How to Setup Laravel Apps in Docker Containers: A Complete Guide

Last Updated On October 12, 2024

Jagdish Patel

4 Minutes to read

Getting your Laravel apps running smoothly can be tricky. That’s why many folks turn to a Laravel development company or hire Laravel consultant to handle the technical stuff. But guess what? You can do this yourself! Let’s break down the whole process into bite-sized pieces.

Why Docker Matters for Laravel Apps?

Running Laravel apps used to be a pain – different PHP versions, database conflicts, and that dreaded “works on my machine” problem. Docker fixes all that. It’s like having a tiny, perfect copy of your production server right on your computer.

What You'll Need Before Starting?

Before jumping in, grab these tools:

Setting Up Your Workspace

First, let’s get organized. Make a new folder for your project:

mkdir my-laravel-docker
cd my-laravel-docker

When someone hires a Laravel consultant, this is often the first thing they set up. But you can totally do it yourself!

Getting Your Docker Files Ready

1. The Main Dockerfile

This file tells Docker how to build your app. Create a file named Dockerfile:

FROM php:8.2-fpm

RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \

git \
curl \
zip \
unzip \
libpng-dev \
libonig-dev \
libxml2-dev

RUN docker-php-ext-install pdo_mysql mbstring exif pcntl bcmath gd

COPY –from=composer:latest /usr/bin/composer /usr/bin/composer

WORKDIR /var/www

COPY . .

RUN chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www

2. Docker Compose Setup

Next up is docker-compose.yml. This file makes all your containers work together:

version: ‘3’
services:
app:
build:
context: .
dockerfile: Dockerfile
volumes:
– .:/var/www
networks:
– laravel-net

nginx:
image: nginx:alpine
ports:
– “8080:80”
volumes:
– .:/var/www
–
./nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf
networks:
– laravel-net

db:
image: mysql:8.0
environment:
MYSQL_DATABASE: laravel
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD:
secret
networks:
– laravel-net

networks:
laravel-net:
driver: bridge

A good Laravel development company always uses clear, well-organized docker-compose files. Now you know why!

3. Nginx Configuration

Create a nginx.conf file:

server {
listen 80;
index index.php index.html;
root /var/www/public;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
}
location ~ \.php$ {
fastcgi_pass app:9000;
fastcgi_index index.php;
include fastcgi_params;
fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
}
}

Setting Up Your Laravel Project

Now for the fun part! You’ve got two options:

Option 1: New Project

docker run –rm -v $(pwd):/app composer create-project laravel/laravel.

Option 2: Existing Project

Just copy your files into the project folder. Easy!

Database Configuration

Update your .env file:

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=db
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=laravel
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=secret

When you hire Laravel consultant services, they often handle database setup. But see? You’re doing it yourself!

Running Your Application

Time to fire everything up:

docker-compose up -d

This command:

Daily Development Tasks

Here’s how to do common tasks:

Running Artisan Commands

docker-compose exec app php artisan migrate

Composer Commands

docker-compose exec app composer update

Checking Logs

docker-compose logs -f

Making Your App Better

Adding Redis

Want to speed things up? Add Redis to your docker-compose.yml:

redis:
image: redis:alpine
networks:
– laravel-net

Queue Workers

For background jobs:

queue:
build:
context: .
dockerfile: Dockerfile
command: php artisan queue:work
networks:
– laravel-net

Testing Your Setup

Run tests inside Docker:

docker-compose exec app php artisan test

Many times when companies hire Laravel consultant help, testing setup is a big focus. Now you know how to do it!

Common Problems and Fixes

Permission Issues

Run this inside your container:

chown -R www-data:www-data storage bootstrap/cache

Database Connection Problems

Container Won't Start

Try this:

docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d –build

Production Tips

When going live:

This is where a Laravel development company really shows their value – they’ve done this hundreds of times!

Making Your App Faster

Speed tips that work:

Backup Strategies

Keep your data safe:

# Database backup

docker-compose exec db mysqldump -u root -p laravel > backup.sql

Security Checks

Stay safe:

Monitoring Your App

Keep an eye on things:

Next Steps

Want to learn more?

Final Thoughts

You’ve learned how to put Laravel apps in Docker containers! While you can always hire Laravel consultant help or work with a Laravel development company, doing it yourself teaches you valuable skills.

Remember:

Extra Resources

Want to dig deeper?

Getting Help

Need more help? You can:

Keep learning, keep building, and most importantly – have fun with it! Docker and Laravel make a great team when you know how to use them together.

Need professional help? You can always hire Laravel consultant or work with a Laravel development company – N Technolabs. But now you know enough to handle many tasks on your own

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Jagdish Patel

Jagdish Patel is an accomplished technology professional whose expertise lies at the intersection of web development and eCommerce. Leveraging his deep knowledge of Laravel, PHP, and various frameworks, he consistently delivers innovative solutions that exceed client expectations.

“These guys really know what they're doing. I've used them for some of my own clients and have always been happy with the results.”

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How to Setup Laravel Apps in Docker Containers: A Complete Guide

Jagdish Patel

Table of Contents

Why Docker Matters for Laravel Apps?

What You'll Need Before Starting?

Setting Up Your Workspace

Getting Your Docker Files Ready

1. The Main Dockerfile

2. Docker Compose Setup

3. Nginx Configuration

Setting Up Your Laravel Project

Option 1: New Project

Option 2: Existing Project

Database Configuration

Running Your Application

This command:

Daily Development Tasks

Running Artisan Commands

Composer Commands

Checking Logs

Making Your App Better

Adding Redis

Queue Workers

Testing Your Setup

Common Problems and Fixes

Permission Issues

Database Connection Problems

Container Won't Start

Production Tips

When going live:

Making Your App Faster

Speed tips that work:

Backup Strategies

Keep your data safe:

Security Checks

Stay safe:

Monitoring Your App

Keep an eye on things:

Next Steps

Want to learn more?

Final Thoughts

Remember:

Extra Resources

Getting Help

Not sure which Golang framework is right?

Jagdish Patel

Drop us a line

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