diff --git a/.claude/settings.local.json b/.claude/settings.local.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f8f56c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.claude/settings.local.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "permissions": {
+    "allow": [
+      "Bash(git update-index:*)",
+      "Bash(pwsh -File \"D:\\\\repos\\\\piscal\\\\build-docker.ps1\")",
+      "Bash(bash:*)",
+      "Bash(ls:*)",
+      "Bash(git check-ignore:*)"
+    ]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/.dockerignore b/.dockerignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6e8d20d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.dockerignore
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+# Git files
+.git
+.github
+.gitignore
+.gitattributes
+
+# Documentation
+*.md
+README*
+CHANGELOG*
+LICENSE*
+
+# Build scripts (not needed in container)
+build-docker*.ps1
+build-docker*.sh
+
+# Environment and credential files (SECURITY)
+.env
+.env.*
+*.env
+.env.local
+.env.production
+.env.development
+*.secrets
+credentials.txt
+passwords.txt
+*.key
+*.pem
+*.crt
+*.pfx
+
+# IDE and editor files
+.vscode
+.idea
+*.swp
+*.swo
+*~
+.DS_Store
+
+# Build artifacts
+*.log
+*.tmp
+.docker-build/
+dist/
+build/
+out/
+
+# Test files
+test/
+tests/
+*.test.js
+*.spec.js
+
+# CI/CD files
+.github/
+.gitlab-ci.yml
+.travis.yml
+Jenkinsfile
+
+# Docker files (we only need Dockerfile)
+docker-compose*.yml
+.dockerignore
+
+# Claude Code
+.claude/
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8dc9ba5..2cb5b90 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -32,3 +32,24 @@ piscal
 *~
 .DS_Store
 *.bak
+
+# Docker build artifacts
+*.log
+.docker-build/
+
+# Environment files (never commit credentials)
+.env
+.env.*
+.env.local
+.env.production
+.env.development
+*.env
+
+# Credential files (SECURITY - never commit these)
+credentials.txt
+passwords.txt
+*.secrets
+*.key
+*.pem
+*.crt
+*.pfx
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 041f590..29425d1 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -29,6 +29,13 @@ RUN make
 # Stage 2: Runtime stage - Create minimal application container
 FROM ubuntu:latest
 
+# Build arguments for configurable credentials and paths
+ARG SSH_USERNAME=piscaladmin
+ARG SSH_PASSWORD=piscaladmin
+ARG SSH_GROUP=piscaladmin
+ARG STORAGE_PATH=/home/piscaladmin/LeafWeb_storage
+ARG PISCAL_EXECUTABLE=/srv/piscal
+
 # Install runtime dependencies only
 RUN set -xe \
 	&& apt-get update \
@@ -42,11 +49,11 @@ RUN set -xe \
 	&& apt-get autoclean -y \
 	&& apt-get autoremove -y
 
-# Configure SSH server
+# Configure SSH server with parameterized credentials
 RUN set -xe \
-	&& groupadd launcher \
-	&& useradd -g launcher -G sudo -m -s /bin/bash launcher \
-	&& echo 'launcher:launcher' | chpasswd
+	&& groupadd ${SSH_GROUP} \
+	&& useradd -g ${SSH_GROUP} -G sudo -m -s /bin/bash ${SSH_USERNAME} \
+	&& echo "${SSH_USERNAME}:${SSH_PASSWORD}" | chpasswd
 
 RUN set -xe \
 	&& sed -i -e 's/#PasswordAuthentication.*/PasswordAuthentication yes/g' /etc/ssh/sshd_config \
@@ -54,22 +61,34 @@ RUN set -xe \
 	&& sed 's@session\s*required\s*pam_loginuid.so@session optional pam_loginuid.so@g' -i /etc/pam.d/sshd
 
 RUN set -xe \
-	&& chown -R launcher:launcher /home/launcher
+	&& chown -R ${SSH_USERNAME}:${SSH_GROUP} /home/${SSH_USERNAME}
 
 # Fix for SSHD - "Missing privilege separation directory: /run/sshd"
 RUN set -xe \
 	&& mkdir /run/sshd
 
+# Create storage directory structure with proper ownership
+RUN set -xe \
+	&& mkdir -p ${STORAGE_PATH}/input \
+	&& mkdir -p ${STORAGE_PATH}/output \
+	&& chown -R ${SSH_USERNAME}:${SSH_GROUP} ${STORAGE_PATH}
+
 # Copy compiled executable from builder stage
 COPY --from=builder /build/leafres/testrun/piscal /srv/piscal
 
