How to run a Docker container

Run a containerized workload on TurboStack - enable Docker, run the container bound to a local port, and publish it through Nginx.

Docker lets you run a custom, containerized application on an application. TurboStack runs the container and Nginx reverse-proxies public traffic to it, so it gets HTTPS, caching and the security layers like any other site. Use it for apps that ship as a container rather than as a standard PHP or runtime app.

Before you start

SSH access to the host as the application's system user - see SSH access.
A container image you can pull, and the port it listens on inside the container.
A free local port on the host to publish it on (8080 in the examples below).

1. Enable Docker for the application

Turn on Docker under Configure application > Technologies > Docker (see Configure Docker). Every system user with Docker enabled is added to the docker group and can run the docker commands over SSH.

2. Run the container

Connect over SSH and start your container. Bind its port to localhost so it is only reachable through Nginx, and set a restart policy so it comes back after a reboot:

docker run -d \
  --name myapp \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -p 127.0.0.1:8080:80 \
  your-image:1.2

-d runs it in the background; --name gives it a stable name.
-p 127.0.0.1:8080:80 publishes the container's port 80 on host port 8080, localhost only.
--restart unless-stopped starts the container again automatically, for example after a reboot.
Pin a specific image tag (your-image:1.2) rather than latest, so deployments are reproducible.

3. Publish it through TurboStack

Point the reverse proxy at the port you published, so Nginx serves the app on your domain with HTTPS:

docker_enabled: true
proxy_enabled: true
proxy_upstream_port: 8080   # the host port you published above

Publish the change to apply it.

Keep data in a volume

Anything written inside the container is lost when it is recreated. Store data you need to keep in a named volume, mounted into the container:

docker run -d --name myapp -v myapp_data:/data your-image:1.2

Manage the container

docker ps                 # running containers
docker ps -a              # all containers, including stopped ones
docker logs -n 100 myapp  # recent logs
docker stop myapp         # stop
docker start myapp        # start
docker rm myapp           # remove (stop it first)

Tip

Run one main process per container and keep images small and purpose-built. For anything TurboStack manages for you - databases, cache, PHP - use the built-in technologies instead of a container.

Apply and verify

docker ps lists the container as Up. From the host, the published port answers:

curl -I http://127.0.0.1:8080

Once the reverse proxy is published, the same page loads on your domain over HTTPS.

If it did not work

A 502 on your domain means Nginx reached the port but nothing answered. Check that the container is running with docker ps -a, and that it listens on the port you published, not another one. docker logs -n 100 myapp shows why a container stopped. See Fixing 502, 503 and 504 errors, or contact support.