The reality is, Docker is a simple client install and then a couple commands from the command line. Most notably having a default client for most platforms, including macOS and Windows. In addition, Docker has made advancements since I tried over the years. In fairness, I tried using Docker multiple times before. And Docker can be used for so much more than local development on macOS. Something I can use elsewhere or again, beyond my Mac. If I'm going to spend days learning something, I'd rather learn something which brings value beyond a single purpose. I don't want to waste anymore time on it. But it's happened to me enough times over multiple versions and multiple years. Yes yes, I know you don't have any problems. And when you upgrade macOS, you'll receive another error and the solutions before no longer work. But it's only a matter of time until you receive another obscure error and burn another day. But when it doesn't you're going to burn a day searching the web trying to figure out some obscure error message.

This post will outline the process for a basic setup using Docker.īefore moving on to the actual implementation, let me address the two questions I still receive after all these years. Which 75% of is powered by PHP.įor those reasons, I am finally making the switch to using Docker for local development with Apache, MySQL, and PHP on macOS. In fact, Apple has added a warning about using the preinstalled PHP version and plans to no longer include it in future versions of macOS. However, it looks like macOS Big Sur will not upgrade PHP.

I held hope the next version of macOS might adopt a modern version of PHP. The primary reason was the need for a newer version of PHP. It wasn't until installing macOS Catalina that I began to move away from the preinstalled development tools I had preached for so many years. I know, Docker, gross right? Suppress that reaction for a few paragraphs…įor the last 8 years I've held one of the top search results for Installing Apache, PHP, and MySQL on Mac OS X.

Download phpmyadmin docker