'apt-get clean' doesn't clear out /var/lib/apt/lists. It removes cached downloaded debs from /var/cacpt/apt but you'll still have hundreds of MiB of package lists on your system after running it.
RUN apt-get update -qq && \
apt-get install -y build-essential libvips && \
apt-get clean && \
rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* /usr/share/doc /usr/share/man
RUN apt-get update -qq && \
apt-get install -y build-essential libvips && \
rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*rm -rf isn't configuration management, it's system entropy increasing leaving users scrambling to reinstall the world.
If people don't want docs, then distro vendors should package them separately and make them recommended packages.
"I recommend avoiding Ubuntu because it violates the principle of dev - prod parity."
What exactly is the problem? Would you please like to provide sources to this issue / some explanation / any helpful content? THANKS!