How to Install WordPress using Docker Compose

We will walk you through the process of installing WordPress using Docker Compose, allowing you to run your WordPress blog efficiently and effortlessly. WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) that is used by millions of websites worldwide. Docker Compose, on the other hand, is a powerful tool for defining and running multi-container Docker applications. By combining these two technologies, you can easily set up and manage a WordPress installation and all of its dependencies.

Step 1: Install Docker and Docker Compose

Before we begin, please ensure that you have Docker and Docker Compose installed on your system. Containerized applications require Docker, and Docker Compose is a tool specifically designed to orchestrate multi-container Docker applications.

Install Docker

To get Docker up and running, you must first add the Docker repository and then install the Docker package. In the terminal, type the following commands:

# sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common

# curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

# echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

# sudo apt update

# sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io

Install Docker Compose

Then, run the following commands to install Docker Compose:

# sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/latest/download/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

# sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Run the following command to ensure that Docker Compose was successfully installed:

docker-compose --version
Docker Compose version v2.19.0

Step 2: Set Up a Project Directory

Create a project directory to organize your WordPress installation and related files. Navigate to the desired location where you want to set up your project in your terminal. To make a new directory, use the following command:

mkdir wordpress-project
cd wordpress-project

Step 3: Create a Docker Compose YAML file

Next, in your project directory, create a YAML file called docker-compose.yml. The services and configurations required for your WordPress installation will be defined in this file. Open your text editor of choice and add the following to the docker-compose.yml file:

version: '3'
services:
  db:
    image: mysql:5.7
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
    restart: always
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: your_mysql_root_password
      MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress
      MYSQL_USER: wordpress
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: your_mysql_password

  wordpress:
    depends_on:
      - db
    image: wordpress:latest
    ports:
      - 8000:80
    restart: always
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db:3306
      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: wordpress
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: your_mysql_password
volumes:
  db_data: {}

Make sure your_mysql_root_password and your_mysql_password are replaced with your desired MySQL root password and WordPress database password, respectively.

Step 4: Start the Docker Containers

After creating the docker-compose.yml file, run the following command to start the Docker containers:

docker-compose up -d

Docker Compose will begin pulling the necessary Docker images, setting up the containers, and configuring the network connections. This process may take a few minutes, depending on the speed of your internet connection.

Step 5: Access Your WordPress Site

You can access your WordPress site once the containers are up and running by opening a web browser and typing http://servers-IP:8000 into the address bar. The WordPress setup wizard should appear, guiding you through the initial configuration, which includes language selection, site title, username, password, and email address.

Step 6: Complete the WordPress Setup

To finish the installation, use the WordPress setup wizard. When you’re finished, you’ll be taken to the WordPress admin dashboard. You can then begin customizing your website by installing themes and plugins and publishing content.

Step 7: Stop and Start Containers

To stop the running containers, use the following command:

docker-compose down

This command will terminate and remove the containers while retaining the data in the database volume. If you want to restart the containers later, go to your project directory and run docker-compose up -d.

Final Thoughts

Congratulations! WordPress was successfully installed using Docker Compose. This method creates a flexible and portable environment that allows you to run your WordPress blog. You can easily manage your WordPress installation by leveraging the power of Docker, ensuring scalability and consistency across different environments. Have fun exploring WordPress’s vast possibilities, and happy blogging!