-# Copy piscal-manager scripts
-COPY piscal-manager /srv
+# Copy piscal-manager scripts (excluding .cfg, we'll generate it)
+COPY piscal-manager/*.sh /srv/
+COPY piscal-manager/README.txt /srv/
 
-# Fix Windows line endings (CRLF -> LF) for scripts and config files, and make scripts executable
+# Generate piscal_launcher.cfg with build-time parameters
+RUN set -xe \
+	&& echo "piscal_executable=\"${PISCAL_EXECUTABLE}\"" > /srv/piscal_launcher.cfg \
+	&& echo "storage_directory=\"${STORAGE_PATH}\"" >> /srv/piscal_launcher.cfg \
+	&& chown ${SSH_USERNAME}:${SSH_GROUP} /srv/piscal_launcher.cfg
+
+# Fix Windows line endings (CRLF -> LF) for scripts and make scripts executable
 RUN set -xe \
 	&& find /srv -name "*.sh" -type f -exec sed -i 's/\r$//' {} \; \
-	&& find /srv -name "*.cfg" -type f -exec sed -i 's/\r$//' {} \; \
 	&& chmod +x /srv/*.sh || true
 
 WORKDIR /srv
diff --git a/README-Docker.md b/README-Docker.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9b112c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README-Docker.md
@@ -0,0 +1,291 @@
+# PISCAL Docker Build Guide
+
+This guide explains how to build and run PISCAL Docker images.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- Docker installed and running
+- Git (for version tagging)
+- PowerShell (Windows) or Bash (Linux/Mac)
+
+## Building the Image
+
+**Windows (PowerShell):**
+```powershell
+.\build-docker.ps1
+```
+
+**Linux/Mac (Bash):**
+```bash
+./build-docker.sh
+```
+
+The build script automatically creates a versioned image with:
+- `piscal:YYYYMMDD-gitsha` (e.g., `piscal:20260316-216cd3f`)
+- `piscal:latest`
+- `piscal:dev`
+
+## Default Credentials
+
+The image is built with default credentials:
+
+- **Username:** `piscaladmin`
+- **Password:** `piscaladmin`
+- **Storage Path:** `/home/piscaladmin/LeafWeb_storage`
+
+**Security Note:** Change the password after deployment for production use. You can change it by:
+- SSHing into the container and running: `passwd piscaladmin`
+- Or rebuilding with custom credentials using Docker build arguments (see Advanced section)
+
+## Running the Container
+
+```bash
+# Start container
+docker run -d -p 2222:22 --name piscal-server piscal:latest
+
+# SSH into container
+ssh -p 2222 piscaladmin@localhost
+# Password: piscaladmin
+
+# Stop and remove
+docker stop piscal-server
+docker rm piscal-server
+```
+
+## Container Configuration
+
+### Build Arguments
+
+The Dockerfile accepts these build arguments if you need to customize:
+
+| Argument | Default | Description |
+|----------|---------|-------------|
+| `SSH_USERNAME` | `piscaladmin` | SSH username for container access |
+| `SSH_PASSWORD` | `piscaladmin` | SSH password for container access |
+| `SSH_GROUP` | `piscaladmin` | Primary group for SSH user |
+| `STORAGE_PATH` | `/home/piscaladmin/LeafWeb_storage` | Storage directory for PISCAL data |
+| `PISCAL_EXECUTABLE` | `/srv/piscal` | Path to PISCAL executable |
+
+### Storage Directory Structure
+
+The storage directory is automatically created with:
+
+```
+/home/piscaladmin/LeafWeb_storage/
+├── input/       # Input files for processing
+└── output/      # Results from PISCAL processing
+```
+
+### Port Mapping
+
+- Container exposes port `22` for SSH
+- Map to host port as needed: `-p <host_port>:22`
+- Default examples use port `2222` to avoid conflicts with host SSH
+
+## Advanced Usage
+
+### Custom Credentials at Build Time
+
+If you need different credentials, use Docker build arguments:
+
+```bash
+docker build \
+  --build-arg SSH_USERNAME=customuser \
+  --build-arg SSH_PASSWORD=custompass \
+  -t piscal:custom \
+  .
+```
+
+### Custom Storage Path
+
+```bash
+docker build \
+  --build-arg STORAGE_PATH=/data/piscal \
+  -t piscal:custom \
+  .
+```
+
+### Mounting External Storage
+
+Mount a host directory for persistent storage:
+
+```bash
+docker run -d -p 2222:22 \
+  -v /path/on/host:/home/piscaladmin/LeafWeb_storage \
+  --name piscal-server \
+  piscal:latest
+```
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Build Issues
+
+**Problem:** Docker build fails with "permission denied"
+```bash
+# Solution: Ensure Docker daemon is running
+docker ps
+```
+
+**Problem:** Git not found during build
+```bash
+# Solution: Install git or build without versioning
+docker build -t piscal:latest .
+```
+
+### Runtime Issues
+
+**Problem:** Cannot SSH into container
+```bash
+# Check if container is running
+docker ps
+
+# Check container logs
+docker logs piscal-server
+
+# Verify SSH service
+docker exec piscal-server service ssh status
+```
+
+**Problem:** Storage directory permission errors
+```bash
+# Verify ownership inside container
+docker exec piscal-server ls -la /home/piscaladmin/LeafWeb_storage
+```
+
+**Problem:** Port conflict on 2222
+```bash
+# Use a different port
+docker run -d -p 2223:22 --name piscal-server piscal:latest
+ssh -p 2223 piscaladmin@localhost
+```
+
