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Docker Toolbox and the Devilbox

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Docker Toolbox and the Devilbox

Docker Toolbox is a legacy solution to bring Docker to systems which don’t natively support Docker. This is achieved by starting a virtualized Linux instance (e.g.: inside VirtualBox) and have Docker run inside this machine.

You don’t have to take care about setting up the virtual machine, this is done automatically with the provided setup file (Windows and MacOS).

However, there are a few stumbling blocks you need to pay attention to in order to use the Devilbox at its full potential.

Docker Toolbox

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Devilbox listening address configuration

First thing you need to make sure is that the LOCAL_LISTEN_ADDR variable from your .env file is empty. When it is empty all services bind to all IP addresses inside the virtual machine and thus being able to be seen from outside the virtual machine (your host operating system).

You can verifiy that the variable is actually empty by checking your .env file:

Terminal window
host> grep ^LOCAL_LISTEN_ADDR .env


LOCAL_LISTEN_ADDR=

[!IMPORTANT] The variable should exist, but there should not be any value after the equal sign.

env-file

Find the Docker Toolbox IP address

The Devilbox intranet will not be available under 127.0.0.1 or localhost as it does not run on your host operating system, but on a virtualized Linux machine which has a different IP address.

To find out the IP address on which Docker Toolbox is running you have to use the docker-machine command. Open a terminal and type the following:

Terminal window
host> docker-machine ip default
192.168.99.100

The above example outputs 192.168.99.100, but this might be different on your machine.

In this example I would then paste http://192.168.99.100 in the web browsers address bar to reach the Devilbox intranet.

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Project DNS record pitfalls

When creating manual DNS records per project, you have to keep in mind that you cannot use 127.0.0.1 for the IP address part. You have to use the IP address of the Docker Toolbox virtual machine as was shown in the above example.

Assuming the Docker Toolbox IP address is: 192.168.99.100, you have to create DNS records as follows:

Terminal window
192.168.99.100 project.loc
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Auto-DNS via port forwarding

In order to make Auto-DNS for projects work as it does for native Docker implementations you will have to do some prior configuration.

How does Auto-DNS work?

Auto-DNS is a catch-all DNS resolver for your chosen env-tld-suffix that will redirect any domain to 127.0.0.1. Unfortunately Docker Toolbox does not listen on that IP address.

How to fix it for Docker Toolbox

To overcome this problem, you will have to create three port forwards on your host operating system from the Docker machine IP address for DNS (port 53), http (port 80) and https (port 443) to 127.0.0.1 on your host os.

Assuming the Docker Toolbox IP address is 192.168.99.100 the three port forwards must be as follows:

From IPFrom portTo IPTo port
192.168.99.10053127.0.0.153
192.168.99.10080127.0.0.180
192.168.99.100443127.0.0.1443
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Mount shared folders

Docker Toolbox will automatically set up a shared directory between your host operating system and the virtual Linux machine. Only files and directories within this shared directory can be used to be mounted into Docker container. If you plan to mount files or directories outside of this default path you have to create a new shared directory as described below.

MacOS

When you want to have your projects reside not somewhere in the /Users directory, ensure you have read, understood and applied the following:

“By default, Toolbox only has access to the /Users directory and mounts it into the VMs at /Users. If your project lives elsewhere or needs access to other directories on the host filesystem, you can add them.”

install docker toolbox mac shared directory

Windows

When you want to have your projects reside not somewhere in the C:\Users directory, ensure you have read, understood and applied the following:

“By default, Toolbox only has access to the C:\Users directory and mounts it into the VMs at /c/Users. If your project lives elsewhere or needs access to other directories on the host filesystem, you can add them, using the VirtualBox UI.”

VirtualBox might not allow symlinks by default on other directories. This can however be fixed manually. Let’s assume You’ve added a shared folder D:/ to VirtualBox on d, you will then need to manually allow symlinks via VboxManage command:

First check if symlinks are disabled

Terminal window
host> VboxManage getextradata default enumerate


Key: VBoxInternal2/SharedFoldersEnableSymlinksCreate/d, Value: 0

The Value: 0 indicates that symlinks are not allowed. To enable it, do the folllowing:

Terminal window
VBoxManage setextradata default VBoxInternal2/SharedFoldersEnableSymlinksCreate/d 1

Now check again

Terminal window
host> VboxManage getextradata default enumerate


Key: VBoxInternal2/SharedFoldersEnableSymlinksCreate/d, Value: 1

The Value: 1 now indicates that symlinks are allowed.

* install docker toolbox win shared directory * https://github.com/cytopia/devilbox/issues/479 * https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/10085