MERN Social Media Project - Docker Setup

This is a social media application built with the MERN (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) stack, designed to run seamlessly in a Docker environment. This guide will help you set up, configure, and run the application using Docker.Check MERN Git hub https://github.com/raj074/mern-social-media for further detailed layout.

Prerequisites;

• Docker installed on your machine
• Docker Compose installed (if not included with Docker installation)

Getting Started

Follow these steps to set up and run the application.

1. Clone the Repository

      git clone https://github.com/raj074/mern-social-media.git
      cd mern-social-media
   

2. Build and Run the Containers The docker-compose.yml file will handle the setup for the frontend, backend, MongoDB, Mongo Express, and NGINX.

      docker-compose up --build
   

3. Access the Application

• Frontend (React App): http://localhost:3000
• Backend (API Server): http://localhost:5000
• Mongo Express: http://localhost:8081
• WebGoat (for testing): http://localhost:8080

4. Environment Variables Ensure you have environment variables set up for both the frontend and backend. Common variables include:

• For Backend Create a .env file in the backend directory with variables like:

     MONGO_URI=mongodb://mongo:27017/social-media
     JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
     PORT=5000
  

• For Frontend Create a .env file in the frontend directory with variables like:

     REACT_APP_API_URL=http://localhost:5000/api
     Note: MONGO_URI uses mongo as the hostname, which Docker resolves to the MongoDB container.
  
  

5. Docker Commands Here are additional Docker commands for common tasks:

   • Start Containers in Detached Mode:

        docker-compose up -d
     

   • Stop Containers:

        docker-compose down
     

   • View Container Logs:

        docker-compose logs -f
     

   • Rebuild Containers:

        docker-compose up --build`
     
     

6. Troubleshooting

• Port Conflicts: Ensure no other application is using ports 3000, 5000, 8080, or 8081.
• Docker Not Starting: Try docker-compose down to remove all containers and then docker-compose up --build to restart.
• MongoDB Connection Issues: Check that MONGO_URI is correctly set to mongodb://mongo:27017/social-media in your backend .env file.