I'm currently facing a challenge with my Docker setup for a project that involves multiple containers. When I run `docker compose up`, the backend services and database start up smoothly, but the frontend can't connect to the backend unless I use a reverse proxy like Nginx Proxy Manager. While this workaround works, it adds extra complexity to the deployment process. My goal is to have the entire stack functional out of the box for anyone trying to self-host this project without needing to configure a proxy manually. I believe the network setup between the containers might be the issue, as the frontend should ideally communicate with the backend using their service names within the Docker network. I've looked at other open-source projects and found that they don't have this issue, as I can access all services directly. Has anyone experienced similar networking problems or have tips on how to configure the `docker-compose.yml` for seamless communication between the frontend and backend?
1 Answer
It sounds like you might not be properly overriding the API URL in your frontend's `.env` file within the Docker Compose setup. Remember, inside a container, using 'localhost' points to that specific container only. For a browser app, check the network tab in your dev tools to see which URL the frontend is trying to hit. You need to ensure that the port matches what’s exposed on your backend container, and that it’s being accessed from the right context.
Thanks, I will look into it.