MySQL/MariaDB with phpMyAdmin Docker Compose Documentation

Overview

This Docker Compose configuration provides a complete database solution with either MySQL or MariaDB as the database server and phpMyAdmin as the web-based management interface. This setup is ideal for development environments, testing, and learning purposes.

Prerequisites

• Docker installed on your system
• Docker Compose (usually included with Docker Desktop)

Configuration Options

Option 1: MySQL Version (Recommended for MySQL-specific features)

services:
  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    platform: linux/amd64
    volumes:
      - mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql
    restart: always
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD:-rootpassword}
      MYSQL_DATABASE: ${DB_NAME:-mydatabase}
      MYSQL_USER: ${DB_USER:-myuser}
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD:-userpassword}
    ports:
      - "3306:3306"

  phpmyadmin:
    depends_on:
      - db
    image: phpmyadmin:latest
    platform: linux/amd64
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "8090:80"
    environment:
      PMA_HOST: db
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD:-rootpassword}
      UPLOAD_LIMIT: 128M

volumes:
  mysql_data:
    driver: local

Option 2: MariaDB Version (Recommended for open-source alternative)

services:
  db:
    image: mariadb:10.6
    volumes:
      - mariadb_data:/var/lib/mysql
    restart: always
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD:-rootpassword}
      MYSQL_DATABASE: ${DB_NAME:-mydatabase}
      MYSQL_USER: ${DB_USER:-myuser}
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD:-userpassword}
    ports:
      - "3306:3306"

  phpmyadmin:
    depends_on:
      - db
    image: phpmyadmin:latest
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "8090:80"
    environment:
      PMA_HOST: db
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD:-rootpassword}
      UPLOAD_LIMIT: 128M

volumes:
  mariadb_data:
    driver: local

Services

1. Database Service (db)

Available Images:

• MySQL: mysql:8.0
• MariaDB: mariadb:10.6

Configuration

• Volume: Persistent storage at /var/lib/mysql using a named volume
• Restart Policy: Always restart if container stops
• Port Mapping: Host port 3306 to container port 3306
• Environment Variables:
  • MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: Root password (default: 'rootpassword')
  • MYSQL_DATABASE: Initial database to create (default: 'mydatabase')
  • MYSQL_USER: Initial user to create (default: 'myuser')
  • MYSQL_PASSWORD: Password for the initial user (default: 'userpassword')

Direct Database Access

Connect to the database server directly:

mysql -h 127.0.0.1 -P 3306 -u root -p

2. phpMyAdmin Service

Image: phpmyadmin:latest

Configuration

• Dependency: Requires the db service to be running
• Restart Policy: Always restart if container stops
• Port Mapping: Host port 8090 to container port 80
• Environment Variables:
  • PMA_HOST: Database hostname (set to 'db' - the database service name)
  • MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: Root password (must match the db service)
  • UPLOAD_LIMIT: Maximum file upload size (set to 128MB)

Web Interface Access

Access phpMyAdmin through your web browser at:

http://localhost:8090

Login credentials:

• Username: root
• Password: The value set for DB_ROOT_PASSWORD (default: 'rootpassword')

Environment Variables

Customize the configuration using environment variables either by:

1. Setting them in your shell before running Docker Compose
2. Creating a .env file in the same directory

Available variables with their defaults:

DB_ROOT_PASSWORD=rootpassword
DB_NAME=mydatabase
DB_USER=myuser
DB_PASSWORD=userpassword

Volumes

• MySQL version: mysql_data - Persistent volume for MySQL data storage
• MariaDB version: mariadb_data - Persistent volume for MariaDB data storage
• Both use the local driver for data persistence

Deployment

1. Choose either MySQL or MariaDB version and save as docker-compose.yml
2. (Optional) Create a .env file to customize environment variables
3. Run the following command:

   docker-compose up -d

Management Commands

• Start services: docker-compose up -d
• Stop services: docker-compose down
• View logs: docker-compose logs
• Monitor containers: docker-compose ps
• Stop services but keep volumes: docker-compose down --volumes (to remove volumes, omit the flag)

Security Considerations

1. Always change default passwords for production environments
2. Avoid exposing database port (3306) publicly without proper security measures
3. Consider using Docker networks for internal communication only
4. Use strong, complex passwords for database users
5. Regularly update Docker images to receive security patches

MySQL vs MariaDB: Key Differences

Aspect	MySQL	MariaDB
License	Oracle-owned (GPLv2)	Open-source (GPLv2)
Performance	Good for enterprise workloads	Often faster for read operations
Features	Oracle-specific enhancements	Community-driven enhancements
Compatibility	Standard MySQL	MySQL compatible with extras
Storage Engines	Standard set	Additional engines like Aria, ColumnStore

References

• MySQL Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/_/mysql
• MariaDB Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/_/mariadb
• phpMyAdmin Docker Hub: https://hub.docker.com/r/phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin
• Docker Documentation: https://docs.docker.com/
• Docker Compose Documentation: https://docs.docker.com/compose/

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Connection refused errors: Verify both containers are running with docker-compose ps
2. Port conflicts: Ensure ports 3306 and 8090 are not already in use
3. Permission errors: Check volume permissions for database data directory
4. Platform issues: For ARM devices, you may need to adjust platform settings

Log Inspection

Check service logs for detailed error information:

docker-compose logs db        # Database logs
docker-compose logs phpmyadmin # phpMyAdmin logs
docker-compose logs -f        # Follow all logs in real-time

Data Persistence

• Data persists between container restarts due to named volumes
• To completely reset, remove volumes with docker-compose down -v
• Volume data is stored in Docker's managed volume directory

Support

For additional support:

• Check official Docker documentation for both MySQL and MariaDB
• Review phpMyAdmin documentation for web interface issues
• Consult Docker community forums for platform-specific issues