+## Version Management
+
+### Listing Images
+
+```bash
+docker images | grep piscal
+```
+
+### Removing Old Images
+
+```bash
+# Remove specific version
+docker rmi piscal:20260316-216cd3f
+
+# Remove all except latest
+docker images | grep piscal | grep -v latest | awk '{print $3}' | xargs docker rmi
+```
+
+## Security Best Practices
+
+### 1. Change Default Password
+
+After deploying, always change the default password:
+
+```bash
+# SSH into container
+ssh -p 2222 piscaladmin@localhost
+
+# Change password
+passwd piscaladmin
+```
+
+### 2. Use SSH Keys
+
+For better security, disable password authentication and use SSH keys:
+
+```bash
+# Copy your public key to the container
+ssh-copy-id -p 2222 piscaladmin@localhost
+
+# Disable password authentication (optional)
+docker exec piscal-server sed -i 's/PasswordAuthentication yes/PasswordAuthentication no/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
+docker exec piscal-server service ssh restart
+```
+
+### 3. Firewall Rules
+
+Restrict SSH access with firewall rules:
+
+```bash
+# Example: Allow only from specific IP
+iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -s 192.168.1.100 --dport 2222 -j ACCEPT
+iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 2222 -j DROP
+```
+
+### 4. Environment Variables for Secrets
+
+Store credentials as environment variables instead of hardcoding:
+
+```bash
+export PISCAL_USER="piscaladmin"
+export PISCAL_PASS="secure_password"
+
+docker build \
+  --build-arg SSH_USERNAME="$PISCAL_USER" \
+  --build-arg SSH_PASSWORD="$PISCAL_PASS" \
+  -t piscal:latest .
+```
+
+## Integration with CI/CD
+
+### Example: GitHub Actions
+
+```yaml
+name: Build PISCAL Docker Image
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+
+jobs:
+  build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
+
+      - name: Build Docker image
+        run: ./build-docker.sh
+
+      - name: Push to registry
+        run: |
+          docker tag piscal:latest myregistry/piscal:latest
+          docker push myregistry/piscal:latest
+```
+
+### Example: Jenkins
+
+```groovy
+pipeline {
+    agent any
+
+    stages {
+        stage('Build') {
+            steps {
+                sh './build-docker.sh'
+            }
+        }
+
+        stage('Deploy') {
+            steps {
+                sh 'docker tag piscal:latest myregistry/piscal:latest'
+                sh 'docker push myregistry/piscal:latest'
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+```
+
+## Additional Resources
+
+- [Docker Documentation](https://docs.docker.com/)
+- [Docker Security Best Practices](https://docs.docker.com/engine/security/)
+- [SSH Hardening Guide](https://www.ssh.com/academy/ssh/security)
+
+## Support
+
+For issues or questions:
+1. Check the troubleshooting section above
+2. Review container logs: `docker logs piscal-server`
+3. Inspect container: `docker exec -it piscal-server /bin/bash`
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9f2a5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+# PISCAL
+
+PISCAL is a Fortran-based photosynthesis calculation tool for analyzing leaf-level gas exchange data. It supports C3, C4, and CAM photosynthetic pathways and provides parameter optimization for photosynthesis models.
+
+## Quick Start with Docker
+
+### Build the Docker Image
+
+**Windows (PowerShell):**
+```powershell
+.\build-docker.ps1
+```
+
+**Linux/Mac (Bash):**
+```bash
+./build-docker.sh
+```
+
+### Run the Container
+
+```bash
+# Start container
+docker run -d -p 2222:22 --name piscal-server piscal:latest
+
+# SSH into container
+ssh -p 2222 piscaladmin@localhost
+# Password: piscaladmin
+```
+
+### Full Docker Documentation
+
+See [README-Docker.md](README-Docker.md) for complete Docker build and deployment documentation, including:
+- Container configuration
+- Security best practices
+- Troubleshooting
+- CI/CD integration examples
+
+## Project Structure
+
+```
+piscal/
+├── Dockerfile                    # Multi-stage Docker build configuration
+├── build-docker.ps1              # Build script (Windows/PowerShell)
+├── build-docker.sh               # Build script (Linux/Mac/Bash)
+├── README-Docker.md              # Comprehensive Docker documentation
+│
+├── leafres/                      # Leaf response calculation modules
+│   ├── testarea/                 # Test area source files
+│   └── testrun/                  # Test run configuration and Makefile
+│
+├── dataassim/                    # Data assimilation and optimization
+│   └── math/                     # Mathematical libraries
+│       ├── optimization/         # Optimization algorithms
+│       ├── othersupmath/         # Supporting mathematical functions
+│       ├── algebra/              # Linear algebra routines
+│       ├── specialfuncs/         # Special mathematical functions
+│       └── nonlinsystems/        # Nonlinear system solvers
+│
