What is WordPress?

With the rise of various website-building platforms, one name that you are often familiar with is WordPress. Why has WordPress become so popular? As a coder, you already have an answer for that.

Originally developed as a blogging platform in the early 2000s, WordPress has evolved into a powerful, free Content Management System (CMS) capable of creating all kinds of websites, including blogs, e-commerce sites, portfolios, forums, and more.

But how can you make your website or blog superfast? This is where Docker Compose comes into play. Get ready to run multiple applications on the same host with Docker.

Docker Compose: A Quick Overview

Before diving into the installation process, let’s have a quick overview of Docker Compose. Docker Compose is a tool used to define and manage multi-container Docker applications. It allows users to configure multiple Docker containers, their relationships, networking, and dependencies in a single YAML file.

This simplifies the process of arranging complex Docker deployments by providing a straightforward way to manage the entire application stack with a single command. Docker Compose is particularly useful for development environments, testing, and deploying applications composed of multiple interconnected services.

Installation

It’s time to start your installation process.

Prerequisites

• Docker
• Docker Compose
• Domain Name

Step 1: Installation of Docker and Docker Compose

Begin by installing Docker and Docker Compose on your system. Docker allows you to rapidly deploy and grow apps in any environment, while Docker Compose enables the definition and execution of multi-container applications.

To install Docker, start by incorporating the Docker repository and then install the Docker package. Use 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

To install Docker Compose, run the following commands:

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

To check if the installation was successful, run:

docker-compose --version

You should see a version number similar to:

Docker Compose version v2.19.0

Step 2: Create a Project Directory

Organize your WordPress installation by creating a project directory:

mkdir wordpress-project
cd wordpress-project

Step 3: Build a Docker Compose YAML File

Create a docker-compose.yml file in your project directory to define the services and configurations necessary for your WordPress installation. Use a text editor to input the following configurations:

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: {}

Replace your_mysql_root_password and your_mysql_password with the passwords you want to use.

Step 4: Begin the Docker Containers

Start the Docker containers by executing:

docker-compose up -d

This command will retrieve the necessary Docker images, establish the containers, and configure the network connections required. Ensure your internet connection is stable for a smooth setup.

Step 5: Access Your WordPress Site

Once the containers are running, access your WordPress site through a web browser by entering the server’s IP address and port number. The WordPress setup wizard will guide you through the initial configuration steps.

Step 6: Finish Configuring WordPress

Use the WordPress setup wizard to finalize the installation process. Customize your website by selecting themes, installing plugins, and configuring settings. Once completed, you can access the WordPress admin dashboard to manage and enhance your site.

Step 7: Stop and Start Containers

To stop the running containers, use:

docker-compose down

This command stops and deletes the containers while preserving the data within the database volume. To restart the containers, navigate to your project directory and execute:

docker-compose up -d

Benefits of Using Docker Compose

• Ease of Setup: Docker Compose allows you to easily set up and configure multiple containers within seconds using a simple YAML-format configuration file.
• Isolation: Docker Compose provides isolation between WordPress and its dependencies, such as the database server.
• Simplified Management: Docker Compose simplifies the management of WordPress installations by allowing developers to define the entire application stack in a single YAML file.

Does this simple guide help you understand the installation process of WordPress using Docker Compose? Happy coding, techies!