new to Docker... i want to run a database and a web app in containers and keep their data across updates.. 😭 tutroials use named volumes, bind mounts, or nothing at all.
Whats the sensible approach, and how do i back it up? This is all on a single small Linux server at home. Im using compose with Postgres. Data loss is my main fear.
named volumes are managed by Docker and are teh default choice for databases: correct permissions, portable compose files, no worries about host paths :/ bind mounts are better when you want to edit files from the host, like config files, or when you want ur data in a specific directory that ur existing backup tool already covers. hope that helps :)
oh ive been there lol compose. The database is Postgres 🤦 Compose file didnt have a volumes section at all, which explains a lot. The web app also stores uploaded files somewhere inside its container. lmk how it goes
ahh classic anything written inisde a containers filesystem is gone when u remove teh container. data you want to keep must live in a volume or bind mount... the image docs usually tell you which path holds the data (for databases its teh data directory).
In compose:
services:
db:
image: postgres:16
volumes:
- dbdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
dbdata:
@quinn.jensen went with bind mounts under /srv for everything plus scheduled DB dumps. tested a restore into a fresh container and it worked. cant believe it was that simple lol
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