Docker with PHP and Caddy for Deployer

A modern Docker setup for hosting PHP websites with Caddy web server and SSH access for Deployer deployments.

Features

• Multiple PHP versions: Supported PHP versions with common extensions: 7.4, 8.3 and 8.4.
• Caddy: Modern web server with automatic HTTPS.
• SSH Access: For automated deployments with Deployer.
• Automatic Site Discovery: Just add your site folder and it works.
• Development Domains: Test with .local domains that map to production folders.
• Automatic WWW Redirection: For second-level domains (e.g., example.com → www.example.com).
• Auto-HTTPS: Certificates are automatically generated on-demand.
• Environment Separation: Development and production environments can be managed through Docker Compose override.

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed on your system.
• SSH key for deployment access.

Setup

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/derafu/docker-php8.4-caddy-server.git
   cd docker-php8.4-caddy-server
   

2. Add your SSH public key to config/ssh/authorized_keys for admin, and default deployment, access:

   cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub > config/ssh/authorized_keys
   

3. Build and start the container:

   docker-compose up -d
   

   The -d parameter runs it in detached mode (background).

Verification

Check that the container is running:

docker-compose ps

View container logs:

docker-compose logs -f

The -f parameter allows you to follow logs in real-time.

Testing Your First Site

1. Create a test site directory structure:

   mkdir -p sites/www.example.com/public
   echo "<?php phpinfo();" > sites/www.example.com/public/index.php
   

2. Access the site at:

   • Production mode: https://www.example.com (requires DNS configuration).
   • Development mode: https://www.example.com.local:8443 (requires local hosts entry).

For local development, add to your /etc/hosts file:

127.0.0.1 www.example.com.local

Directory Structure

docker-php8.4-caddy-server/
├── config/                             # Configuration files.
│   ├── caddy/                          # Caddy configuration.
│   ├── php/                            # PHP configuration.
│   ├── ssh/                            # SSH configuration and authorized keys.
│   └── supervisor/                     # Supervisor configuration.
├── sites/                              # Web sites directory for local development.
│   └── www.example.com/                # Example site.
│       └── public/                     # Public web files.
├── .env                                # Docker Compose environment configuration.
├── Dockerfile                          # Container definition.
├── docker-compose.yml                  # Docker services configuration (production).
└── docker-compose.override-example.yml # Development-specific configuration.

Development vs Production Environment

This project uses Docker Compose’s override functionality to separate different configurations.

Usage:

• Development: Rename docker-compose.override-example.yml to docker-compose.override.yml and then Docker Compose automatically merges both files:

  docker-compose up -d
  

• Production: Use only the base configuration (with -f or not creating the docker-compose.override.yml file):

  docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml up -d
  

Access and Management

SSH Access

Connect to the container via SSH:

ssh admin@localhost -p 2222

Direct Container Access

Access the container shell:

docker exec -it derafu-sites-server-php-caddy bash

Restarting Services

Restart Caddy web server:

docker exec -it derafu-sites-server-php-caddy supervisorctl restart caddy

Stopping the Container

docker-compose down

Rebuilding After Configuration Changes

Rebuild for development:

docker-compose build --no-cache
docker-compose up -d

Rebuild for production:

docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml build --no-cache
docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml up -d

Adding New Sites

1. Create the site directory structure:

   mkdir -p sites/www.newsite.com/public
   touch sites/www.newsite.com/public/index.php
   

2. No server restart required! Caddy automatically detects new sites.

3. For local development, add to your hosts file:

   127.0.0.1 www.newsite.com.local
   

Environment Variables

Customize behavior through environment variables:

Domain Logic

The server handles domains in the following way:

1. Development domains: Any domain ending with .local (e.g., www.example.com.local)

   • Maps to the same directory as its production counterpart.
   • Uses internal self-signed certificates.

2. Production domains:

   • Redirects from non-www to www for second-level domains.
   • Automatically obtains and manages Let’s Encrypt certificates (issuer acme).

Troubleshooting

SSL Certificate Issues

If you’re having issues with SSL certificates in development:

• Ensure your browser trusts self-signed certificates.
• Try using HTTP instead of HTTPS for local development.

Permissions Issues

If you encounter permission issues:

docker exec -it derafu-sites-server-php-caddy chown -R admin:www-data /var/www/sites

Logs Location

Logs are available in the container and can be accessed with:

docker exec -it derafu-sites-server-php-caddy cat /var/log/caddy/access.log

Advanced Usage

Custom Caddy Configuration

For advanced configurations, modify the Caddyfile at config/caddy/Caddyfile.

Using with Deployer

This container is designed to work with Deployer for PHP deployments:

1. Set up your deploy.php configuration to connect to the SSH server on port 2222.
2. Use the admin user for authentication.
3. Set your deployment path to /var/www/sites/www.yoursite.com