WordPress Docker Setup

Prerequisites

1. Ubuntu system (20.04/22.04 recommended)
2. Docker installed (if not, follow Step 1)
3. Basic terminal familiarity

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Install Docker

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io docker-compose
sudo systemctl enable --now docker
sudo usermod -aG docker ${USER}  # Add current user to docker group
newgrp docker  # Refresh group permissions

2. Create Docker Compose File

Create docker-compose.yml with:

version: '3.8'

services:
  db:
    image: mysql:5.7
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: your_root_password
      MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress
      MYSQL_USER: wordpress
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: wordpress
    restart: unless-stopped

  wordpress:
    depends_on:
      - db
    image: wordpress:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:80"  # Binds host port 8080 to container port 80
    volumes:
      - ./wp-content:/var/www/html/wp-content  # Local folder binding
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db:3306
      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: wordpress
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: wordpress
      WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: wordpress
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  db_data:

3. Key Configuration Details

Port Binding:

• ports: - "8080:80" maps:
  • Host machine port: 8080 (accessible via http://localhost:8080)
  • Container port: 80 (WordPress default port)

Volume Binding:

• volumes: - ./wp-content:/var/www/html/wp-content creates:
  • Local folder: ./wp-content (relative to compose file)
  • Container path: WordPress content directory
  • Changes persist after container restarts

4. Launch the Stack

docker-compose up -d

5. Verification

1. Check running containers:

   docker ps
   

2. Access WordPress at http://localhost:8080
3. Check local filesystem for created wp-content folder

6. Management Commands

• Stop containers: docker-compose down
• View logs: docker-compose logs -f
• Update images: docker-compose pull && docker-compose up -d

Troubleshooting

1. Port conflicts: Change left-side port in ports mapping (e.g., 8081:80)
2. Permission issues:

   sudo chown -R $USER:$USER ./wp-content
   

3. Database errors: Verify credentials match in both service definitions