Dockerfile works w/+w/o volume + docs are ok

examples/docker/Dockerfile

@@ -22,14 +22,15 @@ RUN tar -xvf remote_syslog_linux_amd64.tar.gz
 RUN mv remote_syslog/remote_syslog /usr/local/bin/remote_syslog
 RUN mv /remote_syslog/example_config.yml /etc/log_files.yml
 
-#Define the files/directory for host mounting
-#directory under "/var/log/"
-VOLUME ["/locallog.txt"]
+#Define the directories for -v flag
+#VOLUME ["/var/log/foobar/"]
+RUN touch /locallog.txt
+RUN chown rs2:rs2 /locallog.txt
 
+#run rs2 as user in production
 RUN chown rs2:rs2 /usr/local/bin/remote_syslog
 USER rs2
 CMD ["remote_syslog", "-D" ]
 
 ## uncomment to debug container
-#RUN touch /tmp/foo
 #CMD ["/usr/bin/tail", "-f", "/tmp/foo"]

examples/docker/README.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ If your existing infrastructure is container based (docker) you might be hesitan
 to place remote_syslog2 on your host running wild from your container orchestration;
 Or if you want to develop and test  without "tainting" your enviroment.
 
-Placing remote_syslog2 inside of a base centos/ubuntu/debian would result in a large (docker) image, basing it off of busybox or any small distro (tinycore anyone?) can leave you with a functional remote_syslog2 < 50MB.
+Placing remote_syslog2 inside of a base centos/ubuntu/debian image would result in a large filesize (>200MB), basing it off of busybox or any small distro can leave you with a functional remote_syslog2 < 50MB.
 
 ### Prerequiste 
 
@@ -13,24 +13,60 @@ be warned you may have stale packages on your system, check docker's latest docu
 
 ### Build and Run (with docker cli):
 
-    # same directory as Dockerfile
-    # change version based on packages available on release page
-    docker build --build-arg VERSION=v0.19 -t rs2  .
+    #change version based on packages available on release page
+    docker build --build-arg VERSION=v0.19 -t rs2:latest  .
 
-A successful build message should be produced after the build command.
+After the build command a successfully built message should be produced.
 `docker images` will reveal image size and name.
 
 run (in background, _docker ps_ to confirm)
 
-    docker run --name rs2 -d rs2
+    docker run --name rs2 -d rs2:latest
+
 
 If `docker ps` returns an empty table check the docker container's stdout
 
     docker logs rs2
 
-This will produce errors from the container's daemonized process (remote_syslog2) which should be a decent hint as to why it crashed.
+This will produce errors from the container's daemonized process (remote_syslog2) which should be a decent hint as to why it crashed OR container did not start.
+
+### Volumes and docker
+
+Utilize a docker volume to access logs on the host or another container, between two (or more) containers share a docker volume and point the directories in `log _files.yml` at this  shared directory.
+
+### Sending logs from the host
+
+use the docker cli to mount a host directory OR a single file, ie (/var/log/foobar) OR /locallog.txt
+
+    docker run --name rs2 -v /host/absolute/path/to/a/file/on/host/locallog.txt:/locallog.txt -d rs2:latest
+
+confirm functionality
+
+    docker logs rs2
+    # output
+    2017-08-06 18:40:36 INFO  remote_syslog.go:55 Connecting to logs.papertrailapp.com:514 over tls
+    2017-08-06 18:40:36 INFO  remote_syslog.go:202 Forwarding file: locallog.txt
+    # continual writes are "picked up by a daemon"
+    lsof /host/absolute/path/to/a/file/locallog.txt
+    # snippet
+    1 COMMAND     PID     USER   FD   TYPE DEVICE SIZE/OFF     NODE NAME
+    2 remote_sy 15465     9999    6r   REG    9,3       11 10224554 /host/absolute/path/to/a/file/locallog.txt
+
+### Debugging
+
+Removing the comment lines at the bottom of the dockerfile, rebuild the image, and run the container. You can use the following command `docker exec -it -u 0 sh` to "enter" the container as root, manually run remote_syslog2 via the cli and debug from there.
+
+### Afterword
+
+Keep the image minimal so it can be re-deployed in your enviroments. 
+
+Use enviroment variables to manipulate remote_syslog2's configuration - docs.docker.com (search ENV) 
+OR volume mount a configuration file `/etc/log_files.yml`
+
+Use the docker cli for debugging/testing/development/prototyping, any other use-case should invole orchestration;
 
-###Volumes and docker
+docs.docker.com (search docker-compose)
 
-Utilize a docker volume to access logs on the host or another container, between two (or more) containers share a docker volume and point the directories in `log _files.yml` at this directory
+google.com (search marathon)
 
+Managing multiple volumes (log files/directories that contain logs) is managable and extensible with proper container orchestration; additionaly steps should be taken in production enviroments to ensure reads/writes/truncating/rotation etc is done properly within docker volumes (fine tunning the enviroment)