How to Set Up Apache MySQL PHP using Docker

Introduction

TL;DR: Copy my example and learn as you go.

Prerequisites

Docker
macOS / Windows 11 / Linux

Structure

Folder
- docker-compose.yml
- Dockerfile
- yourfiles ...

docker-compose.yml is a config file allows you to define the services, networks, and volumes required to run your application in a declarative way.

Dockerfile is a text document that contains instructions for building a Docker image.

Example

Here's a working example demonstrating how to use Docker to run a PHP application with Apache as the web server and MySQL for the database.

Note: Some parts are not explained, just google the words and modify it to your needs.

The directory should look similar to this.

Project1
- docker-compose.yml
- php81.Dockerfile
- index.php
- info.php
...

php81.Dockerfile

FROM php:8.1-apache

ENV APACHE_DOCUMENT_ROOT /var/www/html

RUN sed -ri -e 's!/var/www/html!${APACHE_DOCUMENT_ROOT}!g' /etc/apache2/sites-available/*.conf
RUN sed -ri -e 's!/var/www/!${APACHE_DOCUMENT_ROOT}!g' /etc/apache2/apache2.conf /etc/apache2/conf-available/*.conf
RUN mv "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini-development" "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini"

RUN docker-php-ext-install \
mysqli pdo_mysql bcmath exif

RUN curl -sSL https://github.com/mlocati/docker-php-extension-installer/releases/latest/download/install-php-extensions -o - | sh -s \
gd zip

RUN a2enmod rewrite

RUN curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | php -- --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer

It means that use docker image php:8.1-apache, edit apache's document root, move the ini-development file to make the php.ini (when hosting use ini-production), install php extensions, enable mod rewrite, install composer.

You can change php:8.1-apache to php:8.4-apache if you want the latest PHP.

You can change APACHE_DOCUMENT_ROOT to /var/www/html/public if you're using something like Laravel.

You can add php extensions using docker-php-ext-install or using docker-php-extension-installer if the extension needs dependencies not local to the image. Or just only use the latter.

The example above uses the ones that I use and the common extensions, Modify it to your needs. Some extensions are pre-enabled and it depends on the image so please check phpinfo or php -m.

docker-compose.yml

1services:
2  php81:
3    build:
4      context: .
5      dockerfile: php81.Dockerfile
6    extra_hosts:
7      - 'host.docker.internal:host-gateway'
8    ports:
9      - 80:80
10    restart: always
11    volumes:
12      - .:/var/www/html
13    networks:
14      - my_net
15
16  db:
17    image: mysql/mysql-server:8.0
18    command: --default-authentication-plugin=mysql_native_password
19    volumes:
20      - ./mysql:/var/lib/mysql
21    environment:
22        MYSQL_ROOT_HOST: '%'
23        MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: mleopassword
24    ports:
25      - 3306:3306
26    restart: always
27    networks:
28      - my_net
29
30  phpmyadmin:
31    image: phpmyadmin
32    restart: always
33    ports:
34      - 8080:80
35    networks:
36      - my_net
37
38networks:
39  my_net:
40    name: dockernet

It means that make services named php81, db, phpmyadmin that uses the same network. php81 builds using our php81.Dockerfile. db builds using the image mysql/mysql-server:8.0, and so on.

If you are using Windows use backslash (\), and forwardslash (/) when using Linux/Mac. So in Windows it will look something like this C:\project:var/www/html you only need to edit the left side of colon (:), since the right side is the container's.

To Change MYSQL Password, edit MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD value.

info.php

<?php
  phpinfo();
?>

index.php

<?php
  $host = "host.docker.internal";
  $user = "root";
  $pass = "mleopassword";
  $port = 3306;

  $conn = new mysqli($host, $user, $pass, "", $port);

  if ($conn->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
  }

  echo "Connected successfully";

  $conn->close();
?>

On terminal run the command docker compose up -d in your project directory

You can access the project in your browser using localhost

Check PHP info localhost/info.php

Access phpMyAdmin using localhost:8080

How to Enable Directory Indexing

If you we're using WAMP or XAMPP before, you might have been used on enabled indexing which they defaulted. So, if you want to enable directory listing follow this.

php81.Dockerfile

1FROM php:8.1-apache
2
3ENV APACHE_DOCUMENT_ROOT /var/www/html
4
5RUN sed -ri -e 's!/var/www/html!${APACHE_DOCUMENT_ROOT}!g' /etc/apache2/sites-available/*.conf
6RUN sed -ri -e 's!/var/www/!${APACHE_DOCUMENT_ROOT}!g' /etc/apache2/apache2.conf /etc/apache2/conf-available/*.conf
7RUN mv "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini-development" "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini"
8
9RUN sed -i 's/Options -Indexes/Options +Indexes/' /etc/apache2/conf-available/docker-php.conf
10
11RUN docker-php-ext-install \
12mysqli pdo_mysql bcmath exif
13
14RUN curl -sSL https://github.com/mlocati/docker-php-extension-installer/releases/latest/download/install-php-extensions -o - | sh -s \
15gd zip
16
17RUN a2enmod rewrite
18
19RUN curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | php -- --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer

Edit php81.Dockerfile and add this. This line enables directory indexing.

On your terminal run docker compose up -d --build

Go to your browser localhost to see if it reflect changes (should look like image below)

Docker Apache Mysql PHP Directory Indexing

Multiple PHP Versions

So you are wondering how to do set up multiple versions of php using docker? Just add a new service, or (protip: make a Dockerfile per project).

The directory should be similar to this.

Projects
- docker-compose.yml
- php81.Dockerfile
- php56.Dockerfile
...

docker-compose.yml

1services:
2  php81:
3    build:
4      context: .
5      dockerfile: php81.Dockerfile
6    ports:
7      - 8081:80
8    restart: always
9    volumes:
10      - .:/var/www/html
11    networks:
12      - my_net
13
14  php56:
15    build:
16      context: .
17      dockerfile: php56.Dockerfile
18    ports:
19      - 8056:80
20    restart: always
21    volumes:
22      - .:/var/www/html
23    networks:
24      - my_net
25
26  db:
27    image: mysql/mysql-server:8.0
28    command: --default-authentication-plugin=mysql_native_password
29    volumes:
30      - ./mysql:/var/lib/mysql
31    environment:
32        MYSQL_ROOT_HOST: '%'
33        MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: mleopassword
34    ports:
35      - 3316:3306
36    restart: always
37    networks:
38      - my_net
39
40  phpmyadmin:
41    image: phpmyadmin
42    restart: always
43    ports:
44      - 8082:80
45    networks:
46      - my_net
47
48networks:
49  my_net:
50    name: dockernet

php56.Dockerfile

1FROM php:5.6-apache
2
3ENV APACHE_DOCUMENT_ROOT /var/www/html
4
5RUN sed -ri -e 's!/var/www/html!${APACHE_DOCUMENT_ROOT}!g' /etc/apache2/sites-available/*.conf
6RUN sed -ri -e 's!/var/www/!${APACHE_DOCUMENT_ROOT}!g' /etc/apache2/apache2.conf /etc/apache2/conf-available/*.conf
7RUN mv "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini-development" "$PHP_INI_DIR/php.ini"
8
9RUN sed -i 's/Options -Indexes/Options +Indexes/' /etc/apache2/conf-available/docker-php.conf

Run the command docker compose up -d

PHP 8.1 localhost:8081

PHP 5.6 localhost:8056

Final Thoughts

Remember to check ports if you are using many containers. Play with it and learn. GLHF.