# buildpacks/pack

CLI for building apps using Cloud Native Buildpacks

Repository: https://github.com/buildpacks/pack
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/pack
Homepage: https://buildpacks.io
Language: Go
License: Apache-2.0
License Family: permissive
Topics: cloud-native-buildpacks, buildpacks, cncf
Last push: 2026-08-19T20:49:31+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 98/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 96, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2991, "days_push": 14, "days_rel": 24, "gap_med": 18.0, "n_releases_24m": 21}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2987, forks 358 (observed 2026-08-28T04:07:34.317766+00:00)

## What it is
pack is the official command-line tool for Cloud Native Buildpacks, transforming application source code into runnable OCI container images without writing Dockerfiles. It implements the CNB Platform Interface Specification and serves app developers, buildpack authors, and platform operators.

## Use cases
- build container images from source code without a Dockerfile
- turn my app into a Docker image automatically
- create reproducible OCI images with SBOM bill-of-materials
- package and publish buildpacks for distribution
- rebase app images onto updated base images without rebuilding
- integrate buildpack builds into CI/CD pipelines like GitLab or Tekton

## When to choose
- you want Dockerfile-free, best-practice container image builds with auto-detection
- your organization wants centralized, compliant image builds instead of per-team Dockerfiles
- you need reproducible builds, SBOMs, caching, and rebasing of base images

## When to avoid
- you need fine-grained, custom control over every Dockerfile instruction
- you are building OS base images rather than applications
- you cannot run a Docker or Docker-compatible daemon, and your platform lacks an alternative

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: stable
- function: build-tool, deployment, container-runtime, cli, developer-tools
- domain: cloud-computing, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cli, cloud
- tags: cloud-native-buildpacks, source-to-image, container-images, dockerfile-alternative, cncf, oci-images, reproducible-builds, devops, containers, automation, linux, macos, docker

## Member repositories
- buildpacks/pack (main) score 98

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:34.317766+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T07:31:24.643977+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/buildpacks/pack (fetched 2026-08-28T04:07:34.317766+00:00, sha 34c04760029c)
  - homepage: https://buildpacks.io (fetched 2026-08-29T09:46:27.250596+00:00, sha 1f92bd25e820)
  - site_page: https://buildpacks.io/docs/for-buildpack-authors (fetched 2026-08-29T09:46:27.263138+00:00, sha 1ca4b3496486)
  - site_page: https://buildpacks.io/features (fetched 2026-08-29T09:46:27.253059+00:00, sha 2cbe62d5fe1b)
  - site_page: https://buildpacks.io/docs (fetched 2026-08-29T09:46:27.255380+00:00, sha 5956ebdcbab4)
  - site_page: https://buildpacks.io/docs/app-journey (fetched 2026-08-29T09:46:27.257796+00:00, sha e77b316ded1e)
  - site_page: https://buildpacks.io/docs/for-app-developers (fetched 2026-08-29T09:46:27.260859+00:00, sha 76d8534b1c5f)
  - site_page: https://buildpacks.io/docs/for-platform-operators (fetched 2026-08-29T09:46:27.264903+00:00, sha bbf7d4451c9c)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.