Installing Apache and Python inside Docker

Introduction

In this article i am going you to show the way how to install apache web server and python inside docker container.

Before going further this is my setup I using RedHat(RHEL) 8 as a docker host and the my container is going to be ubuntu:latest (i am going to use the latest tag so the version of ubuntu image may happen to change but this not going to affect our result that much).

Installing apache web server

Step 1:- Pulling ubuntu

Before proceeding any further use docker pull ubuntu command to pull the latest ubuntu image from the docker hub

when we didn’t specify any tag its always use tag name latest in our case any version of ubuntu is fine

Step 2:- Starting Ubuntu

use docker run --name myweb -it ubuntu:latest command

run:- the command used to launch container from docker image

— name:- option used to give user friendly name to container

it:- made from two option i and t tell docker to give terminal an switch user control inside docker

now we are inside docker

Step 3:- Installing apache web server

Now use apt-get install apache2 command apache web server

apt-get:- one of the most common used to install package in ubuntu

apache2:- name of apache web server package for ubuntu

in our case this command fail due to repository data is still not update(this command not necessary always fail) use apt-get update command to rebuild repository data

now run apt-get install apache2 command again

enter y for yes is just asking whether you want to install or not again

Step 4:- Starting apache web server

Docker image generally didn’t come with systmectl command (command used to manage process) but we didn’t need it for now.

we can directly start apache web server if we known the name of the program that responsible for starting apache web server and we can find that program in cd /usr/sbin go that directory if you use ls -l you find three program named apache

apachectl:- is a link to apache2ctl

apache2ctl:- is simple bash script that call apache2 binary various function based on the parameter passed

apache2:- is a precompiled binary that responsible for doing all the task

in our case we are going to use apache2ctl for all the task

now let use apache2ctl start command to start the webserver

note:- of you are not inside /usr/sbin folder use /usr/sbin/apache2ctl command

to confirm whether our webserver is running or not use netstat -tnlp command

(if its show netstat no command found use apt-get install net-tools command to install netstat)

now we have apache web server running without any problem

to verify it use curl --url 0.0.0.0:80 command

if its show curl no command found use apt-get install curl command to install curl

this is the html code of the welcome page of the apache web server it means our web server is running fine

Step 5:- A problem in whole setup

There is a single problem in this whole setup the whole web server is limited to docker it means we can’t use our site anywhere not when in docker host (RHEL) to verify this use ctrl +p + q to again docker host this shortcut put container in background

now use netstat -tnlp command to find open port inside docker host

even if you use every address present in the list there in no apache web server running in any address

Step 6:- Understanding problem

The problem is docker is container is running in close environment it means no outside process is able to contact it we can solve this problem by using ip of docker container

Step 7:- Finding IP of container

now we are not currently inside the container use docker attach myweb command to go inside the container

now type ifconfig command to show the current ip of container

(if it said ifconfig no command found use apt-get install net-tools to install ifconfig)

now my ip is 172.17.0.2

now open any browser in docker host and go to 172.17.2.0:80 to see the welcome page of the apache web server

Step 8:- Stop and Starting container again

When ever your host restart again your all running container stop and you have to start again this so let do this scenario use docker stop myweb command to stop docker

to confirm use docker ps command this show all the currently running container

use docker start myweb command to start container again

Step 9:- Finding IP again

Well sometimes it become very problematic to attach the docker run the command and detach from docker again and again for bypassing this thing we can use docker exec myweb ifconfig command run the command in container and its gives output back to host

exec:- this run command inside the docker and give back output to the user (you can only run one command at a time)

myweb:- container name

ifconfig:- command name

for by chance my ip is same now if you go back to the ip again its gives error

because our service is not permanent (means as soon as we start container its web server also)

Step 10:- Making web server permanent

There is problem with apache2ctl start is this command that it only start web server but did not do anything about temp file created by apache web server this temp file said webserver is running but that not the actually case.

That problem is not come we use graceful parameter instead of start

now use docker attach myweb command to use container

now use vim /root/.bashrc command

if its show no command vim found you can use vi /root/.bashrc if it vi not found you can use apt-get install vim command to install vim

now write /usr/sbin/apache2ctl graceful any where in the file

press esc key the write :wq to save the work

Now stop and start docker again to verify that web server is running perfectly

Installing Python inside container

Well this is very easy just use apt-get install python3

y:- yes when we pass y option its automatically consider as yes and dids’t ask for confirmation

Committing changes

To commit change use docker commit myweb ser:1.0 command

use docker images command to see all images

now you can see our myweb become image name ser you can use this image to lunch a may container you want

Conclusion

Thank for everyone to reading my article till end if you have any doubt please comment if you have any suggestion please mail all comment both positive and negative is more than welcomed

Contact Detail

LinkeDin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/suyash-garg-50245b1b7]

Additional Tags

#webserver #docker #ubuntu #vimaldaga #righteducation #educationredefine #rightmentor #worldrecordholder #linuxworld #makingindiafutureready #righeudcation #arthbylw