Attention

You can now run different PHP versions per project: Release v3.0.0-beta-0.1

Docker Toolbox and the Devilbox

Docker Toolbox is a legacy solution to bring Docker to systems which don’t natively support Docker. This is achieved by starting a virtualized Linux instance (e.g.: inside VirtualBox) and have Docker run inside this machine.

You don’t have to take care about setting up the virtual machine, this is done automatically with the provided setup file (Windows and MacOS).

However, there are a few stumbling blocks you need to pay attention to in order to use the Devilbox at its full potential.

See also

Docker Toolbox

Table of Contents

Devilbox listening address configuration

First thing you need to make sure is that the LOCAL_LISTEN_ADDR variable from your .env file is empty. When it is empty all services bind to all IP addresses inside the virtual machine and thus being able to be seen from outside the virtual machine (your host operating system).

You can verifiy that the variable is actually empty by checking your .env file:

host> grep ^LOCAL_LISTEN_ADDR .env

LOCAL_LISTEN_ADDR=

Important

The variable should exist, but there should not be any value after the equal sign.

See also

.env file

Find the Docker Toolbox IP address

The Devilbox intranet will not be available under 127.0.0.1 or localhost as it does not run on your host operating system, but on a virtualized Linux machine which has a different IP address.

To find out the IP address on which Docker Toolbox is running you have to use the docker-machine command. Open a terminal and type the following:

host> docker-machine ip default
192.168.99.100

The above example outputs 192.168.99.100, but this might be different on your machine.

In this example I would then paste http://192.168.99.100 in the web browsers address bar to reach the Devilbox intranet.

See also

Project DNS record pitfalls

When creating manual DNS records per project, you have to keep in mind that you cannot use 127.0.0.1 for the IP address part. You have to use the IP address of the Docker Toolbox virtual machine as was shown in the above example.

Assuming the Docker Toolbox IP address is: 192.168.99.100, you have to create DNS records as follows:

/etc/resolv.conf or C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc
192.168.99.100 project.loc

See also

Auto-DNS via port forwarding

In order to make Auto-DNS for projects work as it does for native Docker implementations you will have to do some prior configuration.

How does Auto-DNS work?

Auto-DNS is a catch-all DNS resolver for your chosen TLD_SUFFIX that will redirect any domain to 127.0.0.1. Unfortunately Docker Toolbox does not listen on that IP address.

How to fix it for Docker Toolbox

To overcome this problem, you will have to create three port forwards on your host operating system from the Docker machine IP address for DNS (port 53), http (port 80) and https (port 443) to 127.0.0.1 on your host os.

Assuming the Docker Toolbox IP address is 192.168.99.100 the three port forwards must be as follows:

From IP From port To IP To port
192.168.99.100 53 127.0.0.1 53
192.168.99.100 80 127.0.0.1 80
192.168.99.100 443 127.0.0.1 443

See also

Mount shared folders

Docker Toolbox will automatically set up a shared directory between your host operating system and the virtual Linux machine. Only files and directories within this shared directory can be used to be mounted into Docker container. If you plan to mount files or directories outside of this default path you have to create a new shared directory as described below.

MacOS

When you want to have your projects reside not somewhere in the /Users directory, ensure you have read, understood and applied the following:

“By default, Toolbox only has access to the /Users directory and mounts it into the VMs at /Users. If your project lives elsewhere or needs access to other directories on the host filesystem, you can add them.”

See also

Docker Toolbox on Mac: add shared directories

Windows

When you want to have your projects reside not somewhere in the C:\Users directory, ensure you have read, understood and applied the following:

“By default, Toolbox only has access to the C:\Users directory and mounts it into the VMs at /c/Users. If your project lives elsewhere or needs access to other directories on the host filesystem, you can add them, using the VirtualBox UI.”