# Running Discourse on Docker for Mac
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682
**Category:** Development
**Created:** [September 3, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682 "2016-09-03T19:28:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@PabloC](https://meta.discourse.org/u/PabloC)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/1 "2016-09-03T19:28:23Z")
Hi!
I’m trying to install Discourse locally using the relatively new Docker for Mac.
This is the error I’m getting while trying to rebuild for the first time:
```
/launcher rebuild app
Ensuring launcher is up to date
Fetching origin
Launcher is up-to-date
cd /pups && git pull && /pups/bin/pups --stdin
/usr/local/bin/docker: Error response from daemon: Mounts denied: er.com/docker-for-mac/osxfs/#namespaces for more info.
.
r/discourse/shared/standalone/log/var-log
are not shared from OS X and are not known to Docker.
You can configure shared paths from Docker -> Preferences... -> File Sharing.
See https://docs.dock.
888ba058ad2b2c2e797e1d298183472aa7c75f29deb2344a0ffec9e7d987927f
**FAILED TO BOOTSTRAP** please scroll up and look for earlier error messages, there may be more than one
```
Maybe I need to share some folder first? Is anyone trying to run it like this?
tks!
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [September 3, 2016, 10:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/2 "2016-09-03T22:43:05Z")
If you want to run it locally for dev, look at the /bin/docker dir, it contains some very alpha stuff I built for developing with docker images
---
### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [September 10, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/3 "2016-09-10T14:45:31Z")
If you want to try out discourse, for a few dimes a day you can run it on digital ocean. Otherwise,you are probably better off following the development guide for Mac.
---
### Author:  [@JaredReisinger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JaredReisinger)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/4 "2016-09-14T18:12:52Z")
I’m trying out the alpha stuff… @sam, is this something you think you’d like to move towards (and away from Vagrant)? I haven’t gotten everything up and running yet (the images on Docker hub seem to have an out-of-date version of Ruby that doesn’t understand the `<<~` syntax), but when I figure things out I can create a PR.
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/5 "2016-09-14T20:35:42Z")
Yes, long term this is a far better approach
Will see if I can update the image
---
### Author:  [@JaredReisinger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JaredReisinger)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/6 "2016-09-15T18:50:05Z")
Woo! Got it working enough that it’s now just (from my local Discourse source root directory):
```plaintext
./bin/docker/boot_dev
./bin/docker/bundle install
./bin/docker/rake db:migrate
./bin/docker/rake admin:create
./bin/docker/rails s
```
… and I’m running Discourse at localhost:3000! I don’t need ruby, postgress, or redis installed… it’s all coming from the container.
In order to make this work, I did make a couple of changes in [discourse\_docker](https://github.com/discourse/discourse_docker):
1. Moved the `discourse` user creation and `/var/www` directory creation from the discourse Dockerfile into base, for reasons that will become clean in #3.
2. Updated the ImageMagic dependency from 6.9.5- **8** to 6.9.5- **9**. (The -8 version has disappeared from [imagemagick.org](http://imagemagick.org)… perhaps this is something that needs to be vendored?)
3. Changed the discourse\_dev Dockerfile to come from `base`, rather than `discourse`, so that it doesn’t carry the weight of a full Discourse installation only to replace it with local sources. (I bypassed discourse\_fast\_switch simply because I don’t quite understand what it’s doing. Discourse appears to need ruby 2.3.0, and that seemed to deal with 2.0.0/2.2.0.)
4. Gave the `discourse` user NOPASSWD sudoer’s permissions in the discourse\_dev image. (I was running into problems with `./bin/docker/bundle install`, and this was an expedient fix… and for a development container seems not-so-risky.)
5. Under the assumption that a development environment should be fairly self-contained, removed the step that moved `/shared/postgres_data` out of the way. Postgres had permissions/db-creation issues when I tried mounting a local data directory into place. The downside is that the postgres data now lives _completely_ inside the container, and `./bin/docker/shutdown_dev` will cause you to lose everything. I’m personally okay with this for now, but will keep playing with ways to make this work better (e.g. give you the _option_ to mount a volume and persist data across invocations).
6. Replaced discourse\_dev’s `postgres.template.yml` and `redis.template.yml` with the ones from the main `templates` directory (the ones that the “standlaone” app description use), changing the postgres DB name from `discourse` to `discourse_development`. (Ideally, I’d like to see that as a programmatic step, rather than a manual copy, so that the Docker images are auto-updated with each build.) This ensured that the database was set up like Discourse expected.
