losing local configuration.

Extending Your Jenkins Image

Sometimes the test instance also needs extra tooling such as the AWS CLI or OpenTofu. Instead of installing those tools manually inside the running container, you can build a custom image on top of the Jenkins base image.

For example:

FROM jenkins/jenkins:lts-jdk17

USER root

RUN apt-get update && \
    apt-get install -y curl unzip python3 python3-pip && \
    pip3 install awscli && \
    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

USER jenkins

Build it locally:

docker build -t jenkins-local .

Then update your Compose file to use jenkins-local as the image.

Additional Considerations

• Security: If the instance is more than a local test, secure it properly before exposing it anywhere.
• Networking: Compose networks make it easy to connect Jenkins to other local services.
• Version control: Keep the Compose file and Dockerfile in Git so you can reproduce and evolve the environment cleanly.

Conclusion

Running Jenkins in Docker is a practical way to test changes without disturbing a shared CI environment. Adding persistent storage makes the instance much more useful for repeated trials, and a custom image lets you shape it around the tools your pipelines actually need.