New MySQL (5.7) Docker Container: --initialize specified but the data directory has files in it. Aborting.

[TurboCooler]

So, I did search and found other issues with the same topic --initialize specified but the data directory has files in it. Aborting.

I am new to Docker so the issue could very well be me. Those solutions did not help me. I have been fighting this issue for days.

This is my docker compose file. I am using the latest Docker for Windows. I am using Linux containers. I have given docker permission to the folder on my local file system. I have 64gb free for Docker VM.

I looked at this file
https://github.com/docker-library/mysql/blob/a6b87c55ecdf9426d42ff7814be7e9b1fc33b292/5.7/Dockerfile

It seems I am pointing to the correct internal volume. I want to map the internal files to my local windows file system so I can persist data between sessions. This is a laptop for development.

version: '3.3'
services:
db:
image: mysql:5.7
command: --explicit_defaults_for_timestamp
restart: always
environment:
MYSQL_DATABASE: 'ctestdb'
# So you don't have to use root, but you can if you like
MYSQL_USER: 'ctestuser'
# You can use whatever password you like
MYSQL_PASSWORD: 'ctestdbpwd'
# Password for root access
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: 'mysqlctestroot'
ports:
# : < MySQL Port running inside container>
- '3306:3306'
expose:
# Opens port 3306 on the container
- '3306'
# Where our data will be persisted
volumes:
- ../localdata/mysql_docker_data_files:/var/lib/mysql

[wglambert]

Maybe there's hidden files that you're not seeing in the default view, but mysql is detecting something there that's not a database

This thread might be helpful for you
#290 (comment)

The entrypoint script checks if DATADIR/mysql exists. If not, it runs --initialize, but if DATADIR/ contains any files other than ones starting with . or specified with --ignore-db-dir, --initialize will fail with that error message.
So the directory you map to :/var/lib/mysql should either contain an existing MySQL database or be completely empty

You could also try using a named volume instead

[TurboCooler]

@wglambert -- thanks for the help. That quoted answer helped but it was unclear. In my mind, and apparently others because I have seen other posts like the above, DATADIR/mysql I assumed was related to the INTERNAL container file system. I did not put 2 and 2 together to understand that when you map, it now refers to your local directory. My local directory had a .ignore file that I could not see because of my explore properties. Removing that file made everything work as-is with the docker-compose file listed in my original post.

Now, it would be nice to know if there is a command to have mysql initialize the directory or ignore files in that directory. Anyway, that did the trick. A better error msg or maybe a check of the directory would have save me so much pain.

A simple, target directory (xxxxxxxxxxx) is not empty and must be empty to complete install would have save me and many others a lot of pain