Issues with Julia 1.12.2 Docker with GAP.jl

RYB
Mon, 15 Dec 2025 08:07:29 +0000
New to Julia

Hello, I’m relatively new to Docker and Julia so I would appreciate any advice.

I am trying to create a Docker container for Julia 1.12.2 with CUDA.jl, Oscar.jl (and hence GAP.jl), and some other libraries. Namely, I want to be able to run this Julia package in a Docker container on a cluster.

I am experiencing issues trying to get GAP.jl working. Here is my current Dockerfile:

ARG IMAGE=nvidia/cuda:12.1.1-devel-ubuntu20.04
FROM $IMAGE

RUN apt-get update && \
    DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive \
    apt-get install --yes --no-install-recommends \
                    # basic stuff
                    curl ca-certificates vim git gap gap-extra gap-doc && \
    apt-get clean && \
    rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

ARG JULIA_RELEASE=1.12
ARG JULIA_VERSION=1.12.2
RUN curl -s -L https://julialang-s3.julialang.org/bin/linux/x64/${JULIA_RELEASE}/julia-${JULIA_VERSION}-linux-x86_64.tar.gz | \
    tar -C /usr/local -x -z --strip-components=1 -f -

RUN mkdir -p /usr/local/share/julia/environments/v${JULIA_RELEASE}
COPY Project.toml /usr/local/share/julia/environments/v${JULIA_RELEASE}/Project.toml
COPY Manifest.toml /usr/local/share/julia/environments/v${JULIA_RELEASE}/Manifest.toml
COPY src /usr/local/share/julia/environments/v${JULIA_RELEASE}/src
COPY --from=gf . /usr/local/share/julia/dev/GPUFiniteFieldMatrices

RUN JULIA_DEPOT_PATH=/usr/local/share/julia julia -e 'using Pkg; \
    Pkg.develop(path="/usr/local/share/julia/dev/GPUFiniteFieldMatrices"); \
    Pkg.instantiate(); \
    Pkg.precompile();'

ENV JULIA_DEPOT_PATH=/usr/local/share/julia
COPY startup.jl /usr/local/share/julia/config/

RUN mkdir -m 0777 /data
ENV JULIA_HISTORY=/data/logs/repl_history.jl

That is, it is based off an image with CUDA available, where I then install Julia, copy relevant packages not on the registry, precompile, and then move the files to data/ so that users with non-admin privileges (e.g. on the Kubernetes cluster) can still read and write the necessary Julia files.

Attached is the startup,jl file:

if !isdir("/data/environments/v$(VERSION.major).$(VERSION.minor)")
    mkpath("/data/environments")
    cp("/usr/local/share/julia/environments/v$(VERSION.major).$(VERSION.minor)",
       "/data/environments/v$(VERSION.major).$(VERSION.minor)")
end
pushfirst!(DEPOT_PATH, "/data")

It is at this last step where I encounter issues. Running julia to launch the REPL, then using Oscar, I get:

Error, GAP is not bound in Julia at /usr/local/share/julia/packages/GAP/UXSq3/pkg/JuliaInterface/gap/JuliaInterface.gi:48 called from
Scratch := julia.GAP.eval( ValueGlobal( "JuliaEvalString" )( ":(import Scratch; Scratch)" ) ); at /usr/local/share/julia/artifacts/eac0e07d9389a9a61d6e38f612b9394d26e87cd5/atlasrep-2.1.9/gap/userpref.g:118 called from
record.default(  ) at /usr/local/share/julia/artifacts/8db0b2a1c30ae8f18d09d8f93b7cb5b1b359722d/share/gap/lib/userpref.g:285 called from
<function "DeclareUserPreference">( <arguments> )
 called from read-eval loop at /usr/local/share/julia/artifacts/eac0e07d9389a9a61d6e38f612b9394d26e87cd5/atlasrep-2.1.9/gap/userpref.g:166
ERROR: InitError: GAP variable _JULIAINTERFACE_ERROR_BUFFER not bound
Stacktrace:
  [1] error(s::String)
    @ Base ./error.jl:44
  [2] getproperty(::GAP.GlobalsType, name::Symbol)
    @ GAP /usr/local/share/julia/packages/GAP/UXSq3/src/globals.jl:53
  [3] copy_gap_error_to_julia()
    @ GAP /usr/local/share/julia/packages/GAP/UXSq3/src/GAP.jl:65
  [4] initialize(argv::Vector{String})
    @ GAP /usr/local/share/julia/packages/GAP/UXSq3/src/GAP.jl:147
  [5] __init__()
    @ GAP /usr/local/share/julia/packages/GAP/UXSq3/src/GAP.jl:275
  [6] run_module_init(mod::Module, i::Int64)
    @ Base ./loading.jl:1440
  [7] register_restored_modules(sv::Core.SimpleVector, pkg::Base.PkgId, path::String)
    @ Base ./loading.jl:1428
  [8] _include_from_serialized(pkg::Base.PkgId, path::String, ocachepath::String, depmods::Vector{Any}; register::Bool)
    @ Base ./loading.jl:1316
  [9] _include_from_serialized
    @ ./loading.jl:1271 [inlined]
 [10] _require_search_from_serialized(pkg::Base.PkgId, sourcepath::String, build_id::UInt128, stalecheck::Bool; reasons::Dict{String, Int64}, DEPOT_PATH::Vector{String})
    @ Base ./loading.jl:2099
 [11] _require_search_from_serialized
    @ ./loading.jl:2006 [inlined]
 [12] __require_prelocked(pkg::Base.PkgId, env::String)
    @ Base ./loading.jl:2624
 [13] _require_prelocked(uuidkey::Base.PkgId, env::String)
    @ Base ./loading.jl:2490
 [14] macro expansion
    @ ./loading.jl:2418 [inlined]
 [15] macro expansion
    @ ./lock.jl:376 [inlined]
 [16] __require(into::Module, mod::Symbol)
    @ Base ./loading.jl:2383
 [17] require(into::Module, mod::Symbol)
    @ Base ./loading.jl:2359
 [18] top-level scope
    @ REPL[1]:1
during initialization of module GAP

julia>

GAP is the only package that has this issue. CUDA.jl, for example, works perfectly fine.
I’m at a loss at how to a) debug this further and b) what the best practices are for this.

I’ve tried to manually move all the files from shared to data, precompiled GAP.jl alone without other things, but I have not made any meaningful progress. That is, even alone GAP.jl produces the above error when no other package I tested does.

I would really appreciate any advice on this topic!

4 posts - 2 participants