Hey everyone! I'm wondering if I'm grasping the concept of Docker correctly. I have a mini PC that I want to set up as a host for a few services like an OPNsense firewall, WireGuard VPN, and Pi-hole for ad blocking. Is it possible to run each of these in separate Docker containers at the same time on my mini PC? I really hope that's feasible!
5 Answers
Yes, you definitely should be able to do this! Setting it all up might take a little work since OPNsense needs to run in a VM, but once you do, Docker can handle managing all your other applications without conflicts. The benefits of using containers for separation and dependency management are huge! And if resource allocation is adequate, there’s no limit to what you can run concurrently.
Absolutely, and you can run the mini PC headlessly after it’s set up—no issue there!
I run my Pi-hole on a Raspberry Pi alongside a NAS. I'm planning to get a mini PC with Proxmox installed next, and then I'll manage my containers and VMs from there. Proxmox is super flexible for this type of setup, and you can even create LXC containers directly. Just remember that while Docker is great, not every app has Docker support, so VMs come in handy when you run into those situations.
If you need more resources or insights, check out this blog on Docker use cases. It might provide some inspiration for your setup: [ClickIT Docker Use Cases](https://www.clickittech.com/devops/docker-use-cases/)
I think you can achieve what you’re aiming for, but you’ll want to run OPNsense in a VM, and then you can use Docker for other services like Pi-hole right on the Linux host. If your mini PC has enough resources (which it should), Docker can run a ton of containers smoothly. Just make sure to allocate separate network interfaces for OPNsense to manage traffic correctly. I've got a setup that runs over 20 containers without any issues, so you should be fine!
Running OPNsense in a Docker container is probably not going to work since OPNsense is based on FreeBSD, and Docker is primarily designed for Linux. You could try using FreeBSD jails, which are similar, but support is still pretty experimental. Plus, running containers on a firewall isn't ideal due to security concerns—you could experience a lot of unwanted connection attempts. My advice? Install Linux on your mini PC first, then run OPNsense in a virtual machine for better isolation, and use Docker for other containers on the Linux system. Proxmox is a great choice as it lets you manage everything easily.
Good to know; I forgot about OPNsense being a full OS. Thanks for clarifying!
Thanks! My mini PC has a strong CPU and a good amount of RAM, so I think it’ll work. I’ve been avoiding VMs but see the potential for Docker instead!