Ghost is a popular, open-source blogging platform that is designed for simplicity and speed. Using Docker, you can easily deploy Ghost with a MySQL database and Traefik for reverse proxying and automatic SSL management. Whether you’re hosting your blog on a or any other server provider, this guide will walk you through the steps of setting up Ghost with MySQL and Traefik using Docker.
Prerequisites
Before starting, ensure you have the following:
- A server with Docker and Docker Compose installed, which can be hosted on a UK Windows VPS, Windows VPSVirtual Private Servers, or another Windows VPS Hosting UK solution.
- A domain name pointed to your server’s IP address.
Step 1: Set Up Docker Compose File
Create a directory for your Ghost blog setup and navigate to it:
mkdir ghost-mysql-traefik
cd ghost-mysql-traefikCreate a docker-compose.yml file in this directory:
nano docker-compose.ymlAdd the following configuration:
version: '3'
services:
ghost:
image: ghost:latest
container_name: ghost-blog
restart: always
depends_on:
- db
environment:
url: http://your-domain.com
database__client: mysql
database__connection__host: db
database__connection__user: ghost
database__connection__password: yourpassword
database__connection__database: ghost
volumes:
- ./ghost/content:/var/lib/ghost/content
labels:
- "traefik.enable=true"
- "traefik.http.routers.ghost.rule=Host(`your-domain.com`)"
- "traefik.http.services.ghost.loadbalancer.server.port=2368"
networks:
- ghost-network
db:
image: mysql:5.7
container_name: ghost-db
restart: always
environment:
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: yourpassword
MYSQL_DATABASE: ghost
MYSQL_USER: ghost
MYSQL_PASSWORD: yourpassword
volumes:
- ./ghost/db:/var/lib/mysql
networks:
- ghost-network
traefik:
image: traefik:v2.3
container_name: traefik
restart: always
command:
- "--api.insecure=true"
- "--providers.docker=true"
- "--entrypoints.web.address=:80"
- "--entrypoints.websecure.address=:443"
- "--certificatesresolvers.myresolver.acme.tlschallenge=true"
- "--certificatesresolvers.myresolver.acme.email=youremail@example.com"
- "--certificatesresolvers.myresolver.acme.storage=/letsencrypt/acme.json"
ports:
- "80:80"
- "443:443"
volumes:
- "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock:ro"
- "./letsencrypt:/letsencrypt"
networks:
- ghost-network
networks:
ghost-network:
driver: bridgeReplace your-domain.com and yourpassword with your actual domain and password.
Step 2: Set Permissions for Docker Volumes
Ensure that the directories for Ghost content and MySQL data have the correct permissions:
mkdir -p ghost/content ghost/db letsencrypt
sudo chown -R 1000:1000 ghost/content ghost/dbStep 3: Launch the Docker Containers
Run the following command to start the Ghost, MySQL, and Traefik services:
docker-compose up -dThis will download the required images and set up your Ghost blog, MySQL database, and Traefik for reverse proxying and SSL management.
Step 4: Access Your Ghost Blog
Once the services are up and running, open your web browser and navigate to http://your-domain.com to access your Ghost blog. You will be greeted by the Ghost setup page, where you can create your admin account and configure your blog.
Step 5: Verify SSL with Traefik
Traefik automatically handles obtaining an SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt for your domain. To verify that SSL is working, visit https://your-domain.com in your browser, and check that the connection is secure.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you have successfully deployed a Ghost blog with MySQL and Traefik using Docker. Whether you’re hosting your site on a , Microsoft SQL VPS Windows, or another Windows VPSVirtual Private Server Hosting solution, this setup ensures your Ghost blog is fast, secure, and easy to manage with Docker.
Author: Łukasz Bodziony
Website: Windows VPS
Łukasz Bodziony is the CEO and founder of NETCLOUD24, a global VPS hosting brand proudly originating from Poland. With extensive experience in cloud computing, virtualization, and server management, he delivers high-performance Windows VPS and Remote Desktop Services (RDS) solutions to clients across Europe, North America, and beyond.
His expertise covers a wide range of technologies, including Microsoft Azure, Proxmox VE, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and numerous other virtualization and cloud platforms.
Beyond running his hosting business, Łukasz also provides professional paid server configuration and optimization services for companies and individuals. Outside of work, he is dedicated to caring for his children and building a secure future for them.
If you are interested in working with him or need expert assistance with your hosting, cloud environment, or server setup, feel free to reach out via Windows VPS.
