Ensure default Dockerfile starts in dev mode & has appropriate memory allocated. Enhance comments in -dist.yml

Dockerfile

@@ -2,20 +2,27 @@
 # See https://github.com/DSpace/dspace-angular/tree/main/docker for usage details
 
 FROM node:18-alpine
-WORKDIR /app
-ADD . /app/
-EXPOSE 4000
 
 # Ensure Python and other build tools are available
 # These are needed to install some node modules, especially on linux/arm64
 RUN apk add --update python3 make g++ && rm -rf /var/cache/apk/*
 
+WORKDIR /app
+ADD . /app/
+EXPOSE 4000
+
 # We run yarn install with an increased network timeout (5min) to avoid "ESOCKETTIMEDOUT" errors from hub.docker.com
 # See, for example https://github.com/yarnpkg/yarn/issues/5540
 RUN yarn install --network-timeout 300000
 
+# When running in dev mode, 4GB of memory is required to build & launch the app.
+# This default setting can be overridden as needed in your shell, via an env file or in docker-compose.
+# See Docker environment var precedence: https://docs.docker.com/compose/environment-variables/envvars-precedence/
+ENV NODE_OPTIONS="--max_old_space_size=4096"
+
 # On startup, run in DEVELOPMENT mode (this defaults to live reloading enabled, etc).
 # Listen / accept connections from all IP addresses.
 # NOTE: At this time it is only possible to run Docker container in Production mode
-# if you have a public IP. See https://github.com/DSpace/dspace-angular/issues/1485
+# if you have a public URL. See https://github.com/DSpace/dspace-angular/issues/1485
+ENV NODE_ENV development
 CMD yarn serve --host 0.0.0.0

docker/docker-compose-dist.yml

@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ services:
       DSPACE_UI_HOST: dspace-angular
       DSPACE_UI_PORT: '4000'
       DSPACE_UI_NAMESPACE: /
+      # NOTE: When running the UI in production mode (which the -dist image does),
+      # these DSPACE_REST_* variables MUST point at a public, HTTPS URL.
+      # This is because Server Side Rendering (SSR) currently requires a public URL,
+      # see this bug: https://github.com/DSpace/dspace-angular/issues/1485
       DSPACE_REST_SSL: 'true'
       DSPACE_REST_HOST: api7.dspace.org
       DSPACE_REST_PORT: 443

docker/docker-compose.yml

@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ services:
       DSPACE_REST_HOST: localhost
       DSPACE_REST_PORT: 8080
       DSPACE_REST_NAMESPACE: /server
-      # NODE_OPTIONS: --max_old_space_size=6144
     image: dspace/dspace-angular:dspace-7_x
     build:
       context: ..