Laravel Docker Stack

A complete Docker setup for running a Laravel application with PHP, MySQL, and Nginx. This project is based on the "Docker & Kubernetes: The Practical Guide" Udemy course.

Project Structure

laravel-docker-stack/
├── dockerfiles/
│   ├── php.dockerfile          # PHP-FPM container for Laravel
│   ├── composer.dockerfile     # Composer container for dependency management
│   └── nginx.dockerfile        # Nginx web server container
├── nginx/
│   ├── nginx.conf              # Nginx configuration
│   └── nginx.config
├── env/
│   └── mysql.env               # MySQL environment variables
├── src/                        # Laravel application (generated)
├── docker-compose.yml          # Docker Compose configuration
└── .gitignore                  # Git ignore rules

Prerequisites

• Docker Desktop (or Docker Engine + Docker Compose)
• Git
• Basic knowledge of Docker and Laravel

Quick Start

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/AhmedShab/laravel-docker-stack.git
cd laravel-docker-stack

2. Create Environment Files

Create the env/mysql.env file with your MySQL credentials:

mkdir -p env
cat > env/mysql.env << EOF
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=root
MYSQL_DATABASE=laravel
MYSQL_USER=laravel
MYSQL_PASSWORD=laravel
EOF

3. Build Docker Images

docker-compose build

4. Create Laravel Project

Generate a new Laravel project in the src/ directory:

docker-compose run --rm composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/laravel .

5. Start the Services

docker-compose up -d server --build
docker-compose run --rm artisan migrate
docker-compose run --rm artisan key:generate

6. Access the Application

• Laravel App: http://localhost:8000
• PHP FPM: http://localhost:3000

Services

Nginx (server)

• Image: nginx:stable-alpine
• Port: 8000 (mapped to 80 inside container)
• Purpose: Web server that routes requests to PHP-FPM
• Config: ./nginx/nginx.conf mounted to /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf

PHP-FPM (php)

• Dockerfile: dockerfiles/php.dockerfile
• Port: 3000
• Purpose: Runs PHP application code
• User: laravel (non-root user for security)
• Extensions: PDO, PDO MySQL

MySQL (mysql)

• Image: mysql:5.7
• Purpose: Database server
• Credentials: Loaded from env/mysql.env
• Note: Not exposed to host (internal communication only)

Composer (composer)

• Dockerfile: dockerfiles/composer.dockerfile
• Purpose: Manages PHP dependencies
• Usage: docker-compose run --rm composer <command>

Artisan (artisan)

• Dockerfile: dockerfiles/php.dockerfile
• Purpose: Run Laravel Artisan commands
• Usage: docker-compose run --rm artisan <command>

Node/NPM (npm)

• Image: node:14
• Purpose: Manage JavaScript dependencies and build assets
• Usage: docker-compose run --rm npm <command>

Common Commands

Composer Commands

# Install dependencies
docker-compose run --rm composer install

# Update dependencies
docker-compose run --rm composer update

# Require a new package
docker-compose run --rm composer require vendor/package

Artisan Commands

# Run migrations
docker-compose run --rm artisan migrate

# Create a new model
docker-compose run --rm artisan make:model ModelName

# Run tinker (interactive shell)
docker-compose run --rm artisan tinker

# Clear cache
docker-compose run --rm artisan cache:clear

NPM Commands

# Install dependencies
docker-compose run --rm npm install

# Build assets
docker-compose run --rm npm run build

# Watch for changes
docker-compose run --rm npm run dev

Docker Compose Commands

# Start all services
docker-compose up -d

# Stop all services
docker-compose down

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f

# View logs for specific service
docker-compose logs -f php

# Execute command in running container
docker-compose exec php bash

Key Concepts Learned

Volume Mounts

• ./src:/var/www/html - Application code
• ./nginx/nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf:ro - Read-only Nginx config
• :delegated flag - Performance optimization for Docker Desktop

Service Dependencies

• Services depend on each other (e.g., artisan depends on mysql)
• Ensures proper startup order

Environment Variables

• MySQL credentials stored in env/mysql.env

Troubleshooting

Container Won't Start

# Check logs
docker-compose logs <service-name>

# Rebuild images
docker-compose build --no-cache

Port Already in Use

If ports 8000 or 3000 are already in use, edit docker-compose.yml:

ports:
  - "8001:80"  # Change 8000 to 8001

Database Connection Issues

Ensure env/mysql.env exists and has correct credentials. The MySQL service name is mysql (not localhost).

File Explanations

dockerfiles/php.dockerfile

• Installs PHP 8.2 with FPM
• Installs PDO and MySQL extensions
• Creates non-root laravel user
• Sets working directory to /var/www/html

dockerfiles/composer.dockerfile

• Uses official Composer image
• Creates non-root laravel user
• Ignores platform requirements for compatibility

dockerfiles/nginx.dockerfile

• Configures Nginx web server
• Routes requests to PHP-FPM

docker-compose.yml

• Defines all services and their configurations
• Sets up volumes for code and configuration
• Manages environment variables and dependencies

Resources

• Docker Documentation
• Docker Compose Documentation
• Laravel Documentation
• Udemy Course

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.