Docker-compose setup: messed up volumes

[Pierstoval]

Here’s the situation:

I have a docker-compose-based project, and 2 workflows in CI, mostly for testing. One workflow for PHP (using circleci/php docker image) and one for NodeJS (using circleci/node docker image).
I wonder whether the circleci images are useful or not, but all I need is docker & docker-compose, because tests should be executed with a docker-compose exec {...} call.

Building the images works well, starting them works too, but the volumes are not set.

The project is open-source so anyone can check it out just in case.

• Here is the branch I am testing: https://github.com/Pierstoval/AgateApps/tree/refactor-domains
• The branch builds on CircleCI: https://circleci.com/gh/Pierstoval/AgateApps/tree/refactor-domains (the PHP ones are buggy, the Node one are OK, which is strange).
• The circle.yml config file: https://github.com/Pierstoval/AgateApps/blob/refactor-domains/.circleci/config.yml
• And the docker-compose.yml file: https://github.com/Pierstoval/AgateApps/blob/refactor-domains/docker-compose.yml

The PHP build doesn’t work because when I look inside the container (via docker-compose exec php ls -lah), the project directory contains only 2 things: the var/ directory and the package.json file. But it should contain the whole project.

Any idea on why the volume is not mounted with all files?

[halfer]

Yep, this question comes up about once a fortnight

How to correctly mount my file/system or application files using docker compose?

The problem is that, by virtue of the CircleCI architecture, you cannot use on-host volumes. They only work locally, but CircleCI hooks into Docker to spin up containers on remote boxes, and volumes don’t work over LAN connections. There’s a solution involving docker create in the link you have given. Or, the way I do it, is to bake a new Docker image with everything it needs, and run that. That makes sense for me anyway, since I need the image artefact for deployment.

… I got caught out by this bug too at some point!

[Pierstoval]

So, this basically means that I should change the way I work with compose on CircleCI?

With what I see on this linked issue is that I should build the image with all the source code inside it (with COPY dockerfile rules) and run it?

[halfer]

@Pierstoval

I should build the image with all the source code inside it

That is one solution, yes. Since you are doing Docker builds, you don’t need the (larger) CircleCI convenience image - just use a Docker image instead.

[Pierstoval]

I’ve tested using the image directly, but first it doesn’t allow me to use the Makefile I provide for dev & ci because it’s docker-compose based, and second I have permission issues because it seems I can’t share the composer/npm cache to make my builds faster

[halfer]

in sympathy.

[FelicianoTech]

@Pierstoval Have you tried running this is the machine executor rather than the docker executor?