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running-docker.md

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Running in Docker

First, follow the Docker installation instructions to setup your Docker environment and create the project Docker containers.

We use docker-compose to run an Elasticsearch container, a PostgreSQL container, an Apache container, and Django in a Python container.

All of these containers are configured in our docker-compose.yml file. See the Docker documentation for more about the format and use of this file.

The following URLs are mapped to your host from the containers:

To build and run the containers for the first time, run:

docker-compose up

Environment variables

Environment variables from your .env file are sourced when the Python container starts and when you access the running Python container. Your local shell environment variables, however, are not visible to applications running in Docker. To add new environment variables, simply add them to the .env file, stop docker-compose with Ctrl+C, and start it again with docker-compose up.

Commands that must be run from within the Python container

Django manage.py commands can only be run after you've opened up a shell in the Python container. From there, commands like cfgov/manage.py migrate should run as expected.

The same goes for scripts like ./refresh-data.sh and ./initial-data.sh — they will work as expected once you’re inside the Python container.

Access a container’s shell

  • Python: docker-compose exec python sh
  • Elasticsearch: docker-compose exec elasticsearch bash
  • PostgreSQL: docker-compose exec postgres bash

Update/Change Python MAJOR.MINOR Version

The first line of Dockerfile sets the base Python Interpreter version for all cfgov images. Our current pattern is python:MAJOR.MINOR-alpine for the base image. This allows us to rapidly incorporate PATCH versions without the need for explicit commits.

Updating PATCH version locally

To update the PATCH version on your local Docker, replace <MAJOR.MINOR> with your target and run:

PYTHONVERSION=<MAJOR.MINOR>; \
  docker pull python:${PYTHONVERSION}-alpine && \
  docker-compose build --no-cache python

Update Python dependencies

If the Python package requirements files have changed, you will need to stop docker-compose (if it is running) and rebuild the Python container using:

docker-compose up --build python

Work on satellite apps

See “Using Docker” on the Related Projects page.

Attach for debugging

If you have inserted a PDB breakpoint in your code and need to interact with the running Django process when the breakpoint is reached you can run docker attach:

docker attach consumerfinancegov-python-1

When you're done, you can detach with Ctrl+P Ctrl+Q.

!!! note

`docker attach` takes the specific container name or ID.
Yours may or may not be `consumerfinancegov-python-1`.
To verify, use `docker container ls`
to get the Python container's full name or ID.

!!! note

`docker attach` will ONLY work with the dev image, not prod.

Useful Docker commands

For docker-compose commands, [SERVICE] is the service name that is defined in docker-compose.yml.

For docker commands, [CONTAINER] is the container name displayed with docker ps.

Production-like Docker Image

This repository includes a "production-like" Docker image, created for experimenting with how cf.gov could be built and run as a Docker container in production.

This includes:

  • all relevant consumerfinance.gov source code
  • all OS, Python, and JS dependencies for building and running cf.gov
  • procedures for executing Django collectstatic and yarn-based frontend build process

How do I use it?

Just Docker

If you just want to build the image:

docker build . -t your-desired-image-name

Docker Compose

You can also launch the full cf.gov stack locally via docker-compose. This setup is a nice way to test out new Apache config changes. It includes volumes that mount your local checkout cfgov/apache config directories into the container, allowing you to change configs locally without having to rebuild the image each time.

  1. Launch the stack.

    docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.prod.yml up --build

    This creates a container running cf.gov on Python, as well as Postgres and Elasticsearch containers, much like the development environment.

  2. Load the cfgov database (optional). If you do not already have a running cfgov database, you will need to download and load it from within the container.

    docker-compose exec python sh

# Once in the container...
export CFGOV_PROD_DB_LOCATION=<database-dump-url>
./refresh-data.sh

  3. Browse to your new local cf.gov site:

    http://localhost:8080 (Apache)

    Or directly to Gunicorn running Django:

    http://localhost:8000 (Gunicorn)

  4. Adjust an Apache cfgov/apache config and restart the Apache container.

    docker-compose restart apache

  5. Switch back to the development Compose setup.

    docker-compose rm -sf python
docker-compose up --build python

How does it work?

This project heavily utilizes "multi-stage builds".

There are a few layers at work here, with the hierarchy represented by the list structure:

  • python, the base Python layer for building up any further layers. It includes OS and Python-level application requirements.
  • node-builder, a Node-based image that runs our frontend build.
  • dev, based on python, which copies frontend assets from node-builder, sets up some initial data, and runs Django with local settings via runserver on port 8000.
  • prod, based on python, which copies frontend assets from node-builder, and runs the application with production settings via Gunicorn on port 8000.