Docker Compose

EMB wraps Docker Compose to provide a consistent interface for running services. This page covers the essential commands for managing your application.

Docker Compose File

EMB uses your project’s docker-compose.yml:

cat docker-compose.yml

services:
  api:
    image: fullstack-app/api:${DOCKER_TAG:-latest}
    ports:
      - "${API_PORT:-3000}:3000"
    environment:
      - NODE_ENV=${NODE_ENV:-development}

  web:
    image: fullstack-app/web:${DOCKER_TAG:-latest}
    ports:
      - "${WEB_PORT:-8080}:80"
    depends_on:
      - api

The file references EMB-managed images and environment variables.

Starting Services

Start all services with:

emb up

This will:

1. Build any images that need building
2. Create and start all containers
3. Show logs in real-time

Start specific services:

emb up api

Detached Mode

Run in the background:

emb up -d

Or the long form:

emb up --detach

Viewing Status

Check running containers:

emb ps

This shows container status, ports, and health.

Viewing Logs

Follow logs for all services:

emb logs

Follow a specific service:

emb logs api

Get recent logs without following:

emb logs --no-follow api

Stopping Services

Stop all services:

emb down

This stops and removes containers, networks, and volumes created by up.

Restarting Services

Restart all services:

emb restart

Restart specific services:

emb restart api

Getting a Shell

Open a shell in a running container:

emb shell api

This opens an interactive shell (typically /bin/sh or /bin/bash).

Environment Integration

EMB automatically passes your project’s environment variables to Docker Compose. This means:

• Variables from .env files are available
• Variables defined in the env: section are available
• Command-line overrides work: NODE_ENV=production emb up

Next Step

Continue to Building Images to learn about building and tagging Docker images.