layerx

Project Overview

LayerX Image Inspector is an open-source terminal tool for inspecting, comparing, and CI-gating Docker, Podman, and OCI container images.

Key Features

• Open an image in an interactive TUI and browse the filesystem each layer added
• Spot wasted bytes and catch image regressions before they ship
• Compare two images and see every added/removed file
• CI mode with GitHub Actions integration, providing a clear pass/fail signal based on layer waste or efficiency thresholds
• JSON export support
• Multi-platform image support (--platform)
• Theming and caching support
• Explore images without a daemon — pass an OCI or docker save archive directly
• Single static binary with no runtime dependencies

Target Audience

• Developers who need to debug bloated images and find the exact RUN step responsible
• Engineers who want to review the filesystem impact of a Dockerfile change before it ships
• DevOps teams who want to gate CI on image efficiency

Quick Start

# macOS / Linux
brew install deveshctl/tap/layerx

# Windows
scoop bucket add layerx https://github.com/deveshctl/scoop-bucket
scoop install layerx

# Explore a live image (auto-detects Docker or Podman)
layerx nginx:latest

# Explore a saved archive — no daemon required
layerx ./build/app.tar

Core Advantages

• Single static binary with no runtime dependencies
• Cross-platform support for Linux, macOS, and Windows (native — not just WSL)
• Verifiable releases via Sigstore, SLSA, and SBOM
• Answers questions docker history and docker inspect can't answer, like "which layer added this file?"

System Requirements

• OS: Linux, macOS, Windows
• Architectures: Not explicitly listed, but multi-platform pre-built binaries are provided