About how to learn Chaste in docker

[Fruit-GG]

I am a beginner student in Chaste. I have some basic knowledge of C++ compilation but am not very proficient.
I currently plan to use Docker for code learning, testing, and task writing. I am studying related examples.
I have an important confusion: why can't I modify the files when using VS Code Dev Container to open the container in Docker? It prompts me that the user is "chaste." What should I do to modify the files?
Also, how should I test my own code to integrate it into the Chaste framework for compilation?

[bdevans]

Hi, you should be able to modify your files in the devcontainer and chaste is the correct user. Can you list the steps you took to launch the devcontainer and reproduce the problem (with any error messages you get)?

[Fruit-GG]

Hi bdevans,
I'm encountering a permission issue when working with the Chaste Docker container. When I try to create files or directories inside the container, I get the following error:
Error: EACCES: permission denied, mkdir '/home/chaste/projects/Test_Projects'

After some troubleshooting, I found that running the container with root privileges resolves this problem. Here's the command that worked for me:
docker run --init -d --name chaste_container --user root --restart=always --network host -v chaste_data:/home/chaste chaste/release bash -c "sleep infinity"

The key addition seems to be the --user root flag, which grants the necessary permissions for file operations within the container.

I'd appreciate any insights into why the default user permissions are causing this issue, or if there's a better approach to handle file permissions in this setup.

Additionally, as a newcomer to Chaste, I'm wondering if there are any comprehensive tutorial videos or beginner-friendly resources available? I'm particularly interested in learning about:

1. Proper project compilation workflows
   2.Where and how to create simulations
   3.Basic usage examples and best practices

The learning curve seems quite steep, and visual guides would be incredibly helpful for getting started. If such resources aren't widely available, I'd be keen to create some beginner tutorials once I become more proficient, as I believe this could greatly benefit others in the community.

Thanks in advance for your help and guidance!

[bdevans]

Hi @Fruit-GG,

Apologies for my very late response - I have been swamped with teaching and this slipped out of sight.

I haven't had a chance to investigate your container permissions issues but it sounds like you have a satisfactory workaround for now.

Regarding Chaste tutorials, you can find a lot here: https://chaste.github.io/docs/user-tutorials/. You can also get more help with general usage here: https://github.com/Chaste/Chaste/discussions.