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Run Lumen on Docker

What is Lumen?​

Lumen is Laravel's micro-framework: built by the same team, on the same Illuminate components (Eloquent, the container, routing), stripped down for fast, small API services. It shares Artisan-style console commands and Laravel's .env-driven config. One thing worth knowing up front: Laravel's team has said Lumen only receives bug fixes now and recommends the full Laravel framework (optionally with Octane) for new projects; Lumen still works and is fine for maintaining an existing service, this page assumes you already have one or are intentionally choosing it. A Lumen app needs a web server, a PHP runtime, and typically a database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite or SQL Server via Eloquent) plus Redis if it uses caching or queues.

Why run Lumen 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 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 Lumen​

Laravel Sail exists for Laravel, but it does not target Lumen; Lumen has no official Docker tool or first-party runtime of its own. Here is why Laradock is the best fit:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. Run a Lumen service today, add a full Laravel app, 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 Lumen 8 service and a newer Lumen 10 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 project, including a future migration to full Laravel. Our CLI is an optional nicety, never a requirement.

For Lumen specifically, Laradock wires a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL/PostgreSQL and Redis, and a workspace container with Composer, Node, git and Artisan already installed, the same shell you would use for a Laravel app.

Run Lumen on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

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

(No Lumen app yet? Clone Laradock first, then create one from the workspace container in the next steps.)

2. Pick the services your app needs​

Most Lumen APIs need a web server, a database, and Redis for cache and queues. Start exactly those (the web server pulls in PHP-FPM automatically):

docker compose up -d nginx mysql redis workspace

Need Postgres instead of MySQL? Swap the name: docker compose up -d nginx postgres redis workspace. No database at all for a stateless service? Drop it: docker compose up -d nginx workspace. The full catalog is here.

Prefer to be asked? The optional CLI detects Lumen and pre-selects nginx/mysql/redis for you: ./laradock setup, then ./laradock up. It prints every real command it runs.

3. Point Lumen 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. Run your app from the workspace​

Enter the shell where Artisan, Composer and npm live, and run the usual commands:

docker compose exec workspace bash
composer create-project --prefer-dist laravel/lumen .   # only if you have no Lumen app yet
php artisan migrate

Then open http://localhost. That is a full Lumen service 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

The latest Lumen release targets PHP 8.1+, and Laradock covers anything from PHP 5.6 to 8.5, so the same tool runs an older Lumen 7 service pinned to an old PHP version and a current Lumen 10 API side by side, each isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I need to install PHP or Composer to run Lumen 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 Lumen app?​

nginx mysql redis workspace covers most API services. Drop the database entirely for a stateless service, swap mysql for postgres if you prefer, and add extras like rabbitmq whenever a feature needs them.

Can I run multiple Lumen services 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 for vendor/-heavy apps); 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 the built-in PHP development 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.