+└── piscal-manager/               # Container management scripts
+    ├── piscal_manager.sh         # Job orchestration script
+    ├── piscal_launcher.sh        # Execution wrapper
+    ├── subdir_year.sh            # Output organization utility
+    ├── piscal_launcher.cfg       # Configuration (reference for non-Docker)
+    └── README.txt                # Manager scripts documentation
+```
+
+## Building from Source (Non-Docker)
+
+PISCAL is written in Fortran and requires:
+- `gfortran` (GNU Fortran compiler)
+- `make`
+- `xutils-dev`
+
+To build manually:
+```bash
+cd leafres/testrun
+make clean
+make
+```
+
+The compiled executable will be located at `leafres/testrun/piscal`.
+
+## Photosynthetic Pathway Support
+
+PISCAL supports three photosynthetic pathway types:
+- **C3_photosynthesis_leafweb** - C3 pathway (default)
+- **C4_photosynthesis_leafweb** - C4 pathway
+- **CAM_photosynthesis_leafweb** - CAM pathway
+
+Specify the pathway type in the `piscal.cfg` configuration file.
+
+## Input and Output
+
+### Input Files
+Place leaf gas exchange data files (CSV format) in the `input/` directory. See `piscal-manager/README.txt` for input file format details.
+
+### Output Structure
+PISCAL generates organized output in the following structure:
+```
+output/
+├── clninput/                     # Cleaned input data
+└── fitresult/                    # Optimization results
+    ├── touser/                   # User-facing results
+    │   ├── cntrlbestparameters.csv
+    │   ├── errormessage
+    │   └── warningmessage
+    └── nottouser/                # Internal/storage results
+```
+
+## Usage with piscal-manager Scripts
+
+The container includes management scripts for job orchestration:
+
+```bash
+# Start a job
+./piscal_manager.sh -d /path/to/workdir -s -p C3_photosynthesis_leafweb
+
+# Check job status
+./piscal_manager.sh -d /path/to/workdir
+
+# Cleanup completed job
+./piscal_manager.sh -d /path/to/workdir -c
+```
+
+See `piscal-manager/README.txt` for detailed script usage.
+
+## Version History
+
+Images are automatically tagged with:
+- `piscal:YYYYMMDD-gitsha` - Date and commit-based version
+- `piscal:latest` - Latest build
+- `piscal:dev` - Development alias
+
+## Security Notes
+
+**Default Credentials:**
+- Username: `piscaladmin`
+- Password: `piscaladmin`
+
+**Important:** Always change the default password after deployment:
+```bash
+ssh -p 2222 piscaladmin@localhost
+passwd piscaladmin
+```
+
+See [README-Docker.md](README-Docker.md) for comprehensive security best practices.
+
+## License
+
+[Add license information here]
+
+## Contributing
+
+[Add contribution guidelines here]
+
+## Support
+
+For Docker-related issues, see the troubleshooting section in [README-Docker.md](README-Docker.md).
+
+For PISCAL algorithm or calculation issues, refer to `piscal-manager/README.txt`.
diff --git a/build-docker.ps1 b/build-docker.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..36721f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build-docker.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env pwsh
+# Build script for PISCAL Docker image with automatic versioning
+
+$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
+
+# Generate version tag: YYYYMMDD-gitsha
+$DateTag = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd"
+$GitSha = (git rev-parse --short HEAD).Trim()
+$Version = "$DateTag-$GitSha"
+
+Write-Host "Building PISCAL Docker image..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
+Write-Host "Version: $Version" -ForegroundColor Cyan
+Write-Host ""
+
+# Build with version tag and latest tag (using default ARGs for dev)
+docker build `
+  -t "piscal:$Version" `
+  -t piscal:latest `
+  -t piscal:dev `
+  .
+
+if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "Successfully built:" -ForegroundColor Green
+    Write-Host "  - piscal:$Version" -ForegroundColor Green
+    Write-Host "  - piscal:latest" -ForegroundColor Green
+    Write-Host "  - piscal:dev" -ForegroundColor Green
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "Default credentials:" -ForegroundColor Cyan
+    Write-Host "  Username: piscaladmin" -ForegroundColor Cyan
+    Write-Host "  Password: piscaladmin" -ForegroundColor Cyan
+    Write-Host "  Storage:  /home/piscaladmin/LeafWeb_storage" -ForegroundColor Cyan
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "To run: docker run -d -p 2222:22 --name piscal-server piscal:latest" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+    Write-Host "To SSH: ssh -p 2222 piscaladmin@localhost (password: piscaladmin)" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+} else {
+    Write-Host "Build failed!" -ForegroundColor Red
+    exit $LASTEXITCODE
+}
diff --git a/build-docker.sh b/build-docker.sh
index 4c51f36..205a342 100755
--- a/build-docker.sh
+++ b/build-docker.sh
@@ -12,15 +12,23 @@ echo "Building PISCAL Docker image..."
 echo "Version: ${VERSION}"
 echo ""
 
