Docker Utils - Essential Development Tools

Introduction to Docker Utils

I just launched my newest project: Docker Utils - a collection of useful services for development with Docker Compose. This project was born from the need to have a consistent and easy-to-configure development environment.

Why this project?

As developers, we constantly need various services for our projects: databases, caches, message queues, email tools, and more. Instead of installing each service individually on our machine or creating multiple Docker Compose files for each project, Docker Utils provides a centralized, ready-to-use collection of development services.

Problems it solves

• ⚡ Quick Setup: Start any service with a single command
• 🧹 Clean Environment: No need to install services directly on your machine
• 🔄 Consistent Configuration: Same setup across different projects and team members
• 💾 Data Persistence: Your data is preserved between restarts
• 🌐 Multiple Projects: One setup serves multiple development projects
• 🛠 Complete Toolset: Includes web interfaces for easy management

Available Services

Databases

• PostgreSQL 17 - Port: 5432
• MySQL 8 - Port: 3306
• MongoDB 7 - Port: 27017
• Redis 7 - Port: 6379
• SQL Server 2022 - Port: 1433
• ElasticSearch 8.11 - Port: 9200

Email Tools

• MailCatcher - SMTP: 1025, Web: 1080

Queues and Messaging

• RabbitMQ - Port: 5672, Management: 15672

Storage

• MinIO (S3 Compatible) - API: 9000, Console: 9001

Emulators

• LocalStack (AWS Services) - Port: 4566

Web Interfaces

• Adminer - Port: 8080 (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server)
• RedisInsight - Port: 8001 (Redis)
• Mongo Express - Port: 8081 (MongoDB)
• Kibana - Port: 5601 (ElasticSearch)

How to Use

1. Clone the project

git clone https://github.com/rickmax/docker-utils.git
cd docker-utils

2. Configure the environment

cp .env.example .env

3. Start the services

# Start all services
docker-compose up -d

# Start only specific services
docker-compose up -d postgres redis

# View logs
docker-compose logs -f [service-name]

# Stop all services
docker-compose down

# Remove volumes (clean data)
docker-compose down -v

Usage Examples

# Databases
docker-compose up -d postgres          # PostgreSQL
docker-compose up -d mysql             # MySQL
docker-compose up -d mongodb           # MongoDB
docker-compose up -d redis             # Redis
docker-compose up -d sqlserver         # SQL Server
docker-compose up -d elasticsearch     # ElasticSearch

# Tools and interfaces
docker-compose up -d adminer           # Web interface for databases
docker-compose up -d redis-insight     # Redis interface
docker-compose up -d mongo-express     # MongoDB interface
docker-compose up -d kibana            # ElasticSearch interface
docker-compose up -d mailcatcher       # Email catcher

# Messaging and storage
docker-compose up -d rabbitmq          # RabbitMQ
docker-compose up -d minio             # MinIO (S3)
docker-compose up -d localstack        # AWS emulator

# Useful combinations
docker-compose up -d postgres redis                    # Main databases
docker-compose up -d postgres adminer                  # PostgreSQL + interface
docker-compose up -d mongodb mongo-express             # MongoDB + interface
docker-compose up -d elasticsearch kibana              # ElasticSearch + Kibana
docker-compose up -d rabbitmq mailcatcher              # Messaging + email

Connections

PostgreSQL

• Host: localhost
• Port: 5432
• User: postgres
• Password: postgres
• Database: postgres

MySQL

• Host: localhost
• Port: 3306
• Root user: root / root
• Regular user: mysql / mysql
• Database: mysql

MongoDB

• Host: localhost
• Port: 27017
• User: root
• Password: mongodb
• Database: mongodb

Redis

• Host: localhost
• Port: 6379
• No authentication by default

SQL Server

• Host: localhost
• Port: 1433
• User: sa
• Password: SqlServer@2024

RabbitMQ

• Host: localhost
• Port: 5672
• Management: http://localhost:15672
• User: rabbitmq
• Password: rabbitmq

MailCatcher

• SMTP: localhost:1025
• Web Interface: http://localhost:1080

MinIO

• API: http://localhost:9000
• Console: http://localhost:9001
• Access Key: minioadmin
• Secret Key: minioadmin

LocalStack

• Endpoint: http://localhost:4566
• Services: S3, DynamoDB, SQS, SNS, Lambda

Web Interfaces

• Adminer: http://localhost:8080
• RedisInsight: http://localhost:8001
• Mongo Express: http://localhost:8081 (admin/admin)
• Kibana: http://localhost:5601
• RabbitMQ Management: http://localhost:15672
• MinIO Console: http://localhost:9001
• MailCatcher: http://localhost:1080

Usage in Projects

To use in your projects, you can:

1. External Reference

Point your applications to localhost on the corresponding ports

2. Docker Network

Connect your project to the docker-utils-network:

# In your project's docker-compose.yml
networks:
  default:
    external:
      name: docker-utils_docker-utils-network

3. Extend

Use this compose as a base:

# Your project's docker-compose.yml
version: '3.8'

services:
  app:
    build: .
    networks:
      - docker-utils_docker-utils-network
    external_links:
      - docker-utils-postgres:postgres
      - docker-utils-redis:redis

networks:
  docker-utils_docker-utils-network:
    external: true

Tips

• Use environment variables to avoid exposing passwords in production
• Each service has health checks configured
• Data is persisted in named volumes
• To reset a database, remove the volume: docker-compose down -v
• Check logs if any service fails to start: docker-compose logs [service]

Requirements

• Docker 20.10+
• Docker Compose 2.0+
• Minimum 4GB RAM available (for all services)
• Disk space for volumes

Compatibility

This project is cross-platform and works on:

• ✅ Windows (Docker Desktop)
• ✅ macOS (Docker Desktop)
• ✅ Linux (Docker Engine/Docker Desktop)

All Docker images used are official and support multiple architectures (x86_64, ARM64).

Conclusion

Docker Utils is perfect for:

• Rapid Prototyping: Test ideas quickly without complex setup
• Learning: Experiment with different technologies safely
• Team Development: Ensure everyone uses the same service versions
• Microservices: All the infrastructure you need in one place
• Integration Testing: Test against real services, not mocks

This project was born from the need to have a consistent and easy-to-configure development environment. I hope it’s useful for other developers who face the same challenges I faced.

Check out the project on GitHub: https://github.com/rickmax/docker-utils