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Run Pydio 8 on Docker

What is Pydio?​

Pydio started life as AjaXplorer in 2007 and became a self-hosted file sync and share platform. This page covers Pydio 8, the legacy PHP edition (the LAMP-stack line that grew out of AjaXplorer), which is a PHP application backed by MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQLite, served through a web server. Note the nuance up front: the actively developed edition today is Pydio Cells, a full rewrite in Go released in 2018 because the team hit the limits of what PHP could handle for large file collaboration. Pydio 8 itself reached end of life in December 2019 and receives no further updates. This setup is meant for maintaining an existing Pydio 8 install, not for starting a new deployment; for a new project, Pydio Cells (outside PHP, and outside the scope of Laradock) is the maintained choice.

Why run Pydio 8 in Docker?​

Docker packages the pieces an old Pydio 8 install still needs (NGINX, PHP-FPM, MySQL) into isolated containers that run the same on every machine. Instead of installing an aging PHP version onto your laptop or a real server, where it collides with every other project you run, you run a disposable container that mirrors the original environment and vanishes cleanly when you delete it. That matters especially here, since Pydio 8 needs an old, unsupported PHP branch that you do not want anywhere near your host.

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 Pydio 8​

Pydio 8 has no official Docker image maintained by the Pydio team (the project's Docker efforts moved to Cells), so a ready-made, no-lock-in environment matters even more for keeping an old instance alive. Here is why Laradock is the best fit:

  • You are never locked into one ecosystem. Laradock is framework-agnostic. Keep your legacy Pydio 8 install running while a Laravel or WordPress project runs beside it, 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 you can pin the old PHP branch Pydio 8 needs without touching anything else on the machine.
  • 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, which matters when a package this old needs a manual patch.
  • 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 Pydio 8 it gives you an NGINX + PHP-FPM stack pinned to an older PHP branch, MySQL/PostgreSQL already wired, and a workspace container to run its web-based setup wizard from.

Run Pydio 8 on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

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

(No Pydio 8 codebase yet? Clone Laradock first, then place your existing install into the workspace container in the next steps. If you are starting fresh, use Pydio Cells instead, it is outside PHP and outside the scope of Laradock.)

2. Pick the services your instance needs​

Pydio 8 needs a web server and a database. The web server pulls in PHP-FPM automatically:

docker compose up -d nginx mysql workspace

Prefer PostgreSQL instead? Swap the name: 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 up. It prints every real command it runs.

3. Point Pydio 8 at the containers​

Pydio 8's own setup wizard writes its database connection into data/plugins/conf.serial.php (or the equivalent config plugin) the first time you run it in a browser. Point it at the container by hostname when the wizard asks:

Database host: mysql
Database name: default
Database user: default
Database password: secret

The default database, user and password live in Laradock's mysql/defaults.env; override any of them by adding the line to Laradock's .env (it always wins).

4. Install and run your instance​

Enter the workspace container, place your existing Pydio 8 codebase, and finish setup from the browser:

docker compose exec workspace bash
# place your Pydio 8 files into the current directory

Then open http://localhost and complete the web-based install wizard using the database settings above.

Change the PHP version anytime​

This is where a native install hurts and Laradock shines, particularly for a project pinned to an old runtime. Set the version in Laradock's .env and rebuild:

PHP_VERSION=7.2
docker compose build php-fpm workspace

Pydio 8 was built for an older PHP branch (its support window ended before PHP 8 was common); Laradock covers anything from PHP 5.6 to 8.5, so you can keep the exact old runtime Pydio 8 needs isolated from every other project on the machine.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I need to install an old PHP version on my machine to run Pydio 8?​

No. Everything lives inside the containers. You pin the old PHP branch in Laradock's .env and it never touches your host.

Which services should I start for a typical Pydio 8 instance?​

nginx mysql workspace covers it: web server, database, and a shell. Swap mysql for postgres if you prefer.

Should I use Pydio 8 for a new project?​

No. Pydio 8 reached end of life in December 2019 and is unmaintained. New projects should look at Pydio Cells, which is written in Go and outside the scope of this PHP-focused setup.

Can I run Pydio 8 alongside modern PHP projects on the same machine?​

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.

Is this the same Docker setup I would use in production?​

The containers are production-style (real NGINX + PHP-FPM), so it is closer to production than a native install, but keep in mind Pydio 8 itself is unmaintained and carries unpatched security risk regardless of how it is hosted. See Prepare Laradock for Production for the hardening steps that still apply.

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