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Run Serendipity on Docker

What is Serendipity?​

Serendipity (also known as s9y) is a PHP blogging platform that has been around since the early 2000s and is still actively maintained: the current stable release added PHP 8.4 compatibility. A Serendipity site is a PHP application backed by a database, served through a web server. It is flexible about the database: MySQL/MariaDB, PostgreSQL and SQLite are all supported.

Why run Serendipity in Docker?​

Docker packages each of those pieces (NGINX, PHP-FPM, and a database) into isolated containers that run the same on every machine. Instead of installing PHP and a database engine 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 blog can run PHP 8.4 while another older project 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 Serendipity​

Serendipity has no official Docker image 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 Serendipity 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, plus a choice of MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL to match whatever Serendipity is already configured for.
  • 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 Serendipity it gives you a production-style NGINX + PHP-FPM stack, MySQL/MariaDB or PostgreSQL already wired, a workspace container with git installed, and any PHP version behind a single line of config.

Run Serendipity on Docker with Laradock​

1. Add Laradock to your project​

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

(No Serendipity files yet? Clone Laradock first, then download Serendipity from the releases page into your project root.)

2. Pick the services your blog needs​

Serendipity needs a web server and a database. Start exactly those (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 Serendipity at the containers​

The install wizard writes your database connection into serendipity_config_local.inc.php. Use the service name as the host, and the default database, user and password from mysql/defaults.env:

Database Host: mysql
Database Name: default
Database User: default
Database Password: secret

Override any of them by adding the line to Laradock's .env (it always wins).

4. Install and run your blog​

Open the installer in your browser and follow its steps to create the database tables and the first admin account:

http://localhost/

Serendipity detects there is no config file yet and starts the installer automatically. Then open http://localhost. That is a full Serendipity blog 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

Current Serendipity (2.6) needs PHP 8.0 or newer and is tested up to PHP 8.4, so the same tool runs it alongside older projects on earlier PHP versions, each isolated, none of it installed on your machine.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Do I need to install PHP or a database to run Serendipity with Laradock?​

No. Everything lives inside the containers. PHP and your chosen database are both provided; you never install them on your host.

Which services should I start for a typical Serendipity blog?​

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

Can I run multiple Serendipity blogs 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 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.