Magento2 Development in Docker: The Ultimate Guide

Ariya InfoTech February 9, 2025

Magento2 is a powerful eCommerce platform, but setting up a development environment can be complex. Docker simplifies this by providing an isolated, pre-configured environment where developers can build, test, and debug Magento2 efficiently.

At Ariya InfoTech, we use Docker to streamline Magento2 development. Yuvraj Raulji, a Magento2 expert, says:
“Docker eliminates the ‘it works on my machine’ problem by ensuring a consistent Magento2 development environment for all developers.”

In this guide, we’ll explore how to set up, configure, and optimize Magento2 development in Docker.

Why Use Docker for Magento2 Development?

Easy Setup: No need to install services manually.
Consistency: Works identically across different environments.
Faster development : Quickly create and destroy environments.
Modular: Easily add or remove services like Redis, Elasticsearch, or RabbitMQ.
Isolation: Avoid conflicts with local system dependencies.

Step 1: Install Docker & Docker Compose

For Windows & macOS

Download Docker Desktop from https://www.docker.com
Follow the installation instructions.
Enable WSL 2 Backend (for Windows users).
Verify installation:
sh
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docker –version
docker-compose –version

For Linux (Ubuntu/Debian-based systems)

sh
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sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker.io docker-compose
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

Verify installation:

sh
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docker –version
docker-compose –version

Step 2: Set Up a Magento2 Development Environment

2.1 Create a Project Directory

sh
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mkdir magento-docker && cd magento-docker

2.2 Clone Magento 2 Source Code

sh
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mkdir app && cd app
git clone https://github.com/magento/magento2.git .

2.3 Create a docker-compose.yml File

Inside magento-docker, create docker-compose.yml:
yaml
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version: ‘3.7’
services:
app:
image: magento/magento2
container_name: magento_app
restart: always
depends_on:
– db
– redis
volumes:
– ./app:/var/www/html
environment:
– MYSQL_HOST=db
– MYSQL_USER=magento
– MYSQL_PASSWORD=magento
– MYSQL_DATABASE=magento
ports:
– “80:80″db:
image: mysql:5.7
container_name: magento_db
restart: always
environment:
– MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=root
– MYSQL_DATABASE=magento
– MYSQL_USER=magento
– MYSQL_PASSWORD=magento
ports:
– “3306:3306″elasticsearch:
image: docker.elastic.co/elasticsearch/elasticsearch:7.9.3
container_name: magento_elasticsearch
environment:
– discovery.type=single-node
– ES_JAVA_OPTS=-Xms512m -Xmx512m
ports:
– “9200:9200″redis:
image: redis:latest
container_name: magento_redis
restart: always
ports:
– “6379:6379”

Step 3: Start Magento2 in Docker

Run the following command in the magento-docker directory:

sh
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docker-compose up -d

This will:

✅ Download necessary Docker images.
✅ Start Magento2 and its required services.
✅ Mount the Magento2 source code inside the container.

Step 4: Install Magento2 in the Container

After starting the containers, install Magento2 by running:

sh
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docker exec -it magento_app bin/magento setup:install \
–base-url=http://localhost/ \
–db-host=db \
–db-name=magento \
–db-user=magento \
–db-password=magento \
–admin-firstname=Admin \
–admin-lastname=User \
–[email protected] \
–admin-user=admin \
–admin-password=Admin123 \
–language=en_US \
–currency=USD \
–timezone=America/New_York \
–use-rewrites=1

This will:

✅ Download necessary Docker images.
✅ Start Magento2 and its required services.
✅ Mount the Magento2 source code inside the container.

Step 5: Develop & Manage Magento2 in Docker

5.1 Restart Containers

sh
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docker-compose restart

5.2 Stop Containers

sh
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docker-compose down

5.3 Run Magento CLI Commands Inside the Container

sh
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docker exec -it magento_app bin/magento cache:flush
docker exec -it magento_app bin/magento indexer:reindex
docker exec -it magento_app bin/magento setup:upgrade

5.4 View Logs

sh
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docker logs magento_app

Step 6: Customizing Docker for Magento2 Development

6.1 Use a Custom php.ini File

Create php.ini inside custom-config/php/:
ini
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memory_limit = 2G
max_execution_time = 1800
upload_max_filesize = 128M
post_max_size = 128MModify docker-compose.yml to include:
yaml
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volumes:
– ./custom-config/php/php.ini:/usr/local/etc/php/conf.d/custom-php.iniRestart Docker:
sh
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docker-compose down && docker-compose up -d

6.2 Add Mailhog for Email Testing

yaml
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mailhog:
image: mailhog/mailhog
container_name: magento_mailhog
ports:
– “1025:1025”
– “8025:8025”

Magento Email Testing URL: http://localhost:8025

Step 7: Debugging Magento2 in Docker

7.1 Enable Xdebug

Modify docker-compose.yml:
yaml
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environment:
XDEBUG_MODE: debug
XDEBUG_CONFIG: “client_host=host.docker.internal”Restart containers:
sh
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docker-compose down && docker-compose up -d

7.2 Debug with PHPStorm

Configure PHP Remote Debugging in PHPStorm.
Use Server Name: localhost and set Path Mappings to /var/www/html.
Enable Breakpoints and start listening for PHP Debug Connections.

Final Thoughts

Using Docker for Magento2 development improves efficiency, ensures consistency, and simplifies debugging. At Ariya InfoTech, we use Docker to create a smooth Magento development workflow. Yuvraj Raulji highly recommends this approach for Magento developers.

Next Steps: Stay tuned for our next guide on optimizing Magento2 performance in Docker!

AboutYuvraj Raulji

Ariya InfoTech, a leading IT solutions company, has been closely working with B2B & B2C digital commerce Medium and Enterprise companies since 2014and has helped 100+ brands build and improve their online B2B and B2C ventures in the area of contemporary eCommerce or customer-centric next-generation digital commerce. Yuvraj Raulji, a founder of Ariya InfoTech, recommends and proposes a digital commerce platform aligned with your business vision and objectives.

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