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Run Dolibarr on Docker

What is Dolibarr?​

Dolibarr is an open-source ERP and CRM: a single PHP application covering invoicing, orders, stock, CRM, HR and accounting for small and mid-size businesses. It is known for being modular, you enable only the features you need, and for shipping as a self-contained PHP codebase with a browser-based install wizard rather than a build step. What it genuinely needs is a web server, a PHP runtime, and a database (MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL); Redis is optional but helps on busier installs.

Why run Dolibarr in Docker?​

Docker packages each of those pieces (a web server, PHP-FPM, MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL, Redis) into isolated containers that run the same on every machine. Instead of installing PHP and a database 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 Dolibarr install can run PHP 8.3 while another project on the same computer runs a completely different stack, 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 Dolibarr​

Dolibarr does publish an official Docker image (dolibarr/dolibarr, maintained at Dolibarr/dolibarr-docker), but it is a single all-in-one container: PHP, Apache and Dolibarr baked together, with no database included and no workspace, cache or multi-service orchestration around it. You still have to hand-wire a database container and everything else yourself. Here is why Laradock is the better fit for a real dev environment:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. Run Dolibarr today, add a Laravel API, a WordPress site, 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 a single fixed image with one PHP version baked in.
  • 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.

Concretely, for Dolibarr it gives you a production-style NGINX (or Apache) + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL/MariaDB/PostgreSQL and Redis already wired, and a workspace container with Composer, git and PHP CLI installed for any maintenance scripts.

Run Dolibarr on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

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

(No Dolibarr files yet? Clone Laradock first, then download Dolibarr from the official releases or via the workspace container in the next steps.)

2. Pick the services your Dolibarr install needs​

Dolibarr needs a web server and a database; add Redis if you want caching. The web server pulls in PHP-FPM automatically:

docker compose up -d nginx mysql redis workspace

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

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

3. Point Dolibarr at the containers​

Dolibarr does not use a .env file for its own configuration; the install wizard writes the database connection into htdocs/conf/conf.php for you. When the wizard asks for the database host, user and password, use the service names and credentials from Laradock:

Database host: mysql
Database name / user / password: from mysql/defaults.env

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 app​

Open http://localhost. Dolibarr has no Artisan- or WP-CLI-style installer; instead its browser-based setup wizard walks you through the license, a set of environment checks, and the database connection form from step 3, then creates conf/conf.php and the admin account for you.

If you need a shell for Composer, git or a maintenance script, it lives in the workspace container:

docker compose exec workspace bash

That is a full Dolibarr install running on Docker.

Change the PHP version anytime​

This is where a native install hurts and Laradock shines. Dolibarr requires PHP 8.1 or newer, with 8.2/8.3 recommended for the best compatibility and performance. Set the version in Laradock's .env and rebuild:

PHP_VERSION=8.3
docker compose build php-fpm workspace

So a Dolibarr install pinned to an older PHP release and a brand-new one run side by side, each isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I need to install PHP or a database to run Dolibarr with Laradock?​

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

Which services should I start for a typical Dolibarr install?​

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

Can I run multiple Dolibarr installs 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.

Does this work the same on macOS, Windows and Linux?​

Yes. Laradock runs anywhere Docker runs. On macOS/Windows, file-sync speed depends on Docker Desktop (VirtioFS helps a lot); it is a Docker Desktop trait, not specific to Laradock.

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.