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Run LinkAce on Docker

What is LinkAce?​

LinkAce is a self-hosted bookmark manager for archiving and organizing links, tags, lists and notes instead of relying on a browser's bookmark bar. It is a Laravel application, so a real LinkAce install needs a web server, a PHP runtime, a MySQL or MariaDB database, and a queue/scheduler process for background jobs like link archiving.

Why run LinkAce 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 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 8.4 while another runs 8.2, 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 LinkAce​

LinkAce ships its own official Docker image (linkace/linkace on Docker Hub, maintained by its creator), so, like Laravel, it does not strictly need Laradock. It is still the best fit, and here is why:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. The day you add a WordPress site, a plain PHP script, or another Laravel app beside your LinkAce instance, it runs in the same environment with the same commands. A single-purpose image cannot do that.
  • Far more flexibility. 100+ ready services and any PHP version from 5.6 to 8.5, versus the one PHP version baked into LinkAce's own image.
  • 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 LinkAce specifically, Laradock wires a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL/MariaDB, and a workspace container with Composer, Node, npm, git and Artisan already installed.

Run LinkAce on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

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

(No LinkAce files yet? Clone Laradock first, then clone LinkAce from its GitHub repo into your project directory.)

2. Pick the services your bookmarks need​

LinkAce needs a web server, PHP and a database. Start exactly those (the web server pulls in PHP-FPM automatically):

./laradock start nginx mysql workspace

Prefer MariaDB over MySQL? Swap the name: ./laradock start nginx mariadb workspace (or docker compose up -d nginx mariadb 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 LinkAce at the containers​

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

DB_HOST=mysql
DB_DATABASE=default
DB_USERNAME=default
DB_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 your bookmarks​

Enter the shell where Composer, npm and Artisan live:

./laradock workspace

Then run LinkAce's own setup commands inside that shell:

composer install
php artisan key:generate
php artisan migrate
php artisan setup:complete
php artisan registeruser --admin

Then open http://localhost. That is a full LinkAce 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=8.4
./laradock rebuild php-fpm workspace

Current LinkAce releases require PHP 8.2 or newer, and anything up to 8.5 works, so the same tool runs an older LinkAce install pinned to 8.2 and a freshly upgraded one side by side, each isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Run background jobs (optional)​

LinkAce is a Laravel app, so its background work (link archiving, broken-link checks, scheduled tasks) runs through Laravel's queue and scheduler. A fresh install works without them, but archiving and periodic checks only fire once a worker is running. From the workspace container:

php artisan queue:work        # process archiving and check jobs
php artisan schedule:work     # run the periodic broken-link checks

For a heavier setup, back the queue with Redis. Start it and switch the driver in your app's .env:

./laradock start redis
REDIS_HOST=redis
QUEUE_CONNECTION=redis

Because LinkAce boots and serves bookmarks without a worker, the required stack above leaves these out.

Take your app live​

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

./laradock ship

Then pick a target and follow its short guide: 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 LinkAce 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.

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

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

Can I run multiple LinkAce 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; 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.