This project has been created as part of the 42 curriculum by opopov.

Inception

A Docker-based infrastructure project that deploys a complete WordPress website with nginx and MariaDB, all running in separate containers on a custom Docker network.

---

Description

Inception is a system administration project that introduces containerization using Docker and Docker Compose. The goal is to create a small infrastructure composed of different services running in isolated containers.

The project deploys:

• nginx — Web server handling HTTPS traffic (TLSv1.2/TLSv1.3 only)
• WordPress + PHP-FPM — Content management system with FastCGI process manager
• MariaDB — Relational database storing WordPress data

All services run on Debian Bookworm and communicate over a dedicated Docker network.

---

Instructions

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• Root/sudo access (for creating data directories)
• Entry in /etc/hosts mapping your domain to login.42.fr:

Configuration

1. Copy the environment template and fill in your values:

   cp srcs/.env.example srcs/.env

2. Edit srcs/.env with your credentials:

   # Domain
   DOMAIN_NAME=login.42.fr
   
   # MariaDB Configuration
   MYSQL_DATABASE=wordpress
   MYSQL_USER=wpuser
   MYSQL_PASSWORD=your_secure_password
   MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=your_secure_root_password
   
   # WordPress Admin
   WP_TITLE=Inception
   WP_ADMIN_USER=moderator
   WP_ADMIN_PASSWORD=your_admin_password
   WP_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@login.42.fr
   
   # WordPress Second User
   WP_USER=guest
   WP_USER_PASSWORD=your_user_password
   WP_USER_EMAIL=editor@login.42.fr

Build and Run

# Build and start all containers
make

# Or use individual commands:
make build   # Build and start
make up      # Start (without rebuilding)
make down    # Stop containers
make clean   # Stop and prune Docker system
make fclean  # Full cleanup (removes volumes and data)
make re      # Rebuild from scratch

Access

• Website: https://login.42.fr
• WordPress Admin Panel: https://login.42.fr/wp-admin

---

Resources

Official Documentation

• Docker Documentation
• Docker Compose Documentation
• nginx Documentation
• WordPress Developer Resources
• MariaDB Knowledge Base
• WP-CLI Handbook
• Debian Bookworm Release Notes

AI Usage

GitHub Copilot were used during development for:

• Code explanations: Understanding Docker concepts, Dockerfile syntax, and nginx configuration
• Debugging: Troubleshooting container communication and PHP-FPM configuration
• Documentation: Assisting in writing documentation

---

Project Description

Overview

This project uses Docker to run three services (nginx, WordPress, MariaDB) in separate containers. Docker allows each service to run independently while sharing the same host system resources efficiently.

Why Docker?

• Isolation: Each service runs in its own container without interfering with others
• Lightweight: Containers share the host kernel, using less resources than virtual machines
• Portability: The same setup works on any system with Docker installed
• Easy management: Docker Compose handles all services with simple commands

Architecture

                    ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
                    │              Docker Network                 │
                    │                (inception)                  │
                    │                                             │
  Port 443          │   ┌─────────┐  Port 9000  ┌──────────────┐  │
WWW ◄───────────────┼───┤  nginx  ├─────────────┤  WordPress   │  │
    HTTPS (TLS)     │   │   SSL   │   FastCGI   │   PHP-FPM    │  │
                    │   └─────────┘             └──────┬───────┘  │
                    │         │                        │          │
                    │         │                        │ Port     │
                    │         │ Volume:                │ 3306     │
                    │         │ /var/www/html          │          │
                    │         │                        ▼          │
                    │         │                 ┌──────────────┐  │
                    │         └─────────────────┤   MariaDB    │  │
                    │                           │   Database   │  │
                    │                           └──────────────┘  │
                    └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Source Structure

Inception/
├── Makefile              # Build automation
├── README.md             # Project documentation
├── USER_DOC.md           # User documentation
├── DEV_DOC.md            # Developer documentation
└── srcs/
    ├── .env              # Environment variables (secrets)
    ├── .env.example      # Template for .env
    ├── docker-compose.yml
    └── requirements/
        ├── nginx/
        │   ├── Dockerfile
        │   └── default       # nginx configuration
        ├── wordpress/
        │   ├── Dockerfile
        │   ├── script.sh     # WordPress setup script
        │   └── www.conf      # PHP-FPM pool configuration
        └── mariadb/
            ├── Dockerfile
            ├── script.sh     # Database initialization
            └── 50-server.cnf # MariaDB configuration

Design Choices

• Base Image: Debian Bookworm (penultimate stable version)
• Foreground Mode: All services run in foreground to work properly with Docker
• Custom Network: Containers communicate through a dedicated inception network
• TLS Only: nginx configured for HTTPS with TLSv1.2 and TLSv1.3
• Automated Setup: WP-CLI installs WordPress automatically without manual steps

---

Technical Comparisons

Virtual Machines vs Docker

Virtual Machines:

• Size: Gigabytes per VM (includes full operating system)
• Startup time: 1-2 minutes to boot
• Resources: Each VM needs dedicated RAM and CPU
• Use case: Running different operating systems

Docker:

• Size: Megabytes per container (shares host kernel)
• Startup time: Less than 10 seconds
• Resources: All containers share host resources efficiently
• Use case: Running multiple services on the same OS

---

Secrets vs Environment Variables

Environment Variables:

• Setup: Simple .env file with key-value pairs
• Security: Plain text (must keep .env out of Git)
• Complexity: Easy to use and understand

Docker Secrets:

• Setup: Requires Docker Swarm mode
• Security: Encrypted storage in Docker
• Complexity: More complex configuration

---

Docker Network vs Host Network

Docker Bridge Network:

• Container communication: By name (e.g., mariadb:3306, wp-php:9000)
• Security: Containers isolated from host system
• Port control: Only expose specific ports

Host Network:

• Container communication: By localhost only
• Security: Containers have direct access to host network
• Port control: All container ports exposed to host

---

Docker Volumes vs Bind Mounts

Docker Volumes:

• Location: Docker manages the location automatically
• Backup: Requires Docker commands to access
• Control: Docker decides where to store data

Bind Mounts:

• Location: You specify the exact path (/home/login/data/)
• Backup: Direct folder access on the host
• Control: You decide exactly where data is stored

---