---
title: Docker
---

# Installing DEV with Docker

If you encounter any errors with our Docker setup, please kindly
[report any issues](https://github.com/thepracticaldev/dev.to/issues/new/choose)!

## Installing prerequisites

_These prerequisites assume you're working on an operating system supported by
Docker._

### Docker and Docker Compose

Docker is available for many different operating systems. We recommend you
follow the [Docker CE install guide](https://docs.docker.com/install/), which
illustrates multiple installation options for each OS.

You're also going to need Docker Compose, to start multiple containers. We
recommend you follow the
[Docker Compose install guide](https://docs.docker.com/compose/install/) as
well.

## Installing DEV

1. Fork DEV's repository, e.g. <https://github.com/thepracticaldev/dev.to/fork>
1. Clone your forked repository, eg.
   `git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/dev.to.git`
1. Set up your environment variables/secrets

   - Take a look at `Envfile`. This file lists all the `ENV` variables we use
     and provides a fake default for any missing keys.
   - The [backend guide](/backend) will show you how to get free API keys for
     additional services that may be required to run certain parts of the app.
   - For any key that you wish to enter/replace:

     1. Create `config/application.yml` by copying from the provided template
        (i.e. with bash:
        `cp config/sample_application.yml config/application.yml`). This is a
        personal file that is ignored in git.
     1. Obtain the development variable and apply the key you wish to
        enter/replace. i.e.:

     ```shell
     GITHUB_KEY: "SOME_REAL_SECURE_KEY_HERE"
     GITHUB_SECRET: "ANOTHER_REAL_SECURE_KEY_HERE"
     ```

   - You do not need "real" keys for basic development. Some features require
     certain keys, so you may be able to add them as you go.

## Running the Docker app via docker-compose (recommended)

_Docker compose will by default use postgres:9.6 as the database version, should
you want to update that set the `POSTGRES_VERSION` variable in your environment
and start the container again_

1. Run `bin/docker-setup`
2. That's it! Navigate to <http://localhost:3000>

The script executes the following steps:

1. `docker-compose build`
2. `docker-compose run web rails app_initializer:setup`
3. `docker-compose up`

## Running the Docker app (advanced)

DEV provides a `docker-run.sh` script which can be used to run the Docker app
with custom options.

Please execute the script itself to view all additional options:

```shell
./docker-run.sh
```

## Known Problems & Solutions

- Should you experience problems with the Elasticsearch container, try to
  increase the memory and/or swap allocation for Docker. On macOS this can be
  done via the GUI:

  ![docker gui](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/47985/74210448-b63b7c80-4c83-11ea-959b-02249b2a6952.png)

- In case `rails server` doesn't start with the following message:

  ```
  Data update scripts need to be run before you can start the application. Please run rails data_updates:run (RuntimeError)
  ```

  run the following command:

  ```shell
  docker-compose run web rails data_updates:run
  ```