-# Build with version tag and latest tag
+# Build with version tag and latest tag (using default ARGs for dev)
 docker build \
   -t piscal:${VERSION} \
   -t piscal:latest \
+  -t piscal:dev \
   .
 
 echo ""
 echo "Successfully built:"
 echo "  - piscal:${VERSION}"
 echo "  - piscal:latest"
+echo "  - piscal:dev"
+echo ""
+echo "Default credentials:"
+echo "  Username: piscaladmin"
+echo "  Password: piscaladmin"
+echo "  Storage:  /home/piscaladmin/LeafWeb_storage"
 echo ""
 echo "To run: docker run -d -p 2222:22 --name piscal-server piscal:latest"
+echo "To SSH: ssh -p 2222 piscaladmin@localhost (password: piscaladmin)"
diff --git a/piscal-manager/piscal_launcher.cfg b/piscal-manager/piscal_launcher.cfg
index b100a11..3493172 100644
--- a/piscal-manager/piscal_launcher.cfg
+++ b/piscal-manager/piscal_launcher.cfg
@@ -1,2 +1,7 @@
+# NOTE: This file is for reference only when using non-Docker deployments.
+# For Docker builds, this file is generated dynamically at build time from
+# Dockerfile ARG values (see Dockerfile). The Docker-generated version will
+# use the configured SSH_USERNAME and STORAGE_PATH build arguments.
+
 piscal_executable="/srv/piscal"
 storage_directory="/home/piscaladmin/LeafWeb_storage"