This week, Docker announced some changes to Docker Hub Autobuilds — the primary one of interest being that autobuilds would no longer be available t

This Week in Programming: Crypto Miners Overrun Docker Hub’s Autobuild

submited by

Style Pass

2021-06-12 19:00:02

This week, Docker announced some changes to Docker Hub Autobuilds — the primary one of interest being that autobuilds would no longer be available to free tier users — and much of the internet let out a collective groan to the tune of “this is why we can’t have nice things!”

*sigh* A story as old as time. If you offer any compute, people will mine crypto. If you offer any storage/hosting people will host porn.

So, if you happen to be looking for yet another reason to immediately cringe and discard anyone who comes up to you crowing about the benefits of cryptocurrencies, Docker getting rid of its autobuild feature on Docker Hub can be added to your arsenal.

“As many of you are aware, it has been a difficult period for companies offering free cloud compute,” wrote Shaun Mulligan, principal product manager at Docker in the company’s blog post, citing an article that explores how crypto-mining gangs are running amok on free cloud computing platforms. Mulligan goes on to explain that Docker has “seen a massive growth in the number of bad actors,” noting that it not only costs them money, but also degrades performance for their paying customers.

And so, after seven years of free access to their autobuild feature, wherein even all of you non-paying Docker users could set up continuous integration for your containerized projects, gratis, the end is nigh. Like, really, really nigh, as in next week — June 18.