build: Move the n8n and runners images onto n8nio/base:26.7.0

[Matsuuu]

Summary

#36984 bumped the base image matrix to DHI's current Alpine 3.24 builds, so n8nio/base:26.5.1 is no longer rebuilt and receives no further patches. This points the images at base:26.7.0 — published by that merge — and moves the Node pin the image builds use so it matches the runtime.

• docker/images/n8n/Dockerfile: RUNTIME_IMAGE → n8nio/base:26.7.0, BUILDER_IMAGE → node:26.7.0-alpine3.24, both digest-pinned to multi-arch indexes.
• docker/images/node-pc/Dockerfile: runtime stage → base:26.7.0.
• runners/Dockerfile, runners/Dockerfile.distroless, dockerize-n8n.mjs, and the NODE_VERSION env in docker-build-push.yml / docker-build-smoke.yml / build-node-pc-image.yml.

Keeping BUILDER_IMAGE and RUNTIME_IMAGE on the same Node matters here: the image copies native bindings (isolated-vm, sqlite3, kafka) from the builder stage into the runtime.

Deliberately left behind

docker-build-push.yml still pins n8nio/node-pc:26.5.1 / :26.5.1-dev for the -pc variant. That image is built FROM n8nio/base, so node-pc:26.7.0 only exists once this merge triggers build-node-pc-image.yml. A follow-up bumps those two digests — same chicken-and-egg as the base itself.

This is harmless in the meantime: NODE_VERSION is declared in n8n/Dockerfile but never referenced, and the -pc build overrides both BUILDER_IMAGE and RUNTIME_IMAGE explicitly, so the -pc variant stays internally consistent on 26.5.1.

Also unchanged: setup-nodejs's default and the ci-master test matrix still say 26.5.1. Those govern which Node runs unit tests and linting, not what goes into an image, so bumping them is a separate risk surface.

How to test

Docker Build Smoke Test runs on this PR and exercises the whole chain, including a from-scratch base build.

Locally:

docker buildx imagetools inspect n8nio/base:26.7.0   # amd64 + arm64
docker run --rm n8nio/base:26.7.0 sh -c 'node -v; gm version | head -1'
docker build --target toolchain -f docker/images/n8n/Dockerfile .

I verified the published base:26.7.0 reports v26.7.0 with /bin/sh → busybox, GraphicsMagick and tini intact, and that the new BUILDER_IMAGE resolves its apk toolchain (python3/make/g++) on both architectures.

Related Linear tickets, Github issues, and Community forum posts

https://linear.app/n8n/issue/DEVP-869

[n8n-assistant]

PR review overview

Based on ownership of the 8 changed files in this PR:

Ownership	Files owned	Share	Source code	Test files	Misc
@n8n-io/qa-dx	8	100%	+12 / -12	+0 / -0	+0 / -0
Total	8	100%	+12 / -12	+0 / -0	+0 / -0

[codecov]

Codecov Report

✅ All modified and coverable lines are covered by tests.

📢 Thoughts on this report? Let us know!

[cubic-dev-ai]

No issues found across 8 files

Architecture diagram

sequenceDiagram
    participant CI as CI Workflow (.yml)
    participant Script as dockerize-n8n.mjs
    participant Registry as Docker Registry
    participant Builder as Builder Stage (Node Alpine)
    participant Runtime as Runtime Stage (n8nio/base)

    Note over CI,Runtime: Docker Build Flow (n8n & Runners)

    CI->>CI: CHANGED: Set NODE_VERSION=26.7.0
    CI->>Script: Execute build with version context
    Script->>Script: CHANGED: Resolve nodeVersion (default 26.7.0)
    
    Script->>Registry: Pull BUILDER_IMAGE
    Registry-->>Builder: CHANGED: node:26.7.0-alpine3.24 (Pinned Digest)
    
    Script->>Registry: Pull RUNTIME_IMAGE
    Registry-->>Runtime: CHANGED: n8nio/base:26.7.0 (Pinned Digest)

    Note over Builder,Runtime: Build Execution Phase

    Builder->>Builder: Compile native bindings (sqlite3, isolated-vm, etc.)
    
    Builder->>Runtime: NEW: Copy native bindings to runtime stage
    Note over Builder,Runtime: Node ABI compatibility requires matching versions

    alt Image Variant: node-pc
        Note over Builder,Runtime: Stage uses internal overrides
        Builder->>Runtime: Remains on 26.5.1 (internally consistent)
    else Standard Image (n8n/runners)
        Runtime->>Runtime: Finalize image with Node 26.7.0
    end

    Runtime-->>CI: Build Complete (Multi-arch index)

    Note over CI,Registry: Smoke Test Phase
    CI->>Registry: NEW: docker run n8nio/base:26.7.0
    Registry-->>CI: Verify node -v (26.7.0) and GraphicsMagick stats

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