Moodle Docker Environment

This repository provides a complete Docker-based environment for local Moodle development, incorporating essential services such as a web server, database, PHP runtime, and email testing utility. It also includes HTTPS support for enhanced testing of secure features, enabled through the use of mkcert to generate trusted SSL certificates for localhost.

The setup includes:

• Nginx as the web server, configured to handle both HTTP and HTTPS requests.
• PHP-FPM with essential Moodle extensions for optimal performance.
• MariaDB as the database server, configured with typical Moodle settings.
• Mailhog for capturing outgoing emails, allowing easy testing of email functionality within Moodle.
• mkcert for generating locally trusted SSL certificates, enabling HTTPS support on localhost.

This setup is platform-independent and can be used on macOS, Linux, and Windows systems with minimal configuration changes. Once set up, you will have a complete Moodle environment accessible via both HTTP and HTTPS, suitable for development and testing.

Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose
• mkcert for generating trusted SSL certificates for local development

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the Repository

git clone git@github.com:adrian-sarmas/moodle-dev-env.git moodle-dev-env
cd moodle-dev-env

2. Download Moodle

Place the Moodle source code in the moodle directory. You can download Moodle from moodle.org or use git to clone a specific version.

cd moodle
# Example to download a specific Moodle version (replace <VERSION> with the desired version)
wget https://download.moodle.org/stable<VERSION>/moodle-latest-<VERSION>.tgz
tar -xzvf moodle-latest-<VERSION>.tgz --strip 1
cd ..

3. Generate SSL Certificates with mkcert

1. Install mkcert if not already installed:

   • macOS: brew install mkcert && brew install nss (for Firefox support)
   • Linux and Windows: Follow instructions from the mkcert GitHub page

2. Generate SSL certificates:

   mkcert -install
   mkcert -key-file ssl/localhost.key -cert-file ssl/localhost.crt localhost

   This will create two files:

   • ssl/localhost.key - Private key
   • ssl/localhost.crt - Certificate

4. Update Nginx Configuration (Optional)

If you encounter port conflicts with other local servers, you can modify the exposed ports in docker-compose.yml. For example, change the HTTP port from 8045:80 to another unused port, like 8080:80.

In docker-compose.yml:

ports:
  - "8080:80"   # HTTP
  - "8443:443"  # HTTPS

And update nginx.conf to ensure the server listens on the correct ports if you made any changes.

5. Update Moodle’s Configuration for HTTPS

In moodle/config.php, set the wwwroot to use HTTPS and specify the correct port if needed (default is 8443):

$CFG->wwwroot = 'https://localhost:8443';

6. Start Docker Containers

Once everything is set up, you can start the Docker containers:

docker-compose up --build

This will spin up the following services:

• MariaDB: MySQL-compatible database for Moodle
• PHP-FPM: PHP environment for running Moodle
• Nginx: Web server configured for both HTTP and HTTPS
• Mailhog: Mail server for capturing outgoing emails (available at http://localhost:8025)

7. Access Moodle

You can now access Moodle:

• HTTP: http://localhost:8045 (or another port if modified)
• HTTPS: https://localhost:8443 (or another port if modified)

8. Additional Configuration

• Mailhog: Access Mailhog for viewing email messages sent by Moodle at http://localhost:8025.
• Database: The MariaDB database is accessible at mariadb with the credentials configured in docker-compose.yml.

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Troubleshooting

1. HTTPS Certificate Warnings

If your browser shows warnings for the certificate, ensure that mkcert's root CA is properly installed and trusted.

2. Port Conflicts

If you encounter issues with ports, update the ports section in docker-compose.yml to use available ports on your system.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

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Notes

• This environment is intended for local development only and should not be used in production.
• Make sure to update any sensitive credentials before deploying in a non-local environment.