Right now, the Docker image build is handled by `build.rb`, but I’m really, really tempted to drive this via Makefile… but partly that’s just because I understand Makefiles better than I understand ruby. 😄
Also… when using this on my machine, the `ember-data-source` pulled in by `./bin/docker/bundle install` was 2.3.0.beta.5, which seems to be missing its `dist` directory. Updating Discourse’s ruby dependencies seeemed well beyond my pay grade (and experience), so I just manually patched my running discourse\_dev container with locally-built dist files. It worked, but that’s clearly not a tenable long-term solution. Sadly the “small” step from 2.3.0.beta.5 to 2.3.0 proper forces ember-source minimum dependency to go from 1.8 to 2.0… and I kept getting an “empty” home page after that. :sadpanda:
---
### Author:  [@JaredReisinger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JaredReisinger)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/7 "2016-09-20T22:15:39Z")
The first part of these changes (the discourse\_docker repo ones) are now available as a PR: [https://github.com/discourse/discourse\_docker/pull/292](https://github.com/discourse/discourse_docker/pull/292). Any feedback/discussion is greatly appreciated.
---
### Author:  [@JaredReisinger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JaredReisinger)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2016, 10:50pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/8 "2016-09-20T22:50:46Z")
And the second part (the discourse proper, bin/docker command-line tools) are also available as a PR: [Improve the "develop inside Docker" experience by JaredReisinger · Pull Request #4450 · discourse/discourse · GitHub](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/4450).
My favorite part about all of this is how easy it made development (from the README):
> ## Step-by-step
>
> It should be as easy as (from your source root):
>
> ```sh
> ./bin/docker/boot_dev --init
> # wait while:
> # - dependencies are installed,
> # - the database is migrated, and
> # - an admin user is created (you'll need to interact with this)
> ./bin/docker/rails s
>
> ```
Yup… two commands: one to start the container, and one to kick off Discourse. (Although full disclosure… there’s still that caveat about the ember-data-source gem, but even that has a `boot_dev` command-line helper.)
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/9 "2016-09-20T22:58:42Z")
Very nice work, give me a bit to review it but generally looks real good.
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2016, 4:45am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/10 "2016-11-22T04:45:44Z")
Hi @JaredReisinger we are all merged and up to date.
I wonder if someone could try your instructions out to see how everything is working.
---
### Author:  [@CrCs2O4](https://meta.discourse.org/u/CrCs2O4)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2016, 6:37am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/12 "2016-11-25T06:37:37Z")
Hi guys (@sam & @JaredReisinger)! I’m trying to get dev workflow with docker.
I built discourse\_dev image:
```plaintext
cd discourse_docker
cp templates/redis.template.yml image/discourse_dev/
cp templates/postgres.template.yml image/discourse_dev/
cd image/discourse_dev/
docker build -t discourse_dev .
```
run bootstrap:
```plaintext
cd discourse
./bin/docker/boot_dev -i
```
and stuck with Postgresql access rights:
```plaintext
Couldn't create database for {"prepared_statements"=>false, "adapter"=>"postgresql", "database"=>"discourse_development", "min_messages"=>"warning", "pool"=>5, "timeout"=>5000, "host_names"=>["localhost"]}
```
So I suspect that I’m doing something wrong from the beginning.
Any simple quick setup steps that we can convert later to DEVELOPMENT-OSX-DOCKER.md ?
---
### Author:  [@flintchip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/flintchip)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/13 "2016-12-06T17:52:41Z")
I am trying to use this approach, but when running `./bin/docker/boot_dev --init` I get the error
```plaintext
Unable to find image 'discourse/discourse_dev:latest' locally
Pulling repository docker.io/discourse/discourse_dev
docker: Error: image discourse/discourse_dev:latest not found.
```
Any help?
Thanks
---
### Author:  [@Falco](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Falco)
#### Post date: [December 6, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/14 "2016-12-06T19:00:13Z")
I’ll push a new dev image today, cooking it right now.
---
### Author:  [@JagWaugh](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JagWaugh)
#### Post date: [December 26, 2016, 10:18am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/15 "2016-12-26T10:18:15Z")
I’m getting the same error message with docker for windows (both the main and the toolbox version of docker for windows). Perhaps the issue is with non Linux docker engines?
---
### Author:  [@twlz0ne](https://meta.discourse.org/u/twlz0ne)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2017, 7:00am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/16 "2017-01-22T07:00:08Z")
Try this：
[http://stackoverflow.com/a/41381813/2639425](http://stackoverflow.com/a/41381813/2639425)
It works fine for me，fowllowing is my configuration:
```sh
⋊> grep -A 6 '^volumes:' /var/discourse/containers/app.yml
volumes:
- volume:
host: /Applications/DockerShareFolder/discourse/shared/standalone
guest: /shared
- volume:
host: /Applications/DockerShareFolder/discourse/shared/standalone/log/var-log
guest: /var/log
```
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2017, 2:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/17 "2017-05-06T14:11:33Z")
Following:
> **[Docker Blog | Docker](https://www.docker.com/blog/)**
>
> CVE-2026-31431 is a Linux kernel vulnerability that was recently disclosed. This CVE does not compromise Docker infrastructure. That said, Docker Engine's default profiles prior to v29.4.3 allowed containers to create AF\_ALG sockets, which is the...
