Unraveling the Mystery: Where are the Files Located in a Drupal Docker Installation?

Embarking on a Drupal Docker adventure can be both exhilarating and intimidating, especially when navigating the labyrinth of file locations. Fear not, dear reader, for we’re about to embark on a thrilling quest to uncover the hidden treasures of your Dockerized Drupal installation. Buckle up, and let’s dive into the world of containers and volumes!

The Docker Conundrum: Understanding the File System

Think of volumes as a shared storage space between the host machine and the container. By using volumes, you can persist data even when the container is restarted or deleted. But where exactly are these files located, you ask? Well, that’s what we’re about to find out!

The Drupal File System: A Brief Overview

Before we delve into the world of Docker, let’s take a step back and understand the Drupal file system. A standard Drupal installation consists of the following directories:

• modules: This is where Drupal’s core and contributed modules reside.
• themes: This directory contains the theme files, which control the visual aspects of your site.
• sites: This is where your site’s configuration, modules, and themes are stored.
• files: This directory contains uploaded files, such as images, videos, and documents.
• vendor: This is where external libraries and dependencies are stored.

Now that we’ve got a solid grasp of the Drupal file system, let’s explore how it’s affected by Dockerization.

Navigating the Docker File System

When you run a Docker container, it uses a union file system, which combines multiple file systems into a single, unified view. This allows the container to access files from multiple sources, including the container’s own file system, volumes, and the host machine’s file system.

To understand where the files are located in a Drupal Docker installation, let’s take a closer look at the Docker Compose configuration file, typically named docker-compose.yml.

version: '3'
services:
  drupal:
    ...
    volumes:
      - './drupal:/var/www/html/drupal'
      - './sites:/var/www/html/drupal/sites'
      - './files:/var/www/html/drupal/files'

In the above example, we’re using Docker Compose to define a service named drupal. The volumes directive specifies three volume mounts:

• ./drupal:/var/www/html/drupal: This mounts the local drupal directory to the container’s /var/www/html/drupal directory.
• ./sites:/var/www/html/drupal/sites: This mounts the local sites directory to the container’s /var/www/html/drupal/sites directory.
• ./files:/var/www/html/drupal/files: This mounts the local files directory to the container’s /var/www/html/drupal/files directory.

These volume mounts allow us to persist data even when the container is restarted or deleted. But where exactly are these files located on the host machine?

Finding the Files on the Host Machine

Ah, the million-dollar question! To find the files on the host machine, simply navigate to the directory where you ran the Docker Compose command. You should see the following directories:

• drupal: This directory contains the Drupal core files, including the modules, themes, and vendor libraries.
• sites: This directory contains the site’s configuration, modules, and themes.
• files: This directory contains uploaded files, such as images, videos, and documents.

These directories are mounted as volumes inside the container, allowing you to persist data even when the container is restarted or deleted. But what about the modules, themes, and vendor directories? Where are they located?

Uncovering the Remaining Files

A standard Drupal installation includes the following directories:

• modules: This directory contains the Drupal core and contributed modules.
• themes: This directory contains the theme files, which control the visual aspects of your site.
• vendor: This directory contains external libraries and dependencies.

In a Dockerized Drupal installation, these directories are typically located inside the drupal directory on the host machine. So, if you navigate to the drupal directory, you should see:

• modules: containing the Drupal core and contributed modules.
• themes: containing the theme files.
• vendor: containing external libraries and dependencies.

Conclusion

And there you have it, folks! We’ve unraveled the mystery of file locations in a Drupal Docker installation. By understanding how Docker volumes work and configuring your Docker Compose file correctly, you can persist data and find your files on the host machine.

Remember, when working with Dockerized Drupal applications:

• Mount volumes to persist data.
• Use relative paths in your Docker Compose file to avoid confusion.
• Navigate to the directory where you ran the Docker Compose command to find the files on the host machine.

With this knowledge, you’re now equipped to tame the beast that is Dockerized Drupal. Happy coding, and may the files be ever in your favor!

Directory	Description
drupal	Contains the Drupal core files, including modules, themes, and vendor libraries.
sites	Contains the site’s configuration, modules, and themes.
files	Contains uploaded files, such as images, videos, and documents.
modules	Contains the Drupal core and contributed modules.
themes	Contains the theme files, which control the visual aspects of your site.
vendor	Contains external libraries and dependencies.

Frequently Asked Question

Have you ever wondered where those pesky files are hiding in your Drupal Docker installation?