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Run AvoRed on Docker

What is AvoRed?​

AvoRed is an open-source Laravel e-commerce package that adds a GraphQL-first shopping cart and admin to a Laravel app, aimed at teams that want a headless catalog/checkout API rather than a bundled front end. As a Laravel package it needs whatever Laravel needs: a web server, PHP-FPM, and a MySQL or MariaDB database; Redis is a common addition for cache and sessions once traffic grows.

Why run AvoRed 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. One project can run PHP 8.2 while another Laravel app runs a different version, on the same computer, with nothing installed globally.

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 AvoRed​

AvoRed has no Docker tool of its own; being a Laravel package it can lean on Laravel's own tooling, but nothing AvoRed-specific is shipped by the project. Here is why Laradock is the best fit:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. The day you add a plain Laravel API, a WordPress site, or a separate PHP script beside your AvoRed store, it runs in the same environment with the same commands.
  • Far more flexibility. 100+ ready services and any PHP version from 5.6 to 8.5, so an older AvoRed install and a current one each get exactly the runtime they need.
  • 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 Laravel project. Our CLI is an optional nicety, never a requirement.

Concretely, for AvoRed it gives you a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL/MariaDB and Redis already wired, and a workspace container with Composer, Node, npm, git and Artisan already installed.

Run AvoRed on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

cd my-avored-app
git clone https://github.com/laradock/laradock.git
cd laradock && cp .env.example .env

(No Laravel app yet? Clone Laradock first, then create one from the workspace container in the next steps; AvoRed is added into it as a Composer package.)

2. Pick the services your app needs​

AvoRed needs whatever a Laravel app needs: a web server and a database. Redis is optional but recommended for cache and sessions:

docker compose up -d nginx mysql redis workspace

Prefer MariaDB over MySQL? Swap the name: docker compose up -d nginx mariadb redis workspace. The full catalog is here.

3. Point Laravel at the containers​

In your app's .env, use the service names as hostnames:

DB_HOST=mysql
REDIS_HOST=redis

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 your store​

Enter the workspace container, where Artisan, Composer and npm live, scaffold a fresh Laravel app and add AvoRed to it:

docker compose exec workspace bash
composer create-project laravel/laravel .
composer require avored/framework
php artisan avored:install
php artisan vendor:publish --provider="AvoRed\Framework\AvoRedServiceProvider"

avored:install runs the migrations and walks you through the initial setup. Then open http://localhost; the GraphQL API is exposed at /graphiql. That is a full AvoRed store running on Docker.

Change the PHP version anytime​

This is where a native install hurts and Laradock shines. Set the version in Laradock's .env and rebuild:

PHP_VERSION=8.2
docker compose build php-fpm workspace

AvoRed tracks Laravel's own PHP requirements, so match PHP_VERSION to the Laravel release you scaffold (check avored/framework's composer.json for the exact floor if you are pinning an older Laravel version); the same tool can still run an older Laravel app on a lower PHP version in a separate Laradock instance, each isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I need to install PHP or Composer to run AvoRed with Laradock?​

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

Do I need a Laravel app before I can add AvoRed?​

Yes. AvoRed is installed as a Composer package into a Laravel project (composer require avored/framework), it is not a standalone download.

Which services should I start for a typical AvoRed store?​

nginx mysql redis workspace covers most projects: web server, database, cache, and a shell. Swap mysql for mariadb if you prefer.

Can I run multiple AvoRed 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 a native install. 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.