Re-using environment variables in docker-compose.yml
You can reference local environment variables from within a docker-compose file. Assuming what you're wanting to do is make USER_NAME
the same as DB_USER_NAME
:
docker-compose.yml
version: '2'
services:
db:
image: example/db
ports:
- "8443:8443"
container_name: db
hostname: db
environment:
- USER_NAME = ${USERNAME}
- USER_PASSWORD = ${PASSWORD}
svc:
image: example/svc
depends_on:
- db
ports:
- "9443:9443"
container_name: svc
hostname: svc
environment:
- DB_URL = https://db:8443
- DB_USER_NAME = ${USERNAME}
- DB_USER_PASSWORD = ${PASSWORD}
Then, run docker-compose like:
$ USERNAME="admin" PASSWORD="admin" docker-compose up
Alternately, for something more permanent, and easier to type on a recurring basis:
$ printf '%s\n%s\n' 'export USERNAME="admin"' 'export PASSWORD="admin"' >> ~/.bash_profile
$ source ~/.bash_profile
$ docker-compose up
The extends
option can be nice but it's not supported in 3.x
compose files. Other ways to go are:
Extension fields (compose file 3.4+)
If you can use 3.4+ compose files, extension fields are probably the best option:
docker-compose.yml
version: '3.4' x-common-variables: &common-variables VARIABLE: some_value ANOTHER_VARIABLE: another_value services: some_service: image: someimage environment: *common-variables another_service: image: anotherimage environment: <<: *common-variables NON_COMMON_VARIABLE: 'non_common_value'
env_file directive
docker-compose.yml
version: '3.2' services: some_service: image: someimage env_file: - 'variables.env' another_service: image: anotherimage env_file: - 'variables.env'
variables.env
VARIABLE=some_value ANOTHER_VARIABLE=another_value
.env file in project root (or variables at actual compose environment)
Variables from .env file can be referenced in service configuration:
docker-compose.yml
version: '3.2' services: some_service: image: someimage environment: - VARIABLE another_service: image: anotherimage environment: - VARIABLE - ANOTHER_VARIABLE
.env
VARIABLE=some_value ANOTHER_VARIABLE=another_value
You can use the extends directive (available in compose 1.x
and 2.x
) to have multiple containers inherit the environment
configuration from an underlying service description. For example, put the following in a file named base.yml
:
version: '2'
services:
base:
environment:
DB_URL: https://db:8443
DB_USER_NAME: admin
DB_USER_PASSWORD: admin
Then in your docker-compose.yml
:
version: '2'
services:
container1:
image: alpine
command: sh -c "env; sleep 900"
extends:
file: base.yml
service: base
container2:
image: alpine
command: sh -c "env; sleep 900"
extends:
file: base.yml
service: base
environment:
ANOTHERVAR: this is a test
Then inside of container1
, you will see:
DB_URL=https://db:8443
DB_USER_NAME=admin
DB_USER_PASSWORD=admin
And inside of container2
you will see:
DB_URL=https://db:8443
DB_USER_NAME=admin
DB_USER_PASSWORD=admin
ANOTHERVAR=this is a test
You can obviously use extends
for things other than the environment
directive; it's a great way to avoid duplication when using docker-compose.