Setting Up a WordPress Site and Nginx Proxy Manager with Docker Compose

This guide will walk through hosting a WordPress site and Nginx Proxy Manager on an Ubuntu server using Docker Compose.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following:

• An Ubuntu server (20.04 LTS or later)
• A user with sudo privileges
• Basic knowledge of Docker and Docker Compose
• Domain name pointing to your server’s IP address

Step 1: Install Docker and Docker Compose

First, install Docker and Docker Compose on your Ubuntu server.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker.io docker-compose

After installation, enable Docker to start on boot:

sudo systemctl enable docker

Verify the installation:

docker --version
docker-compose --version

Step 2: Set Up Your Directory Structure

Create a directory to hold your Docker Compose files:

mkdir -p ~/docker/wordpress
cd ~/docker/wordpress

Step 3: Create a Docker Compose File for WordPress and MySQL

In this directory, create a docker-compose.yml file to define the WordPress and MySQL services.

services:
  db:
    # We use a mariadb image which supports both amd64 & arm64 architecture
    image: mariadb:10.6.4-focal
    # If you really want to use MySQL, uncomment the following line
    #image: mysql:8.0.27
    command: '--default-authentication-plugin=mysql_native_password'
    volumes:
      - ./db_data:/var/lib/mysql
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      - MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=somewordpress
      - MYSQL_DATABASE=wordpress
      - MYSQL_USER=wordpress
      - MYSQL_PASSWORD=wordpress
    expose:
      - 3306
      - 33060
  wordpress:
    image: wordpress:latest
    volumes:
      - ./wp_data:/var/www/html
    ports:
      - 8041:80
    restart: always
    environment:
      - WORDPRESS_DB_HOST=db
      - WORDPRESS_DB_USER=wordpress
      - WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD=wordpress
      - WORDPRESS_DB_NAME=wordpress

This file configures two services: wordpress and db (MySQL). It sets environment variables, maps volumes for persistent data storage, and establishes a network for communication between containers.

Step 4: Deploy WordPress and MySQL

Deploy the services using Docker Compose:

sudo docker-compose up -d

You can verify that the containers are running with:

sudo docker ps

Step 5: Set Up Nginx Proxy Manager

Now, let’s set up the Nginx Proxy Manager to manage your web traffic.

Create a directory for Nginx Proxy Manager:

mkdir -p ~/docker/nginx-proxy-manager
cd ~/docker/nginx-proxy-manager

Create another docker-compose.yml file for Nginx Proxy Manager:

version: '3.8'
services:
  app:
    image: 'jc21/nginx-proxy-manager:latest'
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - '80:80' # Public HTTP Port
      - '443:443' # Public HTTPS Port
      - '81:81' # Admin Web Port
      # Add any other Stream port you want to expose
      # - '21:21' # FTP
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
      - ./letsencrypt:/etc/letsencrypt

This configuration sets up Nginx Proxy Manager. It maps ports 80, 81, and 443, so you can access the web interface on port 81.

Deploy Nginx Proxy Manager:

sudo docker-compose up -d

Step 6: Configure Nginx Proxy Manager

Once the Nginx Proxy Manager is running, configure it to manage your WordPress site.

Step 7: Change Default Passwords and Update Docker Images

Change all default passwords. Use strong, unique passwords for the MySQL and Nginx Proxy Manager. Regularly update your Docker images and containers. Consider implementing a firewall like ufw to control access to your server.

Notes

By following these steps, you’ve successfully hosted a WordPress site with Nginx Proxy Manager on an Ubuntu server using Docker Compose. This setup not only simplifies the deployment process but also gives you flexibility in managing multiple sites with ease.