@@ -234,6 +234,12 @@ func (b *Builder) build(stdout io.Writer, stderr io.Writer, out io.Writer) (stri

 	var shortImgID string

 	total := len(b.dockerfile.Children)

+	for _, n := range b.dockerfile.Children {

+		if err := b.checkDispatch(n, false); err != nil {

+			return "", err

+		}

+	}

+

 	for i, n := range b.dockerfile.Children {

 		select {

 		case <-b.clientCtx.Done():

@@ -243,6 +249,7 @@ func (b *Builder) build(stdout io.Writer, stderr io.Writer, out io.Writer) (stri

 		default:

 			// Not cancelled yet, keep going...

 		}

+

 		if err := b.dispatch(i, total, n); err != nil {

 			if b.options.ForceRemove {

 				b.clearTmp()

@@ -322,6 +329,12 @@ func BuildFromConfig(config *container.Config, changes []string) (*container.Con

 	b.disableCommit = true

 	total := len(ast.Children)

+	for _, n := range ast.Children {

+		if err := b.checkDispatch(n, false); err != nil {

+			return nil, err

+		}

+	}

+

 	for i, n := range ast.Children {

 		if err := b.dispatch(i, total, n); err != nil {

 			return nil, err

@@ -201,3 +201,44 @@ func (b *Builder) dispatch(stepN int, stepTotal int, ast *parser.Node) error {

 	return fmt.Errorf("Unknown instruction: %s", upperCasedCmd)

 }

+

+// checkDispatch does a simple check for syntax errors of the Dockerfile.

+// Because some of the instructions can only be validated through runtime,

+// arg, env, etc., this syntax check will not be complete and could not replace

+// the runtime check. Instead, this function is only a helper that allows

+// user to find out the obvious error in Dockerfile earlier on.

+// onbuild bool: indicate if instruction XXX is part of `ONBUILD XXX` trigger

+func (b *Builder) checkDispatch(ast *parser.Node, onbuild bool) error {

+	cmd := ast.Value

+	upperCasedCmd := strings.ToUpper(cmd)

+

+	// To ensure the user is given a decent error message if the platform

+	// on which the daemon is running does not support a builder command.

+	if err := platformSupports(strings.ToLower(cmd)); err != nil {

+		return err

+	}

+

+	// The instruction itself is ONBUILD, we will make sure it follows with at

+	// least one argument

+	if upperCasedCmd == "ONBUILD" {

+		if ast.Next == nil {

+			return fmt.Errorf("ONBUILD requires at least one argument")

+		}

+	}

+

+	// The instruction is part of ONBUILD trigger (not the instruction itself)

+	if onbuild {

+		switch upperCasedCmd {

+		case "ONBUILD":

+			return fmt.Errorf("Chaining ONBUILD via `ONBUILD ONBUILD` isn't allowed")

+		case "MAINTAINER", "FROM":

+			return fmt.Errorf("%s isn't allowed as an ONBUILD trigger", upperCasedCmd)

+		}

+	}

+

+	if _, ok := evaluateTable[cmd]; ok {

+		return nil

+	}

+

+	return fmt.Errorf("Unknown instruction: %s", upperCasedCmd)

+}

@@ -423,14 +423,12 @@ func (b *Builder) processImageFrom(img builder.Image) error {

 		}

 		total := len(ast.Children)

-		for i, n := range ast.Children {

-			switch strings.ToUpper(n.Value) {

-			case "ONBUILD":

-				return fmt.Errorf("Chaining ONBUILD via `ONBUILD ONBUILD` isn't allowed")

-			case "MAINTAINER", "FROM":

-				return fmt.Errorf("%s isn't allowed as an ONBUILD trigger", n.Value)

+		for _, n := range ast.Children {

+			if err := b.checkDispatch(n, true); err != nil {

+				return err

 			}

-

+		}

+		for i, n := range ast.Children {

 			if err := b.dispatch(i, total, n); err != nil {

 				return err

 			}

@@ -293,6 +293,9 @@ func runBuild(dockerCli *command.DockerCli, options buildOptions) error {

 	response, err := dockerCli.Client().ImageBuild(ctx, body, buildOptions)

 	if err != nil {

+		if options.quiet {

+			fmt.Fprintf(dockerCli.Err(), "%s", progBuff)

+		}

 		return err

 	}

 	defer response.Body.Close()

@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ This section lists each version from latest to oldest.  Each listing includes a

 * `POST /containers/create/` and `POST /containers/(name)/update` now validates restart policies.

 * `POST /containers/create` now validates IPAMConfig in NetworkingConfig, and returns error for invalid IPv4 and IPv6 addresses (`--ip` and `--ip6` in `docker create/run`).

 * `POST /containers/create` now takes a `Mounts` field in `HostConfig` which replaces `Binds` and `Volumes`. *note*: `Binds` and `Volumes` are still available but are exclusive with `Mounts`

+* `POST /build` now performs a preliminary validation of the `Dockerfile` before starting the build, and returns an error if the syntax is incorrect. Note that this change is _unversioned_ and applied to all API versions.

 ### v1.24 API changes

@@ -1204,6 +1204,10 @@ The archive may include any number of other files,

 which are accessible in the build context (See the [*ADD build

 command*](../../reference/builder.md#add)).

