fix(dashboard): ensure devDependencies are installed during Docker build

[noalimoy]

Summary

Fixes the dashboard Docker build failure causing tsc: not found error when npm skips devDependencies.

Problem

When building the dashboard Docker image in environments where NODE_ENV=production is set (common in CI/CD pipelines), npm ci skips devDependencies by default. This causes the build to fail because TypeScript (tsc) and Vite are listed as devDependencies:

> [frontend-builder 6/6] RUN npm run build:
> semantic-router-dashboard@1.0.0 build
> tsc && vite build

sh: tsc: not found

Root Cause

Environment	npm ci behavior	Packages installed
Local (no NODE_ENV)	Installs all deps	246 packages ✅
CI/CD (NODE_ENV=production)	Skips devDependencies	62 packages ❌

Possible Scenarios That Trigger This Bug

This bug can occur when any of the following is true:

1. Environment variable: NODE_ENV=production is set in the shell

   export NODE_ENV=production
   docker build -t dashboard-test .

2. npm configuration file: .npmrc contains production=true

   # ~/.npmrc or project/.npmrc
   production=true

3. CI/CD pipeline: Many CI systems set NODE_ENV=production by default

4. npm flag: Running with --omit=dev flag

   npm install --omit=dev

Solution

Added --include=dev flag to ensure devDependencies are installed regardless of the NODE_ENV setting.

Files Changed

dashboard/Dockerfile (local development):

- RUN npm ci
+ RUN npm ci --include=dev  # Ensure devDependencies are installed regardless of NODE_ENV

dashboard/backend/Dockerfile (CI/CD):

- RUN npm install
+ RUN npm install --include=dev  # Ensure TypeScript/Vite are installed regardless of NODE_ENV

Why This Is Safe

• No impact on final image size: This is a multi-stage Docker build. DevDependencies are only installed in the frontend-builder stage and are discarded. Only the compiled dist/ folder is copied to the final image.
• No security risk: Build tools (TypeScript, Vite) never reach the production image.
• Minimal build time impact: ~5 seconds additional during build.

Testing

Verified the fix by simulating a production environment:

# Without fix - FAILS
docker build --no-cache -t test . # with ENV NODE_ENV=production in Dockerfile
# Error: sh: tsc: not found

# With fix - PASSES
docker build --no-cache -t test . # with --include=dev flag
# ✓ built in 2.29s

Checklist

• Reproduced the issue locally (simulated NODE_ENV=production)
• Fix verified - Docker build passes with NODE_ENV=production
• No impact on final Docker image size (multi-stage build)
• docker build -t dashboard-test . passes locally

Related Issues

Closes #752

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[github-actions]

👥 vLLM Semantic Team Notification

The following members have been identified for the changed files in this PR and have been automatically assigned:

📁 dashboard

Owners: @JaredforReal, @Xunzhuo
Files changed:

• dashboard/Dockerfile
• dashboard/backend/Dockerfile

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🎉 Thanks for your contributions!

This comment was automatically generated based on the OWNER files in the repository.