Doing dev work in docker on a mac may be workable!
| | Rails Boot | Slowdown |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Host | 5.64 | |
| Virtual Box | 6.15 | 9% |
| Virtual Box + Docker | 8.78 | 55% |
| Docker Mac (cached) | 11.2 | 98% |
| Docker Mac (uncached) | 15.7 | 178% |
**Note** : for Docker setup on virtual box has gems are in AUFS and working directory in a mounted volume. On mac the working directory is a cache mounted volume. It is likely performance would improve if overlay was used or gems are mounted on the host to avoid virtualized file system.
### Docker for Mac … uncached:
```plaintext
sams-MBP:discourse sam$ time d/rails r 'puts'
real 0m19.035s
user 0m0.016s
sys 0m0.014s
sams-MBP:discourse sam$ time d/rails r 'puts'
real 0m15.702s
user 0m0.017s
sys 0m0.014s
sams-MBP:discourse sam$ time d/rails r 'puts'
real 0m17.290s
user 0m0.016s
sys 0m0.011s
```
### Docker for mac .. cached
```plaintext
sams-MBP:discourse sam$ time d/rails r 'puts'
real 0m11.430s
user 0m0.018s
sys 0m0.012s
sams-MBP:discourse sam$ time d/rails r 'puts'
real 0m11.293s
user 0m0.019s
sys 0m0.012s
sams-MBP:discourse sam$ time d/rails r 'puts'
real 0m11.995s
user 0m0.017s
sys 0m0.012s
```
### Ruby installed on host
```plaintext
sams-MBP:discourse sam$ time bin/rails r 'puts'
real 0m7.204s
user 0m4.541s
sys 0m1.780s
sams-MBP:discourse sam$ time bin/rails r 'puts'
real 0m5.644s
user 0m4.319s
sys 0m1.254s
sams-MBP:discourse sam$ time bin/rails r 'puts'
real 0m5.646s
user 0m4.329s
sys 0m1.256s
```
### VirtualBox + docker on the same host
```plaintext
sam@ubuntu:~/Source/discourse$ time d/rails r 'puts'
real 0m12.519s
user 0m0.016s
sys 0m0.012s
sam@ubuntu:~/Source/discourse$ time d/rails r 'puts'
real 0m8.786s
user 0m0.016s
sys 0m0.000s
sam@ubuntu:~/Source/discourse$ time d/rails r 'puts'
real 0m8.733s
user 0m0.008s
sys 0m0.004s
```
### VirtualBox, no docker
```plaintext
real 0m9.386s
user 0m5.332s
sys 0m1.692s
sam@ubuntu:~/Source/discourse$ time bin/rails r 'puts'
real 0m6.032s
user 0m4.796s
sys 0m1.116s
sam@ubuntu:~/Source/discourse$ time bin/rails r 'puts'
real 0m6.155s
user 0m4.924s
sys 0m1.104s
sam@ubuntu:~/Source/discourse$ time bin/rails r 'puts'
real 0m6.112s
user 0m4.804s
sys 0m1.180s
```
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/18 "2017-10-14T00:58:50Z")
This is looking like the most promising solution for Mac/windows dev
Going to test it out
> **[docker-sync by EugenMayer](http://docker-sync.io)**
---
### Author:  [@DiscourseMetrics](https://meta.discourse.org/u/DiscourseMetrics)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2018, 8:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/19 "2018-01-10T20:19:11Z")
Did docker-sync improve performance @sam? (or anyone else?) 🙂
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2018, 8:27pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/20 "2018-01-10T20:27:28Z")
docker sync should improve perf significantly, I have not measured it cause I use Linux.
---
### Author:  [@DiscourseMetrics](https://meta.discourse.org/u/DiscourseMetrics)
#### Post date: [January 11, 2018, 9:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682/21 "2018-01-11T21:08:27Z")
I’m struggling to understand how to set up docker-sync to develop on a mac.
I’ve followed the setup guide at [https://github.com/discourse/discourse/tree/master/bin/docker](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/tree/master/bin/docker) to set up docker - which works fine, just veeery slowly.
A couple of questions:
1. To setup docker-sync, I have to create at least [one docker-sync.yml file](https://github.com/EugenMayer/docker-sync/wiki/2.-Configuration)
2. To start docker-sync, I run _docker-sync start_, but do I run that as well as _./bin/docker/rails s_?
Appreciate tips if anyone out there has this set up already 🙂
[Next page](https://meta.discourse.org/t/running-discourse-on-docker-for-mac/49682.md?page=2)