Installing Docker and Deploying WordPress with MySQL (with WSL2)

This guide provides detailed instructions on how to install Docker Desktop on a Windows system with WSL2 and deploy WordPress with a MySQL database using Docker containers.

Part 1: Installing Docker

Steps Followed:

Install Docker Desktop:
- Download Docker Desktop from the official Docker website.
- Follow the installation prompts to install Docker Desktop.
- Enable WSL 2 integration during the installation process to integrate Docker with the Ubuntu distribution on WSL (if used).

Verify Docker Installation:
- Open PowerShell and check the Docker version:
```
 docker --version
```

Test Docker functionality by running:
```
 docker run hello-world
```

Part 2: MySQL and WordPress Containers Deployment

Prerequisites:

Docker Desktop is up and running.

Run MySQL and WordPress Containers in a Single Command:
You can run both containers simultaneously using a single line in PowerShell:

docker run --name wp-mysql -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=rootpass -e MYSQL_DATABASE=wordpress -e MYSQL_USER=wpuser -e MYSQL_PASSWORD=wppass -v wp-mysql-data:/var/lib/mysql -p 3306:3306 -d mysql:5.7 && docker run --name wp-wordpress -e WORDPRESS_DB_HOST=wp-mysql:3306 -e WORDPRESS_DB_USER=wpuser -e WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD=wppass -e WORDPRESS_DB_NAME=wordpress -v wp-html:/var/www/html -p 8080:80 --link wp-mysql:mysql -d wordpress:latest

Explanation of Commands:

MySQL Container:

docker run --name wp-mysql \
  -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=rootpass \
  -e MYSQL_DATABASE=wordpress \
  -e MYSQL_USER=wpuser \
  -e MYSQL_PASSWORD=wppass \
  -v wp-mysql-data:/var/lib/mysql \
  -p 3306:3306 \
  -d mysql:5.7

--name wp-mysql: Specifies the container name wp-mysql.
-e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=rootpass: Sets the MySQL root password.
-e MYSQL_DATABASE=wordpress: Creates the database wordpress.
-e MYSQL_USER=wpuser and -e MYSQL_PASSWORD=wppass: Creates a user wpuser with the password wppass.
-v wp-mysql-data:/var/lib/mysql: Creates a volume for MySQL data persistence.
-p 3306:3306: Maps MySQL's port 3306 to the host machine.
-d: Runs the container in detached mode.

WordPress Container:

docker run --name wp-wordpress \
  -e WORDPRESS_DB_HOST=wp-mysql:3306 \
  -e WORDPRESS_DB_USER=wpuser \
  -e WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD=wppass \
  -e WORDPRESS_DB_NAME=wordpress \
  -v wp-html:/var/www/html \
  -p 8080:80 \
  --link wp-mysql:mysql \
  -d wordpress:latest

--name wp-wordpress: Specifies the container name wp-wordpress.
-e WORDPRESS_DB_HOST=wp-mysql:3306: Points WordPress to the MySQL container (wp-mysql).
-e WORDPRESS_DB_USER, -e WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD, -e WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: Credentials for connecting WordPress to MySQL.
-v wp-html:/var/www/html: Creates a volume for WordPress files.
-p 8080:80: Maps port 80 inside the container to port 8080 on the host machine.
--link wp-mysql:mysql: Links the WordPress container to the MySQL container.

Accessing WordPress

Open your browser and go to:
http://localhost:8080
Follow the WordPress setup instructions to finish configuring your site.

Common Docker Commands for Management

Check Running Containers:

docker ps

Stop Containers:

docker stop wp-mysql wp-wordpress

Start Containers:

docker start wp-mysql wp-wordpress

Remove Containers:

docker rm -f wp-mysql wp-wordpress

Remove Volumes:

docker volume rm wp-mysql-data wp-html

This documentation summarizes the process of installing Docker and deploying WordPress and MySQL containers using WSL2 on Windows. With these visual aids and detailed explanations, it should be easier for users to follow along and successfully complete the setup.