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Run Fat-Free Framework (F3) on Docker

What is Fat-Free Framework?​

Fat-Free Framework (commonly called F3) is an extremely lightweight PHP micro-framework, a single-file core packing a router, templating engine, caching layer, and its own database abstraction (the DB\SQL and DB\Jig classes). It is known for its tiny footprint and for supporting a wide range of storage engines out of the box: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MSSQL/Sybase, MongoDB, and its own flat-file "Jig" database. A real F3 app needs a web server, PHP, and whichever of those engines you choose.

Why run Fat-Free Framework in Docker?​

Docker packages each of those pieces (NGINX, PHP-FPM, MySQL, ...) 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 project can run PHP 8.3 while an older F3 script runs 7.4, 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 Fat-Free Framework​

Unlike Laravel, Fat-Free Framework has no official Docker tool or first-party runtime of its own, so a ready-made, no-lock-in environment matters even more. Here is why Laradock is the best fit:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. Run an F3 app today, add a Laravel service, a WordPress site, or another 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, so a small legacy F3 script and a bigger app 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. Our CLI is an optional nicety, never a requirement.

Concretely, for Fat-Free Framework it gives you a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL/PostgreSQL already wired, and a workspace container with Composer and git installed.

Run Fat-Free Framework on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

cd my-f3-app
git clone https://github.com/laradock/laradock.git
cd laradock

(No F3 files yet? Clone Laradock first, then install the framework from the workspace container in the next steps.)

2. Pick the services your app needs​

Most F3 apps need a web server and a database. Start exactly those (the web server pulls in PHP-FPM automatically):

./laradock start nginx mysql workspace

Prefer PostgreSQL instead? Swap the name: ./laradock start nginx postgres workspace (or docker compose up -d nginx postgres workspace). The full catalog is here.

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 F3 at the containers​

F3 has no fixed config file convention; most apps load settings from a config.ini via $f3->config('config.ini'), then open a DB\SQL connection with a DSN string pointing at the service name:

$f3->set('DB', new DB\SQL('mysql:host=mysql;port=3306;dbname=default', 'default', 'secret'));

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​

Enter the workspace container, where Composer and git live:

./laradock workspace

Then, inside the container:

composer require bcosca/fatfree   # only if you have no F3 files yet

F3 has no official create-project skeleton; composer require pulls the framework into vendor/, and you write your own index.php bootstrap (or start from one of the community skeletons on Packagist). Then open http://localhost. That is a full Fat-Free Framework app 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=7.4
./laradock rebuild php-fpm workspace

F3 requires PHP 7.2 or newer, so an old F3 script and a newer PHP 8 project each run on the version they need, isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Take your app live​

When your app 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 or Composer to run Fat-Free Framework with Laradock?​

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

Which services should I start for a typical F3 app?​

nginx mysql workspace covers most apps. Swap mysql for postgres if you prefer, or skip the database container if your app uses F3's flat-file Jig storage instead.

Can I run multiple F3 apps 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 PHP's built-in server. 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.