Inception

A containerized web stack project that sets up a complete WordPress application with NGINX reverse proxy and MariaDB database using Docker Compose. This project emphasizes security, custom containers, and HTTPS-only access.

🏗️ Architecture

This project creates a secure web stack with three interconnected Docker containers:

┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
│     NGINX       │    │   WordPress     │    │    MariaDB      │
│   (Reverse      │    │   (PHP-FPM)     │    │   (Database)    │
│    Proxy)       │    │                 │    │                 │
│                 │    │                 │    │                 │
│ Port: 443       │◄──►│ Port: 9000      │◄──►│ Port: 3306      │
│ TLS 1.3         │    │ WordPress CMS   │    │ MySQL/MariaDB   │
│ SSL Enabled     │    │                 │    │                 │
└─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘
        │                       │                       │
        └───────────────────────┼───────────────────────┘
                               │
                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │ Docker Network  │
                    │ inception-net   │
                    └─────────────────┘

🚀 Features

• HTTPS-Only Access: Configured with TLS 1.3 and strong cipher suites
• Custom Docker Images: All services built from custom Dockerfiles (no official images)
• Persistent Storage: Database and WordPress files persist using Docker volumes
• Health Checks: MariaDB service includes health monitoring
• Security Hardened: Strong encryption, secure configurations
• Local Development: Works with custom domain (omartela.42.fr)

📋 Prerequisites

• Docker and Docker Compose installed
• sudo privileges (required for volume permissions)
• make utility installed

🔧 Installation & Setup

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd Inception

2. Build and start the services:

   cd inception
   make

   This command will:

   • Add 127.0.0.1 omartela.42.fr to your /etc/hosts file
   • Create necessary data directories
   • Build all Docker images
   • Start the services
   • Set correct permissions for data volumes

3. Access the website:

   • Open your browser and navigate to: https://omartela.42.fr
   • Accept the self-signed certificate warning

📂 Project Structure

inception/
├── Makefile                    # Build automation and management
├── srcs/
│   ├── .env                   # Environment variables
│   ├── docker-compose.yml     # Service orchestration
│   └── requirements/
│       ├── nginx/
│       │   ├── dockerfile     # Custom NGINX container
│       │   └── tools/
│       │       └── nginx.conf # NGINX configuration
│       ├── wordpress/
│       │   ├── dockerfile     # Custom WordPress container
│       │   └── tools/
│       │       └── entrypoint.sh # WordPress setup script
│       └── mariadb/
│           ├── dockerfile     # Custom MariaDB container
│           └── tools/
│               └── docker-entrypoint.sh # Database initialization
└── muistiinpanot.txt          # Technical notes (Finnish)

🎯 Usage

Managing the Stack

# Build and start all services
make

# View logs from all services
make logs

# Build and immediately show logs
make debug

# Stop services and remove containers
make clean

# Complete cleanup (removes everything including data)
make fclean

# Rebuild everything from scratch
make re

WordPress Access

• Website: https://omartela.42.fr
• Admin Panel: https://omartela.42.fr/wp-admin
• Admin Login:
  • Username: superuser
  • Password: securepassword
• Editor User:
  • Username: editor
  • Password: editorpassword

Database Access

# Connect to MariaDB container
docker exec -it mariadb-container bash

# Login to MySQL as root
mysql -u root -p
# Password: salasana

# Show databases
SHOW DATABASES;

# Use WordPress database
USE inception;

# Show tables
SHOW TABLES;

🔒 Security Configuration

TLS/SSL Configuration

• Protocol: TLS 1.3 only
• Ciphers: High-strength ciphers (HIGH:!aNULL:!MD5)
• Certificate: Self-signed certificate for development
• Port: HTTPS only on port 443 (no HTTP access)

Container Security

• Non-root user execution where possible
• Minimal base images (Debian Bullseye)
• Clean package installation (removes apt cache)
• Proper file permissions and ownership

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Permission Denied Errors:

   sudo chown -R 101:101 /home/omartela/data/mariadb_data
   sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /home/omartela/data/wordpress_data

2. Site Not Loading:

   • Check if omartela.42.fr is in /etc/hosts:

     grep "omartela.42.fr" /etc/hosts

   • Verify containers are running:

     docker ps

3. Database Connection Issues:

   • Check MariaDB health:

     docker exec mariadb-container mysqladmin ping -h localhost -uroot -psalasana

4. SSL Certificate Warnings:

   • This is normal for self-signed certificates
   • Click "Advanced" → "Proceed to omartela.42.fr" in your browser

Verification Commands

# Check NGINX is accessible on port 443
curl -I https://localhost --insecure

# Verify TLS configuration
openssl s_client -connect localhost:443

# Ensure HTTP is not accessible
curl -I --insecure http://omartela.42.fr:443

📊 Service Details

NGINX Container

• Base Image: Debian Bullseye
• Purpose: Reverse proxy with SSL termination
• Ports: 443 (HTTPS)
• SSL: Self-signed certificate generated at build time

WordPress Container

• Base Image: Debian Bullseye
• Purpose: WordPress CMS with PHP-FPM
• Ports: 9000 (FastCGI)
• Features: WP-CLI included for management

MariaDB Container

• Base Image: Debian Bullseye
• Purpose: MySQL-compatible database server
• Ports: 3306 (MySQL)
• Storage: Persistent volume for data

🔧 Environment Variables

Key environment variables (configured in .env):

📝 Development Notes

• All containers use custom Dockerfiles (no pre-built images from Docker Hub)
• Data persistence is handled through bind mounts to /home/omartela/data/
• Services communicate through a custom Docker network
• Health checks ensure MariaDB is ready before WordPress starts
• The setup follows security best practices for containerized web applications

📜 License

This project is part of the 42 School curriculum.