Create new hardened and streamlined base image for METviewer

[JohnHalleyGotway]

Describe the New Feature

As discussed on Dec 15, 2025 (see Iron Bank Working Session Notes), the base image created for METviewer could be enhanced considerably. The current METviewer base image (dtcenter/met-base-metviewer) is built on Debian-12 and contains all the MET dependencies (from compile_MET_all.sh) that it does not actually need. The METplus team has been tasked by the USAF to provide a METviewer image that meets their cybersecurity requirements by mid-Febrary 2026. In support of this deadline, the following steps are proposed:

• Create a new Dockerfile to define a METviewer runtime environment suitable for the USAF.
• Consider basing that image on the existing tomcat10-openjdk17 Iron Bank image (see GitLab details)
• Install Python, R, and additional packages, as needed.
• Test to ensure METviewer builds and runs fine.
• Automate the build of this new METviewer base image, using a robot account to pull from Iron Bank.

The longterm goal is adding METviewer to Iron Bank itself, but that will likely be accomplished through a different issue. That would entail creating a new METviewer repository in the Iron Bank GitLab space to house the Dockerfile that builds a hardened METviewer image and distributes it via Iron Bank.

Acceptance Testing

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Describe tests required for new functionality.

Time Estimate

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Issues should represent approximately 1 to 3 days of work.

Sub-Issues

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• Add a checkbox for each sub-issue here.

Relevant Deadlines

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Funding Source

2025 USAF METplus

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• Select Milestone as the next official version or Future Versions

Define Related Issue(s)

Consider the impact to the other METplus components.

• METplus, MET, METdataio, METviewer, METexpress, METcalcpy, METplotpy

New Feature Checklist

See the METplus Workflow for details.

• Complete the issue definition above, including the Time Estimate and Funding source.
• Fork this repository or create a branch of develop.
  Branch name: feature_<Issue Number>_<Description>
• Complete the development and test your changes.
• Add/update log messages for easier debugging.
• Add/update unit tests.
• Add/update documentation.
• Push local changes to GitHub.
• Submit a pull request to merge into develop.
  Pull request: feature <Issue Number> <Description>
• Define the pull request metadata, as permissions allow.
  Select: Reviewer(s) and Development issues
  Select: Repository level development cycle Project for the next official release
  Select: Milestone as the next official version
• Iterate until the reviewer(s) accept and merge your changes.
• Delete your fork or branch.
• Close this issue.