How to make express visible outside docker container-CodePudding

I am trying to setup docker with a nodejs/react env for local dev purposes, this is Dockerfile for client:

# Pull Docker Hub base image
FROM node:14.16.0-alpine3.10
# Set working directory
WORKDIR /usr/app
# Install app dependencies
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install -qy
# Copy app to container
COPY . .
# Run the "dev" script in package.json
CMD ["npm", "start"]

this is Dockerfile for server:

# Pull Docker Hub base image
FROM node:14.16.0-alpine3.10
# Set working directory
WORKDIR /usr/app
# Install app dependencies
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install -qyg [email protected]
RUN npm install -qy
# Copy app to container
COPY . .
# Run the "dev" script in package.json
CMD ["npm", "start"]

and this is docker-compose.yml:

version: "3"
services:

  client:
    build:
      context: ./client
      dockerfile: Dockerfile
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    networks:
      - picstack-network
    volumes:
      - ./client/src:/usr/app/src
      - ./client/public:/usr/app/public
    depends_on:
      - server
    environment:
      - REACT_APP_SERVER=http://localhost:5000
      - CHOKIDAR_USEPOLLING=true
    command: npm start
    stdin_open: true
    tty: true

  server:
    build:
      context: ./server
      dockerfile: Dockerfile
    ports:
      - "5000:5000"
    networks:
      - picstack-network
    volumes:
      - ./server/src:/usr/app/src
    depends_on:
      - db
    environment:
      - MONGO_URL=mongodb://db:27017
      - CLIENT=http://localhost:3000
    command: nodemon -L app.js

  db:
    image: mongo:3.6.19-xenial
    ports:
      - "27017:27017"
    networks:
      - picstack-network
    volumes:
      - mongo-data:/data/db

networks:
  picstack-network:
    driver: bridge

volumes:
  mongo-data:
    driver: local

and here's my entry point app.js:

var createError = require('http-errors');
var express = require('express');
const bodyParser = require("body-parser");
var path = require('path');
var cookieParser = require('cookie-parser');
var logger = require('morgan');

var indexRouter = require('./routes/index');
var usersRouter = require('./routes/users');

const app = express();

// view engine setup
app.set('views', path.join(__dirname, 'views'));
app.set('view engine', 'jade');

app.use(logger('dev'));
app.use(express.json());
app.use(express.urlencoded({ extended: false }));
app.use(cookieParser());
app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, 'public')));

app.use('/', indexRouter);
app.use('/users', usersRouter);

// catch 404 and forward to error handler
app.use(function(req, res, next) {
  next(createError(404));
});

// error handler
app.use(function(err, req, res, next) {
  // set locals, only providing error in development
  res.locals.message = err.message;
  res.locals.error = req.app.get('env') === 'development' ? err : {};

  // render the error page
  res.status(err.status || 500);
  res.render('error');
});

module.exports = app;

if I run docker-compose up, I can see the react index at http://localhost:3000, but I can't see the express index that is supposed to be at http://localhost:5000. docker ps shows all 3 containers are running and the log is free from errors.

however, if I stop docker and I run npm start locally, I can actually see the express index at http://localhost:5000.

So I suspect that when I run docker, http://localhost:5000 is only accessible from the client container, but I don't know how to verify it, and anyway I would like to be able to see the api from the outside when docker is running, so I can use Postman or similar. What should I change to achieve this?

I am really a newby with docker and express so any other suggestion to improve this configuration is welcome.

CodePudding user response：

As per discussion, you are not calling listen, in app.js. Therefore, your server will not start if you set the command in the compose file to command: nodemon -L app.js

I suggest to call app.listen in the app.js file.

app.listen(port, '0.0.0.0')

Then you can use nodemon again, as command.

nodemon -L app.js

By default nodemon monitors the current working directory.