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Run Aureus ERP on Docker

What is Aureus ERP?​

Aureus ERP is an open-source ERP platform built on Laravel and FilamentPHP. It ships as a set of installable modules, accounting/finance, inventory, sales, CRM, HR and recruitment, and purchasing among them, so a business can start with only the modules it needs and add more later. Under the hood it is a Laravel application with a Filament admin panel, which means it needs the same infrastructure as any Laravel app: a web server, a PHP runtime, and a database, with Redis recommended once you move past a single-user trial.

Why run Aureus ERP in Docker?​

Docker packages each of those pieces (NGINX, PHP-FPM, MySQL, Redis) into isolated containers that run the same on every machine. Instead of installing PHP and MySQL onto your laptop, where versions collide between projects and "works on my machine" starts, you run disposable containers that mirror production and vanish cleanly when you delete them. Aureus ERP's own requirements are fairly specific too (PHP 8.2+, generous memory and execution-time limits, particular PHP extensions), and Docker means you never have to fight your host machine to match them.

The catch: wiring those containers together yourself (base images, PHP extensions, networking, permissions) is a week of fiddly Docker work. That is exactly what Laradock removes.

Why Laradock is the best fit for Aureus ERP​

The Aureus ERP repository does ship a docker-compose.yml, but it is the standard Laravel Sail file (a laravel.test app container plus MySQL, Redis and Mailpit), not a purpose-built ERP deployment tool. It is a fine quick trial, but it is still just Sail, so the same tradeoffs apply:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. Run Aureus ERP today, add a separate reporting service, a Symfony API, or a plain PHP script beside it tomorrow, all in the same environment with the same commands.
  • Far more flexibility. 100+ ready services and any PHP version from 5.6 to 8.5, versus the short list Sail's default compose file gives you.
  • Nothing is hidden and you own everything. No generated files, no magic, no wrapper binary between you and Docker. Every Dockerfile and compose file is right there for you to read and edit.
  • Nothing new to learn. What you use is plain docker compose, knowledge that transfers straight to production and to every other project. Our CLI is an optional nicety, never a requirement.

For Aureus ERP specifically, Laradock wires a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL ready to connect (and Redis one command away when you want caching), and a workspace container with Composer, Node and Artisan already installed, so the ERP's PHP-extension and memory requirements are handled by the image instead of your host.

Run Aureus ERP on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

cd my-aureus-erp-app
git clone https://github.com/laradock/laradock.git
cd laradock

(No Aureus ERP files yet? Clone Laradock first, then pull Aureus ERP from the workspace container in the next steps.)

2. Pick the services Aureus ERP needs​

Aureus ERP needs exactly two things: a web server and a database. The web server pulls in PHP-FPM automatically, so this is the whole required stack:

./laradock start nginx mysql workspace

MySQL 8.0+ is what Aureus ERP recommends; the full service catalog (including alternatives) is here.

Redis is not required to boot Aureus ERP, but it is worth adding once you move past a single-user trial. See Add Redis caching below.

Prefer to be asked? The optional CLI walks you through the choices: ./laradock setup, then ./laradock start. It prints every real command it runs.

3. Point Aureus ERP at the containers​

Aureus ERP is a standard Laravel app, so in its .env, use the service names as hostnames:

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=mysql

The default database, user and password live in mysql/defaults.env; override any of them by adding the line to Laradock's .env (it always wins).

4. Install and run Aureus ERP​

Enter the workspace container, where Composer, Node and Artisan live, and run the project's own installer:

./laradock workspace
composer install
cp .env.example .env
php artisan key:generate
php artisan erp:install

erp:install runs the migrations and seeders, sets up Filament Shield roles and permissions, and walks you through creating an admin account. Then open http://localhost. That is a full Aureus ERP install running on Docker.

Add Redis caching (optional)​

Redis is not required, but because Aureus ERP is a Laravel app it can use Redis for cache and sessions with no plugin, just config, which helps once more than one person is using it. Two steps:

  1. Start the Redis container alongside the rest:
./laradock start redis
  1. Point Aureus ERP at it in its .env (the service name is the host):
CACHE_STORE=redis
SESSION_DRIVER=redis
REDIS_HOST=redis

That is it. Without those lines the Redis container just sits idle, which is why the required stack above leaves it out.

Change the PHP version anytime​

This is where a native install hurts and Laradock shines. Aureus ERP asks for PHP 8.2 or higher; set it in Laradock's .env and rebuild:

PHP_VERSION=8.3
./laradock rebuild php-fpm workspace

Bump it later to track a new Aureus ERP release, all without touching anything installed on your host.

Take your install live​

When your Aureus ERP install is ready, the same Laradock stack becomes your deployment. You build one hardened image of your app and ship it to the host of your choice:

./laradock ship

Then pick a target and follow its short guide, a single server, a managed platform, or Kubernetes: Deploy to Production lists every provider (Fly.io, Render, Railway, DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, Kamal, Kubernetes) with a ready config file for each. There is no per-provider magic to learn; a Docker image runs the same everywhere.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I need to install PHP, Composer or MySQL to run Aureus ERP with Laradock?​

No. Everything lives inside the containers. Composer, Node and Artisan are all in the workspace container; you never install PHP or MySQL on your host.

Which services should I start for Aureus ERP?​

nginx mysql workspace is all Aureus ERP requires: web server, database, and a shell with the tooling you need. Aureus ERP recommends MySQL 8.0+; SQLite is an option for a minimal trial but is not recommended for real use. Add redis once you go past a single-user trial, see Add Redis caching.

Does Aureus ERP need more resources than a typical Laravel app?​

Its own documentation recommends generous PHP memory and execution-time limits and at least 4GB of RAM on the host, since it is running an admin panel and multiple business modules at once. Give the containers enough memory in your Docker settings accordingly.

Can I run Aureus ERP alongside other PHP projects on different PHP versions?​

Yes. Give each its own Laradock with a unique COMPOSE_PROJECT_NAME and DATA_PATH_HOST, set a different PHP_VERSION in each, and they run independently on the same machine.

Is this the same Docker setup I would use in production?​

The containers are production-style (real NGINX + PHP-FPM), so it is far closer to production than the default Sail compose file. See Prepare Laradock for Production for the hardening steps.

Comparing environments? See the full Laradock vs Others breakdown. Ready to start? Getting Started takes about five minutes.