Run WordPress in Docker

Running WordPress in Docker offers a stable and repeatable local development setup. It eliminates environment-specific issues and simplifies service management. Using Docker alongside Visual Studio Code improves usability, especially for local development and customization.

Requirements

Ensure the following components are installed:

• Docker Desktop (Windows/macOS) or Docker Engine (Linux)
• Visual Studio Code with the Docker extension

Setup

Begin by creating a dedicated project folder.

1. Open Visual Studio Code.
2. Open a terminal in VS Code.
3. Create a new directory for your project and navigate into it:

shell
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1mkdir wordpress
2cd wordpress

Docker

Inside the project directory, create a docker-compose.yml file to define the services for WordPress and its dependencies.

1. In Visual Studio Code, create a new file named docker-compose.yml.
2. Add the following content to the file:

yaml
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1services:
2  db:
3    image: mysql:9.3
4    volumes:
5      - ./data/mysql:/var/lib/mysql
6    restart: always
7    environment:
8      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: password
9      MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress
10      MYSQL_USER: wordpress
11      MYSQL_PASSWORD: wordpress
12    networks:
13      - wpsite
14
15  phpmyadmin:
16    depends_on:
17      - db
18    image: phpmyadmin:latest
19    restart: always
20    ports:
21      - '8080:80'
22    environment:
23      PMA_HOST: db
24      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: password
25    networks:
26      - wpsite
27
28  wordpress:
29    depends_on:
30      - db
31    image: wordpress:latest
32    ports:
33      - '8000:80'
34    restart: always
35    volumes:
36      - wordpress_data:/var/www/html
37      - ./wp-content:/var/www/html/wp-content:cached
38    environment:
39      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db:3306
40      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: wordpress
41      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: wordpress
42    networks:
43      - wpsite
44
45volumes:
46  wordpress_data:
47
48networks:
49  wpsite:

Services

• db: MySQL 9.3 container with persistent storage
• phpmyadmin: Web interface for database management at http://localhost:8080
• wordpress: WordPress container accessible at http://localhost:8000, with local wp-content mapping

Startup

To launch your WordPress environment:

shell
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1docker-compose up -d

This starts the containers in detached mode. The initial setup can take a few minutes as Docker downloads the necessary images.

Visit http://localhost:8000 in your browser to complete the WordPress installation (language, site name, user credentials).

Container

On the first run, complete the WordPress installation in your browser by choosing a language and entering site credentials.

Management

Use the following commands for container control:

Stop

shell
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1docker-compose down

This stops and removes containers but retains volume data.

Restart

shell
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1docker-compose up -d

Customisation

To develop or install custom themes and plugins:

1. Navigate to the wp-content/themes or wp-content/plugins directory in your project folder.
2. Add or modify files directly.
3. Changes reflect immediately in your running site.

Editing

Use Visual Studio Code to modify your WordPress setup:

• Open the project directory in VS Code.
• Edit themes, plugins, or core files.
• Save changes to see them reflected in the browser.

Docker simplifies local WordPress development by providing a containerized, consistent environment. When paired with Visual Studio Code, it allows efficient file management, rapid customization, and reliable performance across different systems.