Docker Series — Part 9: Deploying WordPress + MySQL with Docker Compose on a Virtual Machine

In Part 9 of the Docker: Basics to Advance series, we finally take our stack closer to a production-ready setup by deploying WordPress with a MySQL backend using Docker Compose on a virtual machine.
This includes installing Docker, defining custom networks and volumes in YAML, and managing multi-container apps with ease.

Step 1: Installing Docker on a Virtual Machine (RHEL/CentOS)

Install yum-utils:

yum install -y yum-utils

Add the Docker repository:

yum-config-manager --add-repo https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/docker-ce.repo

Check repositories:

yum repolist

Install Docker:

yum install docker-ce

Start Docker:

systemctl start docker
systemctl enable docker

Docker is now installed on your VM.

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Step 2: Docker Compose — Custom Networks and Volumes

In Docker Compose, you can define custom networks and volumes inside the YAML file.

Sample Compose File Structure:

version: "3.8"
volumes:
  db_data:

networks:
  lwnet:
    driver: bridge

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Step 3: WordPress + MySQL YAML Configuration

Here’s a basic 3-tier application configuration using Docker Compose:

version: "3.8"

services:
  db:
    image: mysql:latest
    container_name: mydb1
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql
    environment:
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: redhat
      MYSQL_DATABASE: blogdb
      MYSQL_USER: vimal
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: redhat
    networks:
      - lwnet

  wp:
    image: wordpress:latest
    container_name: mywp1
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: mydb1
      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: vimal
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: redhat
      WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: blogdb
    depends_on:
      - db
    networks:
      - lwnet

volumes:
  db_data:

networks:
  lwnet:
    driver: bridge

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Step 4: Launch the Full Stack

Run the containers:

docker-compose up -d

View running services:

docker-compose ps

View logs:

docker-compose logs wp

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Step 5: Access Your WordPress Site

Open your browser and go to:

http://<your-server-ip>:8080

Because we added environment variables to our compose file, WordPress will skip the DB connection setup screen and go straight to the installation.

Automation FTW.

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Step 6: Managing Services

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Key Docker Compose Concepts Used

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Why This Matters

By using Docker Compose:

• You automate multi-container setups

• Gain better control over networking and data persistence

• Reduce human error by keeping setup declarative

• Move one step closer to CI/CD-ready infrastructure

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Any questions about Docker Compose, persistent volumes, or full-stack WordPress deployment? Let’s connect — drop a comment or message me!

#Docker #DockerCompose #DevOps #WordPress #MySQL #Containerization #CloudNative #InfrastructureAsCode #YAML #Linux #DockerSeries #LearningInPublic