Containerize the backend for Cloud Run

[bishopBethel]

Phase 1 of moving the API from Render to Cloud Run. This adds the container only; nothing deploys yet and Render is untouched.

• backend/Dockerfile: Node 22 slim, npm ci --omit=dev, runs as node. It execs node --import tsx/esm src/server.ts directly instead of npm start, because npm doesn't reliably forward SIGTERM and the shutdown handler flushes pending writes to Postgres.
• backend/.dockerignore: keeps .env*, *.pem, *.key, node_modules, .devasign-dev and test files out of the image. backend/.env.render (the prod secrets file) is local-only and must never ship.
• backend/.gcloudignore: includes the same rules, so gcloud run deploy --source backend doesn't upload those files to Cloud Build either.

Verification

Docker isn't available locally, so I emulated the build instead of running it:

• Build context: 165 files, no env or key files.
• npm ci --omit=dev on the context: 230 packages, tsx present, nothing at runtime imports a dev dependency.
• Ran the exact CMD on Node 22.13.1 with a clean env:
  • With NODE_ENV=production and no secrets, it refuses to boot as intended.
  • On PORT=8080, /api/health returns 200.
  • SIGTERM reaches node, the drain runs, and it exits 0.

The first real docker build happens in Cloud Build on the first deploy (Phase 3).

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[devasign-agent]

DevAsign Code Review

🐞 Bugs (1)

✅ Merge score: 80/100

5 of 5 acceptance criteria met.
All five criteria are satisfied by the new Dockerfile, .dockerignore, and .

Tests: 5 passed, 0 unverifiable — see the "Tests by DevAsign" comment.

Prompt to fix all issues

You are helping fix PR "Containerize the backend for Cloud Run" in devasignhq/agent. Automated review surfaced the items below — failed acceptance criteria and review findings. Each item states what was required, what's wrong with the current diff, and how to fix it; the embedded fix blocks include the expected behavior and the relevant diff hunk. Apply each fix so the item is resolved. Items tagged **Blocker** gate approval; the rest are advisory but worth addressing. Don't introduce changes beyond what's listed.

## End goal
The backend has a Dockerfile and ignore files that build a Cloud Run-ready container image installing only production dependencies, running as the node user, execing node directly so SIGTERM reaches the shutdown handler, while keeping secrets and env files out of both the image and the gcloud deploy upload.

## Review findings

### 1. [Critical error · Blocker] `backend/Dockerfile` — The Dockerfile runs `npm ci --omit=dev` (line 7), which installs only production dependencies, then the CMD (line 16) starts the server via `--import tsx/esm`. `tsx` is almost always a devDependency (it is a TypeScript/dev runtime loader), so `--omit=dev` will exclude it and the container will fail to boot with a module-not-found error for `tsx/esm`. Additionally, running TypeScript source directly via `tsx` in production means the entire source tree (including any devDependencies referenced at runtime) must resolve, yet dev deps are omitted. Verify that `tsx` is listed under `dependencies` (not `devDependencies`) in package.json, or the image will not start.

Fix: Container fails to start because tsx is omitted by `npm ci --omit=dev`

File: backend/Dockerfile
Symbol: n/a

Issue:
The Dockerfile installs production-only dependencies with `npm ci --omit=dev` but the runtime CMD launches the server through `--import tsx/esm`. tsx is conventionally a devDependency, so it will be absent from the image and node will fail to resolve `tsx/esm` at boot.

Expected behavior:
The container should start successfully and serve on port 8080.

Suggested approach:
Either move `tsx` into `dependencies` in backend/package.json so `--omit=dev` keeps it, or add a build step that compiles TypeScript to JS (`npm run build`) and change the CMD to run the compiled `dist/server.js`. Confirm which approach matches the project's runtime model.

Relevant diff:
```diff
+RUN npm ci --omit=dev && npm cache clean --force
+
+CMD ["node", "--enable-source-maps", "--import", "tsx/esm", "src/server.ts"]
```

### 2. [Bug · Warn] `backend/Dockerfile` — The build runs `npm ci --omit=dev`, installing only production dependencies, but the start command execs the app through `tsx/esm` (`--import tsx/esm`). `tsx` is a devtool typically listed in devDependencies. If tsx is not a production dependency, `--omit=dev` removes it and the container fails to start.

Fix: Ensure tsx is available at runtime in the production image

File: backend/Dockerfile
Symbol: n/a

Issue:
The image installs only production dependencies via `npm ci --omit=dev`, but the CMD runs the app through `--import tsx/esm`. If tsx lives in devDependencies it will be pruned, so the container cannot start.

