Nginx via Docker | Docs | trevorblackman.dev

By the end of this guide, you will know how to:

Download and install Docker
Set up an Nginx Docker container
Configure Nginx to reverse proxy requests to other Docker containers

Benefits of Running Nginx Inside Docker

Running Nginx inside a Docker container makes installation and startup simpler than dealing with package managers and OS-specific commands.
Nginx upgrades can be completed by swapping the container for an updated version.
Once the basics are set up, launching services in Docker and using Nginx to reverse proxy requests to them becomes fast and consistent.

Note: This guide covers setup on Ubuntu. Basic Linux knowledge is assumed, and the linked documentation is the source of truth for OS-specific changes.

1. Remove Previous Docker Installations

Review the Docker installation docs.
Optionally uninstall previous versions.
Run sudo apt-get remove docker docker-engine docker.io containerd runc.

2. New Host Setup

Before installing Docker Engine for the first time on a new host, set up the Docker repository.

Update the apt index and install dependencies.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl gnupg lsb-release

Add Docker’s official GPG key.

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

Set up the stable repository for x86_64 / amd64.
Consult the Ubuntu install docs for other architectures.

echo \
"deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
$(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

3. Install Docker

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io

Test the installation by running Docker’s hello-world container.

sudo docker run hello-world

4. Download and Start an Nginx Container

Pull the latest Nginx image.

sudo docker pull nginx

Start the container.
Use --name to name it.
Use -p to map external-port:container-port.
Use -d to run in detached mode.

sudo docker run --name my-nginx-container -p 80:80 -d nginx

Note: Mapping port 80 on the host to port 80 in the container means incoming web traffic reaches the Nginx container first, where Nginx can evaluate and forward it.

Check that the container is running.

sudo docker ps -a

5. Create Nginx Server Blocks for Other Services

Create a file for the Nginx configuration.
Run touch my-nginx-conf.confd.
Edit the file.
Run nano my-nginx-conf.confd.
Move the file to a directory of your choice so it can be mounted into the container.
Run mv my-nginx-conf.confd path/to/local/directory.

Serve Static Content

server {
    listen          80;
    server_name     domain.com www.domain.com *.domain.com;
    root            /path/to/static/files/;

    location /images {
        root        /path/to/images
    }

}

Reverse Proxy Requests

server {
    listen          80;
    server_name     domain.com www.domain.com *.domain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass      http://127.0.0.1:3001;
    }
    location /api {
        proxy_pass      http://127.0.0.1:3002;
    }
}

6. Map a Local Nginx Directory into the Container

Add a -v volume flag when starting the Nginx container. The format is local_directory:container_directory.

sudo docker run --name my-nginx-container -p 80:80 -d -v local/conf/directory:/etc/nginx/conf.d nginx

When the container starts, Nginx will read configuration files from /etc/nginx/conf.d inside the container, backed by the mounted local directory.

7. Restart the Nginx Container

Nginx will not pick up the new configuration until the container is restarted.

sudo docker restart <CONTAINER_NAME>

Conclusion

You have now:

Installed Docker
Started an Nginx Docker container
Configured Nginx to reverse proxy requests to other containers

Docker Commands

Description	Command
List images	`docker images`
List running containers	`docker ps`
List all containers	`docker ps -a`
Pull an image from Docker Hub	`docker pull <IMAGE_NAME>`
Create and run a container from an image	`docker run <IMAGE_NAME>`
Start a container	`docker start <CONTAINER_NAME>`
Stop a container	`docker stop <CONTAINER_NAME>`
Restart a container	`docker restart <CONTAINER_NAME>`
Remove a container	`docker rm <CONTAINER_NAME>`
Kill a container process	`docker kill <CONTAINER_NAME>`
Show container logs	`docker logs <CONTAINER_NAME>`
Attach to a container	`docker attach <CONTAINER_NAME>`
Copy files into a container	`docker cp <CONTAINER_NAME>:<CONTAINER_PATH> <LOCAL_PATH>`
Copy files from a container	`docker cp <LOCAL_PATH> <CONTAINER_NAME>:<CONTAINER_PATH>`