How to Create a Docker Base Setup for Drupal 1.0 CMS

• Consistency: Same environment across all machines.
• Isolation: Each project runs in its own container, avoiding dependency conflicts.
• Scalability: Easily add services like Redis, Varnish, and Elastic Search.
• Faster onboarding: Developers can start immediately without complex setups.
• Reliable deployments: works seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines.

For Drupal, this means:

• No more “works on my machine” problems.
• Stable PHP, Apache/Nginx, and MySQL versions.
• Better team collaboration.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have: Docker Desktop install (Windows / macOS / Linux)
Docker Compose
Basic command-line knowledge
At least 4GB RAM (recommended)

• Quick setup: Set up Drupal CMS with minimal commands.
• Portability: Move projects between different environments easily.
• Isolation: Each project runs in its own container without any conflicts.
• Service integration: Quickly link to MySQL, Redis, or Elasticsearch containers.
• Efficiency: Developers don’t need to manually replicate complex configurations.

For additional insights into improving your Drupal performance, you can simply check out optimizing Drupal performance: Tips to develop a faster website.

Step 1: Create project directory

mkdir drupal-docker && cd drupal-docker

Step 2: Create docker-compose.yml

version: '3'
services:
  Drupal:
    image: drupal:11-apache
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    volumes:
      - ./web:/var/www/html
    depends_on:
      - db
  db:
    image: mysql:5.7
    environment:
      MYSQL_DATABASE: Drupal
      MYSQL_USER: Drupal
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: Drupal
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: root
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
  phpmyadmin:
    image: phpmyadmin/phpmyadmin
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "8081:80"
    environment:
      PMA_HOST: db
PMA_PORT: 3306
  redis:
    Image: redis:alpine
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "6379:6379"
volumes:
  db_data:

Step 3: First run

Docker compose up -d
Copy Drupal files from the container to host:
docker cp $(docker ps -qf "name=drupal"):/var/www/html ./web

Step 4: Fix file permissions (Linux)

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data ./web
sudo chmod -R 775 ./web
# Important files
sudo chmod 664 ./web/sites/default/settings.php
sudo chmod 664 ./web/sites/default/services.yml
# For production
sudo chmod 444 ./web/sites/default/settings.php
sudo chmod 444 ./web/sites/default/services.yml

Step 5: Create .env file

# Apache
APACHE_RUN_USER=www-data
APACHE_RUN_GROUP=www-data
# Drupal
APP_ENV=Dev
APP_HASH_SALT=drupal_hash_salt
# MySQL
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=root
MYSQL_DATABASE=Drupal
MYSQL_USER=Drupal
MYSQL_PASSWORD=Drupal
MYSQL_PORT=3306
# Redis
REDIS_HOST=redis
REDIS_PORT=6379
# PhpMyAdmin
PMA_HOST=db
PMA_PORT=3306

Step 6: Useful Docker commands

# Start environment
Docker composes up -d
# Stop containers
Docker compose stop
# Stop & remove containers
Docker composes down
# Stop & remove + volumes
Docker compose down -v
# Rebuild clean
Docker compose build --no-cache
# List running containers
docker ps
# Access Drupal shell
docker compose exec Drupal /bin/bash
# Check PHP version
docker compose exec Drupal php -v
# Drush status
docker compose exec Drupal drush status

Step 7: Access services

• Drupal → http://localhost:8080
• PhpMyAdmin → http://localhost:8081

Database connection in Drupal installer

Use these values during installation:

• Host: db
• Database: Drupal
• User: Drupal
• Password: Drupal

For advanced Drupal integrations, you might also explore headless Drupal solutions: flexible, scalable & API integration.

File permissions → Ensure /sites/default/files is writable.
Port conflicts → Change 8080 if already in use.
DB errors → Double-check host database and credentials.
Performance on Windows/macOS → Use Docker volumes carefully, as file sync is slower.

• Faster onboarding: Docker Compose up and you’re ready.
• Parallel projects: Run multiple Drupal versions side by side.
• CI/CD friendly: Easy integration with pipelines.
• Debugging: Restart/replace containers without breaking.