Docker Compose file for Cockpit with SQLite file mount

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1

Hi, I am looking for help setting a docker-compose.yml file to run Cockpit in docker container with access to the SQLite /storage container volume. I am not an expert in Docker so looking for some help. I am trying this simple starter but it will throw errors when I start the container. Any help would be appreciated.

version: "3.7"

services:
  cockpit:
    image: agentejo/cockpit
    volumes:
      - ./storage:/var/www/html/storage
    ports:
      - 8080:80
2

@hsnyc What is the error message? Is it SQLSTATE[HY000] [14] unable to open database file?

Short answer:
Run http://localhost:8080/install/ in your web browser and than click the button “Login now”. User: admin
Password: admin

Medium sized answer:
The data folder doesn’t exist or is not writable. When calling /install, the data folder (and cache, thumbs, tmp, uploads) inside ./storage are created on the fly with apache permissions 33:33.

Long answer:
If you want to be able to access the mounted storage folder with your user rights, follow these steps:

  1. Create the folder ./storage, so you are the owner. Otherwise Docker creates it with root:root permissions.
  2. Use this docker-compose.yml:
version: "3.7"

services:
  cockpit:

    # https://hub.docker.com/r/agentejo/cockpit
    # https://github.com/agentejo/cockpit-docker
    image: agentejo/cockpit

    # let apache create files and folders with your user_id:user_group_id
    # In my case, I'm the default user with id 1000 and I'm a member of the group with gid 1000
    user: 1000:1000

    volumes:
      # mount storage folder into the docker container
      - ./storage:/var/www/html/storage

    ports:
      - 8080:80

    # apache can't start without that fix if the user was changed
    # see https://hub.docker.com/_/php/ (scroll down to "Running as an arbitrary user")
    sysctls:
      - net.ipv4.ip_unprivileged_port_start=0

    # override the entrypoint, that tries to change the ownership to 33:33 after the container started
    # see https://github.com/agentejo/cockpit-docker/blob/master/entrypoint#L5
    entrypoint: ["apache2-foreground"]
  1. Run docker-compose up or docker-compose up -d to start the container. You should be able to access and write all files in the mounted storage folder.

Tested on OpenSUSE (latest) with Docker version 19.03.12

3

@raffaelj Thank you do much for your reply. Your short answer helped me resolved the issue. For some reason, it showed an error the first time I tried login in (wish I’ve taken a screenshot). When I got your reply I tried it again and it worked fine. Perhaps because I have re-started the Docker Desktop service? not sure… in any case thank you for your detailed reply :slightly_smiling_face:

4

Maybe, but if you didn’t change anything inbetween, the error should still occur. I always have that error message after starting a fresh container with an empty storage volume.
If you don’t use the storage volume, the needed folder exists → no error message.
If you create all needed folders before mounting them into the image → no error message.
If you run the install routine, the folders are created and there is no error message anymore.
That’s, how I was able to reproduce it.

Anyway. I’m glad, I was able to help.