Docker for PHP Developers: Stop Fighting Local Setup

"Works on my machine" is the worst phrase in development.

Docker fixes that. Here's how to use it without the complexity.

Why Docker?

The Problem:

• New dev joins team
• Spends 2 days setting up PHP, MySQL, Redis, Nginx
• Still doesn't work
• "What version of PHP are you using?"
• "Did you enable the mbstring extension?"
• Pain.

With Docker:

git clone project
docker-compose up

Done. Works on Windows, Mac, Linux. Same environment for everyone.

Basic Setup

Create docker-compose.yml:

version: '3.8'

services:
  app:
    build:
      context: .
      dockerfile: Dockerfile
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    volumes:
      - .:/var/www/html
    depends_on:
      - db
      - redis

  db:
    image: mysql:8.0
    environment:
      MYSQL_DATABASE: laravel
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: secret
    ports:
      - "3306:3306"
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql

  redis:
    image: redis:alpine
    ports:
      - "6379:6379"

volumes:
  db_data:

Create Dockerfile:

FROM php:8.3-fpm

# Install dependencies
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
    git \
    curl \
    libpng-dev \
    libonig-dev \
    libxml2-dev \
    zip \
    unzip

# Install PHP extensions
RUN docker-php-ext-install pdo_mysql mbstring exif pcntl bcmath gd

# Install Composer
COPY --from=composer:latest /usr/bin/composer /usr/bin/composer

WORKDIR /var/www/html

COPY . .

RUN composer install

CMD php artisan serve --host=0.0.0.0 --port=8000

Start everything:

docker-compose up -d

Your app runs on http://localhost:8000.

Real Project Example

We dockerized a client's Laravel API:

Before Docker:

• Setup time: 4 hours per developer
• "Works on my machine" issues: Weekly
• Production bugs from env differences: Monthly

After Docker:

• Setup time: 10 minutes
• Environment issues: None
• Production bugs: 70% reduction

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Not Using Volumes

# Wrong - Changes don't reflect
services:
  app:
    image: php:8.3

# Right - Changes sync immediately
services:
  app:
    image: php:8.3
    volumes:
      - .:/var/www/html

Mistake 2: Hardcoded Credentials

# Wrong
environment:
  DB_PASSWORD: supersecret123

# Right
environment:
  DB_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}

Use .env file for secrets.

Mistake 3: No .dockerignore

Create .dockerignore:

vendor/
node_modules/
.git/
.env
storage/logs/*

Speeds up builds, reduces image size.

Tips for Laravel Projects

Run Artisan Commands

docker-compose exec app php artisan migrate
docker-compose exec app php artisan queue:work
docker-compose exec app composer install

Database Access

docker-compose exec db mysql -u root -p

View Logs

docker-compose logs -f app

When to Use Docker

Use Docker for:

• Team projects (consistent environments)
• Complex setups (multiple services)
• CI/CD pipelines
• Microservices

Skip Docker for:

• Solo projects (local PHP works fine)
• Simple scripts
• Learning PHP (adds complexity)

Bottom Line

Docker solves real problems. No more environment issues. Faster onboarding. Consistent deployments.

Setup takes 30 minutes. Saves hours every week.

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Need help with Docker or Laravel?

We set up Docker environments for Nigerian development teams.

📞 WhatsApp: +234 708 711 0468
📧 info@raspibtech.com
📍 Lagos Island

Related:

• Laravel 12 Features
• PHP 8.3 Guide