+The Docker daemon performs a preliminary validation of the `Dockerfile` before

+starting the build, and returns an error if the syntax is incorrect. After that,

+each instruction is run one-by-one until the ID of the new image is output.

+

 The build is canceled if the client drops the connection by quitting

 or being killed.

@@ -1246,6 +1246,10 @@ The archive may include any number of other files,

 which are accessible in the build context (See the [*ADD build

 command*](../../reference/builder.md#add)).

+The Docker daemon performs a preliminary validation of the `Dockerfile` before

+starting the build, and returns an error if the syntax is incorrect. After that,

+each instruction is run one-by-one until the ID of the new image is output.

+

 The build is canceled if the client drops the connection by quitting

 or being killed.

@@ -1373,6 +1373,10 @@ The archive may include any number of other files,

 which are accessible in the build context (See the [*ADD build

 command*](../../reference/builder.md#add)).

+The Docker daemon performs a preliminary validation of the `Dockerfile` before

+starting the build, and returns an error if the syntax is incorrect. After that,

+each instruction is run one-by-one until the ID of the new image is output.

+

 The build is canceled if the client drops the connection by quitting

 or being killed.

@@ -1454,6 +1454,10 @@ The archive may include any number of other files,

 which are accessible in the build context (See the [*ADD build

 command*](../../reference/builder.md#add)).

+The Docker daemon performs a preliminary validation of the `Dockerfile` before

+starting the build, and returns an error if the syntax is incorrect. After that,

+each instruction is run one-by-one until the ID of the new image is output.

+

 The build is canceled if the client drops the connection by quitting

 or being killed.

@@ -1632,6 +1632,10 @@ The archive may include any number of other files,

 which are accessible in the build context (See the [*ADD build

 command*](../../reference/builder.md#add)).

+The Docker daemon performs a preliminary validation of the `Dockerfile` before

+starting the build, and returns an error if the syntax is incorrect. After that,

+each instruction is run one-by-one until the ID of the new image is output.

+

 The build is canceled if the client drops the connection by quitting

 or being killed.

@@ -1665,6 +1665,10 @@ The archive may include any number of other files,

 which are accessible in the build context (See the [*ADD build

 command*](../../reference/builder.md#add)).

+The Docker daemon performs a preliminary validation of the `Dockerfile` before

+starting the build, and returns an error if the syntax is incorrect. After that,

+each instruction is run one-by-one until the ID of the new image is output.

+

 The build is canceled if the client drops the connection by quitting

 or being killed.

@@ -1666,6 +1666,10 @@ The archive may include any number of other files,

 which are accessible in the build context (See the [*ADD build

 command*](../../reference/builder.md#add)).

+The Docker daemon performs a preliminary validation of the `Dockerfile` before

+starting the build, and returns an error if the syntax is incorrect. After that,

+each instruction is run one-by-one until the ID of the new image is output.

+

 The build is canceled if the client drops the connection by quitting

 or being killed.

@@ -1692,6 +1692,10 @@ The archive may include any number of other files,

 which are accessible in the build context (See the [*ADD build

 command*](../../reference/builder.md#add)).

+The Docker daemon performs a preliminary validation of the `Dockerfile` before

+starting the build, and returns an error if the syntax is incorrect. After that,

+each instruction is run one-by-one until the ID of the new image is output.

+

 The build is canceled if the client drops the connection by quitting

 or being killed.

@@ -68,6 +68,13 @@ add multiple `-t` parameters when you run the `build` command:

     $ docker build -t shykes/myapp:1.0.2 -t shykes/myapp:latest .

+Before the Docker daemon runs the instructions in the `Dockerfile`, it performs

+a preliminary validation of the `Dockerfile` and returns an error if the syntax is incorrect:

+

+    $ docker build -t test/myapp .

+    Sending build context to Docker daemon 2.048 kB

+    Error response from daemon: Unknown instruction: RUNCMD

+

 The Docker daemon runs the instructions in the `Dockerfile` one-by-one,

 committing the result of each instruction

 to a new image if necessary, before finally outputting the ID of your

@@ -6913,3 +6913,21 @@ func (s *DockerSuite) TestBuildStepsWithProgress(c *check.C) {

 		c.Assert(out, checker.Contains, fmt.Sprintf("Step %d/%d : RUN echo foo", i, 1+totalRun))

 	}

 }

+

+func (s *DockerSuite) TestBuildWithFailure(c *check.C) {

+	name := "testbuildwithfailure"

+

+	// First test case can only detect `nobody` in runtime so all steps will show up

+	buildCmd := "FROM busybox\nRUN nobody"

+	_, stdout, _, err := buildImageWithStdoutStderr(name, buildCmd, false, "--force-rm", "--rm")

+	c.Assert(err, checker.NotNil)

+	c.Assert(stdout, checker.Contains, "Step 1/2 : FROM busybox")

+	c.Assert(stdout, checker.Contains, "Step 2/2 : RUN nobody")

+

+	// Second test case `FFOM` should have been detected before build runs so no steps

+	buildCmd = "FFOM nobody\nRUN nobody"

+	_, stdout, _, err = buildImageWithStdoutStderr(name, buildCmd, false, "--force-rm", "--rm")

+	c.Assert(err, checker.NotNil)

+	c.Assert(stdout, checker.Not(checker.Contains), "Step 1/2 : FROM busybox")

+	c.Assert(stdout, checker.Not(checker.Contains), "Step 2/2 : RUN nobody")

+}