- Use the latest features without updating the Docker daemon
- Try out new features or third-party features before they are integrated in the Docker daemon
- Use [alternative build definitions, or create your own](https://github.com/moby/buildkit#exploring-llb)
- Build your own Dockerfile frontend with custom features

> [!NOTE]
>
> BuildKit ships with a built-in Dockerfile frontend, but it's recommended
> to use an external image to make sure that all users use the same version on
> the builder and to pick up bug fixes automatically without waiting for a new
> version of BuildKit or Docker Engine.

## Official releases

Docker distributes official versions of the images that can be used for building
Dockerfiles under `docker/dockerfile` repository on Docker Hub. There are two
channels where new images are released: `stable` and `labs`.

### Stable channel

The `stable` channel follows [semantic versioning](https://semver.org).
For example:

- `docker/dockerfile:1` - kept updated with the latest `1.x.x` minor _and_ patch
  release.
- `docker/dockerfile:1.2` - kept updated with the latest `1.2.x` patch release,
  and stops receiving updates once version `1.3.0` is released.
- `docker/dockerfile:1.2.1` - immutable: never updated.

We recommend using `docker/dockerfile:1`, which always points to the latest
stable release of the version 1 syntax, and receives both "minor" and "patch"
updates for the version 1 release cycle. BuildKit automatically checks for
updates of the syntax when performing a build, making sure you are using the
most current version.

If a specific version is used, such as `1.2` or `1.2.1`, the Dockerfile needs
to be updated manually to continue receiving bugfixes and new features. Old
versions of the Dockerfile remain compatible with the new versions of the
builder.

### Labs channel

The `labs` channel provides early access to Dockerfile features that are not yet
available in the `stable` channel. `labs` images are released at the same time
as stable releases, and follow the same version pattern, but use the `-labs`
suffix, for example:

- `docker/dockerfile:labs` - latest release on `labs` channel.
- `docker/dockerfile:1-labs` - same as `dockerfile:1`, with experimental
  features enabled.
- `docker/dockerfile:1.2-labs` - same as `dockerfile:1.2`, with experimental
  features enabled.
- `docker/dockerfile:1.2.1-labs` - immutable: never updated. Same as
  `dockerfile:1.2.1`, with experimental features enabled.

Choose a channel that best fits your needs. If you want to benefit from
new features, use the `labs` channel. Images in the `labs` channel contain
all the features in the `stable` channel, plus early access features.
Stable features in the `labs` channel follow [semantic versioning](https://semver.org),
but early access features don't, and newer releases may not be backwards
compatible. Pin the version to avoid having to deal with breaking changes.

## Other resources

For documentation on `labs` features, master builds, and nightly feature
releases, refer to the description in [the BuildKit source repository on GitHub](https://github.com/moby/buildkit/blob/master/README.md).
For a full list of available images, visit the [`docker/dockerfile` repository on Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/r/docker/dockerfile),
and the [`docker/dockerfile-upstream` repository on Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com/r/docker/dockerfile-upstream)
for development builds.