Running a MySQL database in a Docker container is straightforward. Here are the steps:
Pull the Official MySQL Image:
The official MySQL image is available on Docker Hub. You can choose the version you want (e.g., MySQL 8.0): docker pull mysql:8.0
Create a Docker Volume (Optional):
To persist your database data, create a Docker volume or bind mount. Otherwise, data will be lost when the container restarts.
Example using a volume: docker volume create mysql-data
Run the MySQL Container:
Use the following command to start a MySQL container: docker run --name my-mysql -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=secret -v mysql-data:/var/lib/mysql -d mysql:8.0
Replace secret with your desired root password.
The MySQL first-run routine will take a few seconds to complete.
Check if the database is up by running: docker logs my-mysql
Look for a line that says “ready for connections.”
Access MySQL Shell:
To interact with MySQL, attach to the container and run the mysql command: docker exec -it my-mysql mysql -p
Enter the root password when prompted.
To import an SQL file from your filesystem: docker exec -it my-mysql mysql -psecret database_name < path-to-file.sql
Access MySQL from Host:
If you want to access MySQL from your host machine, set up a port binding:
Add the following to your docker-compose.yml file (if using Docker Compose):
services:
mysql:
ports:
- 33060:3306
If not using Docker Compose, pass -p 33060:3306 to docker run.
That’s it! You now have a MySQL database running in a Docker container.
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