‍Docker Compose is a powerful tool that allows you to define and run multi-container Docker applications with ease. By using a Compose file, you can configure all the services required for your application. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of installing Docker Compose on Debian 12 and show you how to use it to create and manage your Docker containers.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

• A Debian 12 server with root access.
• Internet connectivity.

Now, let’s dive into the installation process!

Step 1: Download Docker Compose

To download Docker Compose, you need to use the curl command. Open your terminal and enter the following command:

curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/v2.18.1/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

This command downloads the Docker Compose file and saves it to the /usr/local/bin directory.

Step 2: Set Permissions

After downloading Docker Compose, you need to set the correct permissions to make it executable. Use the following command to set the permissions:

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

This command makes the docker-compose command executable.

Step 3: Verify Installation

To verify that Docker Compose was installed successfully, run the following command:

docker-compose --version

If Docker Compose is installed correctly, you should see the version number displayed in the output.

Step 4: Install Docker (Optional)

If you don’t have Docker installed on your Debian 12 server, you can follow these steps to install it. First, check for system updates and install them using the following commands:

apt update
apt upgrade

Once the updates are complete, install the basic dependencies required for Docker:

apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl gnupg-agent software-properties-common

Step 5: Import Docker Repository GPG Key

To install Docker, you need to import the Docker repository GPG key. Use the following command to import the key:

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo apt-key add -

Step 6: Add Docker CE Repository

Next, add the Docker CE repository to your system by running the following command:

add-apt-repository "deb [arch=amd64] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable"

Step 7: Install Docker

After adding the repository, you can now install Docker on your Debian 12 server. Use the following command to install Docker:

apt install docker-ce

Step 8: Start Docker

To start the Docker service, use the following command:

systemctl start docker

You can check the status of the Docker service by running the command:

systemctl status docker

If Docker is running, you should see the status as “active (running)”.

Step 9: Create a Docker Compose File

Now that Docker Compose and Docker are installed, you can start creating your Docker application. Begin by creating a new directory for your application and navigate into it:

mkdir my_app
cd my_app

Next, create the docker-compose.yml file using a text editor of your choice:

nano docker-compose.yml

Paste the following content into the docker-compose.yml file:

version: '3'
services:
db:
image: mysql:5.7
restart: always
volumes:
- db_data:/var/lib/mysql
environment:
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: password
MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress
wordpress:
image: wordpress
restart: always
volumes:
- ./wp_data:/var/www/html
ports:
- "8080:80"
environment:
WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db:3306
WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: wordpress
WORDPRESS_DB_USER: root
WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: password
depends_on:
- db
volumes:
db_data:
wp_data:

This docker-compose.yml file defines two services: db and wordpress. The db service uses the mysql:5.7 image and creates a MySQL database for the WordPress application. The wordpress service uses the wordpress image and mounts a volume for the WordPress files. It also maps port 8080 on the host to port 80 on the container.

Step 10: Start the Docker Application

To start the Docker application defined in the docker-compose.yml file, run the following command:

docker-compose up

This command will download the required images and start the containers for the db and wordpress services. You will see the logs for each container as they start up.

Step 11: Access WordPress

After the containers are running, you can access the WordPress installation by opening your browser and entering the following URL:

http://yourserver-ip-address:8080

You should see the WordPress installation screen, where you can set up your WordPress site.

Step 12: Running Docker Compose in Detached Mode

By default, Docker Compose runs in the foreground, which means the terminal is occupied while the application is running. To run Docker Compose in detached mode, use the following command:

docker-compose up -d

This command starts the application in the background and frees up your terminal for other tasks.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we walked you through the process of installing Docker Compose on Debian 12 and using it to create and manage Docker containers. Docker Compose is a powerful tool that simplifies the deployment and management of multi-container applications. With Docker Compose, you can define your application’s services in a single configuration file and start them with a single command.

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Christian Wells