How to Keep Your WordPress Docker Containers Up-to-Date: Updating to PHP 7.2 with WP-CLI
As a WordPress developer, working with Docker can be a game-changer, providing a consistent and reproducible development environment. However, keeping your Docker containers up-to-date can be a challenge, especially when you're dealing with older images that haven't been freshly built or pushed in a while.
In this blog post, we'll dive into the process of updating your WordPress Docker setup to use PHP 7.2, leveraging the power of WP-CLI (WordPress Command Line Interface) to streamline the process.
Understanding the Problem
When you're pulling in a Docker image that hasn't been freshly built or pushed in over a year, you may run into issues with the underlying software versions, security vulnerabilities, and other compatibility problems. This is particularly true for WordPress, where keeping your core, plugins, and themes up-to-date is crucial for maintaining a secure and well-performing website.
In the scenario you described, the existing Docker image you're using may be based on an older version of PHP, which could potentially cause compatibility issues with your WordPress setup or introduce security risks. Updating to a newer version of PHP, such as PHP 7.2, can help ensure your WordPress site is running on the latest and most secure version of the language.
The Ideal Setup: A Workspace Container
Before we dive into the specifics of updating your WordPress Docker setup, it's worth discussing the concept of a "workspace" container. This is a common approach used in the WordPress development community, particularly in projects like Laradock, which is a Docker-based PHP development environment.
The idea behind a workspace container is to have a dedicated container that houses all the necessary tools and utilities for interacting with your project, including things like:
- PHP and related extensions
- WP-CLI
- Git
- SSH
- Composer
- Node.js and NPM
By having a workspace container, you can easily manage and maintain the development environment, without having to worry about installing and configuring these tools directly on your host machine. This also helps ensure consistency across different development machines, making it easier to onboard new team members or move between different projects.
Updating to PHP 7.2 in Your WordPress Docker Setup
Now, let's walk through the process of updating your WordPress Docker setup to use PHP 7.2, starting with creating a fresh Docker image.
-
Clone the Original Repo: First, you'll need to clone the original repository that contains the Dockerfile for your WordPress Docker setup. This will give you access to the existing configuration, which you can then use to build a new, updated image.
-
Update the Dockerfile: Once you have the repository cloned, open the Dockerfile and make the necessary changes to update the PHP version to 7.2. This might involve updating the base image, installing the required PHP extensions, and ensuring that your WordPress setup is compatible with the new PHP version.
Here's an example of what your updated Dockerfile might look like:
FROM php:7.2-fpm
# Install required packages and extensions
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
git \
zip \
unzip \
libpng-dev \
libpq-dev \
libxml2-dev \
libmcrypt-dev \
libfreetype6-dev \
libjpeg62-turbo-dev \
libicu-dev \
g++ \
libsqlite3-dev \
&& docker-php-ext-install \
pdo_mysql \
pdo_pgsql \
gd \
intl \
mbstring \
zip \
soap \
mysqli \
&& docker-php-ext-configure gd --with-freetype-dir=/usr/include/ --with-jpeg-dir=/usr/include/ \
&& docker-php-ext-install gd
# Install Composer
RUN curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | php -- --install-dir=/usr/local/bin --filename=composer
# Install WP-CLI
RUN curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wp-cli/builds/gh-pages/phar/wp-cli.phar \
&& chmod +x wp-cli.phar \
&& mv wp-cli.phar /usr/local/bin/wp
# Set working directory
WORKDIR /var/www/html
-
Build the New Docker Image: Now that you've updated the Dockerfile, you can build a new Docker image using the updated configuration. In your docker-compose file, update the build
parameter to point to the cloned repository folder, and then run docker-compose build
to create the new image.
version: '3'
services:
wordpress:
build:
context: ./path/to/cloned/repo
# Other configuration options
-
Utilize the Workspace Container: As mentioned earlier, the ideal setup includes a dedicated "workspace" container that houses all the necessary tools and utilities for working with your WordPress project. This can include WP-CLI, Composer, and other development tools.
To set up a workspace container, you can add a new service to your docker-compose file, similar to the following:
version: '3'
services:
wordpress:
# WordPress container configuration
workspace:
build:
context: ./path/to/cloned/repo
dockerfile: Dockerfile.workspace
volumes:
- ./:/var/www/html
environment:
- PHP_VERSION=7.2
# Other configuration options
In this example, the Dockerfile.workspace
file would contain the necessary setup for the workspace container, including the installation of WP-CLI, Composer, and other tools.
-
Update Your WordPress Setup: Once you have the new Docker image built and the workspace container set up, you can start using WP-CLI to update your WordPress installation to the latest version and ensure compatibility with the new PHP 7.2 environment.
From within the workspace container, you can run commands like:
wp core update
wp plugin update --all
wp theme update --all
This will ensure that your WordPress setup is up-to-date and compatible with the new PHP version.
By following these steps, you can effectively keep your WordPress Docker containers up-to-date, updating to the latest version of PHP (in this case, PHP 7.2) and ensuring that your development environment remains consistent and secure.
Remember, maintaining a modern and well-performing WordPress setup is crucial for the success of your web applications. By leveraging Docker and tools like WP-CLI, you can streamline the update process and ensure your WordPress sites are running on the latest and most secure software versions.
If you're interested in learning more about how Flowpoint.ai can help you identify and fix technical issues that impact your website's conversion rates, be sure to check out our website. Our AI-powered analytics and recommendations can help you optimize your WordPress setup and boost your overall web performance.
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