I've successfully set up Debian Linux on a mini PC and installed Docker and Docker Compose. I know I need a compose.yml file for each of my services, but is that all I need to get things running? Can I simply create a compose.yml file with all my configurations, and just run 'docker compose up' to start everything? If I want to create several compose.yml files for different services, how should I name these files and where should I place them? I'm not well-versed in computer science, so the official documentation is a bit overwhelming. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
Start with a single compose file and name your services after what they do (like 'jellyfin' or 'nginx'). I recommend asking an AI for a basic template that you can then customize! Go step by step:
1. Configure the file with a new feature (like container networking).
2. Run 'docker compose up -d' from the file's location.
3. Check the logs to see if everything is working.
4. If it doesn’t, you can stop it with 'docker compose down' and troubleshoot. The documentation will save you a lot of headaches, trust me!
That sounds like a solid plan! I haven't used AI for this yet, but I've heard good things.
You can actually run multiple Docker containers from a single compose file if you want! But having separate compose.yml files for different apps works great too. I usually create a folder in my home directory, like 'appdata', and then make subfolders for each app—say 'arrstack', 'vaultwarden', etc. Each of those folders would have its own compose.yml file. I also like to mount a storage path in these folders to keep everything organized for backups and easy access. Just keep experimenting; it’ll start making more sense!
Thanks for the info! ^-^
What containers do you plan to start with? If your setup is anything like mine, I can send you a compose file to help you out (I'll have it ready tomorrow when I'm by my laptop).
I'm looking to use Caddy for a reverse proxy, Nextcloud for cloud storage, AdGuard for DNS, and Vaultwarden for a password manager, and maybe explore more options if I find cool services.
I like to have a dedicated folder for each app. Inside each of those folders, I keep my docker-compose.yaml file and a .env file for environment variables. Remember to use 'docker compose up -d' to run your containers in the background so you can close the terminal without stopping them!
I understand the first part, but what's the '-d' for? And what exactly is an env file used for?
Asking an AI for a template might not be the best idea. There are sites like linuxserver.io that provide ready-to-use Docker images and their corresponding docker-compose.yaml files!