This project has been created as part of the 42 curriculum by ysumeral.

Inception

Description

Inception sets up a small web infrastructure with Docker Compose. Each service has its own custom Dockerfile — no ready-made images, except Debian. Main services: NGINX, WordPress + php-fpm, and MariaDB, each in a separate container on one Docker network. Bonus services: Redis, FTP server, a static website, Adminer, and monitoring (Prometheus, Grafana, node-exporter, cAdvisor).

Instructions

make        # build and start
make down   # stop
make clean  # stop and remove volumes/images
make re     # rebuild from scratch

See USER_DOC.md and DEV_DOC.md for more details.

Resources

• Setup SSL certificate on NGINX
• MariaDB Server Documentation
• PHP FastCGI Process Manager (PHP-FPM) Configuration
• Redis Configuration
• VSFTPD.CONF Documantation
• Prometheus Configuration
• Grafana and Prometheus
• Running cAdvisor
• Node Exporter README Documentation

AI usage: Used to prepare documentation files (README, USER_DOC, DEV_DOC), and to understand what the services, especially the bonus ones, are and how they work.

Project description

This project builds a secure Docker-based web infrastructure consisting of NGINX, WordPress, and MariaDB with persistent storage and HTTPS support.

Virtual Machines vs Docker A VM runs a full OS with its own kernel. This makes it heavier and slower to start. A Docker container shares the host kernel, which makes it lighter and faster to start. This is why Docker is a better fit for running multiple isolated services on one machine.

Secrets vs Environment Variables Environment variables in .env are simple, but not fully secure — they can be read with docker inspect. Docker secrets are only visible inside the container that needs them. This keeps passwords out of reach.

Docker Network vs Host Network Host network removes isolation and exposes container ports directly on the host. A custom Docker network keeps containers isolated, lets them communicate by service name, and only exposes the ports that are explicitly opened.

Docker Volumes vs Bind Mounts A bind mount ties a container to one exact folder on the host, which limits portability. A named volume is managed by Docker, easier to move and back up, and still stores data on disk, at /home/ysumeral/data/....