FEniCSx Environment Setup with Docker Desktop (Windows Direct)

FEniCSx Environment Setup with Docker Desktop (Windows Direct)#

This repository offers a robust and portable solution for running FEniCSx simulations directly on Windows using a Docker container. This approach ensures a clean, isolated, and consistent environment, eliminating dependency conflicts with the host operating system.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All .bat files in this repository are designed to be run exclusively from the Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell. This setup relies on a correctly installed and running instance of Docker Desktop (using either the Windows native backend or WSL2 integration) to function.

Performance and Isolation#

This configuration focuses on providing a reproducible and isolated execution environment. By leveraging Docker, FEniCSx and all its dependencies are contained within the image, guaranteeing that simulations run consistently regardless of local system changes.

Directory Structure#

The following tree represents the structure of the project folder. The presence of the src directory allows for the integration of custom Python libraries into the Docker image build process.

Windows_docker_installer/
├── FEniCSx_AGGREGATE.bat               # Run Test.py (or Main.py) if image exists.
├── FEniCSx_docker_-0-9-0_delete_image.bat # Uninstall/delete the custom FEniCSx image.
├── FEniCSx_docker_0-9-0.bat            # Build and verify the FEniCSx image.
├── Interactive_FEniCSx_0-9-0.bat       # Launch an interactive shell in the container.
├── Test.py                             # Example script to run.
└── src
    ├── pyproject.toml                  # Configuration for custom Python packages.
    └── src
        └── MLacour_fenicsx             # Custom FEniCSx library package source.
            ├── Mesh_Bio.py
            ├── Operators.py
            ├── Retrieve_and_plot.py
            └── __init__.py

Key Features#

  • Custom Image Build: The setup automatically builds a custom Docker image (fenicsx:v0.9.0) based on the official FEniCSx base image.

  • Custom Package Integration: The contents of the src folder, including the custom Python library (MLacour_fenicsx) defined in src/pyproject.toml, are automatically integrated and installed into the Docker image during the build process, ensuring all project dependencies are met.

  • Simplified Launchers: Provides dedicated batch files for common tasks: building the image, launching an interactive shell, running a specific script, and cleaning up the environment.

  • Direct Windows Interaction: Utilizes Docker Desktop’s native integration, allowing scripts to be run and file systems to be mounted directly from Windows file paths (C:\...).

Installation#

The installation process primarily involves building the custom Docker image.

  1. Preparation: Ensure Docker Desktop is installed and running on your Windows machine.

  2. Build Image: Execute the build script from the repository’s root folder:

    FEniCSx_docker_0-9-0.bat

    This script will:

    • Start Docker Desktop if it is not running.

    • Generate a Dockerfile (if necessary) and build the custom image (fenicsx:v0.9.0).

    • Test the image by checking the dolfinx version.

  3. Completion: Upon a successful build, the image is ready for use. The script may optionally run the Test.py script if it is present.

Usage#

All usage scenarios require Docker Desktop to be running. The batch files automatically mount your current working directory (the directory you run the batch file from) to /home/fenicsx/shared inside the container.

1. Interactive Shell#

Use this to open a bash prompt directly inside the FEniCSx container. This is useful for debugging, installing temporary packages, or using other Linux tools.

Interactive_FEniCSx_0-9-0.bat

2. Run Single Script (Build/Verify)#

The build script can also be used to run a test script (Test.py or Main.py) in the current directory after building the image.

FEniCSx_docker_0-9-0.bat

3. Aggregate Run (Non-Interactive Execution)#

Use the aggregate launcher to quickly execute a primary script (e.g., Main.py or Test.py) non-interactively, assuming the Docker image already exists. This is ideal for production runs.

FEniCSx_AGGREGATE.bat

Uninstallation#

To remove the FEniCSx Docker image and free up disk space:

  1. Run Uninstaller: Execute the deletion batch file:

    FEniCSx_docker_-0-9-0_delete_image.bat

    This script will stop and remove any containers currently running from the image before deleting the image itself (fenicsx:v0.9.0).

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