Using docker environment variables in docker-compose run commands

Question

This works:

$ docker-compose run web psql -U dbuser -h db something_development

My docker-compose.yml file has environment variables all over the place. If I run docker-compose run web env I see all kinds of tasty things I'd like to reuse in these one off commands (scripts and one-time shells).

docker-compose run env
...
DATABASE_USER=dbuser
DATABASE_HOST=db
DATABASE_NAME=something_development
DB_ENV_POSTGRES_USER=dbuser
... many more

This won't work because my current shell evals it.

docker-compose run web psql -U ${DATABASE_USER} -h ${DATABASE_HOST} ${DATABASE_NAME} ``` psql: could not connect to server: No such file or directory Is the server running locally and accepting connections on Unix domain socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432"? ````

These environment variables are coming from an env file like .app.env as referenced by docker-compose.yml but docker-compose itself can set environment variables. Seems a shame to even type dbuser when they are right there. I've tried my normal escaping tricks.

docker-compose run web psql -U \$\{DATABASE_USER\} -h \$\{DATABASE_HOST\} \$\{DATABASE_NAME\}
... many other attempts

I totally rubber ducked on SO so I'm going to answer my own question.

squarism · Accepted Answer · 2016-01-22 18:14:20Z

4

The answer (and there may be many ways to do it) is to run bash with -c and use single quotes so that your local shell doesn't interpolate the string.

docker-compose run web bash -c 'psql -U ${DATABASE_USER} \ -h ${DATABASE_HOST} ${DATABASE_NAME}'

Fantastic. DRY shell commands in docker-compose.

answered Jan 22, 2016 at 18:14

squarism

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danday74 · Accepted Answer · 2016-01-22 18:20:05Z

1

prob not the answer you want but the way we set env vars ...

(this is one of many containers)

api:
  image: 10.20.2.139:5000/investigation-api:${apiTag}
  container_name: "api"
  links:
    - "database"
    - "ldap"
  ports:
    - 8843:8843
  environment:
    KEYSTORE_PASSWORD: "ooooo"
    KEYSTORE: "${MYVAR}"
  volumes_from:
    - certs:rw

running compose ...

MYVAR=/etc/ssl/certs/keystoke.jks docker-compose (etcetera)

typically the above line will be in a provision.sh script - cheers

answered Jan 22, 2016 at 18:20

danday74

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3 Comments

squarism Over a year ago

That's passing an env from the host machine. I wanted a way to reused the KEYSTORE_PASSWORD: "ooooo" one. See my answer but thanks! :)

danday74 Over a year ago

just updated answer - hopefully that works for you :) only used it on one place in my example but could be used in many

squarism Over a year ago

Well this is handy regardless. That's another flexibility option. Thanks.

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