repo2docker/docs/source/howto/base_image.md

Change the base image used by Docker

You may change the base image used in the Dockerfile that creates images by repo2docker. This is equivalent to changing the FROM <base_image> in the Dockerfile.

To do so, use the base_image traitlet when invoking repo2docker. Note that this is not configurable by individual repositories, it is configured when you invoke the repo2docker command.

By default repo2docker builds on top of the `buildpack-deps:bionic` base image, an Ubuntu-based image.

Requirements for your base image

repo2docker will only work if a specific set of packages exists in the base image. Only images that match the following criteria are supported:

• Ubuntu based distributions (minimum 18.04)
• Contains a set of base packages installed with the buildpack-deps image family.

Other images may work, but are not officially supported.