Expected behavior:
tsx must be resolvable at runtime, so the exec node command can load `tsx/esm`.

Suggested approach:
Either move tsx to dependencies in package.json, or compile the TypeScript ahead of time and run the built JS without tsx, or drop `--omit=dev` (less ideal). Confirm which section tsx is declared in.

Relevant diff:
```diff
 7 | +RUN npm ci --omit=dev && npm cache clean --force
```

## Your task
Work through every item above — the failed acceptance criteria and each review finding. For each one: understand the gap from "What's wrong now", implement the change so the Required behavior holds (each fix block's `Expected behavior` describes the target state), and use the `Relevant diff` hunks as the anchor for where to edit. After each change, re-verify it resolves the item. Treat **Blocker**-tagged items as required (they block approval); address the rest too.

[devasign-agent]

🐞 Critical error (blocker) — The Dockerfile runs `npm ci --omit=dev` (line 7), which installs only production dependencies, then…

The Dockerfile runs npm ci --omit=dev (line 7), which installs only production dependencies, then the CMD (line 16) starts the server via --import tsx/esm. tsx is almost always a devDependency (it is a TypeScript/dev runtime loader), so --omit=dev will exclude it and the container will fail to boot with a module-not-found error for tsx/esm. Additionally, running TypeScript source directly via tsx in production means the entire source tree (including any devDependencies referenced at runtime) must resolve, yet dev deps are omitted. Verify that tsx is listed under dependencies (not devDependencies) in package.json, or the image will not start.

Prompt to fix with AI

Fix: Container fails to start because tsx is omitted by `npm ci --omit=dev`

File: backend/Dockerfile
Symbol: n/a

Issue:
The Dockerfile installs production-only dependencies with `npm ci --omit=dev` but the runtime CMD launches the server through `--import tsx/esm`. tsx is conventionally a devDependency, so it will be absent from the image and node will fail to resolve `tsx/esm` at boot.

Expected behavior:
The container should start successfully and serve on port 8080.

Suggested approach:
Either move `tsx` into `dependencies` in backend/package.json so `--omit=dev` keeps it, or add a build step that compiles TypeScript to JS (`npm run build`) and change the CMD to run the compiled `dist/server.js`. Confirm which approach matches the project's runtime model.

Relevant diff:
```diff
+RUN npm ci --omit=dev && npm cache clean --force
+
+CMD ["node", "--enable-source-maps", "--import", "tsx/esm", "src/server.ts"]
```

[devasign-agent]

Tests by DevAsign

✅ Passed (5)

5 of 5 criteria verified by tests. Each verdict below links to its evidence.

1 — A backend/Dockerfile exists that installs production dependencies only (npm ci --omit=dev) on a Node 22 slim base image. (pass)

Verdict: pass

Tests confirm backend/Dockerfile exists, uses Node 22 slim base, and installs prod deps only via npm ci --omit=dev.

Test: .devasign/tests/dockerfile-base-and-deps.test.js · integration

details

2 — The container runs as the non-root node user rather than root. (pass)

Verdict: pass

Tests confirm USER node is the final USER directive with no subsequent instruction resetting to root.

Test: .devasign/tests/dockerfile-nonroot-user.test.js · integration

details

3 — The container's start command execs node directly (node --import tsx/esm src/server.ts) rather than invoking npm start, so SIGTERM is delivered to the node process. (pass)

Verdict: pass

Test confirms CMD execs node directly with --import tsx/esm src/server.ts rather than npm start.

Test: .devasign/tests/dockerfile-exec-cmd.test.js · integration

details

4 — backend/.dockerignore excludes .env* files, *.pem, *.key, node_modules, .devasign-dev and test files from the build context so they are not included in the image. (pass)

Verdict: pass

Tests confirm .dockerignore excludes .env*, *.pem, *.key, node_modules, .devasign-dev and test files.

Test: .devasign/tests/dockerignore-excludes.test.js · integration

details

5 — backend/.gcloudignore excludes the same secret and env file rules (.env*, *.pem, *.key) so gcloud run deploy --source backend does not upload them to Cloud Build. (pass)

Verdict: pass

Tests confirm .gcloudignore includes .dockerignore covering .env*, *.pem, *.key for Cloud Build upload exclusion.

Test: .devasign/tests/gcloudignore-excludes.test.js · integration

details