As organizations strive for efficiency and scalability, Docker has emerged as a powerful tool for deploying applications in isolated environments. Ubuntu 24.04, with its stability and robustness, is an excellent foundation for running containerized applications. In this guide, we walk you through installing Docker and Docker Compose on Ubuntu 24.04, and show you how to set up popular applications such as WordPress, Redmine, Odoo, Dolibarr, and ERPNext using Docker Compose.

 

Installing Docker on Ubuntu 24.04

Step 1: Update the Package Index

The first step in containerizing your applications is to install Docker. Begin by updating your package index using the command:

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install Required Packages

Then, install the necessary prerequisites for Docker by running:

sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common

Step 3: Add Docker’s Official GPG Key

Next, add Docker’s official GPG key to ensure package authenticity and set up the Docker repository:

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

Step 4: Set Up Docker Repository

Add Docker’s official APT repository to your system.

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

Step 5: Install Docker

After this, update your package index again and install Docker:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io

Step 6: Verify Docker Installation

To confirm Docker is installed and working correctly:

sudo docker --version

Step 7: Manage Docker as a Non-root User

If you’d like to avoid using sudo with every Docker command, add your user to the docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Log out and log back in for the changes to take effect.

 

Installing Docker Compose

Step 1: Download Docker Compose Binary

Find the latest release of Docker Compose from the GitHub releases page. Then download it using the following command:

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/v2.20.2/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Step 2: Set Permissions

Make the Docker Compose binary executable.

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

Step 3: Verify Docker Compose Installation

Check the installed version:

docker-compose --version

 

Setting Up Applications Using Docker Compose

You will create separate directories for each application and place a docker-compose.yml file in each. Below is how to set up WordPress, Redmine, Odoo, Dolibarr, and ERPNext with Docker Compose.

1. WordPress

You can easily install WordPress using Docker Compose by following these steps. This setup will include both WordPress and MySQL containers to create a fully functional WordPress environment.

Step 1: Create a Directory

Create a new directory for your WordPress project and navigate to it:

mkdir ~/wordpress && cd ~/wordpress

Then, create a docker-compose.yml file in this directory:

nano docker-compose.yml

Step 2: Define services in docker-compose.yml

Add the following content to the docker-compose.yml file:

version: '3.8'

services:
  wordpress:
    image: wordpress:latest
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db
      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: user
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: password
      WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: wordpress
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - wordpress_data:/var/www/html

  db:
    image: mysql:5.7
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: password
      MYSQL_DATABASE: wordpress
      MYSQL_USER: user
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: password
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql

volumes:
  wordpress_data:
  db_data:

Step 3: Run Docker Compose

After saving the docker-compose.yml file, run the following command to start the WordPress and MySQL containers:

docker-compose up -d

The -d flag runs the containers in detached mode (in the background).

Step 4: Access WordPress

Once the containers are running, open your web browser and go to:

http://localhost:8080

You will see the WordPress setup screen. Follow the instructions to complete the installation, setting your site title, admin username, password, and email.

Step 5: Stop the services

To stop the WordPress and MySQL containers, run:

docker-compose down

This will stop and remove the containers, but the data will persist in the volumes you created. You can bring them back up later using docker-compose up.

 

2. Dolibarr

You can easily install WordPress using Docker Compose by following these steps. This setup will include both WordPress and MySQL containers to create a fully functional WordPress environment.

Step 1: Create a Directory

Create a new directory for your WordPress project and navigate to it:

mkdir ~/dolibarr && cd ~/dolibarr

Then, create a docker-compose.yml file in this directory:

nano docker-compose.yml

Step 2: Define services in docker-compose.yml

Add the following content to the docker-compose.yml file:

version: '3.3'

services:
  dolibarr:
    image: 'tuxgasy/dolibarr:latest'
    container_name: dolibarr
    ports:
      - '8080:80'  # Exposes Dolibarr on port 8080
    volumes:
      - dolibarr_data:/var/www/html/documents
    environment:
      - DOLI_DB_HOST=db
      - DOLI_DB_NAME=dolibarr
      - DOLI_DB_USER=dolibarruser
      - DOLI_DB_PASSWORD=dolibarrpassword
    depends_on:
      - db

  db:
    image: 'mysql:5.7'
    container_name: dolibarr_db
    environment:
      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=rootpassword
      - MYSQL_DATABASE=dolibarr
      - MYSQL_USER=dolibarruser
      - MYSQL_PASSWORD=dolibarrpassword
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql

volumes:
  dolibarr_data:
  db_data:

Step 3: Run Docker Compose

After saving the docker-compose.yml file, run the following command to start the WordPress and MySQL containers:

docker-compose up -d

The -d flag runs the containers in detached mode (in the background).

Step 4: Access Dolibarr

Once the containers are running, open your web browser and go to:

http://localhost:8080

You will see the Dolibarr login screen.  Default admin username / password is admin/admin

Step 5: Stop the services

To stop the WordPress and MySQL containers, run:

docker-compose down

This will stop and remove the containers, but the data will persist in the volumes you created. You can bring them back up later using docker-compose up.

 

Managing Docker Containers

To manage your Docker containers and applications through a graphical user interface (GUI), you can use several tools. These tools provide an intuitive way to control, monitor, and manage your Docker environments. Here are some popular options:

1. Portainer

Portainer is a widely used open-source tool for managing Docker environments. It offers a web-based interface for managing Docker containers, images, networks, and volumes.

Installation and Setup

1. Install Portainer:
   Run the following command to deploy Portainer using Docker:

   docker run -d -p 9000:9000 --name portainer --restart always -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -v portainer_data:/data portainer/portainer-ce

2. Access Portainer:Open your web browser and go to http://localhost:9000. The first time you access Portainer, you’ll need to create an admin user account.
3. Use Portainer:Once logged in, you can use Portainer to manage your Docker containers, images, networks, and volumes. You can start, stop, restart containers, view logs, and more.