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Run FrontAccounting on Docker

What is FrontAccounting?​

FrontAccounting is an open-source, browser-based accounting and ERP application for small and medium businesses: general ledger, invoicing, inventory, banking and multi-company, multi-currency support, all in a single PHP codebase. It is a classic LAMP-style app with no build step or Node toolchain: PHP rendering pages behind a web server, backed by a MySQL database whose accounting tables need InnoDB for transactions.

Why run FrontAccounting in Docker?​

Docker packages the pieces FrontAccounting needs (NGINX, PHP-FPM, MySQL) 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 the PHP version FrontAccounting was tested against while another runs something entirely different, on the same computer, with nothing installed globally.

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

Why Laradock is the best fit for FrontAccounting​

FrontAccounting has no official Docker image or compose file from its core team; what exists are a handful of unofficial, community-maintained images, none of them the default way to run it. That makes a ready-made, no-lock-in environment matter even more. Here is why Laradock is the best fit:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. Run FrontAccounting 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, so an older FrontAccounting install and a freshly upgraded 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. Our CLI is an optional nicety, never a requirement.

Concretely, for FrontAccounting it gives you a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, a MySQL container with InnoDB available out of the box, and a workspace container with git and Composer installed to fetch and unpack the source.

Run FrontAccounting on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

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

(No FrontAccounting files yet? Clone Laradock first, then download the FrontAccounting release from the workspace container in the next steps.)

2. Pick the services FrontAccounting needs​

FrontAccounting needs a web server and a MySQL database; the web server pulls in PHP-FPM automatically:

docker compose up -d nginx mysql workspace

The full catalog of services, if you later need a mail catcher for outgoing invoices or anything else, 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 FrontAccounting at the containers​

FrontAccounting does not read a .env file; its browser-based install wizard writes the database connection into config_db.php for you. When the wizard asks for the database server, use the service name as the host:

Host: mysql
Database: default
User: default
Password: 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​

Enter the workspace container, where git and Composer live, fetch a FrontAccounting release, and make the app directory writable for the installer:

docker compose exec workspace bash
cd www/my-frontaccounting-app   # wherever nginx serves this project from
# download and extract a FrontAccounting release here, then:
chmod -R 777 .

Then open http://localhost and follow the install wizard: it creates the database schema and writes config_db.php and config.php. FrontAccounting is officially implemented and tested against MySQL, with InnoDB required for its transactional tables; the wizard will not offer PostgreSQL. Once installation finishes, tighten the permissions back down as the installer instructs. That is a full FrontAccounting install 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=8.3
docker compose build php-fpm workspace

The current FrontAccounting 2.4.x series is tested against PHP 8.0 through 8.5, and older instances still running on a legacy PHP build can be reproduced the same way, each isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I need to install PHP or MySQL to run FrontAccounting with Laradock?​

No. Everything lives inside the containers. PHP, the web server and MySQL (with InnoDB) are all provided; you never install them on your host.

Which services should I start for FrontAccounting?​

nginx mysql workspace covers a typical install: web server, database, and a shell to fetch the source with git or Composer.

Does FrontAccounting support PostgreSQL instead of MySQL?​

Officially, no. FrontAccounting is implemented and tested against MySQL, and InnoDB is required for its transactional accounting tables; other databases are not a supported configuration, so Laradock's mysql service is the right choice here.

Can I run multiple FrontAccounting instances 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.

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